2009 R29 - Is this the one?

[thomsond]

Hello Tugnuts,

I am looking to purchase my first boat. After doing some research I have found Ranger Tugs as my ideal boat. Specifically, the R29. My research has also led me to buy used first. The plan is then after years of day trip and overnight boating in the Gulf Coast to buy a new boat and do the Great Loop.

I have found a 2009 R29 with 500+ hours on the Yanmar. The boat looks to be in good condition and was reportedly kept on a lift. It has some new/upgraded stuff. Based on what I know so far, looks like a great find. I will, of course, get all the marine and engine surveys done.

My question for the community is: Are there any common or other issues/problems that are seen on this year/model?

Thanks in advance to all the Tugnuts who reply.

 

[scross]

My 2009 is the R-25 Classic so I can’t comment on the R-29’s 260 HP 6BY2 Yanmar.
Here are some things to consider:
RT had some bad fabric and vinyl upholstery provided by a vendor. We reupholstered ours.
We upgraded the stereo and speakers.
Added solar panel and MPPT solar controller which made a huge difference in keeping the house battery charged when not on shore power of underway. Wasn’t even an option back in 2009.
The v-berth cushions and/or mattress seems to be made out of cement. Most folks go for a topper or new mattress.
A Magma propane grill on the cockpit rail really expands your cooking options.
Switch the interior lights and nav lights to LED if they aren’t LED already.
In the Gulf area you may want a full cockpit enclosure in addition to the Bimini.

I’m sure others will chime in with more. Good luck!

 

[vertigo]

My 2009 is the R-25 Classic so I can’t comment on the R-29’s 260 HP 6BY2 Yanmar.
Here are some things to consider:
RT had some bad fabric and vinyl upholstery provided by a vendor. We reupholstered ours.
We upgraded the stereo and speakers.
Added solar panel and MPPT solar controller which made a huge difference in keeping the house battery charged when not on shore power of underway. Wasn’t even an option back in 2009.
The v-berth cushions and/or mattress seems to be made out of cement. Most folks go for a topper or new mattress.
A Magma propane grill on the cockpit rail really expands your cooking options.
Switch the interior lights and nav lights to LED if they aren’t LED already.
In the Gulf area you may want a full cockpit enclosure in addition to the Bimini.

I’m sure others will chime in with more. Good luck!

I'll second those recommendations, and add a few more:

1. Pull out the wine cooler (power hog), and replace it with a VIVO Home Icemaker.
2. Add a remote oil pressure sensor kit to relocate the oil pressure sensor away from the engine onto a bulkhead where it is subjected to much less vibration and heat. In that process you'll also be changing over from a BSP thread to a standard US thread size for that sensor, so that your replacement sensors will be $35 VDO generic units instead of $250 Yanmar cardboard boxes containing VDO sensors. While you're at it, put a tee in that remote oil pressure line and install a small steam gauge so that you can verify the real physical oil pressure at any time rather than relying on the engine monitor's calculated reading from the resistance output of the sensor.
3. Add Raptor Decking to the cockpit. It may seem like an extravagance at first, but you'll never regret it once it's there. Your knees will thank you too.

 

[thomsond]

Thank you all for the posts. They were all very helpful. Unfortunately, it looks like I missed my chance on the boat as it is no longer listed. However, now I have better information for the search that continues.

 

[j&lgray]

We did the Great Loop in a 2012 Ranger 29. We were the second owners and did modifications to make it more comfortable for the nearly year of fantastic cruising. It was the ideal boat for us. All of that information is on our website: www.andiamo-ranger29.com.

I also have a book coming out soon about that adventure, "Finding Serendipity."

We have had three Ranger Tugs, and still have a 2012 Ranger 27, for a total of 11 years and have done a total of 16,000 miles of cruising on them. We love the company and the product and especially the Tugnut community. I have written about these boats and all the repairs that were done. Rather than repeating all of that here, see my websites that are listed below. Then, if you have questions, feel free to contact me directly.