New to the Trawler community

[Lucky Lady 1]

My wife and I are looking into getting a trawler. We are 61 and 62 yrs old. We have looked at Rangers, American Tugs, Nortic Tugs and even Kadey Krogan Trawlers. We believe our favorite is the American Tug in the 34 ' class

I know every boat is different but what would be a good monthly budget of the yearly maintenance of a Diesel engine with 1500 hrs currently, the yearly replacement of one or two systems, i.e., electronic, electrical, heating, and appliances. What is the cost of bottom cleaning, how often do you repainted the bottom, and the cost of storage, when not in use.

I believe that is a good place to start. Does anyone have any comments or suggestions for us.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Scuffy]

Since you are most interested in and like the American Tugs. I would contact their owners group as they might more familiar with the boat and engine(s) you are interested in and what service costs you could expect. An annual service for oil,filter and a fuel filter change, zinc anodes and impellor change could be upwards of a thousand dollars or more for a single engine boat like our R-27. Most engines like to have the oil changed every hundred hours so how much you use the boat would greatly effect your maintenance costs. Plus if the boat needed to be lifted out of the water. More money. Most of your up keep will be determined on where you intend to boat salt water or fresh and how many hours you will put on the boat every year. Bottom cleaning would also depend on where you boat and if a diver did it you had to get the boat lifted. A call to a marina where you intend to keep the boat might get you closer to actual costs in your local area. Bottom paint can be every three to four years once again a lot depends where you intend to boat.
The nice part of a trailer able boat is that you can pull it get it on a trailer and take to your preferred dealer. Or you can take it home and what you can on land while on the trailer. No storage fees that way. A non trailer able boat is at a disadvantage IMHO. Always costing money for storage unless you can dock it at your home. Some boat yards will only let you use their mechanics.
Good Luck with your search,

 

[jcarrdive]

Hi Lucky Lady 1-
We just had our Ranger 27 out of the water. It has been 2 years since our last haul out (we are divers so we went under 'er every few months and gave 'er a scrub on our way back from a dive). We had the bottom cleaned and repainted. I had them do a lot of extra stuff (buff the whole boat, clear coat the prop and rudder ect), and I don't have the bill in front of me but I believe the bottom cleaning was around $300 and the sanding necessary for repainting was $200 or so. The bottom painting was in the $1000 range but we had a second coat put on.
We ran our tug slowly and enjoy the ride on the water, so we do not pile a bunch of hours up on our boat. It is not for money savings or any cost reason, I just like going slow on the water. Because of that, our engine maintenance bill was very low, due to low hours on the motor. Scruffy is right, a full engine service is a lot of $ and needs to be done sometimes, but in between the full maintenance times you can do it for way less yourself.
I hope you take a really close look at Ranger Tugs, as nearly everyone is fond of theirs. We are trading in our R27 and getting a new R31, delivery at the end of this month! I can't wait!!!!
jeff and Ela

 

[NewMoon]

FWIW, our 26' diesel cruiser typically travels 2000-3000 nm on the Inside Passage, putting 400-500 hours on the engine, every summer. It's 17 years old and has 6,500 hours on the engine. Annual maintenance cost on the boat and its systems runs about $1,500-2,000. And we have pretty complex systems, including a watermaker. That cost includes 4-5 oil changes, belts, impellers, filters and occasional other parts. Also included in that cost is regular maintenance of our sterndrive, which costs about $1,200-1,500 every three years, but you wouldn't have that. The good ol' Cummins engines in the NT and American Tugs are very reliable and pretty easy to keep in good shape - probably better than our Volvo.

I do all the simpler stuff myself. This makes a huge difference in cost, and helps me be ready and able to tackle issues that come up when we're cruising out in the wilds. If your tug is on pretty good shape, you keep it in good shape, and you do the simple stuff, it shouldn't cost very much more than ours to maintain. Bottom paint would be more, as you would have a lot more acreage, especially if you keep it in the water all the time.

Where you keep it, and where and how much you cruise, make a great difference. Our friends who also cruise the Inside Passage keep their 32 Nordic Tug on blocks at Dagmar's in Everett WA, where it can be launched or retrieved by a giant forklift pretty much whenever they wish. If I recall correctly, their previous 29-foot boat cost $160-$180/month at Dagmar's. I'd guess a 34 American Tug could be kept there too, but check with them.

The Trawler Forum would be a good source for experience on American Tugs and similar larger cruisers.

 

[bevis]

we have a R31 and we love it i have been around boats all my life .me and my wive own a marina and in my opinion a ranger tug is very easy to operate and low upkeep . hope this helps

 

[Mystical]

We also looked at several different boats before choosing the Ranger. We actually sea trialed the Nordic 32 and liked it a lot. We looked at the American Tug as well. For us, we needed a boat with a bit more speed as we are not retired and need to get to where we are going to enjoy it at this point. The boats really are not in the same class as the Nordic 34 or the American Tug 34 and certainly not the Krogen. The one thing I wish Ranger did offer is a wider beam boat for those of us who do not trailer. Lets face it, there are very few R 29 or R31 owners out there who trailer. The Ranger only has a dinette for a seating area inside and the others have true salons. It really will depend on your needs as far as layout of the boat. The other decision for us the ruled out the American Tug is dealer support. There are not a whole lot of them around.

 

[Levitation]

I came within a whisker of ordering a new American Tug in 2008. The thing that stopped me is that where the boat is, is where the boat is. Wanting to be South in the winter and North in the summer without spending weeks, or months, or many thousands of $$ getting there led me to a trailer trawler in 2009. Been happy since.

If you are looking to basically living on your boat, then you need a 12-14 foot beam so the saloon can have recliners, ert.

 

[Irish Mist]

The AT 34 is a very nice boat. However if I was going to go in that direction I would look for a separate additional bedroom for guests. An extra head would also be nice. Just remember the longer the boat the more you pay for docking , cleaning etc. As well once you get over 30-32 ft you may limit yourself for docking during busy season, depending where you boat. A bow thruster is a big help with single engine boats. One thing I like in our boats, is the ample cockpit in the rear. Very nice for entertaining with another couple on a nice day. The AT has nice deck space but it is on the roof which is not easy for everyone to get to. You will like the shower on the AT 34 , the larger refrigerator, and of course the extra beam makes for a lot of room to move around in. A boat, like a home is a lot about the people that live in it. Get something sooner than later so you can start enjoying it.
Happy shopping
Mark

 

[NewMoon]

I've been thinking about upgrading from our 26' trailer boat to an NT or AT for some time. Since we cruise mainly the Inside Passage, keeping a boat in Anacortes or somewhere near there could work for us, although it would take some getting used to - we live in Utah and keep our present boat here at home. I'm struggling with the tradeoffs.

NT32 is more affordable, can be kept on blocks at Dagmar's (cheaper than a slip, and less tough on the boat, especially over the winter). You have to step down from cockpit into salon. Quite a range of them available used.

AT34 is beamier, roomier than NT32. Cockpit and salon deck at same level. Only a handful available used.

NT37 offers a second stateroom - desirable in our situation - and more lounging space. Same level from cockpit deck to salon. Decent visibility forward from salon (desirable for one who is used to windows in every direction). Upper deck large enough for a substantial dinghy - some equipped with electric crane. Can carry a nice dinghy without it being in the way of fishing. Being longer, it'll handle nastier weather better - I've met folks who have taken one up the Gulf of Alaska to Prince William Sound. Being relatively narrow for its length, it's also relatively fuel-efficient for its size, which means a lot to me - a long-distance cruiser. A good used one would cost not too much more than a good used AT 34.

All easily single-handed (important to me).

I guess I'm leaning toward an NT37.

 

[nzfisher]

Hi Lucky Lady 1-
We just had our Ranger 27 out of the water. It has been 2 years since our last haul out (we are divers so we went under 'er every few months and gave 'er a scrub on our way back from a dive). We had the bottom cleaned and repainted. I had them do a lot of extra stuff (buff the whole boat, clear coat the prop and rudder ect), and I don't have the bill in front of me but I believe the bottom cleaning was around $300 and the sanding necessary for repainting was $200 or so. The bottom painting was in the $1000 range but we had a second coat put on.
We ran our tug slowly and enjoy the ride on the water, so we do not pile a bunch of hours up on our boat. It is not for money savings or any cost reason, I just like going slow on the water. Because of that, our engine maintenance bill was very low, due to low hours on the motor. Scruffy is right, a full engine service is a lot of $ and needs to be done sometimes, but in between the full maintenance times you can do it for way less yourself.
I hope you take a really close look at Ranger Tugs, as nearly everyone is fond of theirs. We are trading in our R27 and getting a new R31, delivery at the end of this month! I can't wait!!!!
jeff and Ela

If jcarrdive has a moment I would really like to know where and who does your bottom painting. PM me if you have a moment.

Thanks

 

[SarahD]

My wife and I are looking into getting a trawler. We are 61 and 62 yrs old. We have looked at Rangers, American Tugs, Nortic Tugs and even Kadey Krogan Trawlers. We believe our favorite is the American Tug in the 34 ' class

I know every boat is different but what would be a good monthly budget of the yearly maintenance of a Diesel engine with 1500 hrs currently, the yearly replacement of one or two systems, i.e., electronic, electrical, heating, and appliances. What is the cost of bottom cleaning, how often do you repainted the bottom, and the cost of storage, when not in use.

I believe that is a good place to start. Does anyone have any comments or suggestions for us.

Thanks for your time.

 

[SarahD]

Boats are expensive. Period. Our little used, bought new 36 ft trawler, no financing, at times cost up to $20,000 a year for routine maintenance, fuel winter indoor storage, insurance and inevitable repairs from pumps to a dinged prop at $2,000 plus always something to add like a second plotter or a dingy.
We sold it a few years back for lack of use. 8 years ago I again got the itch and bought a new Ranger Tug R23. Big mistake. a very pretty boat but Lake Ontario is not designed for a 23’ trawler. that can be scary. Now in the process of selling it with only 220 hours and buying a 34’ Nordic Tug. At 87 buying anything is a gamble but my younger wife really likes crossing to Kingston, etc.
Short answer boats eat money. Rowboats not so much.

A good example was I had a new dingy and was washing our dock and got the ideas that a quick power wash of the month old dingy would be very hygienic. A few hours later the dingy was as flat as the proverbial pancake with countless pin holes from the power washer. Smart move. Who knew?