Howdy Tuggers! Fresh Newbies Here!

G

guidothesquid

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
71
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
HOWDY!!

Ok, I've been waiting and lurking for awhile because I didn't want to poke my head out of the gopher hole until I knew we had a boat but I can't wait any longer, so here goes our official introduction:

Hello Tugnuts, Paul & Sunny here. We are long time admirers of these fantastic boats after getting smitten years ago at the Seattle Boat show. We went to the show this year on "Sails and Ales" night which was fantastic idea and a baaaad idea at the same time. :lol: We loved the 25SC and have been trying to make this a reality in our lives over the past weeks. We just might be there, if the logistics work out on a fantastic deal. If not now, then definitely later. We were at the Points North Seminar and met a few of you, but we're pretty quiet and just listened mostly. Oh, and scribbled copious notes!

Anyway, we're almost empty-nesters but we're barely 40yrs old. Our oldest, Stacia, attends the University of Montana, and the youngest, Kylie, graduates from Shorewood this June. We live in Shoreline and hope to moor in Edmonds so we can use our boat year round and putt to our heart's content. Sunny is a book publisher, I'm a computer systems engineer. I'm tall; she's... um... not tall. 😀 We have two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Titan & Luna. They've never been on a small boat before so it will be an adventure for them. We are casual quiet folks. I am a homebrewer, dog-lover, and Geocacher. I love cartoony things like goofy dogs and goofy tug boats. Sunny is probably the nicest person you'll ever meet. We are both hikers and love to hike the North Cascades and especially Mt. Baker area. We like to travel internationally, but we're really looking forward to being able to explore the area in a whole new way!

We are also boating newbies. Sunny is smarter than me so she knows more already and grew up around boats. Our TBD Tug will be our first boat and we'll learn everything on it from the "ground up". I'm hopeful to learn a lot from you Tugnutters; I already have! What a fantastic community this is.

Anyway, Just wanted to say hello, and hopefully soon we'll know about our Tug!!

Paul & Sunny (Guido & Goober)
--Titan & Luna
 
What an exciting time for you, the joy of anticipation followed by the joy actually getting your tug! We have the R25SC and absolutely love it, it has opened up whole new worlds for us. Hope this becomes a reality for you soon.

Dan and Lois Cheney
Hoku Kai R25SC
 
Paul & Sunny: There sure were a lot of people at the Points North seminar... and many I had not seen before. We are neighbors so to speak as we live in Edmonds and moor our R25 at the Edmonds Marina. We've had our R25 since Aug 2009 (actually a 2010 model) and have enjoyed it immensely. Ranger no longer builds the R25 (known as R25 Classic) but its cousin is the R25SC which has a larger cockpit and smaller cabin compared to the R25 Classic. If you require the larger cockpit then consider a used R25 or step up to the R27 which has the larger cockpit AND same size cabin as the R25 Classic -- but will cost significantly more brass.

The R25SC is a fine boat and keeps the cost down very well. The only other less expensive option is the R21EC.

One thing to consider is the option for trailering the boat. If you're unsure then a significant savings can be made by not opting for the trailer initially which is quite expensive as well as you needing a vehicle to tow the boat with. Later on if trailering is something you want then you can decide on a new trailer or a used one.

Some things to consider when owning the R-25SC; Annual WA registration cost, Insurance cost, Periodic engine maintenance cost (50 hrs, 250 hrs, etc), Bottom painting every 3 yrs or so, Zinc/anode replacements, WA Fuel refund at around $0.17/gallon, Edmonds Fuel card saves $0.10/gallon, Ask Ranger Tug about the SmartPlug shore power option (see Tugnut.com posting for this product elsewhere; I'm installing one myself).

Unless warranty periods have changed...
Hull warranty is 5 years
Engine warranty is 5 years (major components... at least for our Yanmar 4BY2-150 engine it is)
Boat systems warranty is 1 year (ask Ranger Tugs about this)
Ranger Tugs registers most if not all components -=- ask them about this as I had to register with Yanmar with engine S/N.

Not sure what cabin heaters come with the R-25SC but you do need a decent cabin heater for PNW all year round boating.

Have Ranger Tugs install an Inverter having at least 1500 to 1800 watts.

Consider the Garmin Auto Pilot and RADAR options.... spendy but IMO well worth every penny, and best done while boat is being assembled.

Consider an electric operated head/toilet. Makes life easy if you have kids along for the ride and you'll appreciate it during rough weather when the boat is rocking and rolling. 😉

The R-25SC is around $8K to 10K less expensive than what the equivalent R-25 Classic in stock form was.

We (Gill and I) cruise primarily on our own along with two Wire Hair Fox Terriers. Dogs do need some orientation for cruising and doggy life jackets are IMO a must have item. If there's anything that moves on the water surface my two WHFTs will jump without hesitation into the water.

If you need any further info in helping make the Tug decision let me know via a PM.

You cannot go wrong discussing all the things you're interested in with either Jeff or Andrew. They will certainly help you make final decisions and give you the right advice. They are a tremendous resource as you make your decisions.

Good luck.
 
Paul and Sunny, welcome to the 'family" I was at Point Norths as well but did not get a chance to meet you, there was so may folks it was hard to make the rounds. I hope things work out for you and can tell you first hand that when it does you are in for a treat, dealing with the folks at Ranger Tugs is a treat and their commitment to you and their product is second to none.

I myself have experienced that as my wife and I are getting ready to take delivery of our 27 in a week or so.

feel free to reach out if you have any questions and or just want to talk boating.
 
We don't have a Ranger Tug... we bought our C-Dory the same year that Ranger and C-Dory were developing the first of the 25s. We have plenty of Ranger Tug friends, so I consider us F-O-R (Friends of Ranger). The good folks here have given you plenty of ideas for boat specifics; let me add...

Get some training. Look up your local Power Squadron or Coast Guard Auxiliary, and take a Safe Boating Class. It's great to have some foundation before you get your first boat. There are Rules of the Road and seamanship things that you can learn in a class and then apply when you get your boat. These are things you will need to know, and better to understand some basics as you go into this great adventure.

Enjoy the quest for the boat - it's, also, part of the adventure.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
We second Jim's recommendation. Our R-25 Moondance was our first boat. We took 13 weeks of classes from the Seattle Power Squadron while we waited for her to be built. It was a great use of time and helped us bridge the period between committing to a boat and having a boat. Looking back, five years later, it was an invaluable investment in our boating experience.

Cheers
 
In addition to all the other good advice consider the "Factory Delivery Option" or at least the part that has two days of on board, on the water training with your new boat. If you took Power Squadron classes, etc before your new boat is delivered and then couple the two hands on days with your new boat you'll be ahead in your boat handling and operations learning curve. Good luck and let us know how things materialize.

Jim F
 
I don't know if others had to pay for their Boat Safety classes but we attended the local USCG Auxiliary classes and paid $30/person. The classes were held one evening per week for 4 hours. Typically, each section/subject covering boat safety and operations including weather, electrics and some navigation/chart skills would be given by a different USCG instructor. Cheap insurance for getting acquainted with rules of the road and all the safety aspects to be applied while operating and owning a boat. Of course, there's the inevitable exam at the end which does test what you've learned over the weeks. This type classroom instruction is highly recommended for Captain & 1st Mate. I would also say that IMO this type class is best done soon after you take possession of your boat as having the boat on hand to immediately examine things talked about in the class allows you to return later to the next class room to ask further questions about things you may be unclear about. All the people in our class already owned boats and this was very clear from the questions and concerns they raised.

Oh... if you opt for the 2-day on-the-water orientation for your new boat be sure to ask for anchoring techniques and for operating the windlass at the bow as well as at the helm. I would recommend you also get the anchor swivel as this is what I ended up asking for during our sea trial and anchoring operation.

Re: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...OUYnaGIT8iwKa7YGoCg&ved=0CGAQ9QEwBA&dur=18138
 
Thanks for the tips. We are looking at the classes now, and will have the WA requirements underway soon. We took a sailing class before so much of it is familiar from that as well as the refresher from Capt Mac. Once we have our boat our first excursions will be simple ones to get us comfy with the boat. And yeah, we definitely have the 2-day orientation. I'm certainly going to take classes for awhile. So much to know....

We are solid on the 25SC, or maybe a Classic but not anything bigger or smaller. We tossed the idea of the 21EC round for a bit, but after our sea trial there was no question. The only thing is... Finances. We were not planning on a boat this year, but launched our longer term goal early and now we are trying like heck to make it happen, without it being something unmanageable. Gotta be responsible. We should know soon... Maybe soon enough to be a part of the Memorial Day festivities!

If we do make it happen now we will probably end up in the Everett Marina, for now. Edmonds is more expensive and doesn't have a 28' uncovered open anyway. So Everett for now, Edmonds on the waiting list. Baz, I'd love to come down and see your boat, maybe introduce my dog to it. 🙂

So when we are not talking about the logistics of it all, we like to discuss what to name our boat. How did you guys name your boats? And did any of you REname your boat?

Paul
 
guidothesquid":imhgxn4n said:
...snip...
If we do make it happen now we will probably end up in the Everett Marina, for now. Edmonds is more expensive and doesn't have a 28' uncovered open anyway. So Everett for now, Edmonds on the waiting list. Baz, I'd love to come down and see your boat, maybe introduce my dog to it. 🙂

So when we are not talking about the logistics of it all, we like to discuss what to name our boat. How did you guys name your boats? And did any of you REname your boat?

Paul
Click to expand...

1)
Paul you're welcomed anytime to come visit LAXEY in Edmonds marina.... Slip D31. There are 3 other Ranger Tugs in full view from my slip and several others lurking around in more far flung slips... 🙂 Just PM me as you wish as I'm just 5 mins from the marina.

2)
Choosing a boat name.... This can be a toughie... One point to keep in mind when choosing a name is how does it sound when you call in for an emergency over the radio. This implies choosing a name that's easily heard, pronounced and understood at the receiving end. A one syllable name is best IMO. With that, find a name that means something to you personally. For us, LAXEY was short and meaningful to 1st Mate as it was a town close to where she was born... plus having 1st Mate choose the name meant she had some 'investment' in the boat... :lol:
 
guidothesquid":2z8lpf39 said:
We are solid on the 25SC, or maybe a Classic but not anything bigger or smaller. We tossed the idea of the 21EC round for a bit, but after our sea trial there was no question. The only thing is... Finances. We were not planning on a boat this year, but launched our longer term goal early and now we are trying like heck to make it happen, without it being something unmanageable. Gotta be responsible. We should know soon... Maybe soon enough to be a part of the Memorial Day festivities!
Click to expand...

Hi Paul,
We're in a very similar situation as you are - very interested, but not quite prepared to jump in this year unless we got a great deal and could be sure we could afford it. We're running final numbers now, and have likely found a way to make them work. The spreadsheets are driving me mad, but at least I'll be well informed. We'll make our decision by the end of this week, but it's likely we'll be officially joining the club very soon with a 2010 R25. I'm not going to look at my spreadsheets for 1 night so I won't go completely nuts, and can feel comfortable with our logical and somewhat emotionally-grounded decision.

We too considered the R21EC, but haven't undertaken a sea trial. I'd be interested to learn what you thought, as there's 2 good used ones in our area. My wife said, for something like this, "you gotta go big or go home." 😀 I'm not ready to go home.

Good luck with your decision! I hope it works out for you, as it seems to be working out for us (knock on wood).
Best wishes,
Doug
 
I heard it said at least two dozen times as it concerns buying boats, motorcycles, tractors and trucks "Go big early". You will avoid being in the position of having four foot disease as early in your boating life if you buy big early. I have been working my way up to a bigger boat from three weeks after buying my current boat. It happened to me with a tractor, motorcycle and a truck but at least now I have a truck with big Ranger towing capacity 😀
 
So when we are not talking about the logistics of it all, we like to discuss what to name our boat. How did you guys name your boats? And did any of you REname your boat?

Hi Paul

We purchased our 2011 R27 from Ranger used, it had a previous Coast Guard documented name, the name was removed prior to our purchase. We had the new name placed prior to us taking possession of it, and also did the CC doc. name change, that was done through the title company.

Don
 
swillmerchant":k25qx36j said:
Hi Paul,
We're in a very similar situation as you are - very interested, but not quite prepared to jump in this year unless we got a great deal and could be sure we could afford it. We're running final numbers now, and have likely found a way to make them work. The spreadsheets are driving me mad, but at least I'll be well informed. We'll make our decision by the end of this week, but it's likely we'll be officially joining the club very soon with a 2010 R25. I'm not going to look at my spreadsheets for 1 night so I won't go completely nuts, and can feel comfortable with our logical and somewhat emotionally-grounded decision.

We too considered the R21EC, but haven't undertaken a sea trial. I'd be interested to learn what you thought, as there's 2 good used ones in our area. My wife said, for something like this, "you gotta go big or go home." 😀 I'm not ready to go home.

Good luck with your decision! I hope it works out for you, as it seems to be working out for us (knock on wood).
Best wishes,
Doug
Click to expand...


Hi Doug!

Best of luck to you! It's a daunting task at times, it seems, but if you're smart and honest about your finances and how you want to use the boat then you should be able to make it happen. For us, we're hoping to make it happen this year but there's a equal chance it won't happen until next year. We should know in the next couple days when we hear back on finances.

As for the 21EC... What a cute boat! I'd like to have a couple of those just for fun and fishing! Sunny and I debated between it and the 25SC mainly for two reasons: it's so much cheaper, especially the great used ones, and we could do those finances way easier than the 25SC. The other reason was because we are boat newbies and the idea of 'learning' on a $150k boat was daunting. But once we did the sea trial, and especially after revisiting the 21EC, we realized that for what we wanted in a cruising experience, with us and our big dogs, that the 21EC was too small, and we'd rather wait for the right boat rather than compromise early. "Go big"' as it were. 🙂

Sounds like you are just a bit further down the path than we are, but hopefully not by much! Hope to see you out on the water some day soon.

Paul
 
Well, we put in an offer on a 2010 R25. We'll see if it's accepted. We're excited and terrified at the same time. It's quite the commitment, but one in which we're looking forward to for years to come. My nautical experience is primarily on wooden tall ships. I can rig, set, trim, and reef square sails 100' aloft, but diagnosing and fixing a malfunctioning diesel engine seems more intimidating tonight. I've never backed down from a challenge, and look forward to learning new skills and experiencing new adventures. Hopefully, I'll see at least some of you on the water soon enough.
Doug
 
Doug: We also have a MY2010 R-25 and we love it. Had it now since new from the Ranger Tug's Kent factory in Aug 2009. There's lot to learn about this model and this forum is the best place to gather info and learn lots from the other Tug owners.

Does your R-25 to be, have the Yanmar 4BY2-150 engine ? If so, I can say ours runs very smoothly and has given me absolutely no trouble with some 260 hrs on it so far. The periodic maintenance needs to be performed per the Yanmar Maintenance manual... first 50 hrs, then 250 hrs, and so on. IMO this is best done by a qualified Yanmar mechanic. There are some trivial things you can do, such as oil changes, anode replacements, and even the sea water impeller but this one is a tough task.

Welcome and good luck... 🙂
 
Doug,

Good luck with your offer. It will be nice to have another Ranger Tug in New England! If this boat has the 4BY2-150 engine make sure it has had the heater hose and oil line service bulletins adressed. Peter Haywood at Winter Island Yacht Yard is very experienced with this.

We were brand new to boating when we purchased our R27. My experience was as a pilot, I owned a Cessna 172 for over 20 years before purchasing the tug. In an interesting coincidence a captain at a commercial tug operator (Fournier Tugs) bought my Cessna to commute between RI and Maine.

Howard
 
Good luck with the offer, Doug!!

Our plans have not been working out in our favor. Turns out that the financing from the lenders is likely not going to be possible for the 25SC at this time, since it's our first boat purchase no one seems to want to want to be the first to do it for such a large purchase. Sooo... while we still have 1 shot left for our 25SC, we're turning our attention to the 21EC, since it is a more manageable 1st purchase and will help set us up for our goal down the road. It does change how we want to use the boat, but it sounds like a necessary step and it's a great boat, from what I've seen so far. New or used, we don't know yet.

Now, if only we could get out on the water in a 21EC! :mrgreen:
 
Good morning everyone!
Our offer was accepted! Since loan papers haven't been signed yet, I'm not going to jinx anything by celebrating, or by revealing the identify of said tug out of respect for its current owner and Paul's experience. It will be our second boat purchase, but the first one financed. However, given that we have recently refinanced our mortgage, I know our credit score and debt/income ratio, and am confident that the finalizing the formal paperwork will be much easier than deciding whether we can afford to dive into the tug world this year.

The current owner has been gracious, welcoming, and very accommodating. He let us come down to the boat yesterday and look her over without the shrinkwrap, set the mast, and help put new zincs on. With his help, our future tug life is beginning to feel more real each day as we begin to think about and plan future adventures.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. This is such a warm and friendly group. It definitely makes the experience of entering uncharted waters for us all the more pleasant. I hope Paul and Sunny are able to find a way to make things work, either for the R21EC or the R25SC. In a worst-case scenario that our financing falls through for any reason, I think we'll hold out until we can get a R25 or R27, sadly stalking Tugnuts from the sidelines until then, although the R21EC may tempt us anyway.

Enjoy your weekend folks!
Doug
 
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