Are Ranger Tugs really safe....

C

crowleykirk

Well-known member
Joined
May 19, 2018
Messages
67
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
Vessel Name
Kirk Williams
Enough for rough waters. Would you feel totally safe on say an R27 or R29 cruising the San Juans and Alaska and not just on good days?

For up to 2 months at a time? In all conditions? Really like the Rangers but the more I read I'm leaning Aluminum Alaska boat.

I don't want to be a fair weather boater. Most pictures I see of Ranger the weather looks great and sunny. I know these are not open water boats but are they really good enough for hardcore exploring the inside passage. Are the tough enough?

Is there any data to support their seaworthiness? I know some of you have done the inside passage and I imagine many boats can do it... but did you feel like you have a hardy boat or were you praying the whole time or some of time?

I'm not looking to stir things up... we are hoping to make our purchase next year and the more I research the more I get confused and to what I really need. Been reading a lot about these guys. https://www.xtaeroboats.com.
Although the wife wants more amenities. I've emailed them about what they can build.

I'm sure many of you have done the research as well and it's all a trade off. Every design has it's limitations, I get that.
 
I’m really not sure what kind of response you are expecting from your post.
Is a RT27 or RT29 absolutely safe in gale, strong gale and storm force winds with wave heights taller than the length of the boat?? Definitely not! I’m pretty sure you could encounter such conditions at some time during the March to October period at some place between Seattle and Ketchikan.
In flying there is a saying that there are bold pilots and old pilots but there are no old bold pilots! Unless you are planning on buying a decommissioned naval submarine, there are going to be days when you need to stand down from moving out of sheltered waters. The smaller the boat, the more days you will need to shelter in place.
If your objective it to be able to totally ignore the weather and seas out there then you are going to need a much, much bigger boat!
 
crowleykirk":jvbrwrqe said:
Enough for rough waters. Would you feel totally safe on say an R27 or R29 cruising the San Juans and Alaska and not just on good days
Click to expand...

I don't think you'll find a boat that is "safe in ALL conditions", but the best answer to your question is it all is up to the captain to know when to go out and when to stay at Port.

As for seaworthiness of a Ranger to go up to Alaska. Absolutely. These were R27s and a R25

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11176&hilit=Seaquel+alaska#p76461
 
I’ve run aluminum and I’ve run fiberglass and I’ve also been run over by a boat I’d been driving just moments before so I’ve seen boating from top to bottom.

We were launching an 18’ hard keel inflatable with 10 tanks of air and a 70 horse Suzuki at Lime Kiln in the Big Sur and I was more towards the stern and have three propeller scars on my right arm but it still works and I’m glad to be alive.

Lesson learned: If the surf looks too big to shore launch into it is.

I’ve piloted aluminum vessels over and back from Catalina Island, I’ve run an aluminum boat part way going north around Point Conception.

Lesson learned: Go north around Point Conception by train, plane, car perhaps a bus but No, No, don’t go by boat. Prior to turning back we donned our wetsuits and untied our surfboards; if the following sea took us the boards and ourself would float to the surface and we’d paddle to land. Not a great plan but the only plan we were able to come up with under the circumstances.

I’ve watched the footprint of a whale appear next to an open aluminum boat I was driving just prior to the leviathan easily 6 times the length of the boat appearing and I literally thought “I need a bigger boat!”

The way this works is the creature appears in the middle and grows outward both ways as it surfaces then you’d think your air compressor let go from the sound of the blow hole and that’s really wet and really really stinky and I remember looking upward at the tail as it passed overhead.

Looking back now I’m thinking that whale crop dusted me!

Do I think I persevered, overcame, forced my will on the water? No, I think and have the scars to prove it, what I was was stupid, OK, young and stupid, they tend to go hand in hand.

Some good boat sayings: The most dangerous thing in a boat is a schedule, weather advisories are just that advisories, conditions change every mile and every minute, there’s no such thing as a little trouble on the big water one minute you think you’re in no trouble at all and then you’re in big trouble.

So what’s my boating philosophy in my long run present day golden years?

Me, I piddle about on the very very edge of the ocean, only on the finest of days, comfort of passengers and crew in mind, all maintenance done and done well, all safety systems in place and operational, (I’m buying one of those automatic life rafts) on board what I see as the safest, finest vessel available, a 29’ Ranger Tug. And I still never turn my back on the ocean.

The far far shorter reply is: Aluminums I’ve owned tended to have a leaf on the water syndrome, easily moved, hard to control if there’s outside forces acting on them, they are cold, the hull is cold, the cockpit is cold and the cabin is cold after all it’s metal with no insulating properties, they kind of skitter across the surface, don’t iron out the bumps.

I like fiberglass, you’re in the water gaining all the advantages that holds, you’ve some weight to use against outside forces, the hull can take more of a blow and I’ve bumped both ‘glass and aluminum against things.

Per your post you “don’t want to be a fair weather boater” and Yes You Do and for sure sure your wife does so listen to her on this.

You ask if “they are tough enough” and I guarantee they're far far tougher than you. Me too, but I thought I’d put that you out there first.

You speak of “hardcore exploring” what’s that, you going out in the rain are ya? You’ll slip on rocks or catch your death of cold, listen to your wife which I’m beginning to sound like.

“Wife wants more amenities” you say? Get her everything she wants and more, much much more; count your blessings she’ll even go along, I do every time my wife does which is every time we go because I don’t like to be away from her.

Overall if you don’t have fun times and build nice memories the wife might stop going along and there you’ll be, all alone somewhere in the rain and where's the fun in that?

Had a 28’ Larson I repowered and there were other problems the wife ended up referring to it as That Damm Boat and stopped going sold that thing in a hurry.
 
Crowlegkirk,

I would ask you what are the sea conditions you are planning to operate your boat. No boat or ship is good for anything the sea can throw at you. You also need to look at your skill and experience level. The average boat operator probably does not have the skill and experience to operate their boat to its full capabilities.

I am not familiar with San Jauans and Alaska sea conditions. However I live along the Atlantic Coast in Maryland and there are many days where our commercial and sport fishing fleet will stay tied to the docks due to sea conditions. Our fleet includes many large commercial boats and multi million dollar 68 foot Viking Sport fishing boats.

The Chesapeake Bay where I do most of my boating can get unmanageable. Kiptopeake State Park in Virginia along the lowed bay has a row of WWII concrete ships that were sunk to protect the park beach and boat ramps. I have seen when the bay has been up a 125 foot Coast Guard Cutter seeking some respite from the rough conditions behind the concrete ships. The bay can become quite nasty with just 10 to 15 knott winds for boats less than 35 feet depending wind direction, duration and location on the bay.

Your question needs to be more specific: what are the sea parameters you are trying to operate you boat.
 
Safety is a function of both the boat AND it's operator....
....I know people I'd feel safe with in an R-21 in a hurricane and I also know people I'd worry about being in an Aircraft carrier in a duck pond, on a calm day.

As a general rule, these boats are built well enough to all likelihood survive most anything a competent, experienced, level-headed skipper will subject them to weather wise.
Barring a collision with partially submerged cargo containers, logs, meteor strikes, rogue waves and other happenstance you should make it home.

Have you considered a surplus Coast Guard 47 foot motor lifeboat?
 
Current 10/14 marine forecast:
PKZ352-160145-
Gulf of Alaska Offshore South of 57N North of 55N and West of
144W-
308 AM AKDT Mon Oct 15 2018

...GALE WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT...

.TODAY...S wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 8 to 16 ft. Rain.
.TONIGHT...S wind 20 to 35 kt becoming 25 kt after midnight. Seas
14 to 18 ft. Rain.
.TUE...S wind 30 kt. Seas 15 ft.
.TUE NIGHT...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 14 ft.
.WED...S wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 10 to 15 ft.
.THU...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 10 ft.
.FRI...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 20 to 33 ft.
 
Let me add my two cents worth.
I retired from the Coast Guard in 2001, so have seen my share of rough water. I have had my Ranger Tug 29 in sea conditions in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, just outside of the San Juans, that I would consider the safe limit for any boat that size, and the boat handled it just fine. As others have said, the boat can handle more than the crew would ever want to be out in.
 
Pleasure and boating are two words I like to see together. Listen to your wife, she wants amenities, if you want to enjoy boating give your wife what she is telling you she wants. I have been boating more decades than I want to count and can assure you any boat can be broken if you abuse or misuse it. Pleasure boats are generally much tougher than the humans on them though. Ranger Tugs are very capable pleasure boats, I am extremely familiar with the San Juan Islands and can assure you my wife and I feel very safe using our 25 anywhere there.

Know your weather, know your boat. Don't go out in things you don't have the skill to handle and don't push your boat or your wife beyond what is comfortable for you to handle confidently and comfortably.
 
The wife and I have just returned from spending over 3 months touring the San Juan Islands, Vancouver Island and British Columbia in our 2011 29’ Ranger Tug. During that period, we were on the water traveling from port to port every other day. Although our schedule changed from time to time, it never changed because of the weather (we were lucky to have great weather the entire time.) We were underway several times when the weather was other then ideal and sometimes quite uncomfortable. Uncomfortable because of the rolling or up and down, or banging or even occasionally some seasickness but never uncomfortable because we were afraid the boat would fail us. True I was always concerned that we could suck up something that would make the motor overheat or strike something in the water that could disable us but any knowledgeable boater has those concerns regardless of the make of the boat. Ancillary parts and systems wear out eventually. I have owned my Ranger long enough to have made some repairs and have learned several things from these repairs. First of all, repair parts are expensive because when building their boats Ranger always goes 1st class with the best (and usually most expensive) parts and systems available. I sometimes worry about a number of different things while boating but never about the construction or fitting out of my boat. I often tell people that when the wife and I are laying on the floor so seasick we’re begging to die; the Ranger Tug will be just fine.
 
Given the weather forecast posted by scross it may not be good for some people to think their vessel can handle it - they just might try it!
Anytime I have ventured out to the jetty and it looks questionable I turn the boat around. Then I turn around and look at my wife and she just says - Thank-you. Always another day if you make the right choices.
 
I am not sure I get this. Are folks really using their comfortable cruising boats for tackling rough seas on a regular basis. The Ranger Tugs are built well and will get you home or to a destination in rough conditions as long as the Captain has the necessary skills and experience. However, subjecting a cruising boat to continued severe conditions will take its toll. Panels, cabinets and systems will work loose; motor mounts may come loose or break; gelcoat from continued flexing of the hull will develop stress cracks; etc. I have a nephew that was on an aircraft carrier for 6 years. When they were on a mission they went no matter what the conditions and it took a toll on the ships structure. Stuff would break, bulkheads would buckle and the ship would need repairs. When I read the weather forecast for the Gulf of Alaska this week, my boat would be tied to the dock all week. Maybe I would double the lines. For those that are heading out on the Gulf this week in their Ranger Tugs, please me know how your tug did in the 33 foot waves.
Just saying……
 
crowleykirk,

I see that you are located in a high mountain town far inland. Do you have any boating experience? You are asking about a luxury fiberglass boat that has many comforts, and comparing it to an aluminum boat that will be cold, wet (condensation), noisy, and is built for fishermen. Note, MEN, not the ladies. Welded aluminium boats are liked in Alaska for their tough, low maintenance, durable features. Ranger Tugs are liked for their comforts, beauty, and value (you get a complete boat, ready to go) That alum boat is not sold with engines or electronics. It will probably cost more that a Ranger when done. If you have no boating experience, the Ranger comes complete, just add fuel and go. The Ranger is an integrated system, like a car. The alum boat will need a lot of outfitting by an experience boater.

We call it 'pleasure boating' for a reason. *Pleasure* I don't go when the water/weather is bad. Why do that? I do not need to 'prove' anything. I have been boating the PNW from Olympia to SE Alaska for over 30 years. I have been caught out in really shitty weather, and got my butt kicked bad. And that was in a 37ft heavy trawler style boat. I was caught in the Dixon Entrance, AK where conditions were so bad it tore the engine battery from its mounts. I have been in the Clarence Strait, AK when I could barely maintain steering the course, and barely stand at the wheel. I do not want to ever do either again.

Now in my 27 Ranger, I go when the weather is good, and stay in port till it is. It is for *Pleasure*. The Rangers are safe enough when used within their performance envelope. I would take my Ranger back to SE AK and explore all over SE. These boats do not have the fuel capacity to cross big water, like the Gulf of Alaska. With the 100 US gallons aboard, I only plan on using 2/3rds of that before refueling. The remaining 1/3 is a safety reserve. At 1.5 MPG (at 11 knots), that is about 100 nautical miles. All route planning has to account for that 100 miles between fuel stops. The MPGs can be increased by slowing down and I can get about 5MPG at 5-6 knots. The alum boat most likely will not do any better.

The boat has to match the mission. My mission is *Pleasure*, yours may be different.
 
We travelled the Inside Passage from Des Moines, WA, to Skagway, AK, and back to Anacortes, WA, this summer. Our 2017 R27 Classic did just fine. We explored many, many nooks and crannies along the way. We like to travel in relatively calm conditions and enjoy the trip. We traveled on most days. There were only a few days that we stayed put and waited for the windy, choppy water to calm down. There were a few days that we we probably should have stayed put. There were a few days for sure that we should have stopped moving sooner than we did. For these waters, it was often calm in the morning, getting windier and rougher in the afternoon. On those days, we left at the crack of dawn and often stopped early to have a smooth, comfortable and safe ride. Several times, we were out when the wind was blowing against the current. It was unpleasant and got very scary once. If your wife says stay put, or it is time to stop, listen to her. If the conditions are marginal, stay put or seek shelter. The difference between marginal conditions and bad (unsafe or uncomfortable) conditions is very narrow. It is best to use your brain, not your testosterone, when making decisions.

Barry Thompson
 
We spent 2 weeks on our R25sc on the SE Alaska coast in Lynn Canal, Icy Strait, and Glacier Bay. Mostly was very safe and comfortable with a couple nights we stayed put for weather.
Once we got caught out when the 5 ft+ waves forecasted for "late in the evening" snuck up behind us mid morning. We were surfing breaking waves on the stern quarter trying to stay away from the rocky shore. We had a few scares where the prop and rudder were out of the water and we had no control as we surfed sideways down the wave at a scary angle. The boat handled it fine; but we headed for the nearest bay to change my shorts!
As we headed into the bay, there behind some rocky islets were all the big commercial fishing boats, sheltering from the waves. Probably saying "what are those idiots doing out there in that little tug". We were pretty proud of how well the boat handled it, but also smart enough to get the heck outta there ASAP. Just not as smart as those "fair weather" Alaskan commercial fishermen who were already hiding out from the "rough weather".
If you think you're tougher than they are and want to be out in "all conditions", you better have a pretty big boat.
 
crowleykirk,

With most of my boating in the Florida Gulf of Mexico and the Florida east coast ICW, you would think the conditions would be relatively mild. However, I don't go out in the Gulf in my R31S, if the wind forecast is for more than 15 knots or so, which can easily give 4 foot seas. I've been caught out when the wind was greater, but my wife did not like it at all even though the boat was relatively okay.

In talking to a lot of the off-shore fishing Charter Boat captains in Naples, FL about weather conditions that are safe or not, they all said that even they do not go out if there are sustained winds beyond 15 knots out of the Northwest. In the Gulf, sustained high winds out of the Northwest seem to create some very big waves due to the long fetch. I don't fully understand it, but I take their word for it. Realize, this advice from Charter boat captains is for their boats that are typically 35' to 40'. I think any Ranger Tug is going to be less capable of handling significant winds and seas than these off-shore Charter fishing boats.

So, your expectations about buying a small boat (Ranger Tugs or Aluminum Alaska boats are relatively small boats) that can handle "all conditions" and "I don't' want to be a fair weather boater." might be setting the bar quite a bit high.
 
Kirk, I learned long ago that you should never say anything bad about a mans wife or his boat. That being said I think some of the responses to this post show you are dancing on this fine line. I’ve been reading your posts this summer and there is a common theme to them. 1. Is the Ranger capable of a Pacific challenge? 2. Is the RT good enough for me? And now is the RT good enough to ignore weather conditions in Alaska. Most of your posts end with a comment on how your leaning towards a Aspen or other vessel.
In my honest opinion the Ranger is not for you. Mostly because I don’t want to see you drown. Secondly because your so pessimistic. I don’t think you would ever be happy in a Ranger. Things go wrong with any boat and it looks like you would be easily upset by normal problems with boats like ours.
I’ve wondered several times if your posts are legit or if your actually trying to sell Aspens.
Good luck Kirk, I hope you find your dream boat and I hope you lose your attitude about challenging the ocean. She always wins buddy.
 
Well, have seemed to ruffle some feathers. And I actually agree with most comments although I wasn't expecting
some of them. But it's all good and I totally get where most of you are coming from.

I'm learning I should phrase my comments better. I think our best bet is to charter some boats, take some classes etc.. and go from there. We truly do love the Rangers and yes, maybe they are not for me. If I've come across cocky that is not what I meant to do. I fear the ocean as much as the next guy and the PNW is totally new terrioty for me as far as boating goes.

I don't expect and unsinkable vessel and I do plan on paying very close attention to weather and conditions. I believe we would really like the R29. I mentioned aluminum boats and Aspen Cat's. There are lots of boats we are looking at. We are about a year away from a purchase. The Aspen's are nice but way to expensive. The Kingfishers look very nice as well but don't offer near what my wife wants.

Anyway, I apologize if I crossed a line here. I won't be posting anymore till we get our boat and I have something constructive to offer.

You all take care and thanks again for the great information and for sharing your experiences and wisdom.
 
Crowley Kirk, The way you phrased the question I think did get some riled up a bit. I didn't respond because I was not sure how to interpret your question. Those of us that have some ocean experience know that prudent mariners don't leave the harbor on certain days. I have been watching along to see the comments. As you mentioned there has been some very good advice given.

Tugnuts is a great resource if you have questions about Ranger Tugs. You will get honest answers from current Ranger Tug owners. If you have other questions in the future about these boats I would encourage you to ask them here.

These are well built production boats. We have been very happy with ours would buy one again. However, I hope to keep this one running and looking nice for a long time.

John
Tug Travelers
Guided Flotilla Cruises
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

  • Tugnuts.com is the community hub for Ranger Tug, Cutwater, and Solara owners. Since its inception in 2008, the Tugnuts forum has grown into an active and thriving community of more than 9,000 members. It serves as both a meeting place for the best boating community online, and an invaluable archive of information.

  • User menu
Back
Top