Ranger 29CB or 31CB

[Bobby P.]

Hello,

New to this forum, but not to boating.

We currently have an Albin 36, and are going to move toward the trailerable trawler life. We love to be on the water, from Maine to Key West. However, we are not retired, so the slow boat is not practical.

One of my requirements is a flybridge. We were looking at the Ranger 27 and 29. No flybridge for the 27, so that is not off the consideration list. We were at the US boat show in Annapolis last week and spent some time on the 29cb. Very nice boat Then we looked at the 31cb.

Now we are exploring all the cost/benefits of both of these boats.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[baz]

The primary differences between the R29 CB and the R31 CB are....

1) Cost difference - Purchase price, Insurance, possibly more maintenance costs
2) Hull differences (somewhat minor though)
3) The R29 CB and The R31 CB both have the Volvo Penta D4 300 HP engine. The R29 CB will cruise at a faster speed (maybe a knot or two)
4) Styling - The R29 CB is a more modern design than is the traditional looking R31 CB
5) The R31 CB has a sliding helm door whereas the R29 CB does not have one
6) The R31 CB obviously has more interior room than does the R29 CB
7) The R31 CB being longer than the R29 CB the docking fees for the R31 CB will be more
8) Cost for bottom paint for the R31 CB will be more than for the R29 CB
9) The R31 CB does (I believe) have a 2nd head compared to the R29 CB
10) Both the R29 CB and the R31 CB are built in the same RT factory
11) The R29 CB has a bulkhead opening window to the cockpit that provides more seating luxury
12) The R31 CB is heaver than the R29 CB -- trailer will likely cost more along with more cost for towing

 

[Irish Mist]

Bob
If you could get to a boat show and see them side by side it would be a big help.. There is no doubt the 31 has more room inside. The mid berth is a lot roomier. The 29 and the 31 used to be pretty similar but the 31 had the extra 2 ft in the cockpit. On redesigning the 29 the boat was made lighter by removing the side door at the helm and the hull is not as tall. The lower hull resulted in less height in the mid cabin.. The cabin was made smaller to make the cockpit larger.
I also like the side seating in the 31 that goes out past the side of the boat.
Having an older 29 our biggest (small) complaint is the room in the cockpit, which was well addressed in the newer models. I can say that I do not really find the new cabin space lacking in anything.
I am not sure how much I would use the extra head in the 31, but having a spare toilet is never a bad thing..
Great decisions to be having to make..
Good Luck

 

[Tug Travelers]

Bob-
I had that exact same debate with myself a couple of years ago. For me, it came down to a few things (just my opinions).
Style: I like the "more authentic tug" look of the 31.
Up Top: I felt like the flying bridge and seating up top was better in the R31.
Cubby Hole: The mid-cabin berth is much more usable on the R31.
Helm Door: I love having the helm door.
Cockpit: the cockpit seating with the gull-wing seats is very nice.

The extra cost is significant, but I think it was worth it.
Jeff
Tug Travelers Guided Ranger Tug Flotillas

 

[Dale777]

Ditto on these items noted by Tug Travelers:

Style: I like the "more authentic tug" look of the 31.
Cubby Hole: The mid-cabin berth is much more usable on the R31.
Helm Door: I love having the helm door.

 

[Bobby P.]

Thank you all for the good support and your insight.
I, too, like a door next to the helm.
I had the advantage of seeing the 29 and 31 together at the boat show. I thought I was shopping for a 27 or 29. Now I am thinking the 31.

What about towing. Once you move to the 29, you need permits, etc. So I don't think there that towing a 31 is much more challenging than the 29.

Has anyone had experience towing the 31? Right now I have a Ram 1500. I am already committing to going to a 2500 if I go for the 29 or 31.

Thoughts on towing?

Thanks much!

 

[Dale777]

Get a diesel AND 4 X 4.

 

[mjq1987]

We went through the 29CB vs. 31CB decision process last year. The 31CB is an awesome boat, but we ultimately went with the 29CB based on the following:

1. Visibility and light - the visibility looking out in the 29 is very different than the 31. Based on the deck/superstructure height in the 29, we can stand in the salon and have a 360 degree view out. Based on not being very tall, we could really only see out of the side windows on the 31 if we weren't in the helm or companion seats. We also loved the atrium lights in the 29 and the added light gained by the portholes in the stateroom and the ability to open the aft cabin window, not just for extra seating in the cockpit but for making the salon more open to the outside.

2. Couple cruising - we were told early on that Ranger Tugs provide "Drinks for 6, dinner for 4 and sleeping for 2" and, despite the 31's day head and larger mid-berth, that appeared to be true on both boats when we were onboard. For the vast majority of our overnight cruising, it will just be Jackie and me, so the extra mid-berth and head were less important to us. It may be of small or no benefit to some, but we love the double-helm chair on the 29 versus the 31's single.

3. We weighed the pros and cons of both boats and decided on the 29 based on its cons not adding up to the price differential for us. We ordered a 29CB at the 2017 Annapolis Boat Show and took delivery in August 2018. We love the boat and are satisfied we made the right choice for us based on our trips/day cruises, so far. We went back to the boat show last weekend to see the Ranger Tugs/Pocket Yachts team and to do a post-delivery side-by-side comparison of the Ranger and Cutwater boats. Having spent about 10 nights on the boat since we took delivery, we now have first hand experience with space, ease of use, stowage, etc. From the perspective of stowage, the 31 has significantly more stowage in the stateroom than the 29. We were able to fit all we needed to bring on the 29 with room to spare, but the difference between boats is noticeable to us now. There is also more stowage and move-about space in the salon which would make a difference if more people were going to be onboard for extended periods. We are still convinced that our choice was right for us, but the 31 remains an awesome boat!

 

[Bobby P.]

Good discussion and support for 29cb. My only concern is coming from the 36 Albin, how would 29 measure up. This is a good list accolades for the 29.

 

[rehurst]

We stepped down from a Monk 36 to our 2012 R-29C. We love the boat, but forget about the storage. No comparison. Our boathouse has at least half of what we took off the Monk. The cave is really a storage compartment for us. Our older r-29 still has the helm door which we really like and was the reason we sought this year/model. Figure serious downsizing.