Freeboard Ranger 29 vs American Tug 34?

[RVPilot]

Hi Ranger Factory Folks ...

We are researching purchase options and are looking at both Ranger 29s and American Tug 34s, after a long history of sailboats. My wife and I boat by ourselves 95% of the time, with her 99% of the time handling docking lines. My tug-newbie sense is that American Tug 34s have a higher freeboard at the forward cleats vs the Ranger 29s, but I am just guessing here.

As forward cleats on most sailboats are relatively much lower and make for easier line handling and securing she is not quite freaking out at the prospect of dealing with more difficult forward cleat dock line situations ... yet.

So can you tell me and help make the comparison ... as I can't find this anywhere online ... what is the freeboard dimension at the forward cleat in the Ranger 29 ... and do you know what that same freeboard is in the American Tug 34?

Thanks in advance for any feedback you can offer.
Best ... Tom

 

[FWTMD]

These are very different boats. No offense to the RT's, but the 5 extra feet in length plus more beam makes the AT so much more boat. True pilothouse, with side doors. Your wife might be freaking on freeboard but have her consider how much easier it will be to get TO the foredeck. Given a choice I'd take the Cummins over the Volvo. Spacious galley and salon area. Bigger and better head. The list goes on.

Show her examples of much larger boats with much higher freeboard than the AT34. And yet couples manage things just fine. You can figure that out. And meanwhile be enjoying the numerous advantages the larger boat brings.

Go aboard both and my bet is it will no longer be in doubt

 

[knotflying]

Ditto.

 

[RVPilot]

Thanks so much folks ...
Very helpful, Best, Tom

 

[SJI Sailor]

Same -- both are great boats but quite different in practice. I would not worry about handling the lines; they are much simpler with a powerboat in general. If anything the pilothouse door on the AT helps enormously with that (same for Ranger Tugs 31).

But IMO the main trade-off would be the increased comfort of the AT vs its cost, speed, and size (which is both a pro and a con).