Late Bloomers

Hello - My husband and I are very new to the world of boating, as well as the world of forums! So, I'm not sure if this is the best place for me to being posting my questions! Any suggestions appreciated!

This is our 'situation" - We have a holiday cottage on Orcas Island and after 10 years, we're ready to spend most of our summers there and are ready to truly enjoy the San Juans an get out on the water!

We have very limited boating experience: we have a small Lund that we putter about in, we have rented a 21 foot runabout (not even sure of the proper term!) for a day here and there each summer. Then last fall we chartered a 31 foot trawler (an American Tug) for a week - having an instructor with us for the first two nights. He felt comfortable enough with our abilities to leave us alone with the boat for the remainder of our charter. And we ventured about on own own. It was fun, exhilarating and ... in my mind anyway, a bit scary! We were very cautious; and using our very newly learned (and limited) knowledge, we cruised our way safely back back to Bellingham, WA - from Friday Harbor. We had never had to pump out or fill up - so that in itself was an experience. Docking, oh, docking is - yikes- nerve wracking. But I can't wait to give it a go again!

We are both of the same mind, thinking we'd prefer to own. We really like the Ranger Tugs R-27 (maybe a 25?), we'd plan to put it in the water for the summer/fall and haul it out and store it on our property the rest of the year. We'd need to hire someone to haul it for in and out for us. (Are there services that do that?) Buy used or new? (Obviously, used is a better choice for the budget, right?)

I know a lot of boaters grow up as boaters and it's just second nature to them. But what 's the best way to get into boating if it's a new thing for one? Even after our experience with the instructor - I know we are in need of much more instruction/education/experience! (My husband thinks we're set!) From an experienced boaters viewpoint, what's the best way to get boating experience? Should we just buy the boat and learn as we go? (We found it a bit stressful to be learning on someone else's big beautiful boat when we chartered!) Plus it seems a bit difficult to find a smaller size boat (25 -27') to charter anyway. Are there way's to do long term rentals on boats? (Say a 3- 4 month 'lease'?)

In addition to 'rules of the road', we want to learn things like docking etiquette, how to book a reservation at a marina, do you really blast your horn before leaving the dock? (We did, but it seems very few others did - and I felt like maybe we were being rude!) Things like that and much more. Any thoughts on reading - best books, websites, blogs, etc. )

If we go the buying route, are there things we absolutely should not be without in a Ranger Tug? Is that a good boat to start out on?

Sooooo many questions and I know I can't expect to get all my answers here! Actually, I don't even know all the questions to ask. I'm reading and researching as much as I can and know we have much to learn, but I'm very excited about it all. Any suggestions, answers, advice from seasoned or even new Tugnutters will be much appreciated. Thanks you.

It's thrilling to be on the cusp of a new adventure....in your case boating on a more regular basis. Some of my thoughts are to investigate taking a few Power Squadron courses.....google this. You could also look into taking a "Captains" course if you get serious and probably after some Power courses. If you're not sure how the two of you will or will not fall in love with cruising the San Juans and beyond you might consider a used Ranger Tug R25 or R27 vs new. I say this because if you are not happy with this new to you type of boating you'll have less money tied up in a purchase, less sales tax to pay, less insurance costs and less depreciation to be concerned with. The good news is the Ranger Tugs do hold there value well. If you buy a used boat and find that you really like it you can always sell the used boat with chances of recouping more of your investment then if you bought new to begin with. Sell the R25 or R27 and go larger.

If you get a chance this summer try to attend one of the Ranger Tug Rendezvous' so you have an opportunity to talk with a large pool of owners in one place. A great source for information gathering, along with this forum.

I'm sure more will chime in. Welcome to the forum and good luck with your "late bloomers" boat endeavor.

Jim F

What a great first post. My wife and I are in a similar position in terms of experience except our vacation home is on a large inland lake so no coastal experience. I would love to be there. Sadly I'm the type who fears failure. Keep telling myself everybody has to start from ground zero at some point. You already have experience with a 31 footer, awesome. I've been boating with a 21 foot runabout for 5 years and still stink at docking (scratches can be repaired). Again, I'm the type who wants to learn it all before I even start. Bad way to go at it. Think you just need to take one step at a time, just don't put too much time between the steps. Please keep posting as you progress in your journey.

Jake

Katy,

We live in the San Juans. A great place for cruising but there are dangers too. Last week, we were "stuck" in Victoria BC for 36 hours because of gale force winds. Currents and tides can be tricky to deal with when navigating and anchoring. If you are a resident of Washington, and under the age of 60 something, you will need to obtain a Boaters Education Card. It is a great program that instructs you on all kinds of boating issues. Well worth the time.
We started with a sail boat and found the winds were always blowing in the wrong direction or not at all. We love our Ranger but perhaps you should put a few more hours in a rental before you spend a large sum of money.
There is a public boat ramp on Orcas and some private ones. You should be able to find a boat yard that would pull your boat to your house or store it at their facility. Finding a near by slip may be a problem. We reserve our slip in April, put the boat in, in early May.
This is a great site for asking questions.

Here's my two cents worth on a couple of your questions:
1. The Boaters Education Card can be obtained by taking an on-line course for a small fee. You'll learn a lot of good information from that.
2. As for the fear of docking, Ranger Tugs are probably the easiest boat to handle ever built because of the bow and stern thrusters.
3. You can pull your boat out of the water every winter, but you'll find that winter boating in the San Juans is very enjoyable, and saves the trouble of winterizing. A boat will be easier to maintain if it's used on a regular basis, than if it's left sitting idle for months at a time.
4. What do you need on the boat? In this part of the country, you don't need air conditioning, and if you don't have air conditioning, you don't need a generator. You should however, get the Webasto diesel furnace. It will keep you nice and toasty while at the dock or on anchor.
Finally, don't wait. Go out and do it, and have fun learning!

All great questions. As Jim F. suggested, I would start with a US Power Squadron "Safe Powerboat Handling" or "Cruising Powerboat" course, and then take others as you progress. You will also likely meet other boaters during that class and have some peer info exchange, as well. Nice to have that under your belt before you purchase a boat.

The San Juans are one of my favorite cruising areas - so many great places in a reasonably compact area, with mostly protected water. We will soon be starting our 5th summer with a whale watch cruise company, and have cruised our own boat in the San Juans (and beyond) for several years before that. It won't be long, and you will be wanting to expand your cruising area; leaving from Orcas Island is a great jumping off point for the Canadian Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, Victoria (a great city) and more!

Ranger Tugs are great boats. You wouldn't be the first to get one as your first boat... and you can do a LOT of cruising in a 25 or 27. No reason it would be a boat that you would grow out of. New or used would be a personal choice... but part of the fun is in the search.

This forum is a great resource. Exciting times ahead.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

All great responses. A few additions to offer.

Our Ranger was also our first "real" boat (i.e., not a camping boat like our 19 ft cuddy, or charter trips). The biggest change from the cuddy with the stern drive is how the boat handles at low speed with an inboard, fixed screw, and rudder. Having said that, the addition of the bow and stern thruster makes it even easier to dock than the 19 ft cuddy! (I still recommend practicing without the thrusters however). Having chartered the 31' American Tug you know all about this. With a Ranger Tug 25 or 27 it will only be easier. Practice makes perfect and don't rush, don't be afraid to back off and do over if things are not going as expected.

Whether you buy used or new if you buy from the factory I highly recommend the Factory Delivery. Having first hand instruction from the factory for two full days is invaluable. We bought the boat used from the factory with the factory delivery as part of the deal. It really gave us a jump up in knowledge and confidence.

We pull our boat every fall and put it in the garage for the winter. I think this has huge benefits regarding savings on marina fees, wear on the boat from the elements, and ease of maintenance due to proximity to home. Keeping it on your property in the winter is a good plan, especially if it is covered. Our hope is to get twice the life of the bottom paint and all exposed surfaces by keeping the boat indoor 6 months of the year. Even if you only do this for a few months to maximize the boating season it is a good way to take care of all the annual maintenance, if you choose to do it yourself.

If you want to keep the tug on your property on Orcas you will need to buy a trailer but I don't think you need a truck. There are probably plenty of trucks on the island that you can borrow, rent, or hire twice a year to launch and retrieve the boat but a trailer that fits the boat is critical. We borrow a truck twice a year from friends and/or family. If you borrow a truck, be sure to bring you own ball, ball mount, electrical adapter, and wash the truck down with soap and fresh water after each use.

Orcas is an incredible base for boating. You are so close to sights that others travel hundreds (or thousands!) of miles to experience! We are based in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island which makes for a bit longer push for day trips to the San Juans. You won't have those issues (but If you are expecting guests it is another challenge!)

Always check the weather before every trip. As mentioned above, while protected, the weather in the area can get nasty quickly! Please be willing to wait if necessary.

Go for it! You won't regret it!

Welcome to world of boating. Both my husband and I did not come from a family of boaters. We both decided 8 years ago if our kids liked the boat we would by it. Our first boat was a bow rider. We took our boat everywhere we could think of on Lake Washington and explored the south Puget Sound We got our boater education cards and read books and just got out on the water. We quickly out grew the bow rider because we wanted to explore the San Juan Islands and more. We made our first "big boat" purchase in Oct 2015 with the Ranger Tug 29CB. We bought the boat new and with a purchase of a new tug, we received training from the Ranger staff. We are still learning, but the only way to learn is to get out there. We both do everything together with the boat. Our girls love the boat (12 & 9 yrs). Good luck!

you should also go talk to Matt over at Bellingham Yacht sales. Im sure he will have some relevant advice.

I just bought my cutwater 28 this winter. I grew up sailing, so I already have an appreciation for tides, weather, boat behavior, docking, etc but that's the amazing thing: you are always learning.
Frankly the learning curve with boats is split.
1. Seamanship
2. Boat systems

For 1, you can attend courses to get a kick start like the ones mentioned below or ASA or US sailing I'm pretty sure have courses too. even though I knew how to sail, these were super valuable to me a few years ago to plug gaps in my knowledge and learn techniques properly as apposed to what I had picked up from other people over the years.
then its a case of practice, pragmatism, and always thinking a few steps ahead for potential issues.
for 2. you just have to spend time with the boat, reading manuals, playing with the systems and invariable fixing them. the 2 day delivery experience is an awesome way to get a lot of this knowledge.

I keep my boat in the water all year round at La Conner/Seattle and spend time in the san juans. whilst there is a lot of deep water, you sure have to pay attention to the charts. I'd recommend taking a navigation course to learn the ins and outs. no you dont need to know how to do celestial navigation, but a thorough understanding of current, tides, and chart topology will just make it a less stressful experience

I picked my boat up on Dec 27th. There is some fabulous cruising in the winter up here. sunny days, empty moorages. dont be quick to put it away come the fall; this isnt the NE ;-)

Lot's of great responses to your post. I would add, we went through the first time boater decisions last year. We concluded that a Cutwater would fit our needs but were impressed with Rangers too. I don't know anyone that does not love their Cutwater or Ranger and the support that comes from the owner community and the factory's is amazing.
Our attitude in retirement is "do it now" while we can. We decided to buy new because we didn't know boats and did not want to buy any surprises. We watched our Cutwater "Kerb Appeal" being built at the Monroe factory last June, launched her in July to attend the Cutwater rendezvous which started in Roche harbor, we live on Bainbridge so having that as a first solo trip was interesting for our relationship. But we had prepared with the Boater Education course and the Power squadron Seamanship course (on line). Once at Roche we were able to download the experienced Cutwater owners, the factory team who attended and the Bellingham Yacht folks. Everyone has advice and experiences to share. The rest of the trip and the solo trip home was far less stressful but we continue to learn, this winter we completed Power squadron class room courses on Seamanship, Weather, Piloting, Radar, Electronics, Boating Couples and Ranger / Cutwater one day training on boating in the north. We would also suggest leaving the boat in the water for the winter, we have had so many days out even a couple of overnights.
So our advice Buy it, keep it in the water and NEVER stop learning . Good luck

Terry

Better late than never as they say. Like others have said buy it and leave in the water at first so you can learn about all the boats systems while enjoying time and over nights on the boat. We decided on things like what paper towel holder to buy and where to put it. And it goes on and on with where to add some coat hooks and all the other gizmos you will want to add on. Go to a rendezvous and check out other boats similar to yours and see what they have done to them. Sign up for some cruises that feature a number of other boats to get what you need most. Time on the water. Do it; and do it now. Lots of great advice here. The factory delivery option has got to be the easiest and the fastest why to get really good advice on everything that has to do with your boat. It's a great ride safe travels.

Scuffy":17381gcf said:

Better late than never as they say....

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Indeed. My sentiment exactly. I've been afloat literally since I could walk so have no idea where one would start. But welcome to the maritime community. You're in a perfect area for tug life. Be careful and have fun.

Thought I posted a earlier, but don't see it... Thank you to all who replied to my 'Late Bloomers' post with great input, suggestions and warm welcomes! The comments are very much appreciated. We were in FL last weekend and paid a quick visit to a dealer in Stuart who sales Ranger Tugs. They had an inventory of all but the R-29. It was great to be able see them in person and climb all over them. Our friends who are boat people, were not familiar with the Ranger Tugs and were skeptical when I was talking about the 'little tugs', but once they saw them, they were impressed and enthusiastic about our plans! Looking forward to continuing our journey toward our boating plans! Thanks again.