For those of you that have been in a RT188 and a RT188p......
Just watched a video that stated the RT188 was very stable at rest and that you can't even tell when your partner is moving around on the back deck. My current boat is like this and I want my next boat to have the same stability.
Does the RT188P have this same stability?
Last edited by Grizzly; 01-19-2021 at 02:39 PM.
I can tell when a bubba moves from one side to the other in my 2017 RT188. It's not as bad as say my old Champion 181, but you CAN feel the passenger moving around in the boat. Heck go watch Ken Smith checking movement in a huge Cat Lynx, even that boat moves an inch or so when walking around.
I haven't been on the water in the RT188P. I did crawl around in one at a dealer. Outside of a small pad in the back I didn't see a ton of difference. I don't think you'll be able to tell from one hull to the other at rest.
Really an interesting question and I hope that someone who has been in both comments on the OP question. I went from a Triton V176Mag pad style tin boat to a RT188 and the RT is definitely more stable and will go in shallower water but it is also a few inches wider and 14" longer so its really not a fair comparison. Someone has to of been in both.
I can tell you that my buddies 198P will move when I walk from one side to the other, but not much. All boats or ships will roll when weight is transferred port to starboard. Many years ago in my job at a major shipyard we were dry docking a Navy cruiser and in order to do this the ship had to be leveled side to side prior to landing on the blocking and it was my job to tell them when it was level. This was normally done buy transferring fuel from one side to the other but when it was all moved, we were still out of tolerance. Ships Captain had 12-15 people move from one side to the other which rolled the ship just enough and ordered all movement onboard ship to cease and we completed the docking.
My current boat is a 2006 Tracker Grizzly 1860 and it is basically a flat bottom hull and is rock solid at rest. You truely do not know if anyone is in the back of the boat.
I want to move to something that will handle rougher water a bit better but do not want to give up the stability I have with the 1860. I had a 2004 G3 175 and although it was a great riding boat with the stepped hull, at rest when someone moved to the side it was crazy tippy.
When my usual fishing partner is the back, you can definitely tell when he’s moving around. It isn’t terrible but it’s very noticeable. He’s about 210#.
2020 Ranger RT188P
Mercury 115 ProXS CT/23P Tempest/Atlas Hydraulic 6”/Sportsman 2 Powerpoles/Ultrex 80
Humminbird Helix 9 MSI/Humminbird Helix 9 MDI+/Humminbird Mega 360
Spent many hours in a rt188 very stable. Also have alot of time in a 178 it's extremely stable as well
The 188 is very very stable....more stable than a lot of glass boats I have fished from. The P would be about the same, but it is just a guess because I have never been in one on the water. I think the front is Ved just a little more which would make me guess that it is a little more tippy on the front end...similar to a Tracker 190 which is more tippy on the front than the Ranger RT188.
RT188
I LIKE boats...BUT I LOVE PLANES
Oh yeah.... I love the RT188 too.
I have one rt 188 it is very stable I’m 275 my bud is 200 don’t even think about it.
sits so flat in front don’t get much rocking motion at all.
Don't know about the pad boats but my 17 188 isn't bad at all. I have side x side seating up front and a 200+ plus partner getting in and out of seat ( very close to gunnel ) is going to be noticeable but NOT an issue. Moving through the center of the boat is next to nothing !
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