RT 41 on YT - What's the story?

All great points above! I am somewhat new to Fluid Motion boats, this is my second season boating with my C30 CB. However, I have lived aboard for 10 years in New York and Miami and grew up a blue water sailor in Hawai’i, and i have a pretty decent exposure to different boating styles and boats throughout the US.
All that being said, Fluid Motion boats fit a certain segment/style of boating, and I feel they fit that niche very well. Once you become comfortable with the Fluid Motion systems, design, and experience, I can completely understand why someone would want to upgrade.
These are not Bluewater boats like the Nordhavens, but they are not designed to be. Yes these boats aren’t as sea worthy as a Nordhaven… but the 41/43 are lighter, faster, and have a shallower draft, giving them other advantages. It really boils down to your boating style and cruising area.
Personally, when I move up next, I’m going to a power cat with a flybridge, but I wouldn’t turndown a 41 if it were a great price.
 
Owning an RT-27OB and having spent several years building the Sabre Yachts Dirigo 66, I can say there is not a lot of build quality differences between the boats. As you get up in the higher price range of Sabre boats, the quality of the accessories goes up. Sabre does follow the AYBC standards better than FM does. Sabre does put a lot more wood on their boats and it looks more luxurious, but I don't think they are built a lot better. I certainly wouldn't take one over the other based on build quality.
I do notice that the 66 is no longer available... guess the hull mold couldn't take any more repairs.
 
ixlr8":1schvgoj said:
Owning an RT-27OB and having spent several years building the Sabre Yachts Dirigo 66, I can say there is not a lot of build quality differences between the boats. As you get up in the higher price range of Sabre boats, the quality of the accessories goes up. Sabre does follow the AYBC standards better than FM does. Sabre does put a lot more wood on their boats and it looks more luxurious, but I don't think they are built a lot better. I certainly wouldn't take one over the other based on build quality.
I do notice that the 66 is no longer available... guess the hull mold couldn't take any more repairs.
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That is very interesting to hear about a $3m boat! I am a big Sabre fan, the 52 flybridge is on my list of retirement boats, along with the Grand Banks East Bay.
 
G.d I miss this forum. Damn Brian stir that pot old friend. Now that we, okay I, am back jonesing to get back in, maybe they will take $500,000 cash. And I too agree. Never made sense at those price points to my poor ordinary self. Cheers to all my old cruising buddies and commiserators.
 
dbsea":1jma94rm said:
That is very interesting to hear about a $3m boat! I am a big Sabre fan, the 52 flybridge is on my list of retirement boats, along with the Grand Banks East Bay.
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Base price of the 66 was $3M, but with options, none went out the door for less than $4M. I tried to do the best quality work that I could. But I was constantly being told to work faster and not worry about the quality so much... they had a price point to meet, time was money.
 
ethanbarnett":3rij7oja said:
G.d I miss this forum. Damn Brian stir that pot old friend. Now that we, okay I, am back jonesing to get back in, maybe they will take $500,000 cash. And I too agree. Never made sense at those price points to my poor ordinary self. Cheers to all my old cruising buddies and commiserators.
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Hey Ethan quit jonesing and jump back in ! Maybe we will see you and Tammy out on the water again. We are on the hook in a bay off of Lake Ontario tonight. Oh, I’m not stirring the pot just giving my opinion. We loved our trailerable Cutwater but would not be interested in 41 Ranger Tug.

ixlr8":3rij7oja said:
Base price of the 66 was $3M, but with options, none went out the door for less than $4M. I tried to do the best quality work that I could. But I was constantly being told to work faster and not worry about the quality so much... they had a price point to meet, time was money.
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Do you think it is any different at any other manufacturer? I have not worked in a Sabre assembly plant nor a Ranger plant so I can’t compare work ethics. All I have to use to compare the Quality is my eyes. Then I give my opinion of what I see. It’s just my opinion. If you like the Ranger and you feel it is the best boat for the price! Buy it. For me if I was going to spend 900K+for a boat it would not be a 41 Ranger. That said I am not going to spend 900K for a boat!!! Opinions we all have them.
 
I don't know too much about the RT-41 other than the information I have read about them and the photos I've perused. But I question why Ranger Tugs made the leap from their popular 31' vessel to a vessel ten+ feet larger? The progression just does not seem natural. I am a very happy owner of a R-31 CB that I bought brand new two years ago. My expectation is that Ranger might have come out with perhaps a new vessel in the mid-thirty foot range such as a 35', 36', or 37' offering matching the lineup of their competitors such as Nordic. Yes, I am aware that Nordic offers a 54' tug but they have and still do offer many sizes from smaller to large. I am surmising that many owners, including myself, are not likely to make the leap to a 41'-43' vessel for a variety of reasons; too big, too pricey, slip availability to berth a larger vessel, etc. Does Ranger have one of those vessels (mid thirty foot range) on the proverbial drawing board? Additionally, the Covid pandemic initiated a buying frenzy for all kinds of boats including new ones, used, coastal cruisers, long range cruisers, sailboats, etc. What I am observing in the Northeast is that many people who made impulse purchases during that time are now having buyer's remorse and putting their vessels up for sale. The cost of boat ownership as well as the learning curve to operate a boat safely in crowded waterways has caught up to owners who were marginal at best. There are many nice boats in addition to Ranger Tugs that are coming to market.
 
There were lots of rumors of a cutwater 36 kicking around the drawing board. Seems to have been mothballed with COVID.

Damn shame as the 32 just isn’t worth the upgrade from the 28 i know.

As I sit on a beach my spec would be.

37 feet overall
12 foot beam
Hull shape that can take some chop.
Twin 450’s
2 cabins and proper arm chair in saloon. (I really don’t find anywhere really comfortable to sit for a while in the cut28)
1 head
Cockpit with full 6 foot sun loungers with convert to table .
Fore deck sun bathing.
Cutwater wood interior
Lots of solar
 
Cutwater28GG":1xyjy4vp said:
2 cabins and proper arm chair in saloon. (I really don’t find anywhere really comfortable to sit for a while in the cut28)
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Is there are CW/RT that has a REALLY comfortable spot to sit? Besides the 41/43 with its fancy chair, there is no lounging on any of the models sadly.
 
Our (former) C30 had two comfortable seating areas IMO. One was folding chairs in the cockpit; we also had a full cockpit enclosure. That was the best for socializing.

The second area was good for only 1 person. That was sideways on the aft dinette seat, with your back against the starboard hull, and a vertical support pillow behind you. That was best for reading.

I agree that the dinette was uncomfortable after a while for 2+ people. Good for meals but not lounging.
 
ha! I thought it was just me!

all the seats are too vertical. we end up using tommy bahama chairs in the cockpit! (but its something else to store in the cave!)

the interior dining seats are good for... well dining. but for lounging, reading or watching a movie. no.
 
Agree about the seating.

I have been using these PICO chairs for a few years now. Pluses and minuses to them. Absolutely wonderfully compact to store. Two of them fit under the stern seat in my CW28. Not many chairs can do that. We take them in the dingy to beach. We can hang out on the dock. They are comfortable to sit, angle is good. They come with a little tote bag.

On the down side, it some times feels like you're dealing with Rubik's cube to unfold them. And they have to be rinsed off carefully to avoid salt and sand from jamming them up.

Here's a link if there's interest: https://www.amazon.com/GCI-Outdoor-Comp ... hdGY&psc=1

-martin
 
I have been looking at RT41 and RT43 for sale in the used market. Can someone tell me what changed when Ranger changed from RT41 to RT43? I see that they upped the power but was that it?
 
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