Virgin boaters

[Steven Wikoff]

Never have owned a boat. My wife and I are looking at the Ranger Tug 27’. We are going to look at other boats just to see what’s out there. I have been told the “the best boat is your friends boat” from many people. The sales and owner of the Ranger Tug dealer we have been consulting with have been great! Not ready to purchase at the moment and do not want to rush into something so expensive. I’am planning to get boating instruction. Do not want to go out there without confidence.
Any advice would be welcome.
SW

 

[ixlr8]

My first question is, What do you plan to use the boat for?? Fishing, day trips, weekend trips, doing the "Great Loop'? That will help narrow down your options/possibilities and our recommendations.

 

[scross]

For us, the RT family of trailerable boats (8’6” beam) was perfect for cruising trips of a few days up to a month long cruise. Had two cabin cruiser type boats before our RT which were fine going from marina to marina in good weather. Decided that in the PNW you needed radar, an enclosed cockpit, a head large enough to close the door when in use and have a serious galley for the longer cruises we were going to do. Going fast was a “been there -done that” factor for us.
So, what’s your mission? You absolutely need to nail down what you want to do with a boat, then determine what equipment is needed to support what you want to do and the very last step is to sift through the possibilities to see which boats meet your needs.
If all you want to do is go fast from one marina to the next for trips less than a week and all in good weather then the RT is massive overkill IMHO.

 

[baz]

To followup with what Jim posted

Fishing - The R-278/OB is well equipped for this type activity. Plenty of cockpit space, features inside cockpit for the fisherman, down rigger plates, electrical for the down riggers, extra ice Fridg in cockpit, dry well in transom. Boat will get you to your fishing ground quickly.

Day trips... R-27/OB is well equipped for day trips, has the creature comforts things and is fun to drive.

Weekend trips... Nice spacious V-berth, well appointed head with shower, propane stove/oven combo, Microwave, coffee maker, TV with DVD player, Fusion radio music with 6x speakers, Bluetooth connection, USB connection, 5 120v outlets, Electric grill in transom, huge storage space all around.

Great Loop.... all of the above facilities on hand, OB is quiet at low speeds, fuel efficient, no diesel smells...

Open sea.... Boat runs well and deals with things better than you can handle it.

Overall, very good value for the money and GREAT Customer service for years to come.... and you have this forum to help you along with all your concerns/questions and advice.

N.B. Your requirements for boats and boating today are one thing but as many people can tell you, the requirements can change over time so give that some thought to this as well as for the immediate moment. The future to a large extent is unknown, but think about it anyway.

 

[scross]

As frequently happens on this site, different folks have different opinions.
If you want a boat primarily for fishing get something like a Grady-White.
For day trips only - get a Sea Ray or Larson.
For the great loop, a RT 27 Classic or new fangled OB can’t be beat.
For a boat good in open water the list is way, way to long to cover here.

No need to buy a 40 ft super deluxe motor home if your intent is to go overnight camping at a state park 5 miles from home. Just my opinion.

 

[Crewdog]

I don't think you could ever go wrong starting off with an R-27.

As others have said, it's a great boat with great customer service and a great forum on Tug Nuts.

Thinking back to our first boat before our tug, a Rinker 190 bow rider, we had a lot of fun, towed it on a few trips, slung folks off a towable (love the epic wipe-outs).

We got a couple hundred hours of experience and learned from our mistakes, picked up the lingo and procedures, and realized we wanted to continue our boating adventures with something a bit larger, with more capabilities, but still towable.

Got a good price for the used boat, trailer and pickup, and thought the depreciation was well worth the fun we had.

Just one option to consider I guess.

 

[Brian B]

I see you live in MA. There will be a NE Rendezvous of RT and Cutwater owners at Pope Island Marina in New Bedford, MA 8/17-8/19. You could drop in and see the boats and meet and speak with owner's of their experiences. Saturday would be the best day to drop in as boats will be leaving on Sunday.

Also don't forget the used boat market, there are always some very nice boats listed on this site.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Having never owned a boat you should consider renting one for a few days or week to get a feel for what it is all about. If you have a significant other it is always good to get them onboard as well. I've seen to many situations of people buying a boat, having never owned one, just to find out the lifestyle is not meant to be for them. When this happens you loose the sales tax, time invested and some depreciation. Same is true if you don't involve that special person in your life, which means if they don't like boating you are not going to use it as much. Take your time, take boating classes, attend a rendezvous as suggested, rent a boat like what you think you'd be interested in and unless you are 100% sold on boating consider used vs new…..you can always move up in a few years.

Jim F

 

[Steven Wikoff]

Thanks so much for all the recommendations. We are planning to use the R27 for fishing and cruising. No need for speed or skiing. You guys are great! So glad we hooked up with you!
Steve W