Best Mistake of my Life: Absolutely Recommend a Ranger Tug

[Hydraulicjump]

Hey all. I am trying to nudge you out of the now infamous thread about one individual's worst mistake. My previous post was too subtle. The "worst mistake" thread has gone off the rails in many ways and is starting to sound a lot like an internet chat site where anonymity leads to declining civility. This website is all about mutualism, a form of symbiosis where we all benefit from each other's knowledge and insights. If this becomes an argumentative site where folks come to vent--mimicking the decline in national conversations-- it loses it's value.

Maybe time to start a new thread about dealership support with some recommendations for how the factory can improve? Let's move on.

 

[Rwnorton]

Amen. Consumer experiences are not all to our liking, but as we Tugnuts know Ranger Tugs and their dealers do a far better job than most. And we appreciate it.

 

[tlkenyon]

Amen...let's move on.

 

[harry ames]

The facts are these:

Rangers, C-dorys and most all other in that class are low volume custom hand-built boats.

A boat buyer is out of their minds if they think that they can get quality and service for their custom boat that equals that of a car manufacturer/dealer.

When buying a boat, the mind set should be, I'm going to have infant mortality problems and in some cases manufacturer issues that will eat up some of my first year of ownership.

I've owned many new boats and every single one, when new, had multiple problems from small to major that were a hassle to get resolved by the dealer or manufacturer. (That is why I prefer buying used boats and having them thoroughly gone over by a surveyor prior to putting down the cash. The prior owner has had all the hassle of new boat issues).

The same goes for my motor homes and travel trailers. Always new issues right off the bat.

It is a fact of economy that motor homes and boats are custom and hand built. People and labor build the things and people get tired, sick, lazy, underpaid, underappreciated, etc. Then what they build can get sloppy.

Yes, you can rant and maybe get some service, but in the end, if you've gone into a purchase with your eyes open, you won't be so severely disappointed when you find that your quarter to half a million doesn't run like a new Toyota the first year.

 

[Capt. Wanabe]

I will have to echo the post intent of Hydraulicjump. In 2009 my wife and I went to a boat show at Jack London Square in the SF bay area. We were NOT looking for a boat, only a way to spend the day. In fact, we made the casual verbal commitment to just that fact--definitely we were not buying a boat. Things went well until we walked around the corner of the dock and I heard my wife exclaim, "Oh look, it's so cute!" She then jumped aboard the R25 to look inside. Things went down from there. I put up a futile objection to owning a boat more complex than anything I had ever owned before. Even a bystander I had never met got in on the sale by telling me that "If the lady wants the boat, then BUY the boat!" So I signed the purchase agreement solidifying the most poorly researched and rash financial decision I have ever made--clearly qualifying the transaction as a "mistake." While we did have our issues, (failed ECM, inverter wiring woes, etc.) it turned out to be a fantastic experience. The factory support has been faultless and the comeradery with the Tugnuts has been great. We have had several great cruises. Learning how the boat works and all of the systems has been a huge undertaking but worth it. I do agree that it can get frustrating doing R&D for the company but I also understand that there is no way humans are going to build a limited production boat that complex without having the end user deal with some of it. After buying the R25 we were happy enough to go back and buy the R27. We are still happy but I think that is going to be it for a while.
Frank
PS: Factory suggestion. Take Knotflying seriously and put together a decent manual with a searchable electronic copy of all of the paper manuals/installation guides that get thrown into the bottom of those black bags! That is so inconsistent with the general behavior of RT.

 

[Barry Cohen]

Thank you Hydraulicjump. You wrote what I was thinking.

I purchased YOLO (2011 R-27) thru Peter and Diane Haywood at Winter Island Yacht Yard. Every issue I have had has been handled in a timely and professional manner. The customer service from the factory has been highlighted many times.

Stuff happens. Stuff gets missed. No situation is perfect. Things eventually get taken care of and you move on.

Thanks again for moving us on. You are correct: bitching and moaning (my words, not yours) serves no good purpose for this collegial and informative group of Tugnuts.

Happy Memorial Day. Thank a veteran. Reflect on those who gave their "last full measure of devotion". I hope everyone can get out on the water.

 

[Hamish]

Thanks for this post. My best mistake ever. Echo Barry's comments on Winter Island Yachts.

 

[bill46]

We agree. RT are very well designed and built, with a lot of complicated systems not on cars. A lot of quality and excellent service.

 

[stwendl]

We agree. RT are very well designed and built, with a lot of complicated systems not on cars. A lot of quality and excellent service.

I dare to differ, boats are less difficult than cars, in my opinion. But then I am in the electronics/computer business. However, when one makes a mistake on a car it does not sink, unless driven into water 🙂

 

[lone ranger]

I don't think Henry ford or lee Iacocca or even John Delorean ever jumped on a plane to go solve a disgruntled customers problem.

 

[Joan and Jim]

Hydraulic Jump, thank you for starting this thread. Bobby Beard, I am so glad, but not surprised, that you find yourself extremely happy with the end result and outcome that Ranger Tugs was able to provide to you. My lack of surprise flows from our positive experiences since we took ownership of Bubbles in April, 2015. I have been remiss in not reporting these experiences earlier. These include but are not limited to:

1. Two months after purchase we attended the Poet's Cove Rendezvous and met members of the RT family. Kenny came aboard and, over the course of a full 3 hours (he even missed his lunch), patiently and with good-humour, answered my myriad of questions some of which he must have found excruciatingly rudimentary. (I told Jeff later that if Kenny's family ever put him up for adoption, Joan and I wanted him.);
2. On another occasion the engine wouldn't start because the sensor erroneously thought that it was in gear. I called Port Boathouse, RT's local dealer, and spoke with Dave Turner. He directed me to the engine space and talked me through how to resolve the problem. Dave has provided me with additional support since;
3. In September, 2015, on our way to the Roche Harbor rendezvous, I had a starting motor problem. Andrew was only a phone call away and he pointed me in the right direction;
4. We arrived at Roche with a non-transmitting radar. Garmin's Ed Gleason and then Scott Murray each spent two hours working on it before Scott concluded that it could not be fixed there. Sometime later, Pacific Yacht Systems, which does Garmin's installations and servicing on Canada's Pacific coast, contacted us and sent to us its Vancouver Island technician (who lives a 2 hour drive from us). Over the course of 2 days he fixed the problem which required the installation of a brand-new cable and scanner. Garmin's bill to me - for both parts and labour - was a big fat ZERO!!!

All of this must be placed in the context of our particular circumstances. We are the third owners of Bubbles. RT's and Garmin's warranties had long expired. We did not buy the boat through PBH. Yet all 3 of these entities have treated us like we were their favourite customers. My sense is that they treat all of their customers as favourites. That level of kindness and standard of service deserves a corresponding level of customer loyalty. So, gentle Tugnuts, if (dare to dream) we are ever in the market for a bigger boat, there are 3 "musts" that are absolute: it must be a Ranger Tug; it must be equipped by Garmin; and, at least if new, it must be purchased through Port Boathouse.

 

[sjreib]

I hope I'm not setting the bar too high, but Ranger/Cutwater service is exceptional. Two weeks ago as we boarded our 2016 Cutwater 28 ready to head off to laConner for an Edmonds Yacht Club gathering and then on to the Poet's Cove Ranger rendezvous to found a dead refrigerator. I called Ronnie Gonzales at Cutwater and told him the problem and he asked if I could meet him at the Everett Marina in two hours on my way up to LaConner. There he pulled into the guest dock with a new R29 he was testing with a new refrigerator and replaces my dead one and we're off and on our way 30 minutes later.
Now I understand that we get extra good service here in the Puget Sound area, but by any standard it must be regarded as exceptional. Thanks Ronnie and the Fluid Motion Company.

 

[mcphersn]

I had a tiny leak in my upper deck that dripped onto the center aisle. Carl, from Edgewater Yacht Sales in Pensacola, drove two hours each way, diagnosed the leak, fixed it, and spent hours making sure of other stuff for me. I'm a happy camper.