The Ranger 33 is an American
sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture.
Types
Although sailboat terminolo ...
, that was designed by
Gary Mull
Gary Mull (September 27, 1937 – July 14, 1993) was an American yacht designer who created many popular fiberglass sailboats.
Early life and education
Gary Mull began his college career with a year at Pomona College as an English major, th ...
and first built in 1969. The design is out of production.
Production
The boat was built by
Ranger Yachts
Ranger Yachts was an American boat builder founded by Jack Jensen. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of sailboats for the North American market.
History
The company was formed by Jensen in 1970 to complement his existing ...
, a division of
Bangor Punta, in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
starting in 1969. A total of 464 examples were completed by the time production ended in 1978.
Design
The Ranger 33 is a small recreational
keelboat
A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...
, built predominantly of
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...
, with wood trim. It has a
masthead sloop
A masthead rig on a sailing vessel consists of a forestay and backstay both attached at the top of the mast.
The Bermuda rig can be split into two groups: the masthead rig and the fractional rig. The masthead rig has larger and more headsails, ...
rig, an internally-mounted spade-type
rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...
and a fixed fin
keel
The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...
. It displaces and carries of lead ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard keel.
The boat is fitted with a
Universal Atomic 4
The Universal Atomic 4 is a four-cylinder, gasoline engine produced by the Universal Motor Company between 1949 and 1984 for use as auxiliary power on sailboats. Both and versions of the engine were produced. Over 40,000 of the engines were pro ...
gasoline engine, although later during production a Universal
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...
was also offered as an option. It has a fuel tank and a fresh water tank.
On earlier models tiller steering was standard with wheel steering optional, but wheel steering later became standard.
The boat has a
hull speed
Hull speed or displacement speed is the speed at which the wavelength of a vessel's bow wave is equal to the waterline length of the vessel. As boat speed increases from rest, the wavelength of the bow wave increases, and usually its crest-to-t ...
of .
Variants
;Ranger 33
:Standard model with a
PHRF
Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) is a handicapping system used for yacht racing in North America. It allows dissimilar classes of sailboats to be raced against each other. The aim is to cancel out the inherent advantages and disadvantages ...
racing average handicap of 156 with a high of 162 and low of 150.
;Ranger 33 SM
:Short mast model with a mast about shorter. Its PHRF racing average handicap of 159 with a high of 162 and low of 156.
Operational history
In a 2003 ''Latitude 38'' review Andy Turpin concluded, "the time-honored Ranger 33 is by no means a superyacht or a speed demon, nor was her design particularly radical. She is simply, in Gary Mull's words, 'a really nice little boat' which meets all the design criteria he held in high esteem three decades ago: she's good looking, well-balanced and sails well on all points of sail. She has a bright, airy interior, plus a comfortable cockpit, and is easily converted from racer to cruiser and back again with minimal effort. No doubt she'll remain on the plastic classic honor roll for many years to come."
See also
*
List of sailing boat types
References
{{Ranger Yachts
Keelboats
1960s sailboat type designs
Sailing yachts
Sailboat type designs by Gary Mull
Sailboat types built by Ranger Yachts