Ordering a Ranger 29

[Nudge]

Oh boy! We're finalizing our specs on a new Ranger 29 this weekend. We'd be so happy to hear any and all advice of any kind! We'd like to know what options are essential, which you could live without. Pitfalls? Questions to ask? REally, any and all advice is welcomed!

 

[knotflying]

Options are always a matter of personal preference, but here goes:
Nav package
autopilot
Bimini
Air conditioner because you are in VA
Solar panel if you plan on being anchored out a bit of time
Propane stove, which is also better when anchored out
We carry the Honda 2000 generator instead of the installed generator . This works fine if you don’t want air conditioning while anchored.
Wabasto heater if you want heat in colder weather while anchored
The upholstery upgrade is nice
Macerator discharge valve

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

In addition to Mike's suggestions I'd add a comment about ground tackle. If your plans include any kind of anchoring the plow anchor from the factory, in my opinion, will not be good enough. Anchors like the Rocna, Manson and Buegle (sold in the Va. Area...google it) are, in my opinion, the best all around anchors. When we ordered our R27 we ordered the anchor package that gave us 50 feet of chain and 150 feet of rode along with the plow anchor. We then replaced the plow to use for a stern anchor and or spare and installed a Rocna on the bow. Obviously you do not have to order an anchor package at all and do this when you take delivery or ask your dealer and or the factory for a price.

Welcome to the Ranger Tug family,

Jim Fqq

 

[Shared Dream II]

First of all, congratulations. We own an R29 and keep it on the West River. She was purchased new from the factory, cruised one year in the PNW, and now for two seasons on the Cheasapeake. If you send a PM with your contact information, we will be happy to discuss the various options and their potential use for how you intend to use the boat.

 

[LADYBUG TOO]

Congratulations! You will not be disappointed. Our R-29 was decked out for a boat show so we have quite a few options that we really do not need. Here's what I think is dead weight: (1) The wine fridge (2) The microwave convection oven, I'd rather have a conventional oven. The cook top is great. (3) The aft deck electric grill takes up space we could use for something else (4) We do not really need the TV and DVD player. The Garmin 5215 touch screen has a video input so you could just use the DVD player and send the video output to the Garmin. That would limit you to DVD's unless the DVD player includes a tuner. However, since many marinas now provide cable maybe the TV isn't so bad for rainey days.

Here are some things we would change if we could: (1) Ditch the Mase generator as long as a good diesel alternative is available and quieter. (2) I think Ranger has already moved the shore power receptacle to the aft cockpit. Ours is on the starboard side forward of the wheelhouse door along with the cable TV input. It ought to be aft too. (3) We added an additional stainless steel "bow" aft of the factory installed unit and had a custom split bimini made so we can access kyaks, etc. standing on the steps with the aft bimini section up. (4) The ice maker option is neat but I am not sure how practical it is. I always wanted one but haven't bitten the bullet yet. (5) My thrusters run on a single battery but I think the newer models have two. Make sure you will get one for each thruster. The voltage drop is significant. (6) Take a look at the port side deck drain and make sure the drain hose is routed so you can get at your batteries without a lot of hassel. Weare moving ours to get better access. Despite extensive discussions on this site, we haevn't found our batteries to be maintenance free. We carry a gallon of distilled water next to the batteries.

Finally, as a purely personal preferance, we do not mix fuel types. There is only diesel aboard, no propane, LNG or any other combustible fuel. We do tow a skiff with an outboard but the fuel is in the skiff and not on our boat.

Pat & Carolyn, Ladybug, Too

 

[Lone Star Ranger]

Congrats on your new R-29 and welcome to the family!!! It will be great to have another tug out on the Chesapeake. Mark your calendar, the first weekend in June is our Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous! Hope to see you there!!

 

[Bruce Moore]

You'll love your boat. Here are a few items we'd recommend.

If your budget allows, opt for the Garmin GPSMAP 7215 chartplotter. The processor is significantly more powerful and the screen draws much faster. Especially good when scrolling, zooming, and running combination charts. Essential if you want to use satellite image overlays.

We installed the AIS 300 (receiver only) which allows us to track commercial and a good percentage of pleasure craft. After a season of extensive cruising we've decided to upgrade to the AIS 600 (transceiver) so we will be just as visible.

Not sure which Fusion model the factory is currently installing. Our 2012 model does not have a wireless remote. We installed a second wired remote in the small cabinet on the port side of the berth so the stereo can be controlled (turned off) from the bed. Also, we had the Garmin XM radio/weather antenna installed. The radio content has been great. We discontinued the weather - it's expensive and feature poor. One caveat on the XM radio. The Garmin antenna feeds the XM signal to the MFD which feeds the signal to the Fusion via the Aux input. Sound is great - BUT, you have to turn the chartplotter on to change channels. The Fusion takes a SIRIUS feed directly. If you're interested in the content, consider your options.

We also switched to a Rocna anchor and are pleased with its performance.

Being in the Pacific NW, we don't have air-conditioning, or a generator. But we love our Webasto diesel heater! With the solar panel, we've gone 3-4 nights at anchor without running. To that end, consider the LED light option kit.

Have fun!

 

[assignment]

Congrats on your R-29. I think you'll find it a great boat for our area. Like Shared Dream, we've operated our R-29 in Va waters mostly in the lower Chesapeake and will be happy to discuss how our boat is equipped, how she handles, lessons learned and things to look for. PM me and I'll be happy to discuss the details...welcome aboard and see you in June!
//Bud

 

[baz]

Congratulations on your R-29 investment. Welcome aboard... 🙂

1) If you are contemplating now or in the future to anchor out for one or more days the LED option for all the light fixtures would be very beneficial. Mind you, you can make this change yourself later and quite likely for less brass.

2) As Bruce Moore as indicated, the Garmin GPSMAP 7215 would be a good option -- much faster processor and faster screen rendering especially if you're using the BlueChart G2 Vision cards that provide the very useful Auto Guidance feature IMO. The Garmin 5212 that most of us have since recent years after Ranger switched to Garmin from Raymarine for their stock navigation is now out of production, so I'm told. Once all of the stocked units vendors are holding have been sold there will no longer be a supply of 5212s from Garmin to be had. I also believe the 7215 has a larger screen than on the 5212 -- 15.5" vs. 12.1".

3) Definitely go for the Propane combo stove/oven -- especially if you will be anchoring now or in future.

4) Again, if anchoring then think about adding two extra house batteries if you opt for a single solar panel. More than one solar panel will limit the storage space on cabin top, plus it's not always sunny and the 130 watt solar panel(s) lay flat and not at their optimal angle to generate max charging wattage for the batteries. One solar panel could very well not be sufficient to keep up with your electric use over a few days... two should be sufficient though (lights - add up all the lights wattage and you will be surprised, refrigerator having a 4amp draw, computer drawing 100 watts, TV, radio, water maker, freezer, wind cooler, etc all consume a lot of electric energy)... thus the extra house batteries would be very beneficial. You do not want to drain the batteries below 50% or they will be 'toast'.

5) A bit spendy, but a full cockpit enclosure might be something to consider... mind you, it can be a bit awkward having the full enclosure erected all the time. If you opt for this, then also consider adding bug screening as well.

6) Another option/alternative to #5 would be to have a pull down screen installed inside of the cabin door. I've seen this type screen on an R-25 in my area that was purchased from the East coast where there are bugs the size of dive bombers. :lol:

7) AIS is useful but is very expensive... Think carefully about this option 😉

8) If you love music then have Ranger look into providing a USB connector for the radio/stereo so that you can simply use a USB thumb drive loaded with all your favorite playlists. Today, Ranger does not provide this option... but a little prodding in this direction would certainly be appreciated by me. 😀

9) Some people (especially east coasters) have had Ranger rotate the hatch above the helm so that it opens forward to allow air to be rammed into the cabin for better ventilation on warm days. The stock position for all hatches (except for the bow one) is for them to open sideways. I believe the hatches are square so one could do this yourself easily by unscrewing the hatch, rotating it and then screwing it down in the position you desire.

10) I've heard nothing but good news about the use of the Webasto diesel heater... if you plan on cruising in cooler weather, or simply enjoying the boat at anchor or at the dock when temps are low this heater would be most welcomed.

11) Ask Ranger about the inclusion of a table that attaches to the cockpits transom locker via a nice shiny steel tube... I've seen this installed on an R-27 and it does look awesome and of course can be stowed when not needed.

12) Consider adding a Xantrex Link Lite battery monitor. Using another Tugnuts wording -- "It is esssentially a fuel guage for your batteries so you know the state of charge. Without that, there is no way you can reasonably guess the state of charge of your batteries. Monitoring just the battery voltage is a waste of time. The only time the value you read is meaniful is when the batteries have been sitting for many hours with no drain or charge on them."

13) Maybe consider a water-maker as well.

Good luck. 🙂

 

[Irish Mist]

Hope you enjoy your boat, It is a crowd stopper when you are docked. Have had many seasoned sailors with larger trawlers come over to tell me that this is the way to go. You do not have the space of a bigger boat but if you are like me, it is all you need, and makes boating easier and more affordable. I added a small counter top ice maker, and plug it in when at a power source or under way and let it do it's thing then bag the ice, and keep some in the freezer if needed. It does not seem to draw a lot and have used it at anchor lots. It cost me $100.00 form Costco and worth every penny. As far as music, that depends on you. I was pleasantly surprised with the cockpit speakers, and for most I'm sure that the factory set up would work perfectly, I added a blue tooth receiver so I can send music from my iPhone to the stereo ( $60.00 ). I will eventually be changing the whole system as I am a bit of a nut with the audio stuff but I am getting by just fine now as I have other more important additions I want, the diesel heater being one. I use a Tasimo coffee maker and it needs the generator to make the coffee... seems the inverter will not keep it happy, That could just be a problem I have, but everything else works fine off the inverter. The drip coffee and tea kettle both fine. I use two anchors off the bow and never an issue but I am mostly in sand so I get a good hold with the factory anchor and a Danforth, but again depends on your plans. You want to be able to sleep good at night so spend money on what ever anchor works best for you , and I would have extra lines and put out 2 anchors to be safe. Lots of fenders are good to protect your investment.
Any questions you have fire them out here you will get lots of answers. Everyone is very helpful on this and other sites but everyone has their own opinions so you need to see what suits you the best.. Enjoy your boat you will not be disappointed. I was able to log 200 hours this season but sadly it is up on beams for the winter as of yesterday 🙁

 

[walldog]

Baz wrote:

The Garmin 5212 that most of us have since recent years after Ranger switched to Garmin from Raymarine for their stock navigation is now out of production, so I'm told. Once all of the stocked units vendors are holding have been sold there will no longer be a supply of 5212s from Garmin to be had.

Barry, I am not surprised that production may have ceased as the 5212/5215 has been around for a few years now. Just wondering where you obtained your information as I cannot find anything on the Garmin web site or Googling for scuttlebutt on the internet.

Dogwatch, I also agree that the full covers make it a bit awkward for docking. We put a shelf under the bimini top to store the panels. Very easy to remove the ones by the side exits and store them flat and out of the way for docking. We love the full enclosure for keeping Jake's cockpit (bedroom) mostly dry though. Also we find that if the dog wants to leave the boat, the enclosure will not stop him. Jake slipped out under one of the side curtains just like he does with a dog door flap at home.

As far as AIS is concerned, The AIS 600 (transmit and RX) has been one of the best investments we have made to Willie's Tug. After near 300 hours since it was installed, we find that we really depend on it. I have not found any commercial operators that have told us that we are cluttering up the AIS system with our pleasure boat. In fact we have had several let us know that they appreciate us communicating with them especially in fog. I do agree that most tows will ignore you, but I still like to let them know where I am in or near their path. For my own use I wish every boat out there would show up as a little green triangle with direction and speed on my chart plotter.

Good luck with your new 29, and we hope to see you out and about enjoying it soon.

Herb,

 

[davenpom]

Congratulations. We have a 29 as well. We have many bells a whistles, but the option I could not see living without is the auto pilot.

 

[Nudge]

Wow! We are completely overwhelmed by the responses - so thoughtful, so complete - we're grateful for your generosity with time and information! We need to take some time to read carefully and consider all - we're sure we'll have followup questions!

 

[knotflying]

Just to help while making decisions; if undecided about something hold off on getting things that can be easily installed later, use the boat for a while and you will then figure out what you really need.