Considering purchase of R-29S

C

Cabo Bound

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2026
Messages
11
i’m looking seriously at buying a used R 29S that I would be trailering back-and-forth a couple times a year from the Portland, Oregon area up to the San Juan or Olympia.
I have read many reports and blogs where people are very enthused about their boats, but just wondering if there are any negatives that I should be considering before purchasing?
I am an experienced boater, having taken my own boat several times to Alaska and also had an ocean sport that was approximately 14,000 pounds fully loaded with a triple axle trailer that I would go back-and-forth from the Columbia up to the San Juan.
i’m looking for any warnings that I should be aware of before I put money down on a used 29 footer?
Thank you.
 
No warnings from me. I had a 2021 and loved it. It does take a bit to get used to driving a single inboard if you haven't done it before.
 
My only comment (we bought a used R31) is if you might miss having the starboard side door at the helm. We value that a lot.
 
JeffreyAC77 said:
My only comment (we bought a used R31) is if you might miss having the starboard side door at the helm. We value that a lot.
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Good point. I'm looking to trailer the boat a couple times a year from the Columbia River to San Juans and further north and wondering if there is a significant difference between the 29&the 31 when it comes to trailering?
Thanks, Ross
 
Ross:

I have a 2017 R29 Sedan which I bought new and LOVE her!!!!

I would recommend that you do lots of research on Tugnuts to see what mods other owners have made to their boat. Then as you are shopping around, you might considering paying more for the higher priority ones. For example, I trailer all the time so finding one that has stainless steel brakes installed would be worth additional $$. In addition, I would want to see the current owner's maintenance logs and then crawl thru every inch of the boat. Routine maintenance is another priority for me!

Best of luck in your search. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions; also happy to share lessons learned, checklists, etc.

Mike
 
Bosn Mate said:
Ross:

I have a 2017 R29 Sedan which I bought new and LOVE her!!!!

I would recommend that you do lots of research on Tugnuts to see what mods other owners have made to their boat. Then as you are shopping around, you might considering paying more for the higher priority ones. For example, I trailer all the time so finding one that has stainless steel brakes installed would be worth additional $$. In addition, I would want to see the current owner's maintenance logs and then crawl thru every inch of the boat. Routine maintenance is another priority for me!

Best of luck in your search. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions; also happy to share lessons learned, checklists, etc.

Mike
Click to expand...
All good ideas. Have you had any problems with towing? what brand of trailer do you have and do you think there would be a big difference between trailering the 29 and the 31 foot model?
do you have the Yanmar or the Volvo Penta? any motor and or other mechanical problems?
your thoughts on the inboard engine versus the outboard.How does she handle different sea conditions such as following seas and head seas? can you troll down to around one and a half knots on the main engine if you don’t have a kicker Monitor for Fishing
Thanks,
Rosd
 
Cabo Bound said:
All good ideas. Have you had any problems with towing? what brand of trailer do you have and do you think there would be a big difference between trailering the 29 and the 31 foot model?
do you have the Yanmar or the Volvo Penta? any motor and or other mechanical problems?
your thoughts on the inboard engine versus the outboard.How does she handle different sea conditions such as following seas and head seas? can you troll down to around one and a half knots on the main engine if you don’t have a kicker Monitor for Fishing
Thanks,
Rosd
Click to expand...
Ross, sorry.
 
Cabo Bound said:
Good point. I'm looking to trailer the boat a couple times a year from the Columbia River to San Juans and further north and wondering if there is a significant difference between the 29&the 31 when it comes to trailering?
Thanks, Ross
Click to expand...
We do not trailer our 31 so I really can't commend on that. I do know that the extra 2 feet is specifically in the cockpit of the boat as the rest of each boat is essentially identical, except for the helm door space.
 
JeffreyAC77 said:
We do not trailer our 31 so I really can't commend on that. I do know that the extra 2 feet is specifically in the cockpit of the boat as the rest of each boat is essentially identical, except for the helm door space.
Click to expand...

I think it's wrong to try and compare the 29 and 31, they are very different boats. The midship berth on the 31 is significantly larger, and does not require raising the dinette to enter. In addition it has standing floor room and a head. Adults can sleep reasonably comfortable in the midship berth on the 31, they really cannot on the 29. The dinette on the 31 holds 5, with only 4 on the 29. In addition the helm seat is not shared with the dinette on the 31, allowing 6 people to face forward while cruising, compared to 5 on the 29 (assuming you double up at the helm), 4 if you don't. There are many other differences but those are some major ones that go beyond "2 feet in the cockpit"

Despite the 31 being only 5% longer, it weighs 15% more. Weight says a lot about a boats interior volume and displacement. These are also dry weights, before you factor in a 25% larger fuel and 33% larger water tank, which completely change the way it trailers.
 
We are loving our new 2026 R29S. However, we don't trailer it. It fishes really well using the trolling valve, remote auto pilot, helm in the cockpit, and an iPad to control the chartplotter. We have 170 hours on it and the only item needing attention so far is replacing the aft bildge pump, which Fluid Motion did with the boat in our the slip. We previously had a 28 Cutwater and really like the additional 1.5 feet on the beam and the island bed. No regrets.
 
All good information. I appreciate the different perspectives on both boats. Would like to see more comments about trailering the 31 vs 29.
Thanks, Ross
 
We currently have a R29. We now own a storage facility much closer to the ramp and I no longer have to back the boat into our S-curve driveway from our narrow street for service and maintenance. That turn into the driveway would have been a very difficult feat with the additional length of the 31 and influenced our decision to purchase the R29. The parking space in the back yard when not in indoor storage was also a factor in limiting the length. I don't anticipate any significant difference towing the 31 down the highway. That said, our tow vehicle is a F350 long bed 4 door diesel dually rated to tow 21,000 pounds. One of the other factors in our decision to purchase the R29 was the storage access under the bed (the R29 has a drawer) and the storage space under the helm seat. Access to the generator in the R29 (for the prior models that did not have lithium) was arguably better for oil changes etc. Both appear to be good solid builds. The 10-foot beam was a super plus when we upsized from the 8.5 beam of the R25.
 
I have thought of looking for a storage facility that would be covered and ideally with power near the launching facility in Anacortes, Washington for that very reason. that is where the majority of our boating would occur during the summer months then we winter in Mexico and the only time I would probably bring it down to the Columbia river is a couple of times a year for salmon and albacore fishing and cruising with friends near where we live.
my last trailerable boat was a 28 foot ocean sport approximately 14,000 pounds fully loaded including the trailer and I tow it with my three-quarter ton Dodge mega-cab Cummins diesel, with no problem except for the idiot drivers out there that think you can stop on a dime and cut in between you and the next car forward because you have been vigilant at keeping a safe distance. Thanks for the comments.
Ross
 
Ross:

Answers to your questions above:

* We tow with a Ram 2500 diesel with no problems on an EZ Loader triple axle aluminum trailer. There is a bow bounce so I use some heavy duty straps to stop this. No problems except that if you have to stop for the night, you will easily take up 9 parking spaces. We use a tire pressure monitoring system for the trailer tires which lower the anxiety level significantly.

* Looking at the specs, I don't think there would be much difference in towing an R31 vs R29.

* The boat has a Volvo Penta D4-300 and I do all the regular maintenance. Except for the drive belt, everything else is fairly easy to access.

* At the time we bought the boat, there was no option for outboards. I don't have a real preference so I would have to see an outboard R29 and go over the pros and cons.

* In regards to how the R29 handles, it depends on where you operate to form an opinion. As always, the boat will take more than the crew. In the Chesapeake Bay, our limit is two foot waves due to the short periods. Beyond that, things start banging around and its just not pleasant. In the ocean, she handles well under the right conditions but I don't consider her an ocean going boat, more of a coastal and inland cruiser.

* We don't fish on the boat so I can't give you an opinion.

Mike
 
Cabo Bound said:
i’m looking seriously at buying a used R 29S that I would be trailering back-and-forth a couple times a year from the Portland, Oregon area up to the San Juan or Olympia.
I have read many reports and blogs where people are very enthused about their boats, but just wondering if there are any negatives that I should be considering before purchasing?
I am an experienced boater, having taken my own boat several times to Alaska and also had an ocean sport that was approximately 14,000 pounds fully loaded with a triple axle trailer that I would go back-and-forth from the Columbia up to the San Juan.
i’m looking for any warnings that I should be aware of before I put money down on a used 29 footer?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Hi Cabo bound: we have a 29S 2016 and love the boat has a Volvo-penta 4 cylinder diesel. it really sucks the diesel. At 10 knots we do about 8.5 gals/hr. seems really high. otherwise we love the boat. great customer service we have been to desolation sound a couple of times and spend our summers going to the Gulf islands. PM me if you wish.
 
At ten knots you are traveling 11.5 miles per hour which is the speed at which the boat is just trying to get over its own bow wake. (11 mph is a great speed to wake surf.) Your figures show you are getting about 1.35 miles per gallon. I almost never cruise at the speed with our R29S because it is so inefficient. If I slow down to 8 miles per hour I can get significantly better mileage burning just over 2 gallons per hour. Or I can speed up to 14 to 16 miles per hour (depending on the load which is heavy dependent on the amount of fuel in the tank) and get about 1.6 miles per gallon.
 
boaterjoe said:
Hi Cabo bound: we have a 29S 2016 and love the boat has a Volvo-penta 4 cylinder diesel. it really sucks the diesel. At 10 knots we do about 8.5 gals/hr. seems really high. otherwise we love the boat. great customer service we have been to desolation sound a couple of times and spend our summers going to the Gulf islands. PM me if you wish.
Click to expand...
I'm a bit surprised myself however 10 knots is faster than Im used to going in the trawlers that I have had over the years. I used to drop it down to 7-8 knots and get close to 3knt/gallon.
Today's prices, Ill probably go back to that style of boating again. I've had two Coastal Crafts and an Ocean Sport as my last three boats that all did 30 plus knots but they all burnt a big hole in my wallet.
Thanks for responding,
Ross
 
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