# Thoughts on Ranger 22



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I started sailing this year in April. Completely hooked! The sailing club we have joined here in Nashville, TN has a learners program, but it is really hard to get enough stick time in 2 hours a week sharing a boat with 5 or 6 other learners. So, I started looking at my own boat. There are a few criteria for this boat:

Something my wife and I can handle ourselves (22-25 ft)
Something with a somewhat comfortable cabin (to placate the wife)
Something with a little bit of speed

and finally PRICE (we need to stay in the 2K - 5K range)
Just today we took out a Ranger 22. This seems to fit all of our criteria. I have read the boat reviews on the site, but always take those with a grain of salt. I have yet to read a review from an owner that hated the boat. I was wondering if anyone has any comments on the Ranger 22. I'm not just looking for the good, but the bad and the ugly as well. JeffH has said the Ranger 23 is a far superior boat. That's a good start. So, come on, let's hear the opinions of all you experienced sailors, and salty dogs. Let me know what you think.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I promise not to derail the discussion! I have sailed on a Ranger 22 and think they are a lot fun. I have no experience on a 23. What kind of conditions do you expect to encounter in Nashville and where will you be sailing?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Nashville winds are very fluky. I do not think I will go out initially in anything over about 15. I think. I have heard that the most annoying sailors are the ones that don't know what they don't know. I am not one of those. I know my inexperienced limitations. I am just looking for something that will help me while I learn, but will also take me further as we go along.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Clay: Check out this link. Its a great site that describes your boat in great detail.

http://www.strictlysailing.com/ranger22/


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The Ranger series of boats is generally well regarded. I just helped launch a Ranger 26 earlier this year. Quite a nice boat, but a bit small in my book. I think you'd do well with either the Ranger 22, 23 or 26. Used, they're all in that price range generally, unless in immaculate condition. 

A couple of things to be wary of on them. Many Rangers are raced, and as such, can have seriously more wear and tear on them than boats that were not raced. A survey is generally an excellent, almost mandatory, step to take on any that you find interesting. 

Another boat that might be of interest to you is the Santana 22, which was also designed by Gary Mull, designer of the Ranger sailboats. 

One other thing, you should set aside about 20% of your boat buying budget for equipment re-fitting, upgrades, and modifications. Not to discourage you, but every boat I've ever owned needed to have something done to make it workable for me. It doesn't matter whether the boat is new or used....it just seems to be a fact of life when it comes to boats.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

The owner of this particular boat is the original owner. He bought the boat in 78. He has recently (last 3 years) replaced all of the winches, cleats, and teak. The sails (main and 155) are 1 year old mylar racing sails from a small loft in New York I believe. The spinnaker is the original and likely will need to be replaced when I am comfortable enough to fly one. He has told me that the boat will need some bottom work, ie small blisters to be taken care of and a new bottom. This should not be much trouble, as I will trailer the boat for the first couple of years. Thanks for the input, keep it coming!


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## edtolman (Jul 12, 2006)

Great post, great questions/answers...thanks for the posting!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have sailed on a Ranger 26 and would buy one if I were looking for a nice handling, fast daysailer that could be easily trailered. I enjoyed more interior room in the R26 than I see on a Ranger 22. The larger R26 is easily handled by two adults and othe members. It is large enough to allow the entire family to grow with it. 
Otherwise, in a couple short years you could find the smaller R22 was outgrown due to your children's growth. But, I would advise you to seek a R26 instead of a Ranger 22 or 23 ft.

Just my opinion.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

My thought would be it would be a fun boat to have and learn on and give you the sense of sailing hard. My first keel boat experiance was on a Ranger 22 and it is a fairly fast boat, big deck to get around on, I suspect due to a race design. Kind of small down below so dont expect a week trip out on it. In good wind it heels way over but I was never afraid of it broaching.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have purchased a ranger 22 as my first keelboat this spring after sailing mainly on a c&c 29 and other 30 ish foot curser racers and I love the ranger its much more exciting to sail and will let you know much quicker if you are doing something wrong, if you are looking for a review from an owner who hates the boat i think you will be looking for a long time  the only things that I can say about mine that bother me are the outboard is hard to reach on the stern mounted bracket especialy for shifting from forward to reverse, it will pound going into a chop, and unless you mount some winches closer to rear of the boat it is difficult to single hand.


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## gmbandco (Jan 21, 2003)

*Rangers are great boats*

I have an R-26 which I bought on Ebay, believe it or not. I love it. I had an Alacrity 19 before, so this is definitely more boat. Two of us sailed it down the Hudson into a 20-knot breeze, and did fine, although we had to reef the jib. Since then I have singlehanded it in various conditions with no trouble. I have the halyards routed to the cockpit, and mounted shift and throttle controls on the sides of the tiller, and I put Winchers on the primaries and secondaries. I also put a BoomKicker on it, to make lowering the main easier. The only negative is the lack of headroom, but you can't have everything. Go for it!


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## bebuch (Nov 15, 2008)

In researching R23's, it seems fairly common for the keel-to-hull joint to have some issues - e.g., a crack at the joint that can get as bad as the keel loose enough to be moved from side to side. Does the R22 have any sort of reputation for such keel attachement issues?


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## buslog (May 26, 2006)

*Ranger 22*

I sail a Ranger 23 as volunteer able-bodied skipper for a disabled sailing organization, The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors in San Francisco Bay. I'll tell you that the 23 is stiff and handles well on SF Bay, where conditions can be severe and changing, particularly important with disabled passengers aboard. The best setup in my view would be for the skipper to have full control of tiller and mainsheet as the helmsman needs to feel the balance in the groove and is able to feel the boat adjusting to puffs. Would think that the 22 is simliar to the 23 in these respects, and if so it's a great boat. BAADS would not ever, every, use a boat for disabled sailors that was not a darned good boat, so the 23 is a good choice in my view.

A


kclaybrook said:


> I started sailing this year in April. Completely hooked! The sailing club we have joined here in Nashville, TN has a learners program, but it is really hard to get enough stick time in 2 hours a week sharing a boat with 5 or 6 other learners. So, I started looking at my own boat. There are a few criteria for this boat:
> 
> Something my wife and I can handle ourselves (22-25 ft)
> Something with a somewhat comfortable cabin (to placate the wife)
> ...


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## bobd43769 (Nov 18, 2008)

I owned a Ranger 22 for a couple of years and loved it. I used it mainly for racing and did very well with it. I also delivered a Ranger 23 for a local broker (4 day trip solo). I liked the Ranger 23 better. It has a bigger cockpit and cabin. It sails the same as the 22 in light air but is faster and handles better in wind over 10kts. I would reccomend the 23 over the 22.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I have sailed both boats. The Ranger 22 was designed as an IOR mini-tonner and while it is a pretty nice one design boat, it is a pretty compromised design relative to the Ranger 23 which was designed to be a good all around design and a MORC boat second. As has been said above, the Ranger 23 is a good boat on all points of sail, and across a wide wind range. The Ranger 23 is one of my favorite boats of this size and type and would probably be near the very top of my list of boats to learn to sail on and for a first boat. 

I would never recommend the Ranger 22 so highly. The keel issue is possibly true of any small, bolt on fin keeled boat of that era. It is repairable much more easily than repairing a delaminated keel cavity which would be the expected condition on an encapsulated keel boat of that era. 

Jeff


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## Alcan (May 26, 2015)

I've owned and sailed the same Ranger 22 for 33 years so far. 

The plus:
Super easy to sail
Goes like a rocket in light air
Points higher than anything in our mixed PHRF fleet
Great deck layout with sensible hardware
All round fun boat to sail

The minus:
Pinched in old IOR rule transom makes it a handful on a spinnaker reach in a breeze
Not even sitting headroom below
Very tender so must be the first to reef on breezy days
Not really a choice for a comfortable weekender.

Take a look at the old Ranger 23 or even better a Tanzer 22


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## goat (Feb 23, 2014)

Alcan said:


> I've owned and sailed the same Ranger 22 for 33 years so far.
> 
> The plus:
> Super easy to sail
> ...


If the OP hasn't found a boat in the nine years since he posted, he may have given up. 

goat


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