Ranger 33 Used Boat Review

The Ranger 33 is a decent choice for either an entry-level club racer or a coastal cruiser, as long as you're ok with small spaces.

By
Darrell Nicholson
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4
Photo courtesy of Yacht World.
Although the Ranger 33 interior is compact, the thoughtful wood details that this owner cared for make it feel welcoming. Photo courtesy of Yacht World.
The Ranger Yacht division of Jensen Marine was created in 1969 to build performance-oriented boats designed by Gary Mull. Jensen's Cal division had been successful with both racer/cruisers and pure cruisers, but the Ranger line was racier, with consistent styling and appearance throughout the series. Ranger stopped building the 33 in 1978, after 464 boats had been turned out. Many minor changes were made over the years of production, and boats built after 1974 are generally more desirable, with restyled interiors and a diesel engine option.
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Darrell Nicholson
Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.

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4 COMMENTS

  2. This review should be the standard template for all sailboats in the under-40 ft category. (I have no experience in larger craft – those may benefit from critiques with which I am not familiar.)

    It is not only well written but written well, making it easy to understand and with the observations qualified when necessary.

  4. I had a 1974 R33, bought in 92. I spoke with Gary Mull who encouraged me to reinforce the connection between the mast support post and the port bulkhead. I did that with an extra teak board (1×3) glued and screwed to the bulkhead and doing the same attaching the support post (a 2×6 ?) to that board. He also suggested shims between the support post and the lead keel to ensure that the load is on the keel.
    Never a problem.