magnumforc
Recruit
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2011
- Messages
- 3
Re: Show yer Mirrocraft..............or just tell about it
Sure wish I still had some pics of my 18' MirroCraft Ranger. For several years, Mirro Craft made fiberglass tri-hull boats and this was a weekender. Very similar to the 19 foot Cruisers, Inc. Weekender, but with fewer amenities. Available in one color, gold, the Ranger had twin bunks inside a small cabin with 4 non-opening oval port lights, two to front and one on each side. The hatch from the cabin to the forward deck was large and allowed easy access for docking, although the easiest was was around the deck. There was space between the bunks for a porta-pottie, which you had to purchase additional, and you had to fashion your own hold downs as the boat was sparse on available accessories.
The port and starboard seats folded down into lounges for sleeping and the boat came with full camper canvas for overnighting. No sink or ice box was available as came standard on the Cruisers Inc. models.
Power for mine was by a 100 HP 6 Cylinder Mercury Merc 1000 which made this boat very fast and agile. The first engine was a 65 HP Mercury Merc 650 4 cylinder which was too slow and hardly would plane unless at full throttle, regardless of props, so it was swapped for the bigger used Merc in the middle of the season. Fuel and battery storage were under a flap at the stern which snapped down to conceal the battery and the fuel tanks. No built-in tank came with the boat, so I installed an 18 gallon steel Tempo tank with electric gauge and deck fill, and also carried two additional 6 gallon portable tanks.
Easy to trailer SHORT distances but too large for long hauls at that time. I borrowed trailers to clean the bottom. Stood up to bad weather on the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario.
A great boat. Only drawback was the camper top always leaked as they sewed it with nylon thread and it never swelled in the rain. No amount of vinyl dab or tent wax helped and I spent all too many nights in a wet sleeping bag on a lake in Upstate NY before I decided to sell it and buy a larger cruiser.
Sure wish I still had some pics of my 18' MirroCraft Ranger. For several years, Mirro Craft made fiberglass tri-hull boats and this was a weekender. Very similar to the 19 foot Cruisers, Inc. Weekender, but with fewer amenities. Available in one color, gold, the Ranger had twin bunks inside a small cabin with 4 non-opening oval port lights, two to front and one on each side. The hatch from the cabin to the forward deck was large and allowed easy access for docking, although the easiest was was around the deck. There was space between the bunks for a porta-pottie, which you had to purchase additional, and you had to fashion your own hold downs as the boat was sparse on available accessories.
The port and starboard seats folded down into lounges for sleeping and the boat came with full camper canvas for overnighting. No sink or ice box was available as came standard on the Cruisers Inc. models.
Power for mine was by a 100 HP 6 Cylinder Mercury Merc 1000 which made this boat very fast and agile. The first engine was a 65 HP Mercury Merc 650 4 cylinder which was too slow and hardly would plane unless at full throttle, regardless of props, so it was swapped for the bigger used Merc in the middle of the season. Fuel and battery storage were under a flap at the stern which snapped down to conceal the battery and the fuel tanks. No built-in tank came with the boat, so I installed an 18 gallon steel Tempo tank with electric gauge and deck fill, and also carried two additional 6 gallon portable tanks.
Easy to trailer SHORT distances but too large for long hauls at that time. I borrowed trailers to clean the bottom. Stood up to bad weather on the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario.
A great boat. Only drawback was the camper top always leaked as they sewed it with nylon thread and it never swelled in the rain. No amount of vinyl dab or tent wax helped and I spent all too many nights in a wet sleeping bag on a lake in Upstate NY before I decided to sell it and buy a larger cruiser.
The boat is pretty light (I'd guess less than 600lbs) so a 24V system should do the trick. Get to take it out this weekend for my first run! Crabbing season is just starting too! I haven't taken any good pictures yet but will have some soon. Here's a shot from the Craigslist posting. Cheers!
