New Guy sayin' Hi!

[harryrezz]

Hello! OK - I'll get this out of the way up front: I'm a Sailboat Guy! Have been since age 9. (That was, well - a LOOOOOng time ago!) Currently have a 44 footer that I keep down in the southern Caribbean - spend winters on board - mid-Dec to mid-April - and do the occasional week long charter taking folks around to see the beautiful places.
However .... the time is fast approaching for me to sell the old gal and move to something without those big sails, easier to handle and a lot closer to home. I'm used to not going fast. I'm also used to power boats. (I'm a licensed 50 ton captain and I "drive" a 53 foot tour boat on the Erie Canal as well as serve as a part-time captain for Towboat US during the summer.)
Ranger tugs seem to offer me a great transition. They seem to be rugged (I love 4-WD pickups), well designed and reliable. The Loop is a distinct possibility for me.
However, the better-half needs a bit of room. I think I can swing a used 25 (that new 27 looks great), but the 29 is a bit rich for my current wallet. Do they come onto the market used very often? I know 4 feet doesn't seem like much, but in a boat it can be HUGE!
Input is solicited here .... which Ranger should I be looking for?
Thanks!

 

[Lone Star Ranger]

Welcome Aboard.

Can't give you too much insight on the boats, mine is the R-21EC. Great for puttering around the Cheasapeake Bay on day trips. Hopefully some other Tug owners will weigh in.

 

[knotflying]

Well, I just bought an new R-27 and await delivery. We owned a c-dory 22 footer and have had great one week trips, but want to go on longer ones. We looked at the R-25, but thought the 27 hit the sweat spot as far as trailering and room inside and out. I can't tell you of any experiences because right now, I have none. We did a sea trial and watched it get launched and retrieved and from that little experience I can tell you it looks just as easy as the c-dory and it handeled well in 4 foot seas. I also purchasesd a Chey 350 pick-up with a diesel engine and the allison transmittion. The rest of the story is waiting to be written. good luck with you decision process, that is most of the fun!

 

[RICH002]

Welcome,
I am sure you will enjoy the tug! Terry and i also came from sailboats with a few power boats thrown in.
In reference to size we have the R25 love it love it love it. the 29 is beautiful and more than the 4 foot of length it is a 10 ft beam versus 8 foot 6 that our boat and the 27 are. it does make a huge difference in interior volume. Most of the extra room in the 27 is in the cockpit.
Terry and are both "full grown i'm 6 ft 3 and 245lbs i will leave miss terry's size out for decorum and self preservation"
We find the 25 to be perfectly comfortable for the 2 of us overnight. It is my opinion that for overnight it is a 2 person only boat. Others will surely disagree but for us that is the deal. That said, for a sunset cruise or a ride up the river we will carry 8. We have been boating all our lives and have never had such support as we get from Ranger and this forum, Either way you go you are going to find a tough little boat. RT Tug hasn't let us down we currently have 600 hours on the main and she looks and is ready for 600 more.
Hope this helps

Rich

 

[commander bill]

The R29 is significantly larger compaared to a R25 (longer, wider, taller, almost twice the weight & hp I think) it also is much more challenge to tow as it is 10 1/2' wide. The R27 is just a 2 foot longer version than the R25. But that 2 extra feet is in a very good location so it provides more room and should about the same for towing. My wife & I have made several extended trips including one of 2 weeks. I am aan ex-submariner so I think the R25 haas plenty of room. My wife has a different view. Her cat hates the boat. My opinion is that ther eis not likely to be another boat that can offer the size, comfort, and ability to tow that the R25 & R27 offer. I think the R29 is actually too large for what most would want for a boat they would tow several times each year. There are some that would not agree but I think most will agree.

 

[sportner]

We left Washington state over a month ago and have been traveling in the R 27, we have been very happy, both in the water and out. We are now in San Antonio, Texas for a few days before going to see Herb and Willie in Port Isabelle, Texas. Eventually we hope to cruise the Florida Keys and beyond. We have been getting thumbs up from passing drivers, picture takers at Walmart parking lots, and lots of visitors at RV Parks.
Welcome to the forum and good luck in your decision making process.

 

[BeaconBluff]

It's nice to see someone from my part of the world interested in Ranger Tugs. I bought my R-25 this year in May. It's a 2008 holdover that I bought new from Winter's Marine in NJ. We have been on your Erie Canal (maybe we saw you piloting a tour boat), the Thousand Islands, Chautauqua Lake, the Allegany Reservoir and Lake Erie this summer. We love the boat and only regret that we have such a short boating season here in WNY. If you want to see my boat (and touch it too), give me a PM. Unfortunately I am getting it winterized and stored, so it is no longer in the water. How I envy those warmer weather boaters! Oh, we also traveled through the Black Rock canal in Buffalo - what fun.

 

[steveandtina]

yo,,harry.. we bought a used 25 ,, hull 15 to be exact.. it's a good 2 person boat and a GREAT, 1 person boat as I am the guy who gets the CHRISTINA BEE to her various destinations { sea of cortez--- PNW-- CALifornia delta -- Princess Louisa inlet --- yadayada,--- so while waiting for my bride to arrive at aformentioned destenations i get to spend a lot of time on the boat alone--- both at anchor and at interstate truckstops while waiting for her to fly in to whichever marina i have launched her--- although average in size i did raise the v-berth and was able to increase it's size by about 25% in both directions while gaining enough room to install a large [by 25 ft boat standards] sliding drawer under the berth and an extra 30 gallon fresh water tank which came in very handy in the sea of cortez.. having also had some sailing experiences a loooong time ago--- i can tell you we are quite combfortable making long passages--- several 100 mile crossings between san carlos on the mainland to santa rosalia on the baja side. it is a rolly boat in beam seas!!! the wallas stove doubling as a heater kept us warm on cold nites in the PNW.... you will get many opinions on the merits of the 110 yanmar vs the 150 cummings vs the 150 yanmar---just ask!!!!! stuart and dave will no doubt extole the virtues of the 29--- john and laurie the 25,,, and of course johnniethek the 21 --- and somebody else the 27.. ... soooo good luck in your decision making ..... the CHRISTINA BEE will in all likely be for sale in the spring of 2011 or 12..... HEY EVERYBODY,,, STEVEANDTINA 😀 😀

 

[Levitation]

The 25 will do for two full size adults... Snug, but doable... Remove the cushion from the cave (quarter berth) and install pull boxes under there to vastly increase storage... A full canvas enclosure over the cockpit doubles your living area...
Also, the dinette table is too wide fore and aft and cramps the seating on the aft side... Cut 8" off off the aft side of the table and screw wood blocks to the wall for additional support for the top and it will be vastly more usable... The downside is that it no longer becomes a berth - but it is a 2 person boat, eh!

The 27 is the same boat with the longer cockpit... With the cockpit covered you have an extra sun room, sitting room, grilling on the swim step, cocktail lounge, etc.. Either boat will do the same but the 27 is better for that , obviously...

The 29 is going to be a big beast for regular hauling because of the need to either sneak through at night or buy oversize permits... If you intend to only move it a couple of times a year (winter to summer cruising grounds, etc.) then that is not as big an issue..

With any of these 3 boats a late model 3/4 ton diesel pickup will haul them without even breathing hard... I am partial to the Chevy Duramax, but all three brands will do the job...

The built in diesel generator is mondo expensive... You are much better off with an EU2000i out on the swim step if you are ordering a boat...

 

[RDragon]

Good Morning Harry!

We have owned R'dragon since october 07 and have loved every minute on this boat! My wife and I are not the smallest of folks and have been very happy with the space on board. Our longest trip so far has been 10 days out...Not much when you compare to John & Laurie, Mac & Linda, Steve & Tina or even Dave & Maureen before they turned traitor and traded up to the 29...WE have found the 25 to be the perfect boat for us!

Sure we find ourselves saying: "wouldn't another 2 foot in the cockpit be grand", or "jeez, wish we had a microwave to heat up this dish." But in all of the time we have had the boat these have not stopped us from having a great time!

Having had the chance to cruise the Erie last year in a 25, ( Nimble Nomad) The R'25's will be a good compliment for locking through and enjoying those awesome waters!

I am sure none of this helps, but it fun to ramble on about these wonderful tough little boats!

Take care!
Drew

 

[sparky]

We just finished 4 nights cruising down the Dismal Swamp Canal from Virginia to North Carolina, a very tall husband, short wife and 6 month old sheltie. The dog slept most of the transit time in her canvas folding crate under the table. (she has learned how to lauch herself onto the v-berthand jump off the boat :twisted🙂 I could have stayed away much longer, we were very comfortable.

Leave the aft cabin and dinette table matresses at home. We store two folding bikes, an emergency kit, every repair manual, spare life jackets,dinghy parts and microwave in the aft cabin area. Added a large cooler on the swim step and threw the dinghy on the sport rack. Last winter we added one large solar panel to the top. We have the installed generator and are very happy with its instant startup and efficiency, and since it pulls from the same fuel tank as the engine, no hassle.

We just made a new table that is only about 21 inches wide and a few inches narrower than the original, (see photo album)so that there is a bit more room to sit on the aft dinette seat (the current table only allows a skinny person to sit there!), using only the port side table leg. It made the interior feel much larger and now we can comfortably cross our legs or stretch out while sitting there.

We find the 25 just big enough for comfortable cruising for two. The key is frequent cleaning and organizing, removing things from the boat that you thought you couldn't live without but find yourself not using. By all means add a BBQ on the rail. That saved us when the cooktop failed last weekend.

Would we love the R29? of course, but look at all the toys we can add and fuel we can pay for with the price difference. It will also be cheaper for storage and transportation to the start of the Mississippi River when we want to really cruise.

 

[Stella Maris]

Buy the biggest boat you can afford to buy. Whether it is a R-21 or an R-29. The key point is to be able to get out on the water. If you wait until you have enough money to buy the big boat, you will never get out there.

Make due with the accomodations that you have on whatever boat you buy. Find a way to make it work. The key point is to be able to get out on the water.

 

[harryrezz]

Wow! What a great response! Thanks, everyone. The sailboat, a CSY 44' cutter, is now officially for sale. Can't afford to make any moves 'till she has a new owner, but we do have a couple who have expressed a very strong interest. If they come through after this winter (we'll be on board from mid-Dec to mid-April way down south) we may be able to make a serious move before next summer. Meanwhile I'll be hangin' out in the background ... and maybe chiming in from time to time. 🙂