|
|
|
A New Fish Fighter - Ranger Z20 Comanche
by Go Boating Test Team
Ranger exhibits innovation with a new addition to its top-of-the-line bass craft: The Z20 Comanche
Print This Article
|
Email This Article
|
The first question we ask during a boat test is “what’s new?” Throughout the years we’ve gotten to know many of the craft a particular company will have available, so what always interests us most is what new craft or what new innovations a manufacturer is bringing to the table for a new model year.
We’re always looking to see how well a manufacturer is able to marry tried and tested technologies with new ideas to create craft with added versatility and functionality for boaters.
Most years we have to be satisfied with how a company has used innovation to improve upon an existing craft. Sometimes, however, we get lucky and get to test a brand-new craft that also displays high levels of innovation.
One such craft for 2005 is Ranger’s new Z20 Comanche, which is the company’s newest addition to its top-shelf line of Comanche bass boats, which includes the slightly longer Z21 and Z22, both of which were available in years past. In addition to this new craft from Ranger, we were glad to see the company was busy with more than just building a brand-new boat.
Locked In
Storage is very important to anglers. Dedicated room for expensive tackle and rods tops their list of priorities. With this in mind for 2005, Ranger has worked to deliver ample storage that it can advertise as lockable and 100-percent dry -- a claim that will generate more than a few raised eyebrows from skeptical bassers.
In most cases, locking hatches have to be drilled in order to accommodate the lock. Even though these locked hatches sit flush, water is still able to seep through the keyhole and down into the compartment -- something Ranger has had first-hand experience with.
The company has circumvented this problem by developing a locking rail system where the locks themselves sit in flush-mounted rails. By putting the lock in a rail and not on a hatch, there’s no need to drill any holes through the hatch. This allows the hatch to be completely sealed using a gasket (there are draining water runoffs outside the gasket to prevent water from puddling and sloshing into the compartment when the hatch is open).
Each hatch lid is a complete foam-filled piece of fiberglass, and the hinges and rails are all of stainless steel construction. The storage boxes beneath are also all fiberglass and are actually part of the boat’s internal structure. The locking rail feature system also comes standard on the other two Ranger Comanche craft.
No Key Required
Even though you’ll need a key to access the locking storage, you won’t need one to start the craft. The Z20, and other Comanche craft, feature a keyless ignition system that uses a code to start the boat. This is an obvious plus as you never have to worry about losing the ignition key again -- and it also has the added effect of acting as a theft deterrent.
The entire ignition pad actually replaces any fuses that most boats typically have with small circuit breakers that will trip if there is a problem. Ranger says boaters will eventually have the ability to plug in a laptop so they can run a diagnostic check on the entire system similar to what’s already possible with many outboards.
Also in the cockpit area you will find switches for the boat’s other electronic functions, brushed aluminum trim, an Italian-inspired steering wheel and a removable windshield.
Fish Fighter
All this innovation aside, the Ranger Z20 still represents an evolved bass craft that has the benefit of almost 40 years of heritage. Inside the boat you will find all the weaponry a dedicated bass fighter should have.
Aft of the console area (the Z20 can be had as either a single or dual console) is an integrated cooler and an aerated livewell/baitwell with a divider, pumpout and Venturi air system that features the same locking rail system as the rest of the boat. The deck itself is carpeted, and at the bow it has padding like carpet in a house. Also at the bow is a standard Minn Kota 74 24V trolling motor (other trolling motors are also available as options).
Electronics include digital switching at the bow, a Garmin 250 fish finder with temperature sensor at the console and bow, an onboard dual-pro charger, removable navigation lights and a 12-volt DC power receptacle.
Comfort is also high on the list with standard S.R.S. seating (Soft Ride Seating), which is a spring seating system standard on all Comanche boats. There’s no bottom to the seats, so you never hit a hard bottom when pounding through rough water (read: no more back pains). This is also a feature of the fishing seat.
All of this is built on a 100-percent fiberglass hand-laid hull with no composites or wood, and every area in the boat not used for storage is foam filled.
Performance
Our craft was equipped with a Yamaha VMAX 225 HPDI and a 25-inch stainless steel three-blade prop (225 hp is the maximum rating for this boat). The engine itself is attached to a setback transom made of solid protruded fiberglass -- kind of like a built-in jackplate.
Our test was conducted on Missouri’s Table Rock Lake. To keep it real, we had two people on board and half a tank of fuel.
With the Yamaha VMAX 225 HPDI the boat climbed onto plane in only 3.5 seconds and was up to 30 mph in only 7 seconds. Its top speed was 68.1 mph at 5,500 rpm and we clocked a cruising speed of 47.7 mph at 4,000 rpm.
As we expected, the boat was a solid performer in calm conditions, even at high speed. And even though the boat got a little squirrelly at full throttle with the motor trimmed up for speed, we didn’t experience any prop walk due to Yamaha’s specially designed concave skeg that counteracts the transverse force of the propeller.
In rougher water the ride got understandably bouncy -- remember, this is a dedicated bass boat, so rough water is not where this boat’s true talents rest.
Back on the calmer side of the lake, we found the Z20 handles aggressive cornering nicely, especially with the engine trimmed down. Our craft also was equipped with Teleflex SeaStar Pro hydraulic steering, which is standard on all Ranger boats with 150 hp or more.
Trick Trailer
Ranger doesn’t relegate all of its attention to its boats. The trailer that comes standard with the Z20 includes Road Armor trailer finish, LED lighting, torsion axles, RangerTrail C.O.O.L. hubs, aluminum wheels with matching spare tire and wheel, matching fiberglass fenders, custom swing-away tongue and hydraulic surge stainless steel disk brakes.
Contact Information: Ranger Boats; (870) 453-2222; www.rangerboats.com.
|
This article first appeared in the February 2005 issue of GoBoating Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
|
|
|
|
