Incredible July 4th Weekend

[Barry Cohen]

Well, we are back to work after an incredible long July 4th weekend in Marblehead Harbor. YOLO performed well. 90+ degrees every day, so we used the generator and air conditioning alot. We also had our maiden voyage with the new dinghy. We went with a Mercury Air Deck 240 and a Mercury 6 HP outboard. Lot's of fun and no more waiting for the launch. On Sunday, we dropped YOLO off at Winter Island Yacht Yard in Salem and Peter is going to install a Weaver davit system. Can't wait for the August vacation to Cape Cod and the Islands!

 

[HRowland]

We also had a nice (but warm!) 4th. We stayed on a mooring at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol RI for the July 3rd and 4th events. Herreshoff had a barbeque dinner and entertainment on the 3rd. We went back the boat to watch the Bristol fireworks over the harbor. On the 4th Herreshoff had a breakfast then we watched the 228th running of the Bristol parade.

We also ran our genset and AC while underway. During the evening it was cool enough to be comfortable with the hatches open. We ran the genset/AC again when returning to our slip in Warwick.

On the 6th we took friends down to Dutch Harbor and anchored for lunch, swimming, and conversing. We took the long way home by going around Beavertail then north via the East passage and under the Newport Bridge. A very nice day!

I hope everyone else had a nice 4th and weekend.



Herreshoff Marine Museum Flag, July 4 2013.

Howard and Debbie

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Barry-with-the-coolest-cockpit-mod-ever,

We've been in Martha's Vineyard for about 10 days. No Ranger Tugs to be found, but a whole bunch of perfect harbors for them. Our plan is to bring Tugnacious here in 2016 and have it live on the east coast for a few years to roam from Florida to the Cape. When we get here, we should have a Cape Cod Tugnuts convention on the Vineyard.

My summary after scouting each harbor:

Menemsha: good luck. Only a few slips. Better to hang on the hook in Menemsha Pond and forget doing anything but hanging on the hook and messing around in your dingy. Great watching working boats, that look like Ranger Tugs, come in and unload catch.

Edgartown: crowded and rich, but lots of places to eat and have fun. Good fishing nearby (we are fanatics for this side of the island) and you can visit Chappy. Still, kind of stuffy trying too hard to be salt box old New England (this from a Californian married to a New Englander)

Oak Bluffs: if you like an all night party with lots and lots of friends you didn't know were your friends...on your boat...this is the place. We will pass. Our kids love it.

Vineyard Haven: seems like few stinkpots allowed except Oprah's yacht and some Russian oligarchs. But it has the Black Dog for breakfast. Damn hard to get a buoy, but plenty of rough water for those on the hook. They officially roll up the streets at night and tuck old people like us into bed.

Tashmoo Pond: my favorite. A quiet pond with a skinny inlet and lots of room to anchor out. Walking distance to town, good beaches, great scenery, shelter and mellow people. I suggest here for the Ranger Rendezvous on (off) the Cape. See you in three years.

And the 4th was a foggy zoo.

Jeff

 

[knotflying]

Ok, we will see you in 2016. Give me a date so I can put it on the calendar!

 

[knotflying]

Howard,
Sounds like you had a great time. Jess & I need to get up your way more often!

 

[Automaticman865]

Barry,
I was really surprised to see Yolo at the WIYY mooring this weekend. Our Cutwater is just around the corner at the Willows.
Glad to see that it was in to see the doctor for a well being checkup. Perhaps one day we''ll catch up to you with the boat.
I spoke to you last year before I bought the Cutwater.

Stuart

 

[Barry Cohen]

Hi Jeff:

Thank you for reaching out and thank you for your scouting report.

Susan and I took YOLO (along with a Catalina 34 and a 33' catamaran) through the canal and around the islands for 10 days last August. It was our first trip through the canal on a boat and we are doing it again next month.

The next next time you are there, be sure to visit Cuttyhunk. This island is small, quaint and not a whole lot to do. But it is really beautiful. From there, it is a straight shot through Quick's Hole to Menemsha. Menemsha was our worst stop last year because we were on a mooring outside the breakwater and the seas kicked up. Not fun.

Another must lunch hook stop is Hadley's Harbor, near Wood's Hole. Drop an anchor, crack open a beer and relax.

We also liked Onset. Friendly folks at Point Independence Yacht Club. Fuel, ice, water, plenty of moorings. Take the dinghy over to Mark Anthony's for some great pizza.

Oh, and glad you like the cock pit mods. It was not cheap, but it has worked out very well. Happy wife......happy life!

 

[Barry Cohen]

Hi Stuart:

Nice to hear from you. Glad things turned out well with the Cutwater.

All is well with YOLO. Peter is installing a davit system for "Junior". Hope to get her back this weekend.

We are up at Misery Island all the time. Hope to see you there. Also, take your boat up the Annisquam. It's a great ride.

 

[sleepyboat]

Barry,
Sallison isn’t just a pretty face any more she's a working tug. On or way over to the Annisquam River to get some relief from the greenheads we came across a 17 foot skiff that was out of gas. We towed her to the gas dock in the cove on the left entering the river , everyone was happy but I was told I should put a NOT FOR HIRE sign on the side!
John

 

[Barry Cohen]

Excellent work John!

 

[Susan]

Dear Barry,

Since you were first on the Tugnuts site I thought I'd start with you and we have a connection with Winter Island too.

Rich and I have placed an order for a 2014 Ranger 27 from Peter at Winter Island, taking delivery March or April 2014. We are new to power boating and felt the Ranger Tug would be perfect for us to live aboard in the summer on Lake Champlain before Rich retires from UPS in a few years.

The biggest concern I have is learning all there is to learn about our new tug before we take delivery. We've sailed for years on small boats (Hobie Cat, Day Sailor), but this power boating is new to both of us. I know Peter will offer instructions when the tug is delivered to Salem, but we'd like to start long before that date to have as much information as possible.

Where do we start? Can we talk on the phone sometime?

Regards,
Susan and Rich Talbot, Westminster West, VT 802 387 5623

 

[Barry Cohen]

Hi Susan/Rich:

I know exactly how you feel. My wife (also Susan) and I switched over from sailing as well. 10 years on a Catalina 28.

My e-mail address is: barrydcohen@comcast.net. I would be happy to give you my perspective on things. We are learning new things every day. We can talk on the phone and if you find yourself in Salem, we are just south in Lynn. We could go out for a ride on YOLO.

The quick recommendation is read all the manuals and become very familiar with all the "systems". Much more complicated than on a day sailor. But they make your travels very comfortable and safe. Also, the reaction time on the wheel is much slower than with a big wheel or tiller on a sail boat. I am still challenged with going in reverse.

Respect the boat, but don't be afraid of it. We are having a great time on YOLO and going places we would never have considered with the sail boat.

 

[Andrew Custis]

Hello Susan and Rich,

You have purchased the boat from a very good Ranger Tug dealer and a well respected one to say the least. One thing we offer that you might want to consider is a factory delivery. You can read about this here. http://rangertugs.com/factory-delivery.

Once your boat is complete, you fly out and get a two day training course on the water. This covers a full day of systems training and a full day of on the water handling, electronics training, rules of the water ect.....

Plus, its an excuse for a vacation to use your boat in the NW. Once you are done with the boat, we haul it out, clean it up, fix any items that need to be addressed and send it to Peter for one more commissioning and more on the water training if you need it. I am sure that others can comment on the factory delivery. (Hopefully Hydraulicjump doesn't chime in on this one). I did his orientation so he might steer you in a completely different direction. :lol:
Feel free to work with Peter and I if you have any questions.

Andrewcustis@rangertugs.com

Andrew Custis
Customer Service Manager
Ranger Tugs / Cutwater Boats

 

[Don and Brenda]

Andrew did a great job on our delivery, of course I have already used up 1 of my dumb question calls to him 2 days later.

Don

 

[knotflying]

Susan & Rich,
If you can do the Ranger orientation I would highly recommend it. It was not offered at the time when I took delivery and I would think it will be much better than baptism by fire. :lol: There is lots to learn about the systems, especially the electrical and how things interact with one another. I am hoping some day Ranger will put together a video of it so we can all use it as a reference when needed on the fly.
Welcome to the Tugnut community. You couldn't find a better group of people or a better servicing boat manufacturer!

 

[swillmerchant]

Susan and Rich,
I'm new to the power boating world, having only owned sailboats and worked only on tall sailing ships before. Buying a used tug, I wasn't able to take advantage of the on-the-water training. Once you take possession, I agree with Barry that reading the manuals and familiarizing yourself with your boat by spending time exploring it on your own is good preparation. Also, having the fantastic resources of fellow Tugnuts at your fingertips is not to be underrated. It's invaluable! Being new to power boating, I ask stupid questions all the time and get comprehensive answers nearly immediately. Learning from those who have "been there and done that," along with Andrew and others from the factory chiming in, is very comforting. If there's something you need to know, there's someone online with an answer.

Our tug, Indian Summer, is moored in Salem, just around the point from Peter's WIYY. If you're ever in or around Salem, like Barry, we'd also be happy to take you for a cruise, or sail in company if you ride aboard YOLO. 😀