Ranger 33

[ndutton]

I always like having a backup engine

As do I. You're relatively new around here and I haven't tossed out my resume' in a while. I worked at Jensen Marine in Costa Mesa, the parent company of Cal, Luhrs, Ranger, DeFever, O'Day (West coast) and Balboa motor homes, moved on to Islander at least a year before your boat was built.

[Boomer]

Who knows I might of ran into you checking out the different boat building facilities. When my Battalion was homeported in Port Hueneme, I stopped by the Jensen and Ranger facilities as well as a few others in Coasta Mesa in the fall of '72. I was pondering buying new, when I got out of the service. However for the size I wanted 36'+/-, ended up buying a used boat in the NW, and got a Colombia 38, in the middle of winter at a low price. It sure has changed down there now, from what it was in the early '70s. Much more rural back then, with much unused property around there. Now days it's all pavement and modern structures.

[ndutton]

Fall of '72 I was at Capital Yachts in Harbor City building the Newport 30 among others, also a Gary Mull design. Compare the two layouts and they're almost identical.

Dick Van Dyke bought a Ranger 33 somewhere around 1974-75.

[Boomer]

So went to work after high school in the boat yards, eh.
I noted more then a few youngsters laminating at the various boatbuilders. What was your first job there, laminating, wood joiner, rigging, mechanical or electrical?

[ndutton]

First job was during an extended mid-college break. I started at Columbia/Coronado as a plumbing & steering specialist on Coronado 35's, Columbia 34's and Coronado 30's. Ours was the only line building different models. Certain tasks required all hands like joining hulls and decks.

I finished college while working at Capital Yachts building everything they made except for the Newport 27. Although we gravitated to our strengths, everybody learned everything at Capital, a fully cross-trained workforce.

From there I went to Jensen Marine, the topic of this thread, as a cost accountant. As such I analyzed all aspects of the company including the Ranger division. During my tenure Ranger produced the trunk cabin 23, 26, 29 and 33, blister deck 28, 32,and 37. Out of the same facility we produced the Cal 20, 25, 27, 227, T2, 29, 229, 3-30, Cruising 35 and Cruising 2-46, O'Day Widgeon, Daysailor, 27 and 32. We built two sizes of Luhrs powerboats and the Defever 32 and 40 trawlers. It was a pretty busy place. Resin was brought in by the tanker truck, stored in underground tanks. There was a steady stream of trucks delivering enough materiel to 'feed the beast.'

[JimG]

I have a bigger boat in Friday Harbor, but I have a '74 Ranger 33 in Brookings, OR which is closer to home. I bought it in 2005 on eBay and after scraping off the decal the previous owner had applied, I discovered it was actually the R33 that I had crewed on a few times when it was new out-of-the-box in San Diego.

Since that time, my poor Yacht Club has suffered the slings and arrows of one boat winning every 1st place trophy but one. Its in a diverse fleet of older boats racing PHRF, and I can't pretend I'd win if something modern came to town. Still running on the original raw water A4 - no hour meter and no log. I use it for getting in and out of the slip, and there's no where to go in Brookings except "west", so I doubt if I've put 100 hours on it in 10 years. Starts in a few seconds after months of sitting.

Good sailing weather in Brookings is few and far between, so the boat doesn't get out as often as I'd wish, often because I'm in the Salish.

[Boomer]

Jim- Good to see your still kicking around. I remember you from Sailnet, and when you created the Ranger Yachts website shortly after JP & I started another website, when the old Sailnet was up and running. So are you retired now and living in the San Juans?

[Boomer]

Neil- What prompted you to leave Jensen? New direction with the company, new management? Islander offer you a job?

[ndutton]

Neil- What prompted you to leave Jensen? New direction with the company, new management? Islander offer you a job?

Jensen was facing massive layoffs so I polished up my resume' to cover my bases. I knew the president of Ranger recently became the CEO at Islander so I stopped there first. Two weeks later I was an Islander employee doing the same thing as I did at Jensen. Within a year I was a purchasing agent in a two man office. The other PA and I originally met at Columbia/Coronado several years prior when he worked the stockroom and I was on the assembly line. He remains a friend to this day, 40 years later.

[Boomer]

Sounds like an interesting time in your life. Did you every get a chance to meet Gary Mull or Bob Perry?

[ndutton]

Bob Perry - yes, quite a few times. Gary Mull - no.

[sastanley]

Is this the same Boomer I know from the PNW? If so, this is Shawn from Solomons.."Hike, Bitches!" on a few other forums (sorry, Bill, I always try to keep it clean here on the Moyer forum!)

[Boomer]

Yes Shawn, At the CA Chesapeake Rendezvous you introduced me to Sailor Jerry, though my kids later said, "where have you been Dad, Sailor Jerry has been around for a while." Thanks again for keeping that fish frozen and delivering to the rendezvous. BTW - The workmanship detail, on the restoration of TWICE AROUND is exemplary - but, as you recall, I told you that at the time.

[sastanley]

Ha..awesome, Boomer..good to see you again..Sorry you missed the Chessie rendezvous this year..but I realize it is not an every year event for you. I took it easy this year..just a few Mich Ultras, the Sailor Jerry Rum stayed at home..

Thanks for the kind words on the TA. I enjoy working on the boat and bringing her back almost as much as sailing her...folks like Neil here on the Moyer forum are a big inspiration and provide much guidance.

I have several Ranger 33's I am close to. TA (formerly Cygnus when I was little) spent many nights at anchor next to a Ranger 33 "Salty Dog", usually with the parents on one boat and the kids on the other, carrying on and playing games.

I have two very close friends that have Ranger 33s presently..one recently rescued from Ft. Washington Marina and refloated & sailing again just this weekend...they had to use the coastal flood advisory to get the boat out of the marina..it has been on the hard long enough the marina was silted in and not deep enough to get the boat out under normal tides. It's funny, the other belongs to his brother, and much like me and Spencer with our C-30's, the two R-33's are now next to each other at their home berths in their back yard (the brothers have beautiful waterfront land on the Potomac River.)

Anyway, glad you are the same Boomer!

[Boomer]

As you know, I rarely drink, but don't mind something tasty once in a while. I was in Cordova,AK last spring, doing some maintenance on a 58' purse seiner after delivering it from Seattle. Mostly fishing boats in Cordova, but there are a few sailboats and about 1/2 of these have live-a-boards. One of these sailors asked if I would help him install a new cutwater fitting for his Baba 40. As we were working, we discussed different Babas as well as Bob Perry, who was a mutual acquaintance. Turns out the sailor lived next store to him in Ballard, back in the day. After we finished with the installation, he offered compensation for the work. I shrugged it off, but he insisted instead I step below to share a glass. I accepted and came aboard. Once down below, I met his wife who was preparing a meal, or should I say a feast of various Filipino finger food. He asked his wife to hand him the bottle of rum out of the icebox. She handed him a bottle of rum, that I wasn't familiar with. It was Bacardi Oakheart. My first thought was I don't drink Bacardi, because a few shots will give me a headache. I put up a hand in protest. He smiled and said, "you'll have to try this, it's mighty tasty and no headache." He was right, it was indeed tasty and no headache. I now keep a bottle in my freezer, which I break out for sailors and close friends.

Ranger 33s became quite popular in the NW racing scene in the 70s and 80's and continued to a degree on into the 90's. Three of my close friends owned 33s at one time; as well as a few sailing acquaintances on Bainbridge Island who have kept their Ranger 33s since new. Though a few still race in south sound down by Olympia, all the Ranger 33 owners I know in central and north sound, primarily day sail, do over-nighters and occasionally cruise north in the summer. Surprisingly, most of the Ranger 33s I've seen in recent years, still have the original Atomic 4.

Echo Bay, Sucia Island, San Juan Islands