Contemplating a Ranger 26 purchase

[JWinHawaii]

Hello all,

I live in Honolulu and am looking at a 1973 Ranger 26 for $6500 as my first sailboat purchase. The owner is willing to negotiate on price.

I looked at the boat recently and it appears well-maintained with a clean bottom and solid hull, sails, electrical, deck, and a relatively new 5.0 Mercury outboard. All running lines look in fine condition. Very well maintained, but still a bit old with many parts never upgraded in 35 years.

I am considering getting a survey done because although the standing rigging looks decent--I have no idea how to evaluate the integrity of shrouds and mast, etc. It appears to have wooden spreaders--and that seems like an obvious upgrade is required. But I could be wrong.

The other area of concern is the keel-to-hull attachment. I've heard horror stories about sailboats designed poorly and the keel having joint issues--and eventually, in Hawaiian waters, I will be in some decent swells. Any knowledge of this design? This boat has no owner manuals whatsoever.


The boat was last hauled out in Aug. 2007. I dove under yesterday and the bottom looks great. I won't be paying for a haul-out as part of the survey.

Anyone who owns a Ranger, or would like to comment on this as a first sailboat purchase in general, or comment on things I should look for, or comment on what appear to be wooden spreaders(?), or comment on great resources I should go to---any pieces of advice, brief or detailed--I will happily read on.

Thanks ahead of time,
Aloha,
JW

 

[higgs]

Spreaders

Wooden spreaders are fine if the wood is still solid. I would suggest painting the upward facing surface of the spreader with a good solid coat of white paint to reflect sunlight. No one sees this surface, so you can still varnish the underside to keep them looking good.

I would suggest a survey.

 

[bffatcat]

Ranger 26 comment

This was a good sailboat in its day. Your gonna need a good surveyor
If the standing rigging is 35 years old in salt water your probably going to have to replace it. You cant really tell its condition without Xray I replaced mine last
season on a 1975 Pearson 26W about $100 per stay "New England Prices"
Next check the deck for soft spots this is done by a surveyor by tapping the
deck with a hammer. Another indication of deck problems are water stains inside near the hull to deck joint. This can be fixed by drilling holes in the soft
spots and pumping them full of epoxy. Not a cheap repair. And finally the keel
bolts. Look at the bolts. If they are rusted up this is a bad sign. If the bolts are ok and they need to be cinched up or the seam compound in the joint has
to be replaced thats not that big a deal. A friend of mine had the keel bolts
replaced on a Columbia 26 about 5 years ago $4000. and finally check the
rudder to see if it needs attention.
Good luck

 

[Dave in Annapolis]

Thumbs up R 26

I owned a 1976 Ranger 26 hull # 547 twice. The first time from 1985 to 1988; the second time from 1993 to 2002. I completely rebuilt her in 1997. In between I owned a J 30. Obviously I like the R 26. I raced and collected silver on both boats; PHRF for the Ranger, One Design for the J 30. In my humble opinion the Gary Mull designed, Ranger 26 is one of the best Racer/Cruiser designs ever! Her PHRF of 198 is easy to sail to and well beyond if you're good and the boat is set up correctly.

As a pocket cruiser, she is forgiving and seaworthy.

Things to look for in an old (they're all old) Ranger 26:
1. Keel bolt security. Have replaced if badly rusted not a big deal if good pro shop does the work
2. Steel roof arch support for mast (no compression post is used and an over tightened rig can cause roof depression and deck delamination)
3. the usual deck fitting soft spot and leak areas
4. Wooden spreaders are not an issue unless wood has rotted or broken. Replace with wood if needed.

The point is the Ranger is always a good boat at the right price. How much you pay and how much do you want to fix up is always the question. There is no question however that a rehabed Ranger 26 today is a good looking fast boat and that's saying something for a 40 year old design. Gary Mull knew what he was doing!
Good luck,
Dave

 

[Barnacle Bill]

I agree. The Ranger 26 is one great little boat. They are quite fast and fun to sail. If it is in good condition, you will have a blast. Where in Honolulu do you sail (or will you sail out of?) Keehi Yacht Basin, Kane'ohe, Ko Olina? Enjoy and Aloha.

 

[JW]

Thanks for the Ranger 26 info . . . .

I'll be putting a deposit on this boat tomorrow if the sea trial works out.

First sailboat. Yeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

Thanks for all the good pointers. I'll be having a surveyor take a look too . . . .

Sailing out of Keehi Marine Center, Honolulu.

Aloha,
JW

 

[sailingdog]

I've crewed on a Ranger 26.... nice little boat.

 

[captinredbeard]

So did you ever end up buying that ranger 26? If not what was the reason for not buying it?