Thinking about a Tug

[nsf1819]

Hello all,

I am relatively new to boating and have only owned a small fishing boat with a 9.9hp outboard. My wife and I are looking to get something bigger in the future. Ranger Tugs have really caught our eye, in particular the R21EC, but I have several questions. I'm hoping current owners on tugnuts can help out.

We like the idea of having an enclosed cabin to be able to go out in cooler temperatures. However, do Rangers need to be winterized? Do the Yanmar diesels use anti-freeze like a car or do they take in water from whatever body they are in to cool the engine? I've heard nightmare stories about other kinds of boats when water freezes in the engine and destroys it. If it drops below freezing will it cause any damage to the R21 if it is stored outside on the trailer? If we have to winterize it we lose 4 - 5 months of boating because it may occasionally drop below freezing at night. But it will warm to 50+ degrees most days where we live. We definitely want to still be able to go boating in those temperatures.

This is a general boating question, not really Ranger specific. How do the batteries stay charged and operational between prolonged periods without use? If we have to winterize for 4 - 5 months, as mentioned above, will the batteries still work the following spring? Do they need to be connected to a charger of some kind when not in use? How long do batteries last before needing to be replaced?

Thanks everyone for the help!

nsf1819

 

[Levitation]

I will let the 21 owners steer you straight.
I have the 25. Yes it has to be winterized. It has a closed loop cooling system with Prestone in the engine, just like your car. The heat exchanger and water muffler and fresh water tank need to be treated.
Takes me all of 20 minutes - and I move about as fast as a snail.


cheers

 

[Levitation]

Oops, hit send too soon.

On batteries:
Unhook the negative cable clamps (with a fresh charge on the batteries) and they will set in the boat just fine for 4 or 5 months.
Or, leave the batteries float on a Battery Tender (not a battery charger) if there is electric.
Or, pull the batteries and take them home. Once a month put the charger on them for 30 minutes.

 

[nsf1819]

Thanks Levitation. Are the water muffler, heat exchanger and fresh water tank something that can be by by yourself or typically something you would have done by a boat dealer? Could these be done after each time you went out in winter months, then re-winterize and everything is still safe?

 

[rt11002003]

I used my R21EC year round. 😀 When freezing weather came around, I'd remove the cover of the fitting in the exhaust raw water cooling line, hook up a hose which I stuck into an antifreeze jug, then ran the engine to pump antifreeze until it come out the exhaust port. The whole process took less than 10 minutes and used less than a gallon of antifreeze. I'd do that everytime I used the boat during winter. The engine is fresh water cooled; uses antifreeze just like your car/truck.

I hooked up the battery charger for a day, every two weeks if I wasn't using the boat. The battery charger didn't get much use. 😉 I take care of my batteries and generally get about five years of use from good quality ones.

I normally kept the boat under a covered slip so rain or snow wasn't a problem. I bought it in January, kept it on the trailer until the weather got warm enough to launch it. During that time I kept the cockpit covered to keep water and snow out.

gene

 

[Pearl]

I tweaked this from the Winterizing Procedure found on this website for the R29.

R21 Winterizing Procedure
Fresh Water system – Empty all water out of the water tank by pumping it through the faucet. Add 1-2 gallons of RV antifreeze to the fresh water tank through the fresh water deck fill fitting. Turn on the water pump and open the faucet until pink antifreeze is showing. (1-2 Gallons)

Engine – Ensure the multiport seacock is closed. Utilizing a helper, pour RV antifreeze into the multiport strainer as you start your engine. Run the engine until antifreeze starts coming out your engine exhaust overboard discharge. (2 gallons)

Holding tank - Empty holding tank prior to winterizing procedure. Pour 1 gallon of RV antifreeze into waste pump out fitting on stbd deck.

Bilge pump – Ensure keel drain plug is installed. Pour 1 gallon of antifreeze into the bilge and run the bilge pump until antifreeze is showing at the overboard thru hull.

Air Conditioning - Remove the hose from one end of the seawater intake filter. Using a funnel pour antifreeze into the hose and operate the system until pink shows at the air conditioning overboard discharge thru hull. (2 gallons)

I remove my batteries and set them on a board and use a battery tender to maintain them. The battery tender has a dummy light red for charging and green when full. Every 6 weeks or so I charge the batteries.

Best of luck and you can't go wrong with a Tug.

 

[nsf1819]

Great information. Thanks everyone. Looking forward to going to a rendevous sometime soon!

 

[RProffer]

I used to go down to Havelock, NC for business. Beautiful country down there and a great boating and fishing area. The R21-EC will do great down there. Make sure you get a trailer so you can get around all over the state. Enjoy.