Newbie saying hello and questions

[wincrasher]

I'm just getting started trying to decide on what boat and equipment I'd like to get.

Currently drawn to the 27 as that is about as big as I'd want to tow. Have a 3/4 ton Chevy and experience towing my fifth wheel. Have owned sailboats and a few runabouts. This would be my first serious boat. My thoughts are to do some weekends on various lakes here in South Carolina and eventually work up to a week or two on the ICW. Since I don't want to finance a toy like this, I'm probably a year away from making a purchase.

I've enjoyed reading and learning on the forum and the various blogs about people's adventures!

I did talk with a dealer briefly today and got some pricing information. To my surprise, they are only talking about $10k off on a $200k boat! That may be a hard pill to swallow for a bargain hunter like me. Another surprise was $10k for a trailer! But I'm in no hurry, so maybe I can strike a good deal during the slow season if there is such a thing with boats.

I'm also of the mind to get all options up front instead of retrofitting afterwards. I'm not especially handy at doing work myself unless it's extremely simple.

One thing the dealer today mentioned - they are going to all Volvo engines across the models. Said they are quieter and more fuel efficient. Is going with Volvo over Yanmar any concern (longevity, reliability, etc.)?

 

[baz]

1. If money is an issue consider the used Ranger Tug R-25 and R-27. Depreciation over a 3 year period can be as much as 20% to 30% depending on options and condition of the boat.

2. A used trailer may be less also.

3. Volvo vs. Yanmar... The Yanmar engine has been operated in the Ranger Tugs for a number of years. I own an R-25 with the Yanmar 4BY2-150 turbo diesel engine (150 HP). It has been very reliable and have had no issues with it. There have been two 'recalls' that were taken care of by Yanmar without hassles and Ranger Tugs helped facilitate this. Some Ranger Tugs had the option for a Cummins engine with a $5,000 uplift. The latest Ranger Tugs have had the engine's positioned so they protrude less into the cabin area which make cabin noise less. This is true for Yanmar and Volvo engines in the more recent R-25SC and R-27 models. The Volvo engine in the new 2013 R-27 is the Volvo D3 diesel providing 200 HP; a 5 cylinder engine that is identical to the Volvo auto 5-cylinder engine that has been around for donkey years.. it simply has been redesigned for marine use. You will get differing opinion on the reliability of both the Yanmar and Volvo engines. I can only speak of my Yanmar engine experience. My dock buddy built his boat from scratch and when the time came for selecting an engine 3 years ago he looked at the Volvo D3 and Volvo D4 engines. The D3 200 HP cost $25,000 and the D4 325 HP cost $30,000. The D4 came with many Volvo goodies/ad-ons and when he looked at adding those goodies to the D3 the price came very close to the D4. He was told to purchase the D4 by the engine distributor as it was a better 'fit' for his boat and was more reliable than the D3. In my opinion I believe Ranger Tug's choice of engine be it Yanmar or Volvo is based on their business relationship with the engine vendor and what they expect and see for after sales service responsiveness and responsibility. The Volvo D3 200 HP engine is more expensive than the Yanmar 4BY2-150 engine from what I've heard. I've not read anything that substantiates the Volvo D3 being quieter than the Yanmar 4BY2-150, but it's very subjective and affected by where the engine compartment is located with respect to the cabin, sound deadening materials and running RPMs. I've measure the dB levels in my R-25 at various RPMs and await for others with the R-27's Volvo D3 engine to present the same dB observations at various RPMs.

4. I absolutely agree with you about selecting all the options you want as part of the initial purchase agreement. It is IMO the sensible thing to do.

5. The Ranger Tug models are great products backed by a great company of people. Their after sales support is second to none IMO. They want you to be happy and enjoy safe boating.

6. Do your homework thoroughly as you seem to be in no hurry for at least a year. In general prices of a new boat will rise and for a used boat the price normally falls. You could start with a used Ranger Tug and if you like what you see you can trade up to a newer Tug later.

7. The R-27 is a wonderful investment IMO and if I were in the market today it would be the model I would choose.

8. Good luck. 🙂