Deb and Joe:
I first bought a brand new Ranger 27 OB and I loved it, just such a versatile boat. I thought I would rarely use the speed but it came in handy quite often, and a 40 minute burst of 36 knots helped me beat some bad weather several times.
It was a bit tight for even 2 people, the narrow beam being the only issue, but of course it's necessary for trailering. Otherwise, there was lots of storage, more than I can find on this GB 36 and more convenient.
I really liked the Ranger 29, which might be just perfect size wise for 2 people, but it was out of my price range.
In the end I sold the Ranger after 1 season and got every penny back that I had put into it. Including taxes! I sold because I had decided to go on a year long trip to Europe and Asia, and I just could not justify keeping such an expensive boat sitting for that long.
I also realized I enjoyed going on cruises when my friends went, but going on my own wasn't that much fun.
So after I sold the Ranger and while I was overseas my friend asked if I wanted to share ownership of a GB 36, and I said sure. I paid my share without ever seeing the boat.
Of course part of the reason I could do that is the cost of 1/3 of a 1974 GB36 was 10% of the cost of the Ranger.
Now the things that had kept me from buying an older more 'salty' trawler like the GB are real: maintenance and repairs are a big factor, and I am not mechanically inclined although I don't mind basic maintenance.
But we are already finding out that understanding how the boat works and where to get parts is going to be a long process. I can see a whole lot of things that look like they could go wrong.
The teak decks need work, and we still have original fuel tanks. Those could turn out to be very expensive issues.
The Ranger was dead simple to operate and understand (especially due to the OB, which the 29 does not have).
So the choice becomes something like: do you want a bright shiny new Audi? Or a classic Jaguar?
Both have advantages and disadvantages.
The best part about the GB is the extra space, and I feel I can stretch out which was not easy on the 27 Ranger.
The GB is a little safer too, being able to walk all around it with a proper walkway and railings.
But I imagine we will be getting towed home a few times over the season, and that was never an issue with the Ranger.
We won't be able to outrun bad weather, but the GB should handle rough seas a little better, although the Ranger was pretty good at that too.
If the price of each boat was the same, I'd probably go for the Ranger. I like new things that work. If there's a huge price difference, the GB might be the better choice, even if older. As long as you don't mind there being downtime as it gets repaired.
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