Bay Boats....Ranger 2410...Any thoughts

[cosmiccowboy]

I've been fishing out of a 25' Marshall belonging to a friend of mine the last couple of years and I have been EXTREMELY impressed...he runs it on a daily basis in Baffin Bay and it's a beast...runs shallow but can handle extremely rough water...no boat in this class is completely dry running into big wind/waves but this one does a good job...you should check them out...

As someone else pointed out, these are big heavy boats so make sure you have the rig to pull one...

http://www.marshall-marine.com/

[Snapper]

There are some really good CC boats out there. I have a Nautic Bay 2200 that is the driest, smoothest and best fishing boat I've ever owned. I wouldn't trade her for anything. Pathfinders, Rangers and Skeeters are also great boats and you could do alot worse. Good luck on your new ride.


[ATTACH]102973[/ATTACH]

[Javelin]

Champion may or may not be in business in a few months. They have gone under once already.

Wow.... I did not know that[/QUOTE]


well the company that owns Champ and Ranger as well as several other comps (genmar) is bankrupt. champ never really went under, they sold to genmar around 02 or so so that is not exactly correct

[ByronF]

Haynie

[BrandonA]

Thanks for all the info guys. I like the video's on the Ranger Website on how the boats are put together. Really impressive. Even more, I sent a message, via their website, to them asking a few questions about the 2410 and within 3 hours a representative from the Ranger plant called my office. The gentlemans name was Kit. I don't know about other boat manufactorers but that was a first with me. He answered all my questions recommended several dealerships and also compared the 2410 with the competion, and not once did he bad mouth any of the others. That one phone call was, which lasted 30 minutes, has me leaning that way.

Me, my dad and brother are considering buying it as partners. As far as the weight goes I drive a 3/4 ton 4wd Dodge with the cummins, my wife drives a 1 ton. dad and brother drive 3/4 Chevy's gas...they may have a problem.

[qzilla]

Bankruptcy protection does not mean out of business.

It is not a good thing but, typically the dealers and suppliers get the short end of the deal, not the consumer.

Either way, if you buy the right boat you won't need exceptional service.

Lots of great boats listed. I like the Haynies but, it depends on what you are really going to do with it. They are fast, ride well, dry and get skinny. They are also uncomfortable, not good looking and don't have 1/2 the features most other boats listed have.

You really need to figure out what you are looking for and then decide. There are better choices out there depending on application. I simply mentioned Champion compared to the Ranger because they are direct competitors. Shearwater, Yellowfin, Haynie and some other boats mentioned are different kinds of boats.

If you are ever in or around Port A, let me know and I will take you for a ride and show you why I bought a Champ. I have been in or owned most of the listed boats. I can have any boat I want. At the end of the day I want, smooth, dry, comfortable and trouble free. I have that now and its pretty fast considering the T-top and its weight. It is a super heavy boat but, it will get in 12" all day long, takes about 18-20" to really get up good though.

Whatever you do please take this 1 piece of advise before you buy anything.

TAKE TEST RIDES OR SEA TRIALS IN ANY AND ALL BOATS YOU ARE CONSIDERING.

It is a buyers market, used boats are super cheap, new boats have super incentives and you are the boss right now. Ride them all, do it twice if you need to. Boat dealers are finally earning their money.

[Mike]

Like the others have stated, they are all good boats.

Once you mentioned the tri partnership, I would go the Ranger route easily.

It is a great way to own more boat than you can afford, PROVIDING the fact you all equally agree on upkeep and how maintenance will be handled. Another issue is the time division factor, these things need to be gone over on an investment of this size.

Go get in one and ride in it, then for a special treat, take a ride to Flippen and look at the factory. That trip alone will sell you on fit and finish in my opinion. I have made several trips there to pick up boats and it is amazing to watch the construction of the boats take place.

I too have been in them all and owned my fair share, I love Rangers but I do not like the price, plain and simple.

I have been in some bad water in my day, really bad back in my tournament fishing days. Those are days that I look back on now at 40 with two boys and think to myself, "What were you thinking???" I was young and bullet proof, plus I knew how to drive a boat really well. I was pretty fearless in my Rangers, I knew they were going to keep me right side up in any event. I got wet sometimes but I was in the weigh-in line. The Skeeter 185c that I ran was like a surfboard, it ran it fine but you could not push it, you had to keep the nose up and it got you where you needed to go with a good feeling. As far as the Champion, those days were just after the mess they went through in the mid-late 90's and all the bay boats they were making had curing issues and the boats were cracking in front of the console. I knew that boat would sink like a rock if it ever filled with water so I did my best to keep the water on the outside, lol. Needless to say, I did not have a great feeling running that boat but I knew it would get me there and back, just not with a cozy feeling.

Ride in them all, see what they will do and one last tidbit,,,,Make sure it has all the powerplant it can handle on the rear. There is a trend nowdays to sell boats at a pricepoint and that is usually with less than max horsepower. Those big rigs are rated at 250-300. I have a 22' with a 225 on the back and it needs it all to perform like it should. I have two buddies with the same boats with a 150 and they can run about 39-41 mph top speed and it is a toad out of the hole. Make sure the motor is maxed out, the big boats need it all, IMO.

[stickman]

Hands down the 24' skeeter can do it all,from rough bays,choppy lakes,offshore swells. for ride comfort and fishability skeeter does it all. May cost a bit more than some models but you won't regret the investment.

[Cajun Blake]

B

all of the aforementioned companies make great boats , just depends on what YOU want


you're fixing to drop some serious coins on a pleasure craft


just like test driving a " new bow " ..... I highly recommend you get out on the H2O and spend a minimum of 1 hour in each boat you're considering


I would seriously shop the market for a quality "like new, low hours" used boat before spending $55K on a new one (Ranger) ...... JMO

there is nothing wrong with a well kept 2006 or 2007 Ranger 2400 which can be picked up for around $30K


If you got the $$$$$ , buy what you like best

can't wait for the pics

[Atfulldraw]

I think that the Pathfinder may be the most under-rated boat on the market. Glad to see them mentioned in this thread.

Mike knows his ****, but I have taken a Pathfinder down the mouth of the Mississippi and way too far out in the Gulf on countless trips.

It passed every torture test we could throw at it.

Lightweight and dry, a true performer in skinny water --- I will have another just like her someday.........

[Kdub]

I looked at the new Blackjack and Frontier boats by Bill Kenner last week. The blackjack is a very well built boat. It's 22'4" and rigged out will cost you around 45k. The frontier comes in a 21.5'ter, and it's about alot less money (around 32k or so rigged out depending on your options, but they are both looking rigs. The blackjack is too heavy for the places I fish, but the frontier would probobly work ok for me.

[kyle1974]

Thanks for all the info guys. I like the video's on the Ranger Website on how the boats are put together. Really impressive. Even more, I sent a message, via their website, to them asking a few questions about the 2410 and within 3 hours a representative from the Ranger plant called my office. The gentlemans name was Kit. I don't know about other boat manufactorers but that was a first with me. He answered all my questions recommended several dealerships and also compared the 2410 with the competion, and not once did he bad mouth any of the others. That one phone call was, which lasted 30 minutes, has me leaning that way.

Me, my dad and brother are considering buying it as partners. As far as the weight goes I drive a 3/4 ton 4wd Dodge with the cummins, my wife drives a 1 ton. dad and brother drive 3/4 Chevy's gas...they may have a problem.

Brandon...

as far as the haynie and transport boats... if you tell those guys you're interested in one of them, you don't get a rep... you get teh guy that buiilds it. Same with Majek. You can call their shops and ask for some information, and they will help you out.

Rangers are great boats too though. So are pathfinders....

man... too many choices! I'm not even buying and it's confusing

[zztex]

If I were going to get a boat made for "big water" and still be able to run shallow when needed, good speed and an excellent ride I would go with the Haynie HO 24'. These boats are not "cookie cutter" boats and you can get them "custom" made to your liking as far as layout goes. Give Chris' marine in Aransas Pass a ring. You won't be dissappointed. My brother in law had the first "bigfoot" model in Rockport and had it for 10 years before finally selling it simply because he didn't "need" it. He sold it for more than 1/2 of what he paid for it and it was about as "plain" as they come. I see it every once in a while down in the Upper Laguna and I always ask the guys that bought it "how's she doin" and they say that buying it was the best thing they ever did. I always kid them about being "thiefs" because of the deal they got. I always felt it was a little underpowered with a 150 on it but it would still do 43-45mph with a tunnel. Good Luck.

>E

My sons own a dealership in Seabrook that sells Haynie and Shallowsports. Brandon, pm me if interested in either one of those brands.

[BrandonA]

ZZ

Thanks will look into them.

[BDR]

Take a look at Blazer Bay also another really well designed boat.