I'm considering buying either a Ranger 11 or Ranger 12 sailing dinghy to tow behind my 31ft sloop for use in various anchorages for rowing and occasional sailing. According to spec sheets, the R11 is shorter by 1.5 ft, narrower (49" vs 59"), and lighter (125 lb vs 175 lb). The R11 is a newer design with less teak, not as pretty but will be easier to manhandle on shore. Does anyone have any real experience rowing or sailing either of these boats?
Ranger 11 and Ranger 12 dinghy experince
- Thread starter SnrSlr
- Start date
can you hoist them onto your deck or cabin top for long voyages?
also check out the sailing dinghies from chesapeake light craft, in particular the eastport pram. their boatbuilders bazaar often has these prams for sale at very reasonable prices.
also check out the sailing dinghies from chesapeake light craft, in particular the eastport pram. their boatbuilders bazaar often has these prams for sale at very reasonable prices.
Thanks for the response. No, I don't have room on the deck even if I could wrestle a heavy dinghy up there. We sail in Puget Sound and Canadian inland waters. They can get very rough with steep chop but an old 8ft glass dinghy I used to own never was swamped even in following seas. So ... I'm looking for a good rowing boat about 10 or 11 feet (8 or 9 feet limits ability to carry a third party). I'll look at the CLC web site again. Haven't seen their list of assembled boats.
How did the search for a dinghy turn out? I had not wandered across this thread earlier, but can add that both models are good sailing boats, but very different in design and weight. The R-11 would be lighter. I used to tow a R-11 for cruising on our river. Rows like a dream. Good sailing performance too. I believe that it was the smallest commissioned design ever from NA Ray Richards.
The 12' Ranger was in appearance like a much larger Ranger Minto, i.e. it had molded-in lapstrakes, and also a steel CB. Heavier and based on a classic English sailing dinghy. It looks like something right out of an Arthur Ransome book!
I have brochures for both somewhere around the house (!) as I was a dealer for them in 1980. Good quality fiberglass work and finishing out. Really much better built than the Livingston's and similar. Full floatation built in, too.
The 12' Ranger was in appearance like a much larger Ranger Minto, i.e. it had molded-in lapstrakes, and also a steel CB. Heavier and based on a classic English sailing dinghy. It looks like something right out of an Arthur Ransome book!
I have brochures for both somewhere around the house (!) as I was a dealer for them in 1980. Good quality fiberglass work and finishing out. Really much better built than the Livingston's and similar. Full floatation built in, too.
I was going to suggest a ranger minto. Can carry 3 people and it rows and sails well. I used to sail hull #2 when i was a kid and i also got very proficient at rowing it. Fast fwd to early 80s i had a 30' S2 and i could put one (not #2) up on deck when needed. In the old days, I took that boat (#2) places in Puget Sound that i never should have. (Crossing freightors etc). It belonged to my grandfather and when i got dismasted and had to have him go to Des Moines for help he jumped into his ole 1949 chevy pickup and retrieved me. At the end...he just looked at me and asked if I learned anything. I said yes..several things and that was the end. I did have to help rebuild the mast bed..there's a place in rich passage who are still building them and providing support. Wish i still had #2....
I bought the Ranger 11 and am very pleased with it. I sailed it on Lake Chelan and found it very responsive. Rowing was good (boat tracked well), but oars that came with the boat were about 1.5 ft too short. I've purchased proper length oars but haven't had a chance to use them yet. I may have to beef up the oar locks. Looking forward to towing it although I'm going to have to build a center board well plug to prevent flooding (son-in-law filled the boat towing it with a ski boat).
