Sea Doggies launched on Cape Cod!

[JerryE]

Wow! I stopped by Kingman's Marine in Cautamet, MA to pick up my R25 after hose replacements, etc., and the guy helping me line up the trailer says "Hey, isn't that a boat like yours on the travel lift?" Of course, I said there are no boats like Rangers..., but I looked up and, Lo and Behold, there's a brand new R27 being lifted off its trailer. It didn't take long to find Ken, who was nearby supervising the launch of Sea•Doggies, which he will keep in a slip at Kingman's, on Buzzard's Bay on Cape Cod, MA. Here's the official launch picture taken on the morning of Friday August 5th, 2011:

She's a beauty in that fancy light blue color, from Winter Yacht Sales in Salem. I can tell because she has Peter's interesting wrap-around couch system in the cockpit. Sea•Doggies also has a unique, permanent SS bimini rig reminiscent of the hard top on Karma; an R29 most of us are familiar with given her unique add-ons.

I met Ken early this year at the Boston Boat Show where he was soaking up as much information as he could on Rangers, which was the only busy boat display at the entire show. On behalf of TugBoats, I'll ask Ken to put up an album showing his changes, especially regarding the bimini. I'll also ask him to put his boat up on the map of the World of Ranger Tugs as his would be the third on Cape Cod on the map. Congratulations Ken, and happy boating!!! Here's a shot of Kingman's; Ken's boat will reside in the inner harbor safe and sound:

Incidentally, there is Ranger boating life outside the PNW! Ken's boat is on Buzzard's Bay (cf. the yellow circle where Kingman's is) just south of the Cape Cod canal dividing the mainland from the Cape. My R25 (Alto, see the blue spot) is on Popponesset Bay in Mashpee, MA. John and Peggy Shea's R25 Mon Petit Chou-Chou (red spot) is on the Bass River in Dennis, MA which opens directly to the Nantucket Sound.

We have access to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, of course. Interesting spots for us include the string of islands (Elizabethan) above MV with Cuttyhunk being the southernmost. Cuttyhunk is a stop-over on the way to Block Island and then down to Newport, RI to visit our sister Rangers in their beautiful bays. Some say the Cutwaters were designed to appeal to New England tastes, but we think the Rangers are especially well suited to waters and short summer season, like the PNW. Hopefully, after the crowds leave and the pleasant fall weather comes we can arrange a mini-rendezvous for our sister ships around Newport and Cape Cod in Menemsha at the southwester tip of Martha's Vineyard. Here's a picture I took standing in Billy Joel's cottage's front yard looking out over the bay. My godson is an assistant harbor master there, so hopefully he can help us with line management at the aft-in docking at the top of the photo. Oh, I almost forgot! We have thrusters, so we can get in and out with half the hassle of everyone else... Ken, enjoy your new Ranger and we'll see you in Menemsha and elsewhere this summer and fall.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Thanks, Jerry, for the great introduction (where's the picture from Billy's cottage?). And welcome Ken. Send me a PM with details and I'll add you to the map.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[JerryE]

Yo Bruce,

Guess I got over-excited and forgot to post the picture of Menemsha I referenced, above. Here's the snap shot of Menemsha from Billy Joel's little house (which he has since sold for millions).

It is NOT cheap to stay or live in Menemsha; e.g., the Menemsha Inn starts at $315 per day to around $715 per day IN season. But you can stay there on the town dock for $2.50 per foot + $5 for 30 amp service per day. That's $67.50 per day + Mass. tax for my 25 footer. You call at 7:00AM and reserve the dock before coming that day; first come first serve.There is a bus which comes to town near the dock every hour, and costs $6 for a pass that allows transfers for an entire day to go anywhere on the island. Also, the package store delivers right to the dock from its home base in Oak Bluffs. Menemsha is off the beaten track on Martha's Vineyard, but its also a cheap alternative to Block Island or the Vineyard (and certainly Nantucket) if you want to stay on a dock with power. There are two fish shops selling raw and cooked fish (see the building next to the right-most telephone poll), most of which is less than a couple hours old. A few tiny clothing stores, a breakfast place and a general old fashioned store over the hill where the picture above was taken. You may or may not get cell phone access on your boat's roof or at the top of the hill, but then that part of the ambience–to be out of touch.

Martha's Vineyard is typically $4 per foot for dockage with Oak Bluffs offering $3/ft with a 30' minimum + $15 electric per day. So Menemsha is the best deal. It's thought to have the prettiest sunsets on the east coast by some. You in the PNW wouldn't think of it, but it's hard to see the sun set over salt water on the east coast, unless you are on the west side of an island. Menemsha has its problems, there's a fuss over the attempt to limit transient boat dockage down from the current 118 feet to only 75 feet, which would allow more dock space for "poorer" folks if passed. When Ted Kennedy would come in with his lovely old sailboat, Mya, he took over the mooring in the center of the harbor and kicked off rafters due to security issues. No one really minded though, of course we reserved the God-given right of all boaters to complain about everything. Here's a sad video of Mya's return to Cape Cod (in 2009) now that the Senator has passed away:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXSeOCngekA[/youtube]
On the other hand, he used to pump his bilge diesel oil directly overboard (photographed in 2002 after the Figawi Race) and was not welcome in many boatyards, reportedly, due to nonpayment of bills. Ah well, I appear to be rambling once again. Still, I have taken it upon myself to be better focused, and thus I am turning my attention to my obsession with proving it's possible to live frugally on a Ranger Tug. Why do I do this? Who knows, who cares... My personal goal to retire on the tug has been slightly compromised by my need to work three weeks out of the month extra hard, in order to retire (i.e., sit around the deck, which Ranger now tells me is 50 sq ft too small, in shabby-chic splendor doing nothing) for one week per month on the boat. Most of us appreciated the value of a Ranger as getting a lot for the money, even if was a lot of money. Given weather vagaries, I try to do this half the year on Cape Cod and half the year in Florida. To read more of my cheapo ramblings, check out my latest blog describing how to travel through, and put a Ranger Tug in, the Florida Keys and live on-board for $250-$350 per month: http://altosadventures.blogspot.com/.