America's Great Loop

[Cross-Eyed Slim]

Hello MLanger! Great to hear from you from The Loop itself! And I love your slogan, "Life is not a dress rehearsal." This IS the show! In fact I'm a retired entertainer so that runs pretty deep for me. I'll look for more posts from you as you loop on.
Thanks for the reply!
—Slim

 

[Cross-Eyed Slim]

Hello Dave and thanks for the reply. We've also looked at both Nordic and American tugs and came to the same conclusion, and no, I don't think extra deck boxes is overkill. It doesn't surprise me that some might consider the R29 a bit small for living aboard all year doing the Loop. That seems to be the main sticking point. But as we all know every detail of every boat is a compromise with pros and cons. We're still sorting those out.
—Slim

 

[Toucan]

We have done more than half of the Great Loop so far in our R-27 Classic this year and last year. Since we trailer from and back to California, we are satisfied with our size boat. While a larger boat would be nice to cruise on, we have no desire to trailer a larger boat. Pulling an 8 1/2 foot wide boat and being 60 feet long overall is challenging enough for us. We have greatly enjoyed being on the Loop so far. So much important history has taken place on the eastern waterways. But our plan next year is to return to northern British Columbia and Southeast Alaska so that we can see lots of wildlife that is missing from the Loop.

Barry and Lynne Thompson
TOUCAN

 

[Cross-Eyed Slim]

Hello Barry and Lynne. Yours is the best reason for owning a Ranger Tug — trailering. Cruising both east and west coasts is not feasible with almost any other boat. Thanks for your reply.
—Slim

 

[S. Todd]

Earlier in this thread were comments about the R29 vs the R31. When we ordered our 2021 R29S we jumped back and forth between a 29 and a 31 trying to decide which boat made more sense. For us, we thought the storage options (drawer under the bed and storage compartment under the helm seat) and the cockpit seating arrangements were better on the R29. The performance specs are very similar with the longer water line on the R31 being offset by the additional weight. I don't think either one is a bad choice.
We had no desire for the command bridge and the added weight it put up high changing the center of balance in rough great lakes weather.
There is an earlier version of the 29 (prior to the 2015 model year) that looks a lot like the R31, has a helm door and but a shorter cockpit than the R31. To me the choice between that model and the R31 would be to go with the R31.
We had a R25SC when we ordered our R29S and appreciate the comments about the easier towing the 8.5 foot beam, but we love our boat and just plan on driving it more over its own bottom than on its trailer.
We opted for the Ranger Tugs over Nordic Tugs because of the up and down floor plan in the Nordic Tugs, the engine access in the cockpit on the Ranger Tug and the ability to cruise faster when we want to. Nevertheless, you can not knock the quality of the Nordic Tugs.
Probably the most important thing is to get something that floats and gets you out on the water. (I enjoy kayaks and canoes almost as much as the bigger boats but they all have their pluses and minuses.)

 

[Cross-Eyed Slim]

Hello S. Todd. Thank you for your thoughts on the 29 vs. the 31. It might come down to what deal I can find and the timing. We cannot afford a brand new boat so we’ll see what’s out there come spring.
Thanks again.
—Slim

 

[ALICE J]

A big shout-out for the classic R 27. These yachts were built to travel, by road and by sea, sorry to see they are out production, but still coveted for their versatility. Alice J has about 50,000 road miles and over 2800 Yanmar hours and is for sale. A great off-grid explorer, mechanically sound with a few minor badges of experience, always upgraded, sad to let her go, but she seeks captains with adventure in their hearts, a restless spirit, and fulfillment of their bucket list.

 

[mlanger]

Hello MLanger! Great to hear from you from The Loop itself! And I love your slogan, "Life is not a dress rehearsal." This IS the show! In fact I'm a retired entertainer so that runs pretty deep for me. I'll look for more posts from you as you loop on.
Thanks for the reply!
—Slim

Wishing you the best on your Great Loop adventure. Even though I’m running the loop late and dealing with seasonably cold weather on the inland lakes so few Loopers talk about, I’m loving nearly every minute. I’m trying to beep my travel blog updated; let’s see how I do. Make sure you get either Nebolink or the Nebo app so you can keep up with your Looper friends on the water.

Maria

 

[Cross-Eyed Slim]

Hello Maria. I'm new to Nebo. Will it show me where you are? How do I search for you — your account name or whatever?
—Slim

 

[mlanger]

Hello Maria. I'm new to Nebo. Will it show me where you are? How do I search for you — your account name or whatever?
—Slim

You can track me via this link: https://trackme.nebo.global/?link=1XGMC ... RNR1KP9RM5

You don’t need to download the app to track, but if you already have a boat, you can download the app for your smartphone, set up an account, and let others track you. Nebo is widely used by Loopers and it has a messaging component that makes it easy to meet other boaters in your area. I met two other Ranger Tug owners so far, both in R31s: Pony from Michigan and Papa Whiskey from Wisconsin.

Right now I’m at Paris Landing State Park Marina in Tennessee. We got in just before dark and are waiting for pizza to arrive.

Looking forward to seeing you on the loop!

 

[H28]

Hello Dave and thanks for the reply. We've also looked at both Nordic and American tugs and came to the same conclusion, and no, I don't think extra deck boxes is overkill. It doesn't surprise me that some might consider the R29 a bit small for living aboard all year doing the Loop. That seems to be the main sticking point. But as we all know every detail of every boat is a compromise with pros and cons. We're still sorting those out.
—Slim

Slim: We are going to have our R29S in Sturgeon Bay this summer. If you are going to be on that side of Wisconsin, give us a shout out ahead of time and we can go for a spin on Hygge.

Dave

 

[Cross-Eyed Slim]

Hello Dave. Thanks for the reply and the invite! We're on the west side of Wisconsin but we get over to the Lake Michigan side often so I'd love to take you up on a ride on your 29. Let's stay in touch.
Thanks again!
Slim

 

[JealousMistress]

Slim,
If you’re looking to kick the tires on something closer to your home, you would be welcome to check out our Cutwater 28. Currently wintering with its tow truck in a heated shed just outside of Prescott, WI.

Mike