Ranger Tug 27 vs 29

[vt97john]

Hello All. I'm trying to decide between a 27' in the 2012 to 2016 range OR a 29' that is a 2011. I have a budget of around $150k. I'll use the boat for a combination of fishing and family overnight cruising (for a night or two) - all on the Chesapeake Bay. I'd appreciate your feedback on the following questions:

Does the rear blind spot on the 27' present a problem for trolling fishing?

Does the length and beam of the 29' make it harder to single-hand?

Does the 29' have significantly more engine noise because the engine is partially under cabin? If so, can I do any customization to mitigate that?

Does the 29' provide better accommodations for sleeping? I have a wife and an 5 year old boy and a 8 year old girl (and when i'm not with them, I may have 2-3 adult friends with me).

Was 2011 a good year for the 29'? I don't know when Range started making the 29', and I wonder if 2011 an early model that didn't yet have updates to address design flaws (for example, I've heard that boarding stairs in cockpit had to be made smaller at some point because they took up too much space).

How does the fuel economy compare between 27' and 29'?

How do the 27' and 29' compare in terms of handling a choppy Chesapeake Bay? Smooth riding is always nice.

If I buy a boat that's several years older (say a 2011 instead of a 2016) do I greatly increase the risk of having various parts or systems die on me?

I don't think I'll be interested in trailering the boat, so that's probably not a consideration.

Thanks a lot for your feedback.

 

[BradOwens]

We have a 2012 R29. The extra beam does a lot for stability and cabin space. The aft berth is somewhat larger, so as the kids get older, or when adults may be sleeping there, it's better than the 27. Engine noise has never been an issue for us. Even though it's an older boat, mechanical issues have been almost non existent. And last but not least, single handing the 29 is very easy. The sliding pilot house door is my favorite feature, and one the 27 doesn't have.
All that being said, you won't go wrong with either boat.

 

[Joan and Jim]

I have no experience with R27's. However, in May we traded in our R29 for another Ranger. Our selection of another Ranger was motivated by the positive experiences we had had with the R29 and the customer support from our local distributor, Port Boathouse, from whom we did not even buy the boat (although from whom we bought our present one), Garmin, who carried out, free of charge, major repairs to our radar even though we were the 3rd owners and the warranty had long expired, and from Ranger Tugs themselves.

I commend to you the link found in the right column of the Tugnuts homepage entitled "Andiamo - an R29 Ranger Tug". It was very helpful to me and I referred to it often during our ownership of the R29. It provides a lot of information on the R29.

From the entrance of the cabin right to the bow, the layouts of both the R29 and R31 are about the same. The cabin engine noise is less in our present boat but it was never a big deal in our R29. In fact, we never thought about it. Engine access was a bigger issue. With the engine part way into the cabin one must, at times, lean over the door ledge which is not comfortable. The lid for adding oil is under the sill so you need a flexible funnel but that is not a big deal. Further, regarding the engine, I do not know if there would be more hassles with parts, etc. now that Ranger Tugs has switched from Yanmar to Volvo-Penta.

Cockpit size was a big issue for us. It is limited. In, I think, 2012, the steps on each side were narrowed. I have been on a 2012 R29. This modification appears to me to have added surprisingly more usable space.

Access to the 20 pound propane tank is a significant hassle. It requires removing the fish sink built into the transom and lifting it out. We modified the boat by buying one of the propane boxes that RT now uses and installing it, like RT does, on the swim step with two 5 pound tanks. This gives us way simpler access to the tanks and also freed up a lot of storage space in the cupboards below the fish sink.

I echo Brad's comments, in particular his view that the side door on the R29 which is not available on the R27, is something that I would not want to be without. Also, while I cannot speak from personal experience about the R27, the visibility from the R29 is pretty good and I think the blind spot in the R27 could be a problem.

All said, our R29 was a good boat and brought us lots of enjoyment.

 

[Joan and Jim]

Sorry, I neglected to include that our R29 was a 2011.

 

[tugnnaweigh]

We just moved up from a 2008 R25 to a 2012 R29 and it’s a completely different boating experience. Whereas on the R25 we and our dogs were in close proximity almost underfoot, on the R29 everyone has places they can be and most importantly can move around each other far more easily.

To me, Boating is going somewhere and doing something while the Wife is more a fan of Cabin Activities, hot drinks, cold drinks, warm meals, some music, perhaps a nap, which the R29 provides in a far more expansive layout. So here I am out back not catching fish and she’s inside warm and snuggly, out of the weather enjoying a hot cup of tea.

As for handling, all Ranger Tugs handle easily one person due to the thrusters, the R29 having the side door is something helpful that is unique to it.

Especially as you’re not going to trailer, get the R29 by all means and don’t worry about durability as all boats need repairs as you go along and Ranger Tugs are well known for quality builds and outstanding service to us owners.

 

[vt97john]

Thanks everyone for the useful feedback. Is there anything that can be done about the stairs in the cockpit taking up too much room on the earlier 29' models? I'm concerned about the impact on seating options. Since the stairs are more compact in later models, could an old model be retrofitted with new stairs ordered from Ranger Tugs? Any other customizations ideas? Or, do you have to just Muti-purpose the stairs by putting cushions on them to use as seats? Thanks.

 

[Dale777]

vt97john,

In comparing the R27 classic to an R29 classic, I echo everything the previous posters have said.

I originally had a 2012 R27 classic. After a few years my wife and I decided that we needed more space for dealing with cruises of more than a few days. We now have the R31S, which is very, very similar to the R29 classic, except for more cockpit space in the R31S. For our ages and medical conditions, we are now far, far more comfortable in the R31S.

1. Visibility - R27 classic head partially blocks the rear view, but we partially addressed that with rear-view mirrors mounted on the forward rails. R31S and R29 classic have little to no rear view blockage, but we mounted rear-view mirrors anyway.
2. Docking - R31S and R29 classic are far easier to dock and depart versus the R27 classic due to their helm door, especially if single-handing.
3. Cabin maneuvering space - R31S and R29 classic provide greater ease of passing each other in the salon area due to the wider beam.
4. Sleeping - R31S and R29 classic provide much more comfort in getting in and out of the V-berth, since there is a partial walk-around bed versus the R27 classic. The mid-berth on the R27 classic is not suitable for any average sized adult male (5'9"), but can be partially improved by removing the built-in seat-desk, then sliding the mattress aft a bit. It is not at all suitable for two adults. The mid-berth on the R31s and R29 classic is suitable even for an adult male above average in size. I am 5'11" and I am able to sleep there quite well. However, two adults would be a stretch, unless they are small and cozy with each other. It is great for 2 children. All three models have a small berth that can be arranged on top of the dining table. I never used that so I don't know about its utility.
5. Sea handling - With the wider beam and weight, the R31S is far better handling. I assume the R29 classic would be similar. We feel that the R31S comfortably plows through moderately difficult sea conditions far better than the R27 classic which tends to be bounced around a bit more.
6. Fuel economy - Generally, I find the fuel economy on the R31S to be similar or better than the R27 classic. I never posted any fuel economy data on my R27 classic, but I have done so for my R31S. Although it might not be totally relevant for a R29 classic with the Yanmar, see the following link. As you will see from the graphs in this link, the data points vary a lot due to wind, tide, and waves, but you can see a trend.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5868&p=41893&hilit=polynomial#p41893

Either the R27 classic or the R29 classic are very good boats. The way you plan to use it matters more than anything.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

the other option if you are keen on fishing is the cutwater 28. outside steering station on most boats and better rearward visibility with a similar feel but different layout to the ranger.

biggest difference between the R27-R29 is beam. that extra space is huge as is the stability. cut28 is 8'6" like the R27.

not to say the R27/C28 arent good though.

 

[Joan and Jim]

Hi vt97John. The classic R29's come with custom-shaped cushions which snap onto the top steps on both sides. (Note that only a little movement by a person when seated can cause the seat to unsnap.) In addition, while none came with our boat when we got it, there are supposed to be two custom-fitted cushions for outside seating on the forecastle.
As for retrofitting the stairs, my friend (he also owned a 2011 R29) and I tried to look into it but never got an answer to our enquiries. From looking at both designs it appeared to us that they could be switched out but I do not know if that is correct or if you can get the parts. There may be some kicking around at the factory left over from when the modification was made to the 2012 model.

 

[vt97john]

I have no experience with R27's. However, in May we traded in our R29 for another Ranger. Our selection of another Ranger was motivated by the positive experiences we had had with the R29 and the customer support from our local distributor, Port Boathouse, from whom we did not even buy the boat (although from whom we bought our present one), Garmin, who carried out, free of charge, major repairs to our radar even though we were the 3rd owners and the warranty had long expired, and from Ranger Tugs themselves.

I commend to you the link found in the right column of the Tugnuts homepage entitled "Andiamo - an R29 Ranger Tug". It was very helpful to me and I referred to it often during our ownership of the R29. It provides a lot of information on the R29.

From the entrance of the cabin right to the bow, the layouts of both the R29 and R31 are about the same. The cabin engine noise is less in our present boat but it was never a big deal in our R29. In fact, we never thought about it. Engine access was a bigger issue. With the engine part way into the cabin one must, at times, lean over the door ledge which is not comfortable. The lid for adding oil is under the sill so you need a flexible funnel but that is not a big deal. Further, regarding the engine, I do not know if there would be more hassles with parts, etc. now that Ranger Tugs has switched from Yanmar to Volvo-Penta.

Cockpit size was a big issue for us. It is limited. In, I think, 2012, the steps on each side were narrowed. I have been on a 2012 R29. This modification appears to me to have added surprisingly more usable space.

Access to the 20 pound propane tank is a significant hassle. It requires removing the fish sink built into the transom and lifting it out. We modified the boat by buying one of the propane boxes that RT now uses and installing it, like RT does, on the swim step with two 5 pound tanks. This gives us way simpler access to the tanks and also freed up a lot of storage space in the cupboards below the fish sink.

I echo Brad's comments, in particular his view that the side door on the R29 which is not available on the R27, is something that I would not want to be without. Also, while I cannot speak from personal experience about the R27, the visibility from the R29 is pretty good and I think the blind spot in the R27 could be a problem.

All said, our R29 was a good boat and brought us lots of enjoyment.

Does the 2011 classic R29 (with its cockpit stairs taking up too much room) have more or less cockpit space than the classic R27? Thanks.

 

[baz]

I'm always interested in hearing about the usefulness of the helm sliding door on the R-29 Classic and the R-31 models.

The posts I've read about this for the most part are all very positive and always state it helps with single handling the boat which presumably means when docking and maybe undocking.

Many many other boat brands (especially big ones) also sport helm doors so there must be some advantage for this door; either simply cosmetic, ease for captain to get outside to the bow and/or walking aft on the outside or simply nice to have when cruising and sliding the door open some for better views and more fresh air in the face.

The Ranger Tug boats are not IMO considered to be big boats and are priced competitively with other similar sized boats but offer a lot more creature comforts as stock so making them very attractive to the price conscious boater customers. I've talked endlessly with RT about their sliding helm door models and as I recall the sliding helm door adds around $5,000 to the price of the boat. For the RT models without the sliding helm door the $5,000 can be put to benefit the boat in many ways; such as less price or better inside comfort and better materials.

With regard to people thinking the sliding helm door helps with docking when single handling the boat and therefore is something that they cannot be without vs. the same boat without the sliding helm door I would offer a solution that can be employed on a RT boat without the sliding helm door.

When single handling a boat for docking the most demanding effort is for securing both the stern and bow lines as the boat aligns with the dock. This can be accomplished as follows.... and I give credit to another boater who gave me this technique.

Example: bow in with a starboard tie

1) Have a long line running from the bow cleat along side of starboard making sure it does not interfere with the fender lines (the fenders are deployed well before the docking activity starts) and secured (not too tightly) properly to a midship or an aft cleat.

2) The stern line is made ready after the docking fenders have been deployed.

3) Now once the boat has been aligned with the dock with the stern close to the dock even with the bow being pushed out due to wind on the starboard side, the solo captain can goto the cockpit and get onto the dock with stern line in hand and quickly grab the bow line as laid out in 1). Now the Captain has both the stern line and bow lines to control the boat's movement and securing one and then the other to the dock cleats etc. Of course, if there's a 1st Mate onboard it helps them also to have access to both the bow and stern lines quickly.

With the above line setup as described in 1) and 2) having a helm door provides little benefit for the solo Captain, and in fact can complicate the way the bow and stern lines are laid out for docking.

For me being a solo Captain without a sliding helm door I will always when docking try to have the stern be the point of contact with the dock so I can get onto the dock and have both the bow and stern lines in my hands.

My point here is that to simplify docking for a solo Captain without a sliding helm door a well planned out bow and stern line setup goes a long way to safely handle the boat's docking, and for the extra $5,000 to be used elsewhere with lower cost or for something else. 🙂

Also, exiting the helm door is not without some difficulties if you're a big person or struggle with leg movements. There's a step up to get out through the door and it's not that wide of an opening. If you're excited about the helm door just try it out to satisfy yourself it's as useful as you've imagined it to be.

With calm/still waters and no wind or opposing currents docking is easy-peasy for all the RT boats. It's when one or more of these things is adversely affecting docking does the solo Captain need to have things ready be it a RT with or without the sliding helm door.

As an aside, I really dislike docks that do not provide proper cleats, but simply have raised beams to loop lines around. The cleat is far superior for a quick line tie up vs. the time it takes to loop a line around the raised beam a few times. This issue came to the forefront for me last Thursday when docking at Poet's Cove (Bedwell Harbour) for Canadian customs checkin. The Customs dock does not have cleats and has the raised beam for lines. It's a tight area and I was advised to have the boat turned about so it faced out to make things easier when leaving. This meant a starboard tie. The wind was blowing hard against my starboard side as I turned about and reversed in toward the dock. I got the stern against the dock, I threw my bow line as best I could onto the dock and raced back to the cockpit and jumped off onto the dock with my stern line in hand. My bow was quickly being pushed out due to the strong wind and my bow line was fast being pulled off the dock. I barely managed to get to the bow line before it disappeared into the water leaving the bow to wander out of control. Now holding both lines the wind force on the boat was significant and I struggled securing the stern line on the annoying raised beam. With the stern line secure I was then able to use both hands to pull the bow in alongside the dock and secured it. Now had I my stern and bow lines been setup as described above in 1) and 2) this docking task would have much less stressful and dare I say I was lucky in this case that my bow line wasn't pulled off into the water.

 

[stwendl]

I had also eyed the feature of the side door. However looking at all the gaps it had I was worried that a swoop of water might enter the cabin if the drains ere over whelmed

Secondly, if the door is open the throttle moves backward and may make operation difficult. I have a thruster remote that allows me to hold the boat in position up to a certain wind and water speed and reaching thru the window for making fast is most of the time sufficient

 

[tugnnaweigh]

Hello All. I'm trying to decide between a 27' in the 2012 to 2016 range OR a 29' that is a 2011. I have a budget of around $150k.

I’m thinking you have a very valid theory, for a set amount of money it’s a newer R27 or an older R29. I’m also thinking you have the necessary budget to purchase a R29.

While owning a R25 and watching the R29 market it became obvious they don’t sell until the asking price drops into the low 150s although this can take some time.

To take some pressure off of you, keep in mind a boats value is set either by two parties that agree on it or by NADA which if you search NADA on the ‘Nuts you’ll see folks lamainting the low low value NADA gives all vessels and keep in mind this is the value lenders and insurers use.

Lenders for loans and insurers for loss payouts so if you don’t get close to NADA value for a purchase price you could use too much out of pocket cash at purchase and then take it in the shorts if there’s a loss or when you sell.

Anyways, running the numbers for a typical R29 sale, the current sale pending on Yachtworld shows a 2012 R29 listed for $149k (I think it started at $189) so likely an offer at least 10% off that was received and that would be $135k to the broker and $122k to the seller.

I just did that on both ends, selling a R25 I started at $89k like everyone else and finally taking $70k when I’d lowered the price to $74k so after I delivered it I could purchase a nearby 2012 R29 for the sellers asking price of $125k which netted him a bit more than if he’d listed through a broker at $150k as above.

Watch Yachtworld, watch Boattrader, watch the ‘Nuts; your R29 is out there, sus out for yourself the price points they appear to change hands at and start making some offers you’re comfortable with.

Like boat owners say: “It's only money!” Also they say: “I wish I had some money.”

 

[marcham]

2 foot itis.... It's probably cheaper to get the bigger one now rather than in 2 years...

Sent from my SM-T700 using Tapatalk

 

[ron cowan]

How do you access the aft a/c unit under the helm seat on a 29’?

 

[Rocky]

My 29 does not have AC, but I am familiar with where it goes. In the front of the 1/4 berth, the "bulkhead" panel removes with a few screws and it opens up pretty good access to that area - although you are lying on your berth mattress. FYI- That is also where the water heater lives.

 

[Irish Mist]

Hi
We really enjoy or 2011 R29. The stairs in the previous years in the cockpit where wider and took up more space, they where reduced in width after 2010 I believe. We use the steps with the padded cushions as seats and have two folding chairs. 4 people fit fairly well.. The cock pit is one area that the 31 and the new 29's have really improved on. But honestly most of the time there are just two of us back there. Sometimes 4 rarely more then that... But everyone is different in their needs.

The rear A/c unit is accessed from the cave by removing a panel.. Everything in these boats is a compromise as there is a ton of systems in a smallish boat. Accessing the A/C is not horrible but it is tight.

I do enjoy have the helm door, access and ventilation... Most boats in this size do not have helm doors and have gotten by well with out them..It just makes life easier with a closed in cabin.

The biggest advantage besides price for a 27 will be the trailering with out the need of permits.
As mentioned both boats are great and there is no better support I have seen for any product anywhere..

Good luck with your choices there is no bad decision between these two boats.

 

[H28]

Don't want to be too repetitive from advice above. But in moving up from a RT25 to the RT29, we really really like the wider beam. noticeably more stable.

 

[torangefree]

We recently went through the same process as you are right now, and I would say if you go on a 29 first, there is no going back. They are both great boats, but the 27 just feels cramped in comparison. We settled on a 2010 29 classic with 400 hours on it. In my opinion the only reasons to get a 27, are budget(as we all have to play within our budgets unfortunately), and trailerability. If you keep your boat in the water most of the time, and can afford it. the 29 wins handsdown.

I second most of what people have said about the 29, side door, extra beam, real bed vs. v-berth, but one thing that I didn't see mentioned is that you don't have to step down into the salon on a 29. I'm a big guy and getting in and out, especially when single handing, is way better without having to go up and down all the time. Going out onto the deck with a cup of tea, carrying something, or doing just about anything, is just nicer and easier without having to step up and down. Also, this puts you bit higher up, and the visibility is much better when you are up higher, without the head blocking a big portion of your view rearward.

Hope this helps.