Lessons learned on staying in a Ranger 21 for 10 days on the Eire Canal
My Garmin - came with the boat and is functional but looking to get an updated one.
Instead of using a fridge for this trip I decided to bring a large cooler. The fridge on the Ranger 21 will run on the engine power when it is running and reverts to the batteries when it is off. I used the fridge for storage only not wanting to run the batteries down. I have a Yeti type cooler that fits easily on a swim platform of the boat. I was able to stock it with enough ice and all my items that I needed for keeping cold easily. Since it was only me on the trip, I kept provisions light knowing that I would be mostly able to skip into towns along the way to get ice and other provisions. If you are planning a longer trip you may want to spend time sorting and organizing meals to maximize space.
On this Erie Canal trip I kept my clothing to a minimum. It saved on space in the cabin which became slightly cramped during the trip. I had a few changes of basic clothing - t-shirts, shorts, a sweatshirt, and a raincoat which pretty much covered all weather conditions. The nice thing about the Erie Canal is that at most docks and towns along the way there are local laundromats. Since you're usually off the water by 6pm it gives you a chance to wander through the town, find a local laundromat, grab something to eat, and meet some locals which is exactly what I did.
Beware that diesel fuel is not available at all marinas. For that reason it's important to map your trip ahead of time to plan where you can acquire diesel fuel. I carry a 2-gallon jug of extra diesel fuel storage compartment in a small jug. Based on the fuel economy of this boat I know that that will get me an extra 20-30 miles just in case I get in a bind where I'm unable to locate diesel fuel.
I brought a backpack with all my clothing, a sleeping bag, pillow, towels and toiletries stored together in one bag. I think going forward in the future I'll be more diligent about finding two or three small totes which will accommodate these items and be easily storable both inside the boat and on the deck.There is shelving space available around both sides of the v-berth wear clothing, provisions, and other items can be stored, however for easy access I think the most important thing is to have two or three totes - on for each activity such as cooking, clothing, and bathing. I often found myself moving things throughout the cabin to get the other things that should be easily accessible. I was less organized than I should have been on this trip.
I found myself using a lot of shop towels along the way throughout the day every time I headed out. Sometimes it was to wipe bugs off the windshield or wipe down a deck. Other times it was for general cleaning and maintenance such as checking the oil. Make sure that you bring enough Rags or towels along with the bucket and some cleaning materials to keep up on daily chores of keeping a boat clean and shiny.
I was able to hook up to free shore power at most places. Be sure to have an adaptor that will go from 220/110v that you can get on Amazon for about $50. The one I bought was only 9 feet and wasn’t long enough to reach the outlet so I carried another 30 feet of extension cord on a reel since I was often a distance from the nearest power pole.
Here are a few random things that I brought that were very helpful. Bug spray. a small hand brush and dustpan to clean up. Flip flops for the showers. A bottle of Windex and boat shine to keep up on the cleaning. Heavy duty work gloves for grabbing the lines in the locks. Small hotel toiletry size shampoo, soap, and toothpaste for trips to local restroom facilities.
Most towns have free docks that are adjacent to the canal. I kept my food supply to a minimum knowing that every other day I would be able to go to a local store to get what I needed. I did not run my refrigerator the entire time but instead kept a cooler on the back deck filled with ice. Ranger 21 owners have the option of running the refrigerator on battery when you're not on your way but I chose to just fill it with some food items that were non-perishable and work out of the cooler. It's worked great for me as a single person trip it depends on how willing you are to run your refrigerator off a battery.