Ranger Otter lay-up??

Advice
#1

I’m looking at a Ranger Otter (assuming it’s still there tomorrow). Owner says it’s fiberglass with vinyl rails, hull # ends in '03. Am I correct in assuming it’s 9 years old? How was there lay-up quality for this vintage? Near as I can tell from a distance, the shape is somewhat similar to a Wenonah Adirondak - correct?

#2

2005 vintage
I had a 2005 model and it was good. No problems. From people i checked with before I bought it, previous years were good too. Mike makes a nice canoe.

#3

Ranger
It was a pretty good lay up, Steve. I’d say it compared very favorably to our Tuffweave laid up Wenonahs.I’d say ours weighed just a hair under 60lbs. We banged ours around Ozark rivers for 3 years. I remember pulling over some beaver dams and banging around playing pinball with rocks on a small stream in Wisconsin. Also banged it around a fair amount in the Tetons. We traded ours in for a Bell Northwind, because it was a little too low volume for overnighters paddling tandem. Nice tandem day tripper or load it down and paddle solo. Excellent tracking, turns fine with light load, but a bear to turn with a moderate or heavy load. Here’s a few pics. The yellow inside was NOT because it was kevlar. The owner/builder just decided to use yellow in that particular boat. BTW, the owner was a good guy to work with. Interesting charachter, and he sent me spare deck plates when I broke one. Here’s a few pics I scrounged up tonight:

http://www.pbase.com/ozarkpaddler/image/60386714

http://www.pbase.com/ozarkpaddler/image/110288962

http://www.pbase.com/ozarkpaddler/image/67597611

#4

Thanks, guys.
Looks like he didn’t sell it today, so maybe I’ll get a chance at it after work on Monday.



Terry - nice photos! Where is “30 minute rock”?

#5

Here’s A Hull Picture, Steve

– Last Updated: Feb-27-12 12:42 PM EST –

It's next to 'Ol Blue, my Wenonah Adirondack. You can see, the Ranger's hull is kind of a "Hybrid" shallow arch/shallow vee. Just a little "V" in it's arch. It was a good boat!

"30 Minute Rock" is one of those places here in the Ozarks that I named myself, like "Helicoptor Pilot Bluff." It's a place on the St. Francis that I named because it was a nice, pretty place for one last little break before coming off the river. It was 30 minutes above our take out. Now, after a flood a few years back, the river changed channels and the main channel bypasses it. To get to it now, you have to take a side channel downstream of it and paddle up, go over a couple beaver dams, and walk. I miss the old river channel!

The other picture is one of my favorites. I added the "Loon" sticker as I have about 100 of them that I bought on E-bay years ago. You need a Loon sticker, I can fix you up (LOL)!
http://www.pbase.com/ozarkpaddler/image/65953824
http://www.pbase.com/ozarkpaddler/image/76294878

#6

Got it.
Looks nice. Some gelcoat damage, but a sound hull. Couple of decent paddles in the deal too!



One spot about the size of a half-dollar with some missing gelcoat chips. Fix first, or go paddling??

#7

What’s a Few Gelcoat Chips?
Paddle the thing and take some pictures! I think you’ll like the boat, Steve.