Sand Dollar II finally arrived in Port Alberni

[kjgregson]

It really does feel like you are waiting for the birth of a baby as you await the arrival of your new Ranger Tug.

After what seems like an eternity, Sand Dollar II left the plant and arrived in Port Alberni to get her bottom painting and canvas. Keith and I took the first ferry over today to inspect her from top to bottom and the team in Monroe did a great job with all the modifications we asked for. We talked with our canvas maker today to get design specs worked out for the aft enclosure and she headed for bottom paint this afternoon. Keeping our fingers crossed we will be back in Port Alberni on July 6 to take our new boat with her canvas completed for our orientation and shakedown cruise in the area for the weekend before we bring her home to Bowen Island. We're sorry we don't have her for this long weekend, but the weather is helping us get over that.

It was a little bittersweet as we arrived today, as our R-29 Sand Dollar was on a trailer beside her getting prepped to go to her new owners on the Sunshine Coast tomorrow. Our much loved boat goes to a new family and we hope they love her as much as we did.

The good news is maybe we'll have one more boat to add to our Desolation Cruise as the new owners of Sand Dollar are in the hood.

Looking forward to being on the water again shortly and catching up with everyone in Ganges at the end of July if not seeing you on the water before.

Have a great Canada Day long weekend and Happy Fourth of July to our friends to the south.

 

[kjgregson]

Here are Sand Dollar and Sand Dollar II side by side

 

[lashobe]

Curious what are the features of the R 31 without the bridge that attracted you versus your R 29?

Lee

 

[kjgregson]

Hi Lee

We absolutely loved our R-29 and really weren't looking for a change as our boat was a 2012 model, then we went to the boat show and saw the R-31. What really attracted us to the R-31 was the increased cockpit space which is where we spend the majority of our time when we are not underway. On our R-29 we had a custom full enclosure done and found even on chilly spring and fall evenings we could turn on the furnace, leave the salon door open and it heated the cockpit so we were toasty warm. With the additional space in the R-31 cockpit we can seat even more guests comfortably, and we love the new seating layout which utilizes the space so well. The cockpit is our primary living space for 3/4 of the year and getting that much more room is going to be great. We're having the custom enclosure done on the R-31 this week so it will become our 3 season "living room".

From Keith's standpoint, he was stoked about the new Volvo engine, and having a second station in the cockpit was appealing. We weren't really looking for a boat with a flybridge so when Jeff said they could build us one without it and the cost savings that came along with that made us think seriously about making the move. The rest is history and we can't wait to get her next weekend

Hope to see you on the water

Cheers
Kathy & Keith

 

[Nellie Too]

Kathy and Keith,
Just remember that Nita and I have reserved to aft seat on your boat the cocktail hour. All the best.
Bob and Nita

 

[kjgregson]

Bob and Nita, the aft seat definitely has a reserved sign with your names on it. I think the margarita's during cocktail hour will taste great back there 😀

Cheers

Keith & Kathy

 

[Irish Mist]

Congrats
Will be interested to here how it performs compared the the 29. I am new to the Ranger world having just purchased a used R29 about a month ago . I have looked at many pictures of the 31 and thought how nice it would be to have thAt cockpit... At this point I am still overwhelmed at everything on the 29 and finding the cockpit seems to grow a bit every time I use it 🙂 I like you would have ordered with out the flybridge... You are lucky Enjoy!!!

 

[kjgregson]

Thanks Mark and congrats to you on your R-29, you will love it. Do you keep it on Lake Ontario or Simcoe or do you trailer? We both grew up in Ontario before moving west so know the area well. You'll enjoy great boating and it looks like you definitely have the summer weather to enjoy great days on the water. We're expecting that summer weather to show up on the left coast shortly, just in time for our Desolation Sound rendezvous.

Enjoy the journey as you learn more and more about your new R-29

Cheers
Kathy & Keith

 

[JerryE]

Wondering... How will you adapt your full canvas enclosure to allow you to fold out the R31's side seats in the cockpit? I've thought maybe there could be a little expansion bellows, or some such to allow the canvas to form fit around the seat backs when folded out of the gunwale? That would be pretty neat.

 

[Irish Mist]

Enjoying it this weekend for sure The boat lives in the narrows I am just now cruising from sparrow lake to lock 42 then out to Big Chief Island . I was actually looking at your 29 but found one in Barrie so was easier 🙂 let us know how you like the 31 cheers

 

[kjgregson]

Wondering... How will you adapt your full canvas enclosure to allow you to fold out the R31's side seats in the cockpit? I've thought maybe there could be a little expansion bellows, or some such to allow the canvas to form fit around the seat backs when folded out of the gunwale? That would be pretty neat.

Hi Jerry, that would definitely be pretty neat. We're not going as far as to have the canvas fitted to the open side seats, he will make the canvas so there are side panels that roll-up allowing us to open the seats. If we are entertaining while we need to keep the enclosure done up, we'll be using our current deck chairs and will also have use of the rear seat. still lots of room in the cockpit to put chairs in.

That being said, if we decided that in future we did want to work with him on doing something that would allow for the seats to be open and have the enclosure done up, he would just need to make two additional panels that would allow that and we would swap out the existing side panels and zip those in. Would have to give the design of that some in-depth thought and would want to live with the boat first for a while to see what would work

 

[jtwiseman]

Hello
Just to let you know that your much loved R-29 is safely moored at Secret Cove after spending a week at her second home In Quarry Bay in Nelson Island. We love the boat and look forward to seeing you on the water this summer.

We hope that your orientation and weekend cruise went well!

Tracy and John

 

[kjgregson]

Hi Tracy & John, it is so nice to connect with you and we are very happy that you love her, we definitely did. Secret Cove is one of our favourite spots and we have friends who have a cabin on Nelson Island on Blind Bay. We really look forward to meeting up with you on the water this summer. Will you be part of the Desolation cruise this year?

We get Sand Dollar II on Friday in Nanaimo and bring her home to Bowen and with this amazing weather it will be a great weekend to be out on the water.

Enjoy and hope to cross paths soon

Cheers

Keith & Kathy

 

[jtwiseman]

Hi Keith and Kathy,

We have a cabin in Quarry Bay so you will have to make a point of dropping by this summer.

We would love to be part of the Desolation Cruise. But alas one of our daughters is getting married on the 28th. We thought we might look at the schedule and just meet up with the group when you pass through our neck of the woods.

We are meeting friends in Keats this weekend so we may cross paths.

Enjoy the time this weekend.

Tracy and John