Stack Storage

[Noboatyet]

We are looking to purchase our very first boat - Ranger Tug 21EC. We've been looking at several moorage opportunities. One is a "stack storage" marina. They store our boat until we call and then they have it in the water at whatever time we specify. Has anyone out there ever stored a Ranger Tug in this manner? Any pros or cons to think about? I have talked to the representative at the marina closest to our home and he has no experience with Ranger Tugs but is checking hull details to see if it's a possibility. Thought I would throw the question out there to all of you for more information. Thank you very much!!!

 

[walldog]

We are looking to purchase our very first boat - Ranger Tug 21EC. We've been looking at several moorage opportunities. One is a "stack storage" marina. They store our boat until we call and then they have it in the water at whatever time we specify. Has anyone out there ever stored a Ranger Tug in this manner? Any pros or cons to think about? I have talked to the representative at the marina closest to our home and he has no experience with Ranger Tugs but is checking hull details to see if it's a possibility. Thought I would throw the question out there to all of you for more information. Thank you very much!!!

See if they will allow you to or provide power. You may want it to keep your batteries charged while storing.

 

[bbrh842]

I kept my R-25 in a dry stack for four years. Not a problem except for having to raise and lower the mast and radio antena every time I used the boat. The marina finally agreed to adjust one of the shelves to have enough room for the boat to fit with the mast up. There was no access to power while the boat was in the warehouse, but I never considered that an issue. A wet slip is better if you like to spend a lot of time hanging around on your boat.

 

[ozoner]

Dry stack is great, especially in areas where moorage is scarce or expensive. But there are a few cons, some already mentioned here:

• As Walldog mentioned is is really nice to have power to the boat, to keep the batteries charged and the fridge cold.
• It is hard to do maintenance on the boat when it is stacked, unless it happens to be on the bottom rack. And even then many marinas will not let you near the stack for an extended length of time because of liability concerns.
• In colder areas being in a stack can significantly increase the chances of your boat freezing hard. When in the water at least the bottom half of your boat is always in the 40's at a minimum. Up in the air you are surrounded by 10 degree F air and it will freeze your bilge, your pipes, and your water tank solid in a shockingly short amount of time if you haven't done your prep work.
• Some anodes will some providing protection if exposed to air for long periods of time.
• In the lower racks, you are vulnerable to leaks and drips from above - I had a canvas top ruined by outdrive lubricant leaking from a boat above me, and if you are on the bottom rack you are getting the dirty drips from 2-4 rows above you. In the upper racks you are potentially exposed to much higher winds, and they can take their toll on canvas and any other dangling pieces of rigging or rope.

I dry stacked my boat for 2 years and it was a good compromise - it let me keep it in an area much closer to the action, at a cheaper price. And it was quite nice to pick up a phone and know that in 20 minutes it would be in the water, fueled up and ready to go.

 

[Lenny and Louise]

We dry stacked for a year and a half. Well, last summer it spent more time in water than in stack because, as others have said, it is fun to just hang out on a boat. It worked well for us.

A couple comments. We were in a heated "barn," Not heated enough for people comfort, but well above freezing all the time. Be sure to remove fuses for CO and propane alarms if you leave it there for prolonged period. They are hard wired before the battery switch. Although they don't draw much, eventually they will drain a battery. (That is not a theoretical statement 🙁 )

 

[ireilly]

We have our R27 dry stacked in Destin, Fl. For us it is the only way to go. If I want to work on my boat, I call ahead and they bring it out and put it on a rack for me to work on it. The rack has access to power and water.
The facility is wind rated to 150 mph which is pretty good insurance in case of hurricanes.
My boat does not get subjected to the elements especially the sun which can be brutal in FL.
To get my boat out, fueled and stocked is an app away.
The only downside is we have to plan around the hours of operation which means if we come in after dark, the boat will sit out overnight. Not a big deal but a consideration.
All in all, if I had to choose between in the water and dry stack in FL, I'd go dry stack.

 

[Sweet_Pea]

We are looking to purchase our very first boat - Ranger Tug 21EC. We've been looking at several moorage opportunities. One is a "stack storage" marina. They store our boat until we call and then they have it in the water at whatever time we specify. Has anyone out there ever stored a Ranger Tug in this manner? Any pros or cons to think about? I have talked to the representative at the marina closest to our home and he has no experience with Ranger Tugs but is checking hull details to see if it's a possibility. Thought I would throw the question out there to all of you for more information. Thank you very much!!!

We dry stacked our C-Dory at Bayside in Everett and are now at Twin Bridges Marina in Mt Vernon with our R-25. A few years back, TBM wouldn't accept Rangers. They have since built a custom rack and can now accommodate models from R-21 to R-31. Don't know if Bayside or Dagmar's can handle ... Bayside did tell us they'd build a rack if we wanted to stay, but we moved North for quicker access to the San Juan Islands.

Being from Bellevue, you might prefer closer a launch location. We never had an issue at Bayside, but we weren't comfortable with the unsecured launch and staging areas. Dagmar's and Bayside are on the river, so the engines draw fresh water on ebb tide. Of course, it also takes time to navigate to/from Possession Sound (20-25 mins from Bayside, about 40 mins, we hear, from Dagmar's.) Convenient access to mid-Sound. About equi-distant to South and North Sound. Bayside is covered and heated, Dagmar's exposed to cold, wind and grime. Everett Marina has diesel and there are services nearby.

TBM storage is covered and heated in the winter, so no worries about winterizing. The staff at TBM is attentive and turnover is low. The launch area is gated, locked and security-patrolled after hours. There are also exterior blocks where the marina can drop your boat (secured as well) if you want to work on it. Our Ranger is kept on the floor, so we've been able to work on her inside in inclement weather.

We call for a launch when we leave the house, and she's in the water when we arrive. It's slightly more expensive to dry stack than put in wet moorage, but we wonder if we don't come out ahead when you figure in extra maintenance, bottom painting and zincs.

We figured out our batteries can go about 33 days before needing recharging. If we can't get out on the boat within that time frame, the marina staff is happy to put Sweet Pea on the blocks to charge via the solar panels. (They may also be willing to let you plug in to charge batteries during operating hours, but not overnight due to insurance issues). Hours are 7 days a week, 9 am - 5 pm in winter; 9 am to 7 pm Memorial Day - Labor Day.

One draw back: we have to wait out tides less than 2ft as there is a sand drift at the entrance to the marina from the Swinomish Channel. The Railroad (swing) bridge outside the entrance also closes periodically. Usually only a 15 minute wait, but we've heard it's been closed for up to a couple days for maintenance, forcing mariners to approach from the South (which can mean navigating around via Deception Pass).

Nearest diesel is La Conner or Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes, a 45-minute cruise either way. Lots of services in La Conner and Anacortes as well, should you need it. La Conner Maritime is an authorized Volvo service dealer and has been great to work with.

Good luck with your purchase...can't go wrong with a Ranger. We love ours.

 

[Noboatyet]

WOW - I've heard about the tugnuts and the sense of community but now I've experienced it and haven't even bought a boat yet. THANK YOU TO ALL who responded with such detailed information. It is so helpful in our search for our first boat. Although we have not purchased yet, we are sure our first boat will be a RANGER TUG!!! Hopefully I'll meet all who replied at one of the Ranger Tug rendezvous.

Hats off to Andrew at Ranger Tugs in Kent, WA and Trevor at Seattle Boat Dry Stack in Newport Marina. Andrew offered to work directly with Trevor to make sure the boat we purchase would fit in dry stack.

Again - thank you to all for the fabulous info!! I'm sure I'll have many more questions before we make that purchase. Hope to see you on the water soon!!!