Hello Tugnuts. I just registered with the site, and this is my first post. What an incredible resource as well as sense of community you provide. Sanity, wisdom, and a touch of humor in an oft-insane world.
By way of introduction, I grew up near the rivers of the Chesapeake. My first boat at age 12 was a 10 ft. aluminum skiff with outboard. By 16 I owned a classic design day-sailer. After college it was classic weekender sailboats, trading up into a classic Cape Dory 25 sailboat. And then … kids came along and it was time to put that away for a while. I was a sailing addict that went cold turkey, not touching a boat in at least two decades. “Awhile” turned into 35 years, in the blink of an eye. But now a few short years from retirement the lure of boating has returned in full force.
I have Ranger Tugs to thank for that, which I stumbled onto randomly without looking for it. And Tugnuts. Thank you. I’ve spent the past several weeks reading every review I can find, watching every YouTube, and reading a lot of posts on this site. All have served to persuade me what a grand boat each model of RT is, each with its merits. Traditional lines. By all indication, they handle well. As much comfort as can be squeezed into the given length and beam. Build quality. Intelligent trade-offs. And just pleasing to my eye. I’ve hunted down down information on other makes I see mentioned. No offense to the others, but so far its RT that is the winner against whom others must be measured.
I am still landlocked and distant from Chesapeake home waters for several more years. Buying now isn’t a practical option. But planning for that day is. I hope to visit at least one boat show this spring, leaving the checkbook home to avoid doing something impractical now.
My bride does not know port from starboard today, but is keenly interested … excited … about the idea. She’s pestered me for years to get a boat. There will be a learning curve.
I have been through this site and gathered insights and opinions, but some threads have age and there are always fresh newcomers and fresh perspectives from the experienced. Please assist me with a few questions to focus my attention on as I (hope to) see an RT this spring.
1) My expected home waters: the Chesapeake. Upper Bay. Some slight chance of a Plan B to South Carolina coastal area.
2) Usage: from short day trips with entertaining, weekend trips in the Bay with the rare 1 guest, to weeks headed south down the Intercoastal. Spring to fall. I won’t become a live-board year-round.
3) I do not intend to trailer. It will live in the water year-round, or chocked up in winter in a boatyard.
4) I am not a mechanic. I’m not afraid of it. Just no meaningful background in it. I’m not as agile as I once was and hanging upside down with wrenches in each hand loses appeal fast.
For me, I am currently thinking the RT29 is the sweet spot for me. The diesel power has a lot of appeal. I don’t mind going fast. I enjoy going slower. I sailed. Anything I might ever buy will be 4 or 5 times faster than my last 25 ft sailboat, at a minimum. It has an honest berth forward, and old and aging bones foresee that a monkey-maneuver to enter a V berth will become a problem in time. Enough galley to do the job.
I can talk myself down the size scale, since I like each model. I can talk myself up to a RT31. The 41 is simply out of my budget. In some ways more is more, in others it just becomes more to say grace over, more to handle with inexperienced crew, more surface area to maintain. I’m thinking S versions, not CB versions. This will be a retirement pleasure. I can certainly fantasize about tooling down the Bay from that great view, but again I worry that as bones grow older its better to keep feet planted on the cabin and cockpit sole. Its best not to tempt the medical gods with a recurrence of melanoma. A CB version might cause me to leave the water again sooner than necessary.
Additional perspectives on the above would be appreciated.
But also:
Clearly, what to do about a dingy is one ongoing theme. Boat size limitations can’t be fully overcome. But, there is a notch in the RT29C cabin roof forward of the solar panel. If one were to get the smallest practical dingy suitable for 2 (max 3) adults, is there sufficient space in that notch to run it from beam to beam and dog it down in some fashion? And then of course some davit system would need to be devised if the end goal is achievable. Yes, it would cover two hatches. How big of a downside is that? Where do folks stow a small outboard?
The 29 does not have the bench on the bow other models do. I am seeing that as no big issue, but am I missing a favorite feature? How keen are R27 owners about this?
Similarly there is no grill in the cockpit that other models have. That doesn’t feel like any deal breaker, especially since some camp stove stored in a locker is always an option. Am I missing something?
How effective are the heat and air conditioning systems? Especially AC. Keeping Herself in desireable conditions will enhance usage of the boat. For Bay boaters, is some sort of screening needed on the cockpit door? It would seem so. Options?
Nav systems and plotters didn’t exist when I last sailed. Having anything seems like a welcome chance to cheat when your prior experience was with charts, and compass. But since they can display so much, how great is the appeal of a second screen as an option? Since I won’t be springing for a CB version (I doubt, but not certain), and no trailer, some budget opens up for an upgrade if it isn’t a waste. Is it? My tastes run toward seaworthy features and away from more things to fail, and this one spans that divide.
I have zero experience with a motor boat of this size, but Bay experience growing up and decades ago. The crew has zero experience on the water. I expect the first effort to dock to be a fire drill, but the tenth try to become routine. Realistic? The RT29 seems to be a reasonable option to single hand (with crew watching as bystander) if necessary. Realistic?
Older Bay experiences in rough water is a draw toward the 29 vs the 27. I "think" that might be valid. I don't want to pick a fight about this, but comments would be very welcomed.
Not a mechanic, so I am trying to assess my ability to handle routine maintenance. I would presume I can find reasonable professionals to handle it near my home port, so I can always stroke one more check if I must. But away in some distant port and some issue arises, how available is a mechanic likely to be with the skills to handle the diesel and other onboard critical systems? Is this an issue or baseless concern? How physically challenging is handling the mechanicals for a retiree?
Cockpit fridge, ice machine, or freezer? Tough one. Options on luxuries are a good problem to have.
The cockpit ceiling extends aft quite some distance. Enough that the bimini is rarely used, and more to buy then stow? Or often used and easily handled? Where do you stow the cockpit table top?
Enough for now. These are all issues I intend to poke at, at shows this spring.
Others I should have on radar? Thanks in advance.
By way of introduction, I grew up near the rivers of the Chesapeake. My first boat at age 12 was a 10 ft. aluminum skiff with outboard. By 16 I owned a classic design day-sailer. After college it was classic weekender sailboats, trading up into a classic Cape Dory 25 sailboat. And then … kids came along and it was time to put that away for a while. I was a sailing addict that went cold turkey, not touching a boat in at least two decades. “Awhile” turned into 35 years, in the blink of an eye. But now a few short years from retirement the lure of boating has returned in full force.
I have Ranger Tugs to thank for that, which I stumbled onto randomly without looking for it. And Tugnuts. Thank you. I’ve spent the past several weeks reading every review I can find, watching every YouTube, and reading a lot of posts on this site. All have served to persuade me what a grand boat each model of RT is, each with its merits. Traditional lines. By all indication, they handle well. As much comfort as can be squeezed into the given length and beam. Build quality. Intelligent trade-offs. And just pleasing to my eye. I’ve hunted down down information on other makes I see mentioned. No offense to the others, but so far its RT that is the winner against whom others must be measured.
I am still landlocked and distant from Chesapeake home waters for several more years. Buying now isn’t a practical option. But planning for that day is. I hope to visit at least one boat show this spring, leaving the checkbook home to avoid doing something impractical now.
My bride does not know port from starboard today, but is keenly interested … excited … about the idea. She’s pestered me for years to get a boat. There will be a learning curve.
I have been through this site and gathered insights and opinions, but some threads have age and there are always fresh newcomers and fresh perspectives from the experienced. Please assist me with a few questions to focus my attention on as I (hope to) see an RT this spring.
1) My expected home waters: the Chesapeake. Upper Bay. Some slight chance of a Plan B to South Carolina coastal area.
2) Usage: from short day trips with entertaining, weekend trips in the Bay with the rare 1 guest, to weeks headed south down the Intercoastal. Spring to fall. I won’t become a live-board year-round.
3) I do not intend to trailer. It will live in the water year-round, or chocked up in winter in a boatyard.
4) I am not a mechanic. I’m not afraid of it. Just no meaningful background in it. I’m not as agile as I once was and hanging upside down with wrenches in each hand loses appeal fast.
For me, I am currently thinking the RT29 is the sweet spot for me. The diesel power has a lot of appeal. I don’t mind going fast. I enjoy going slower. I sailed. Anything I might ever buy will be 4 or 5 times faster than my last 25 ft sailboat, at a minimum. It has an honest berth forward, and old and aging bones foresee that a monkey-maneuver to enter a V berth will become a problem in time. Enough galley to do the job.
I can talk myself down the size scale, since I like each model. I can talk myself up to a RT31. The 41 is simply out of my budget. In some ways more is more, in others it just becomes more to say grace over, more to handle with inexperienced crew, more surface area to maintain. I’m thinking S versions, not CB versions. This will be a retirement pleasure. I can certainly fantasize about tooling down the Bay from that great view, but again I worry that as bones grow older its better to keep feet planted on the cabin and cockpit sole. Its best not to tempt the medical gods with a recurrence of melanoma. A CB version might cause me to leave the water again sooner than necessary.
Additional perspectives on the above would be appreciated.
But also:
Clearly, what to do about a dingy is one ongoing theme. Boat size limitations can’t be fully overcome. But, there is a notch in the RT29C cabin roof forward of the solar panel. If one were to get the smallest practical dingy suitable for 2 (max 3) adults, is there sufficient space in that notch to run it from beam to beam and dog it down in some fashion? And then of course some davit system would need to be devised if the end goal is achievable. Yes, it would cover two hatches. How big of a downside is that? Where do folks stow a small outboard?
The 29 does not have the bench on the bow other models do. I am seeing that as no big issue, but am I missing a favorite feature? How keen are R27 owners about this?
Similarly there is no grill in the cockpit that other models have. That doesn’t feel like any deal breaker, especially since some camp stove stored in a locker is always an option. Am I missing something?
How effective are the heat and air conditioning systems? Especially AC. Keeping Herself in desireable conditions will enhance usage of the boat. For Bay boaters, is some sort of screening needed on the cockpit door? It would seem so. Options?
Nav systems and plotters didn’t exist when I last sailed. Having anything seems like a welcome chance to cheat when your prior experience was with charts, and compass. But since they can display so much, how great is the appeal of a second screen as an option? Since I won’t be springing for a CB version (I doubt, but not certain), and no trailer, some budget opens up for an upgrade if it isn’t a waste. Is it? My tastes run toward seaworthy features and away from more things to fail, and this one spans that divide.
I have zero experience with a motor boat of this size, but Bay experience growing up and decades ago. The crew has zero experience on the water. I expect the first effort to dock to be a fire drill, but the tenth try to become routine. Realistic? The RT29 seems to be a reasonable option to single hand (with crew watching as bystander) if necessary. Realistic?
Older Bay experiences in rough water is a draw toward the 29 vs the 27. I "think" that might be valid. I don't want to pick a fight about this, but comments would be very welcomed.
Not a mechanic, so I am trying to assess my ability to handle routine maintenance. I would presume I can find reasonable professionals to handle it near my home port, so I can always stroke one more check if I must. But away in some distant port and some issue arises, how available is a mechanic likely to be with the skills to handle the diesel and other onboard critical systems? Is this an issue or baseless concern? How physically challenging is handling the mechanicals for a retiree?
Cockpit fridge, ice machine, or freezer? Tough one. Options on luxuries are a good problem to have.
The cockpit ceiling extends aft quite some distance. Enough that the bimini is rarely used, and more to buy then stow? Or often used and easily handled? Where do you stow the cockpit table top?
Enough for now. These are all issues I intend to poke at, at shows this spring.
Others I should have on radar? Thanks in advance.
