2009 R29 or 2016 R27

H

Hamish

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Oct 7, 2016
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I am looking at two different boats: a used R29 or a new R27. The R29 is an 09 boat launched 2011, one owner with 450 hours on the Yanmar. The R27 is a new 2016 leftover that has never been in the water. Both fully loaded but no trailer with the R27. The R29 is a great price and the R 27 is about $15k more (AC, gen set, larger Garmin, autopilot). Main use will be just me and occasionally my wife and child for overnights. I will often overnight on the boat two to three nights during the week as it will be close to my office which is two hours from home. Including the winter!

I like the idea of the new 2016 boat with warranty on the Volvo D3 etc. I am worried about the R29 being so much older and the hours on the engine, although I would get an engine survey to supplement the overall survey (which was excellent).

Both boats are gorgeous. The smaller size of the 27 does not bother me although the R29 stateroom is nice! I'm brain locked and welcome any thoughts.

Thoughts on a 450 hour engine?
 
The hours on the engine are inconsequential if the boat has been cared for. Two things to consider. First, getting a larger boat than you need isn't a great idea. Harder to handle by yourself, more expensive to operate, higher slip fees at marinas, etc. Second, do you plan to keep it on the trailer or in the water? If you will trailer it a lot, then the 27 will be much easier. In most places the 29 will require a permit to pull on the road.

Not a bad decision to have to make 😀
 
Thanks. I Will keep the boat in the water. Don't plan to trailer - at least not in the next few years.

I realized I did not introduce myself to the site. Sorry! Ian here. Long time Ranger tug wannabe. Hopefully this is my chance. Boston area. Boat will be on the Cape if I do this.
 
Welcome aboard.. I have a 29 and quite often handle it myself . The door at the helm makes life pretty easy..I would have to say easier then the 27.. Both boats will be great. The difference in costs for mooring etc would not be a lot.. Having the wider beam of the 29 would be better But all new stuff is also nice 🙂 .. It is a Tuff one . I would not be concerned with the hours at all on the 29. I know we really appreciate the door to the forward berth and the washroom being there is nice. We use the shower a lot and find it an adequate size. You do loose a bit of rear vision with the washroom on the 27. I do find the cockpit on the 27 nicer for entertaining it seems bigger to me even though it is a smaller boat..Yes I would have a tough time myself deciding.. I guess I would be looking at what boat would have the least depreciation in say 5 years if you decided to move up or quit boating..
Good luck I'm sure you will get lots more help from others..There really is no bad decision here.. It's more room vs more new .. 🙂
 
Some thoughts:

Get the smallest boat that meets your needs comfortably.

I would not worry about hours on the engine. Regular use is better. My wife and I live on our R-27 three months at a time. I could live on it much longer. My adage is cocktails for six, dinner for four and sleeping for two. The equipment on the boat should be what you want and if you want something not installed what is the practicality of the aftermarket installation and cost associated with it.

A used boat will have less of a depreciation impact initially than a new boat.

Both boats have their advantages. The cockpit is more roomy on the R-27 than the older 29. The 29 interior is more spacious.

Being on a boat in the winter in Massachusetts will also have some challenges regarding winterizing some systems, heat and condensation.

It all comes down to your personal needs and desires and what compromises you are willing to make.
 
As others have said the engine hours on the R29 should not be of concern, but have the survey done. Here are the questions I'd ask.......how long do you think you'll own this boat? and what are your future boating plans? Might not be easy to answer! Great Loop, East Coast, Florida, Canada? or is this a temporary purchase to take care of work living arrangements? If you see yourself moving to a larger boat down the road why not start with the R29, you'll save having to pay sales tax twice. If this purchase is to accommodate a temporary living situation then a used R29 would most likely have less depreciation. I agree its a difficult decision to make, let us know the outcome.

Jim
 
One thought to throw out there for consideration:

Check out the service and parts available for both Yanmar and Volvo. Go visit the shop; see how easy or hard it will be to order parts or get service done that you can't do yourself. Talk with the service and/or parts managers at a yard near you.

I once saw a banner in the shop area of a boat dealer that said "Sales sells the first boat, Service sells the second."
 
We chose a used 29 over new 27 for the following reasons: larger interior is easier to get around; side door access for single handing; a bit more storage; no roll when stepping on or off; uninterrupted view from helm; larger head; and probably a few more that escape me at the moment.
 
If you have property in Rhode Island register it in RI. No sales or property taxes on new or used boats in the Ocean State.
450 engine hours, just broken in, I've heard they can go 10,000 hours.
Niemiec Marine in New Bedford MA is a certified Yanmar and Volvo dealer with mobile service.
 
We were looking at used R29's and then saw the R29 CB. We threw caution (and money) to the wind and bought the new boat...
 
You are getting a lot of good advice here. We were in a similar situation and ended up with the Ranger 29. One biggie for me was the modified queen berth vs. the vee berth. Our old boat had a vee berth and it worked, but I'm a big guy and the 29 berth feels like luxury to me. I certainly understand the appeal of a new boat. If you can get out on the water in both boats that might help with your decision. Congrats either way!
 
Thanks all. We are excited. We do plan to keep this boat for a long time and would love to do the loop in the future, but probably only in sections for a while as we have a kiddo at home. the boats we are looking at do not have trailers as part of the package, but the ability to trailer the boat in the future has value.

Maybe, just maybe, my wife will love the life and we can sell the boat and house in twenty years and retire onto a Great Harbor!

Love this forum. Can't wait to join the fun. I've been a sailor for the last thirty six years, but crossing over to the dark side is proving to be very easy!

Just out of interest, the other boats considered include: (i) Nordic Tugs (can't afford!); and (ii) Camano 31 Troll.
 
Keep in mind that towing will require a good truck to tow with. That will be a whole other topic, but you need to consider that cost as part of the whole consideration. Along with that you will need wide load permits when towing the 29.
 
If you are thinking of towing, the 27 is a lot easier to tow in that you do not need to arrange permits etc.as you will with the 29... And as you have read is quite comfortable to live on as well. The other boats you mentioned can be shipped but are a bit wide or heavy to tow yourself.
 
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