Does ranger tugs plan on making larger tugs in the future?

[JonnyWannaR29]

Let me start out by saying I just love the R29. The R29 is a beautifully designed boat, and it has really amazing features for its size, it's only real downside is that it is too small to truly be a live-aboard, or to cruise offshore without fear of sqalls, and a longer range would be great, too 🙁 . I propose A Ranger Tugs R49, based off of/ similar in design to (but improved upon), a American tugs 49( http://www.americantugs.com/at49.htm ), (Ranger Tugs is a MUCH better quality company (think customer service) in my opinion...which is fact 😀 ) A R49 with a semi-displacement hull and TWIN diesels 😱 would be a much more livable, seaworthy, and efficient boat... add expensive to that list... :lol: But the main thing is space... for things that make life on a boat better, like a washer/dryer, a big fridge, seperate heads, a pilothouse that you can see all four corners of the boat from, the comfort of having dual engines and the resulting speed and automatic extinguishers, trim tabs, a very well-lit engine room that you can get in from inside the cabin-- and stand up in-- AND that has a stainless steel toolbox built-in, the option of a flying bridge 😉 , tender crane and a rear davit, in house vacuum, hydraulic system for thrusters and windlass, oil change pump, ship's bell, a deck box, etc. etc. etc.

Sorry for listing so much, I got a bit carried away... :lol: I hope to see larger Rangers Sometime in the future!

PS American tugs is also based in the Puget Sound, in LaConner, WA. You may be aquainted with them... or you may not. Either way, bigger boats will attract more of a crowd at boat shows, at least! 😉 advertisement in itself! 😎

I hope you will Pardon my ramblings :roll: , but I hope you all think it's time to design a bigger boat! 😀

Mahalo,
Jon

 

[tfc]

All I can say is, I agree

 

[Levitation]

Ranger Tug has survived the blood bath of this recession by sticking to their niche market of affordable, but loaded, small trawler/tugs... I personally would not recommend to them to move into the big boat market where sale numbers go down rapidly and expenses go up even more rapidly...
Yes, the American Tugs are nice... We chartered one down in Ft. Meyers, had a great time, nice boat, and that charter is what moved me to buy a Ranger... I realized that as fun as the bigger boats are, you are trapped 'there', wherever they are... With my Ranger 'there' is where I choose it to be, this week...

 

[JamesTXSD]

Yeah, I'm with Denny-o. Ranger is fortunate/smart to be one of the few boat builders who has cultivated a market and has listened to customer (and by that, I mean: buyers... people who have plunked down their hard-earned money) suggestions to improve their line of boats.

It's fun to dream about what one would buy if money were not an object. Or what boat would be the best for any given situation. Ranger is the king in their niche - no real competition. To move to building larger boats would put them in a market that already has major players and not enough buyers.

Since in a previous post you mentioned that you are saving for an R29 and a capable tow vehicle, it leads one to believe that you might not be ready to plunk down the cash for a new 49 foot boat... and the capable tow vehicle to move it around. 😉 :roll:

Some of us here just love boats - all kinds of boats. Some have been fortunate to find the boat that really works for the way they use it. That seems to be the case with Ranger buyers - they know what they want and have found that Ranger builds boats that are pretty and practical; boats that can be moved from one cruising area to another without endless passages.

Last summer, we were cruising on the Erie Canal (one of the "bucket list" places for me). We towed our C-Dory there from south Texas in a week and then spent a couple months cruising. There were several BIG boat owners who asked about our boat, including one couple also from Texas. Their boat was over 50' and similar to your "wish list"... it took them over a year to get from TX to NY. I have no doubt they enjoyed the journey, but he did tell me about waits for weather and expensive stays at marinas. I could tell by his questions that he was giving "down sizing" some real consideration. Don't get me wrong - those folks were living large; their back deck had more real estate than our whole boat. But in the time it took him to get there, we could have been in the PNW, Lake Powell, Sea of Cortez, Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keys, Kentucky Lake, and then on to New York City. Different boats for different missions.

So, if you want a 49' boat, there are options out there. Probably some good prices, too. But, if you want a substantial boat that is comfortable for a couple and still reasonably trailerable, that is a different market... and one that Ranger Tugs stands tall in.

Also if I recall correctly, your plan is to take your retired parents around. Do you live with them now? Perhaps share somewhere south of 250 square feet with only one bathroom? Certainly, there are folks who can do that... but they are the exception rather than the rule. Check out most of the cruising boats smaller than 40' and you'll find a couple aboard. Maybe a family with a kid or two (who are OK in a small aft cabin). I'm not trying to dash any dreams; after a couple of decades of traveling in boats and RVs, I have a bit of experience and can appreciate what's required to spend extended time in close quarters. Just saying that you might need to refine your needs as you search for the right boat for your situation. You won't need a tow vehicle for a 49' boat, unless you intend to buy a tractor/trailer and hire escort vehicles. You also won't get two cabins, two heads, and room to roam in a 29' boat. Decisions, decisions.

I admire a lot of boats. It's fun to go to a boat show now and then to see all the neat stuff out there. I'm not aware of any manufacturers who would build a big boat "for the publicity." Pretty much, they prefer to build them to sell 'em. 😎 And the smart ones build for the market they know (pre-sold). "Propose" all you want, but understand that there is a place in the market for many builders... and generally a reason why boat manufacturers carve out their niche. Anyone seen a Kady Krogen 21 lately? 😉

Good luck with your search.

Jim B.

 

[Stella Maris]

Very well said Jim. I personally am concerned with rumors that Ranger Tugs may move into bigger boats as well as the number of different models that they are currently offering. Each new vessel requires retooling, new molds, more inventory on hand....... the cost's just go on.

One of the gentlemen that built the hardtop for Karma, has a wife that works for American Tug. He himself used to work for American Tug. He could not say enough good things about American Tug other than, they are not building boats this year..... The number he gave me of in production or ordered boats for American Tugs in the past year was 3. That is correct, 3 boats sold in an entire year! Jeff sold 3 R-29's at Trawler fest in Anacortes this past weekend. Howard is turning out an R-29 a week in Monroe and they have no stock vessels to show as they sell too fast.

Ranger Tugs has done a great job in the niche market that they are in. Personally, I would like to see them stay within this market and continue to produce one of the best boats of its kind at a great price.

Now, all that being said, my "dream boat" is a 62 foot Nordhvn. I love the look of that "small ship" and all of the dreams of far away cruises that come with it! However, I won't say never, but chances are very strong that we will not ever be owners of one...... But, it does not hurt to dream!!!!! Without dreams, life would be pretty boring! Until that dream becomes a reality, we will continue to love Karma for what she is. A great vessel built by great people that believe in what they are building and stand behind it!

My hat is off to Jeff, John, Dave, and all of the people that make dreams of owning a "tug" come true. Great job folks!

 

[tor2ga2]

It use to be, "If I had 2 more feet I'd have my dreamboat." Now twofootitis seems to be twentyfootitis. Speaking from experience let me say it's somewhere in the low to mid twenties where ownership does a reversal and your boat starts owning you. That said, you can't have your R49 until I get my R23. I guess my twofootitis is no longer in remission.

 

[commander bill]

James,
You were kiding about a tow vehicle for a 49ft trawler, weren't you?

 

[Texas Steve]

James,
You were kiding about a tow vehicle for a 49ft trawler, weren't you?

Of course not, it's called a Peterbilt!

Texas Steve

 

[Kamalani]

Let's not forget about Nordic Tugs, also neighbors just across the interstate. While American Tugs continues to copy Nordic Tugs designs, it begs the question, "how many 49' tug-styled trawlers will the market support?" I'm certain that if Ranger Tugs were to design and splash a 49, it would be equally impressive a vessel. But why would they expend that much capital just to join an already well established market, when for now, no one can compete with them in their niche. I'm still voting for the R23-EC. 😉

 

[doke01]

I like my boat the way it is. Comfortable, seaworthy, and relatively simple. Two engines don't necessarily make you safer. A large number of power boats that have sailed around the world are single diesel engine. The systems are less complex so there is less to break, making the boat more reliable.

Just sayin...

Hopefully Ranger never goes above 32 feet.

 

[JonnyWannaR29]

thank you all for the kind words and explainations!

as an afterthought, a R35 would be nice, big enough for a dishwasher and washer/dryer combo, yet still fits on a trailer... 🙂
just a few nice things to make it liveable. Who needs a house when you have a nice big BOAT? :lol:
here are my thoughts: own a boat and live on said boat, work with boeing, nasa, northrop grumman, the air force, or some other aeronautical or marine engineering firm, and if the job moves, i just plan a route, fuel up, start 'er up, punch in the coordinates, and get underway- no packing needed. and when it's hauled out, a hotel or rental will do for the winter. 😉

karma: my dream boat is a bit larger than that... it is of my own design*, and it uses a R29 as a tender. 😀
the point is the ocean cruiser carries the pocket cruiser to any destination, then the crew hold down the fort while I cruise on the Ranger to some nice fishing and boating spots... but it's exactly that, a DREAM boat. My GOAL boat is most definately a Ranger. 🙂

* for an idea of it's design, refer to Paul Allen's "OCTOPUS" and the Rolls-Royce UT 527. then combine them, adding many of my own ideas. 🙂

Mahalo, Jon.