New prospective tug owner questions

[Sea Leggs]

Hello Tugnuts,
My wife and I are just starting to look for our next boat and are considering the R 27 or 29 Ranger Tug.
We currently have a cruise style Cruiser Yacht 2870 with a 10 ft beam and single diesel so a tug will be a new experience.
We have a few questions:
Cruising speed: What is your experience with the inboard 200 hp on the R27 or the 260 hp on the R29 for a cruising speed? What about the new Yamaha 300 outboard on the R27? Top speed and optimal speed what are you experiencing?
Fuel economy: Inboard vs new 300 outboard on R27? On our Cruiser with a single diesel at 14 knots we consumed 4.5 GPH?
Stability: What is your experience with the 8.6 ft beam on the R27 vs the 10 ft beam on the R29?
Quality: Are there certain years of tugs to stay away from? Anyone having systemic problems we should look for? Are the tugs worth the cost and do they hold their value in your experience?
What do you love about the tugs?
What do you not like about the tugs?

Thanks

 

[monfried]

I can speak to the fuel usage on my 2017 RT29CB, which has the Volvo D4, 260 HP engine.

The boat has what I call two "happy" speeds: at about 6 knots, it'll burn around 1 GPH. At 14 kn (or so), it'll burn ~10 GPH.

Disclaimer: Of course, there are a lot of variables here, inc. sea conditions, boat weight, etc.

WOT might get you a few more knots. And, FWIW, at 14 kn, I'm running at about 2900-3000 RPM, something I keep a very close eye on!

Dave

 

[ethanbarnett]

We looked at the 27, 29 and the redesigned 29S models. Simply the 27 did offer certain conveniences if towing but otherwise was just too cramped for the two of us. As for the dueling 29s it literally came down to which made us smile more when looking at her. Don’t sweat the smalls. However if speed is your thing your only choice is an outboard.

Enjoy the process, and welcome aboard.

 

[Toki]

Our 2016 R27 has the 220 HP D3 (1 of 4 built with that motor I believe). I concur with Monfried on "two happy speeds". If we're in no rush, we displace at around 7 Kn sipping about 1.5 GPH, and if we're in a rush we plane at around 15 Kn guzzling about 6 GPH.

The R27 is a bit rolly at anchor and feels the beam seas underway. I have little experience on bigger Rangers, but I've got to believe the added weight and beam would make a noticeable difference.

 

[Brian98133]

Having come from a 12K pound boat that was 30' with 10'6" beam and twin inboards (V-Drive), I can speak to the transition to a smaller boat that's only about 5500 pounds and a beam that's 2 feet narrower.

My R23 is my smallest boat in many, many years, so it definitely took some getting used to! It did, however, make the better-half much more comfortable in that she feels she can now pilot our boat - which is something she never felt she could do before. It was worth it.

The analogy of feeling like a "cork floating in a bathtub" is somewhat fitting. At first, I wondered if I had made a mistake. I'm not a small dude at 280#, and my wife is only about a buck-twenty. So moving about the boat means paying attention to who's on what side, and/or being sure to prepare for a heel.

Having the outboard is absolutely wonderful for this guy that likes to tinker with the engine, but just cannot fit in most engine compartments. In the last boat, if I needed to open/close a seacock, I would hold the better half by her ankles and lower her in to the compartment. Not ideal. In the R23, my thru-hulls are extremely minimal (one, for raw-water wash down), and even if I needed to venture into the lower compartment, there's plenty of room! It may be unwarranted... but thru-hulls were always a source of concern for me, and I would always be checking them.

However, I believe an outboard brings the center of gravity higher, which adds to the "cork" feeling. The tradeoff, for me, is worth it. So I just got used to her idiosyncrasies.

Compared to the old twin inboards, the Yamaha 200 SIPS fuel! Holy cow is that awesome! I'm not a 'speed' guy, as I like to cruise and enjoy the ride... but having the speed available has opened up many distant anchorages that were a bit out of reach for a weekender. So that's been nice. Plus, a week in the San Juans no longer costs just under a grand in fuel. Nice.

Each person's expectations and needs are different, so I can't say which Ranger to get... except to say that I will probably no longer get any other brand than Ranger. But I DO miss having a beamy boat! So, when Ranger FINALLY gets their stuff together and designs an R29 with outboards... I'm in! I'm sure the better half will adapt :mrgreen:

 

[H28]

Love: community, features for the money, bow and stern thrusters, quality, customer service.

not like: the johnson control bilge pump electromagnet float switches. I have replaced more of them with two RT's than all other boats I have owned. IMHO they should go to Ultra's. I bought an Ultra to replace the JC, but trying to get in there and retro fit is a pita, so I have about 3 JC spares...


We went from a RT25 to a RT29 and the stability improvement was noticeable. If you can live with 18 knots top speed, vs. whatever the 27 does, go for the wider beam.

rpm speed mpg
r0950 4.0 6.9
r1210 5.5 7.8
r1460 6.0 5.4
r1500 6.1 4.8
r1560 6.4 4.2
r1700 6.7 3.5
r1810 7.2 3.3
r1900 7.4 2.7
r2020 7.8 2.3
r2390 8.2 1.7
r2460 8.7 1.4
r2680 10.0 1.2
r2910 11.4 1.2
r3130 14.1 1.2
r3190 14.4 1.2
r3230 14.6 1.2
r3330 15.6 1.2
r3610 17.4 1.1

 

[Sea Leggs]

Thank you Tugnuts for all your valuable information. We are now the proud owners of a 2018 RT 29 S. Black Crab. We will be changing our name from Sea Leggs to Black Crab. See you on the water.

 

[knotflying]

Congrats!!