New owners..Finally

[Longbranch Louie]

After several years of taking up cabin space at the boat shows we took the plunge and bought a Ranger 25 at the Seattle show. It was like trying to pass up a puppy in a window and we couldnt resist. Three things sold us in our decision. The boat, the company staff and the owners. The boat stole our hearts, The company folks we met treated us like family from the moment they introduced themselves and knew their product, and the multitude of owners that were hanging around the display like family told us of their love of their tugs and the fun of being a tugnut. As a new owner we will be racking your brains about what works best and how to prepare for outings. A couple questions I have already concerns options. Do those of you that have the Ranger 260 inflatable like it and have any of you found other dingys that you find more to your liking? Ive seen some posts on the Portland Pudgy on this site. Is a dingy a must have now or a get it later option? Do most tuggers get a motor on their dingy and what size? Also we are getting a bimini on it and wondered if we should also include the sidewall enclosure curtains? Do you find the Ranger supplied curtains fit better than custom or aftermarket ones?
If there are any "get it when you buy it" options please let us know.
Look forward to meeting you folks. Im already gleaning info from the Tugnuts posts.
Doug and Betty Lewis

 

[Gin]

Doug and Betty, I can't chime in on any of your questions, as we remain Ranger Tug owner hopefuls. But we were there at the same time you were, and although we didn't introduce ourselves, we did talk briefly with Betty after you two bought the 25 and said our congratulations at the time. Ryah was so excited about your purchase (he gave us the tour of your boat before you bought her). If met one other person who purchased at the show. If we understand the schedule, you will get to take delivery after the show folds up next weekend. How exciting that must be 😀

What a great boat!! She is well outfitted, and we love the green hull. I can only imagine the adventures that await you. So, 25 times over (once for each foot of boat) CONGRATS!!!

Gini

 

[Garry Anderson]

Doug and Betty
congratulations AGAIN! We enjoyed hanging out with the tugs and meeting you. Can't wait until we see you on the water. We have your card and will give you a call to chat about our opinions on dingys, motors and side curtains for the new 25.
Welcome aboard!

Garry and Vicki Anderson

 

[Tug@myHeart]

Congrats on your new purchase.....there is nothing like a new boat.

Here is what we bought for a dink. We have a kicker motor, so transom storage was out. Roof mounted on the beefed up rack or towed.....and i was not putting a 85lb inflatable on the roof so we got a, A380P Grand Argus Inflatable Canoe with a 3.5 4stk merc. The lightest of both worlds. The boat is 44 lbs and the motor is mid 30s. Does 10mph with 2 on board....using little gas. Pics in my album of the roof mounted canoe. Have FUN

gallery2.php?g2_itemId=34079

http://www.grandboats.com/argus.htm
Purchased in the USA thru a ebay company and CANADA direct from Grand Dealer

 

[Garry Anderson]

However, very quickly:
love the ranger dingy...Capt. Mac loves his Pudgy!
we have a 2 horse Honda outboard...light and easy to use. Are aware of many people liking the new salt water electrics should you have extra $$$$ just laying around!
We don't have side curtains yet but will purchase before a long trip to Alaska or more colder/wetter boating gets scheduled.

All good questions to ask many...the March trading will be a perfect opportunity.

Garry Anderson

 

[Don and Brenda]

Congrat on the new ride. Most of us lurked for a while and attended many shows and walked through Rangers numerous times before the timing was right to pull the plug and make that big purchase, so your right at home with the rest of us, hope to see you out on the water.

Don

 

[knotflying]

Doug & Betty,

Welcome aboard!! You have now entered a new dimension of time and travel and it is called the Tugnut Zone. Don't worry about Rod Serling hanging around, you'll get used to it.
Here is my broad opinion; Everybody has different needs, wants and desires. Use the boat for a while and figure out what may work for you. Storage, dingys, motors, etc. tend to get figured out as you use the boat. See what other people are doing for their needs and observe and figure out if that works for you. In the meantime enjoy.

Mike Rizzo

 

[baz]

The dinghy is something you should consider seriously. It not only provides the logistics around the Marina and when wanting to go ashore when on the hook, but serves as your last ditch in case of emergency with your Tug.

If you have pet(s) with large feet and/or sharp claws having a dinghy that will not puncture is something to think about.

I cannot say more in favour of the Portland Pudgy. I did a lot of research when trying to find the perfect dinghy for our boat and likely uses, and the Pudgy always was at the top of the short list. If you buy one get one with a bright color so it can be seen from miles aways. White and gray color IMO is not good if you want to be seen in an emergency.

We use the electric Torqeedo model 1003L (long shaft) for the Pudgy.

Personally, I would not venture out too far into open waters without having a dinghy.

As far as options for your boat I would definitely suggest the Garmin Auto Pilot be installed by the factory. It has been one of the best investments we made.

If you can manage it, have factory install an AnchorLift Anchor Chain Swivel to facilitate allowing anchor chain to stay unkinked as you raise the anchor. This helps avoid the anchor hitting the bow when retracting the anchor.

Make sure the VHF radio mic is installed so that it can be easily grabbed and unhooked. Early installations placed the Mic is a spot that was hard to access.

Review the factory suggested 'spares list' and select things such as fuses, belts, bolts, impeller. Andrew or Kenny can advise you on what to have in your spares kit.

Side enclosures are attractive at first, but be aware they can hamper you in some situations such as access to the dinghy and its installation. However, many Tugnuts with these enclosures typically find solutions for this. There's also the issue of storing the side curtains when not being used. They are bulky.

Personally, I don't like the factory supplied stock curtains. They hang out from the windows, aren't quite wide enough and are difficult to cover the window completely for privacy. If you do find a better solution please post back on what you decide on.

 

[Hydraulicjump]

Congrats. We lurked for two years and thanks to impeccable timing have a wonderful now two year old R-27. i was cruising for two days this week in the Bay Area in perfect weather.

I have simple, useful advice. Attend the September Rendezvous in Anacortes. Besides discovering that the Tugnut Nation is as friendly and full of good advice as the factory folks, you will get to see how everyone else has tricked out their boats. And their efforts are marvelous.

We have two sea kayaks and a dingy to meet all situations.

Big fun ahead!

Jeff Mount