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Ranger Boats 2310 Bay Ranger (2015-)
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Brief Summary
The Ranger 2310 Bay Ranger should be a good shallow water performer thanks to a draft of just 13.5'' (.34 m), yet with a 100'' (2.54 m) beam and a 23'4" (7.11 m) LOA, she's big enough to fish off the beaches for tarpon or stripers in good weather. The 9' (2.74 m) locking rod locker on the port side of the bow platform includes tubes to protect sensitive fly rod tips. The batteries and battery switch are in the leaning post behind the helm, not in the bilge at the transom -- this not only keeps them away from corrosive saltwater, but also moves weight forward, resulting in quicker planing.
Key Features
- Recirculating aerated livewell/baitwell
- Hydraulic steering
- Boarding ladder
- Custom fitted premium marine upholstery leaning post with storage at helm
- Rear jump seats with storage
- Aft mounted rod holders
- Removable fiberglass cooler in front of console
- Trailer with aluminum wheels with matching spare tire and wheel
Specifications
Length Overall | 23' 4'' / 7.11 m |
---|---|
Beam |
100'' 2.54 m |
Dry Weight |
2,750 lbs. 1,247 kg |
Draft |
13.5'' .34 m |
Deadrise/Transom | N/A |
Max Headroom | open |
Bridge Clearance | N/A |
Fuel Capacity |
76 gal. 288 L |
Water Capacity | N/A |
Engine Options
Tested Engine |
Currently no test numbers |
---|---|
Std. Power |
Not Available |
Opt. Power |
13 Evinrude engines from 200-hp to 300-hp 5 Mercury engines from 225-hp to 300-hp 4 Suzuki engines from 200-hp to 300-hp 5 Yamaha engines from 225-hp to 300-hp |
Captain's Report
Overview
The 2310 Bay Ranger is a shallow-draft fishing boat, purpose built from feedback garnered from inshore tournament fishermen. She’s a small boat, but big on features that cater to a day on the water with wet lines.
Her low, wide bow flare helps deliver a dry ride in coastal chop and creates a large bow casting deck that uses up every inch of the boat’s 100” (254 cm) beam. The floor plan is laid out for quick passage from bow to stern and the cockpit is deep enough to make everyone safe. Ranger packed the boat with storage so that the deck will remain uncluttered.
For fishing, there are two on board livewells and rod storage beneath the bow deck. A cooler with a cushioned top serves as the bow seating and the leaning post has space for two people. Aft jump seats fold away to leave the stern clear for fishing when not in use.
Buyers can choose 2-stroke or 4-stroke outboard power ranging from 225-hp to 300-hp from Mercury, Yamaha, Evinrude or Suzuki. Finally, the 2310 Bay Ranger comes on a trailer custom-built for the boat.
Features Inspection
Reinforced Fiberglass Construction.
Instead of coring materials such as foam or balsa wood, Ranger uses “pultruded” fiberglass panels in its boats. Pultrusion is a manufacturing process in which the glass fibers are pulled through resin and into a heated die during which the resin undergoes polymerization. When the pieces of pultruded fiberglass cool, they harden like steel, but are lighter and more flexible, making them ideal for use as coring material in the hull bottom, transom and deck. Gussets formed out of the pultruded fiberglass reinforce the transom as well.
Additionally, the one-piece fiberglass stringer grid bonds into the hull as a single piece and all empty cavities throughout the boat are filled with flotation foam.
Trailer.
The 2310 Bay Ranger rides on a tandem-axle trailer with aluminum wheels with a matching spare, a swing-away tongue, custom-matching fiberglass fenders, hydraulic surge disc brakes and LED lighting.
The Bow
Anglers covet space to work and the 2310 Bay Ranger has it in spades on her forward casting deck. An anchor locker in the bow has space for ground tackle and there is a pull-up cleat to secure the rode. Additionally, the 2310 Bay Ranger can be equipped with a trolling motor.
Serious Storage.
For a boat of this size, the 2310 Bay Ranger has a wealth of storage, especially in the forward section. All of the hatches for the lockers open on stainless steel gas struts. There’s a 9’ (2.74 m) long rod locker to port with open space to starboard that could be equipped to hold more tackle as well. The combination bait and livewell is in the center step and there’s a large wet locker in the nonskid sole just ahead of the cooler that could be good for items such as a casting net.
The Helm.
Ranger puts the steering wheel to the port side of the helm console to allow two people to share the leaning post when underway. The dash is finished in shiny white fiberglass, which could cause some glare on a sunny day, especially if the boat doesn’t have the optional T-top or second station above to provide shade.
We like that the manufacturer provides a full complement of instruments, including a tachometer, speedometer, and fuel, trim and water pressure gauges as standard equipment. The same goes for the trim tabs, which will help settle the ride on a choppy day. Accessories are controlled by digital switches with circuit breakers. Ahead of the driver’s knees, the aft console hatch has a glove box ideal for small items.
The Leaning Post.
The two-person leaning post is wide enough to support the driver and observer. It has four rod holders and two cup holders in the backrest. When the 2310 Bay Ranger was introduced, a highlight was that the aft side of the leaning post was now home to the batteries and main battery switch, which got them out of the stern where they could get wet, which speeds corrosion.
The Aft Cockpit.
Abaft the leaning console, there’s decent space to fish in the stern of the 2310 Bay Ranger. The aft livewell is recirculating and aerated with a high-speed pickup. The jump seat bottom cushions fold up to provide convenient access to items such as the trim pump and added wet storage.
Power
We haven’t tested the 2310 Bay Ranger, so we don’t have numbers on it. Base power for the boat is a 250-hp 2- or 4-stroke outboard from Evinrude, Yamaha, Mercury or Suzuki, with options up to 300-hp.
Options to Consider
Price
The MSRP starts at $63,000 with standard equipment and a 250-hp outboard.
Warranty
Limited warranty on structural hull defects for the period of ownership for the first North American owner. For the second North American retail purchaser, the limited warranty period is 10 years. Three year warranty is on the following: carpet fade, steering helm, cylinder, hoses and cables, aeration pumps, valves and timers, bilge pump, fiberglass boat electrical system, seat pedestals, fuel tanks, deck hardware, factory-installed battery chargers, and on the Ranger Trail trailer. One year warranty is on gelcoat.
Observations
The 2310 Bay Ranger is a bay boat designed first and foremost to fish. She’s equipped with all requisite fishing gear, such as the livewell, baitwell, and rod storage and her large forward casting deck has space for two people to fish comfortably. Families can add some comfort-oriented items to make the boat more versatile.
Storage capacity looks good for a boat of this size, especially in the bow, and the cooler doubling as a seat saves space.
The choice of 250-hp and 300-hp outboard motors from all of the major manufacturers should satisfy a wide variety of owners and the fact that the trailer comes as part of the package simplifies the purchasing process and experience.