Ranger 35 Sundeck

Ranger Marine's David Kinsman and Marino Gomes designed a Convertible/Sportsfisher cabin and the Sundeck cabin for the 35ft Ranger 35 hull, but by far the biggest selling version was the distinctive aft-cabin Sundeck model. Both hulls were the same, but the Sundeck was then the only boat of this length that offered two bathrooms and sleeping space for up to nine people.

If it's interior space with privacy you're after, you'll find it difficult to go past the Ranger 35 Sundeck. This roomy vessel boasts two or three sleeping cabins, two bathrooms, and a huge saloon. In profile it looks like a 50-footer with the back end cut off and that's the sort of interior space you get - minus the 50-footer's cockpit.

There are several two-cabin and three-cabin layouts available, but the three-cabin pours the most of the quart into this pint pot. I can't think of another boat that provides the same amount of interior space for the money you'll pay, typically in the $160,000 to $200,000 bracket.

The 'chopped-off 50' concept gives the Sundeck 35 plenty of big boat features that an upsized 30-footer doesn't have: an engine room, large fuel and water capacities, watertight bulkheads, and two-metre headroom in all three cabins and the saloon. The beds also accommodate large bodies.

The engine room is located under the saloon and, although it doesn't have standing room, it does have much more space than an under-cockpit design. Access is via a large floor hatch and a three-tread steel ladder. There's ample room for a generator between the twin engines and many used boats are fitted with one.

The tankage is 580lt of water and 960lt of fuel. The latter gives the Sundeck 35 a comfortable cruising range of 350 nautical miles.

The boat is divided into sections by watertight bulkheads and each section has its own bilge pump.

 The forward cabin has a large vee-berth that enjoys almost full beam width at the entrance and there's a fill-panel available to convert this space into a large double bed.

The port-side cabin aft of the vee-berth cabin has two full-length, upper and lower bunks and opposite is a large bathroom with head, sink, cupboards and a separate shower recess. The two-cabin layout lacks the forward shower recess but has a large, lower level starboard-side galley. The three-cabin layout sees the galley at saloon floor level.

The huge saloon comes with several layouts, with or without a lower steering station, but all have a U-shaped dinette section that converts into a double bed. Some boats also have a settee that becomes a single bed.

Steps lead upwards and downwards from the saloon. The lower steps lead to the full-width aft cabin with its starboard-side double bed and port-side mirror-faced wardrobe. One of the mirror doors leads into the aft bathroom, which has a head, sink, cupboards and a shower recess.

The steps that lead upwards from the saloon meet the aptly-named aft sundeck via a two-piece hatch/cabin door. Another short ladder connects the sundeck to the flybridge.

The entire layout is eminently liveable and the short distance between the flybridge and the sundeck means that the helmsperson isn't isolated from people on the sundeck.

EQUIPMENT
Used boats vary in the level of gear on board, but most Ranger 35s I've checked out seem to be well-equipped. Most have 200-210hp engines, either twin Volvos or Cummins B-Series. Early examples came originally with twin 165hp Volvos.

 Some late-production boats had 250hp Cummins power and there are also some boats around with Hino engines.

If you're checking out a Volvo-powered example, don't be surprised by a lot of cold-engine smoke.

At an asking price of $159,000, the 1987 three-cabin boat I evaluated at Andrew Moore Marine looked like excellent value for money.

This example was powered by twin 200hp Volvos and the engine room also boasted a 7kW Kohler genset.

It had two steering stations and a rudder angle indicator.

Electronics included a pair of GME 27-meg radios, a GME AM/FM/CD tuner, an Autohelm Bidata unit and an LCD depthsounder.

The galley was kitted out with a Roden LPG stove and oven, a double-bowl sink and a Waeco fridge.

An April 2006 refit had seen the inclusion of four new batteries, a new flybridge and flybridge bimini, sundeck carpets, and fresh antifoul.

ON THE WATER
Andrew Moore Marine had just sold a Ranger 35 when I called by, but had another, bargain-priced example for our inspection. This well-used example had 1284 hours on its twin Volvo Penta TAMD41As, but it was in very good condition for a 19-year-old vessel. The build quality of the Ranger hull and fittings had stood it in good stead.

Getting on and off a Ranger 35 Sundeck is one of the few downsides of this craft. Access is via a marlin board that's not narrow, but still seems so, because the transom is above average head height. This cramped approach is compounded by a vertical boarding ladder. I'd fit a wider marlin board and an angled, staircase-style boarding ladder.

 Once on the broad sundeck and poking around the roomy cabins I felt quite at home.

Access to the broad foredeck is safe, thanks to walkways and grabrails around the cabin top.

The Ranger 35 is no sportsboat, but it doesn't have any obvious vices. You don't get the feeling that it wants to be thrown into a tight turn with too much verve, but normal-speed handling is fine. I know of an owner of a Convertible/Sportsfisher version who has used his boat offshore regularly without drama.

The Ranger 35 cruised at 20kts with 3200rpm showing on the twin tachos, with commendably little engine noise interfering with conversation on the sundeck.

Our surveying experts at Sydney's Newport Marine say there are no inherent problems with the Ranger 35, but as always it pays to buy a boat that's had regular, professional maintenance.

A Ranger 35 should make a great entertainer, family weekender or live-aboard boat. It has good performance, more space than some houseboats and retains its value very well.

With flowing lines, it mightn't be pretty, but it's practical.