want to buy an R25

C

cagambler

New member
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
2
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
My wife and I flew up from the Bay Area to Seattle for the boat show last weekend. We have never owned a boat. We went up thinking that a 25 foot C-Dory was the way to go; made the mistake of seeing the Lake Union beauties before going inside; and left the show Sunday thinking that an R-25 was the best for us. Ranger had great representatives in Mac LaMay and Nancy.

Here's the awkward question:

If I were buying a new SUV this week, I'd never offer MSRP. I'd expect to pay not much if any more than the dealer's invoice price, knowing that he still makes the 3% profit on what I recall is called holdback or flooring.

So what is a fair price to offer on an R-25? I want a continuing relationship with the dealer and them not to hate me or gouge me later, but I don't want to pay more than a fair price either.

Can you give me some guidance?

I'd certainly consider buying used, but have not found any availability.

Thanks.

Ron Manuel
 
It was great to meet you this last weekend at the Seattle Show. I know that Mac and Nancy also enjoyed speaking with you. As you know we have a limited amount of discount certificates that are available during the winter boat shows. I would recommend contacting your local dealer with any additional pricing questions. You are also welcome to contact me.

We are looking forward to helping you get out on the water in your new Ranger Tug!

Thanks again,

Jeff
 
Ron,
My wife and I purchased our R-25, Solitude, two years ago at the Seattle Show. We were both very impressed with Jeff and his crew there at Ranger Tugs. We feel that they are honest and straight forward and will give you the best deal available.

I see that you live in Martinez. I would suggest that you see Bob down at Catalina Yacht Brokerage in Oxnard if you are truly interested in buying an R-25.

My wife and I have owned boats since before we got married 30 years ago and have only found one other manufacturer that would stand behind their product like Ranger Tugs. That was Catalina Yachts...... Notice the similarities in the names? Jeff has selected the Catalina dealer to represent his product in California.

Ranger has stood behind their product above and beyond. If they tell you this is the best deal you can get, I would believe them.

Great boat, great people behind the boat.

For more information, check out our website at: Rangertug25-Solitude.com.
David
 
😉 ron, when tina and i bought our 25, [hull 15] i found it at yachtworld,com. at that time, sept 08, and wound up purchasing it from skipper crest yacht sales in anacortes wa. now ,at the risk of sounding condensending, pay attention... thru the tutalage of our sales rep. Jeff Gleckler we went thru the process of documenting our boat with the coast guard , therefor exempting it from ca state sales tax. [ a substantial amount of $$] also , no yearly fees for ca maritime #s etc. i should mention, it was a used boat [albeit slightly] if you jump through the beuricratic hoops you also avoid paying wa state sales tax. i don't know if skipper crest still has their 09 25 available but i would HIGHLY recommend Jeff as your rep, and skipper crest as a potential dealer for you. if i can be or furhter assistance in getting you into a ranger 25 please contact me..... steve..... and actually i do have a clue ... ps if ya want to,,, read my first post , an adventure in trailering,, getting the boat from anacortes was no big deal...
 
notaclue":10s8myfo said:
😉 ron, when tina and i bought our 25, [hull 15] i found it at yachtworld,com. at that time, sept 08, and wound up purchasing it from skipper crest yacht sales in anacortes wa. now ,at the risk of sounding condensending, pay attention... thru the tutalage of our sales rep. Jeff Gleckler we went thru the process of documenting our boat with the coast guard , therefor exempting it from ca state sales tax. [ a substantial amount of $$] also , no yearly fees for ca maritime #s etc. i should mention, it was a used boat [albeit slightly] if you jump through the beuricratic hoops you also avoid paying wa state sales tax. i don't know if skipper crest still has their 09 25 available but i would HIGHLY recommend Jeff as your rep, and skipper crest as a potential dealer for you. if i can be or furhter assistance in getting you into a ranger 25 please contact me..... steve..... and actually i do have a clue ... ps if ya want to,,, read my first post , an adventure in trailering,, getting the boat from anacortes was no big deal...
Click to expand...

So you were the ones who bought that boat. We bought our Devlin through Jeff. He's terrific.

Author of the original post. Please e-mail me at dene@ipns.com. I have a tip for you.

-Greg
 
Vicki and I had been looking for several years for what would be our first boat. Last year, we too came upon the R-25 at the SBS, and knew it was the right boat. My research (thanks to c-brats.com) encouraged us to go to the factory, go for a sea-trial, and, in a matter of days, make a deposit.

It was a vastly different world, one year ago. At least we didn't know what was coming. In any case, we trusted the Fluid Motion team, followed their recommendations, and took comfort in the fact that they made no effort to up-sell or pressure us into anything. Even after we committed to a production slot, they proactively worked to deliver on our best interests.

Do your due diligence, and cut the best deal you can. But you can rely on the factory team to steer you right. This is one fine boat.
 
Ron,
The old sayings that you get what you pay for, holds true in this case. Boats that don't sell very well are discounted and put on sale. Boats that everyone wants and there is a waiting list to have one built sell for sticker price and you feel lucky to get one. Those boats will hold their value. I paid full sticker price for my C-Dory and for both Rangers. Both of these companies took care of every problem that arose and there are always some issues with a new boat. Wefing came and picked up the 1st one to fix problems. And paid our transportation back to the rig.
We use our boats a little different than others. We load it quite heavy to go to the Bahamas, or to just live aboard for months at a time. and hull #6 with the 125 Yanmar would not live up to the specs with the load. The new Cummins can handle it. The resale value of the 2007 was high enough to allow me to go to the new Cummins. Wefing and the factory went way beyond the call of duty to see that we had the right boat. I know of no other Maufacture or dealer that would have done what these people did.
I cannot praise the company and Wefing enough for what they have done for me.

Buy a new Ranger and be rest assured that you did the right thing and that you will get your moneys worth. They will look after you in the future. 😀

Captd
 
The subject of vessel documentation usually pops up when boaters are discussing ways to circumvent paying annual registration fees, property taxes, or sales tax on their boats. Unfortunately, documentation does not exempt a vessel from compliance with federal or individual state laws or regulations. For instance, in Florida if you document your newly purchased $1,000,000 boat, you still have to pay the $70,000 state sales tax upon purchase to the state of Florida, and must also register it annually. The one way to possibly circumvent sales tax or annual fees is to move from state to state or out of the country frequently. In the past incorporating and documenting a boat in Delaware was an easy way of avoiding paying taxes, but now on the east coast, state tax collectors regularly visit marinas checking to see if the appropriate taxes have been paid. The ownership data etc. is supplied to the tax collectors by the owners of the marinas. So, a Wilmington or Dover DE hailing port on your transom is a dead giveaway that the owner is possibly avoiding paying taxes somewhere. Boaters who have been caught illegally avoiding state sales tax, end up having to pay the tax plus interest and are sometimes required to pay a hefty fine. I would suggest that one might check with their state taxing authorities to see if documenting a boat exempts one from paying taxes. For a vessel to qualify for documentation, must measure at least five net tons, and must be wholly owned by a citizen of the US. As for re-entry into the US, documentation will probably help rather than hinder you as you'll be in the Coast Guard's data base.
Henry
 
In Washington State, you must have a Washington Title, registration and decal to navigate, operate, employ or moor a vessel on Washington's waters. Properly registered vessels owned by residents of another state or country and using Washington waters for 60 days or fewer are excepted. Documented vessels need not display their registration numbers, but must display their registration decal.

If you are a resident of Washington State, or if you use your boat here for more than 60 days per year, you have to register your boat here - documented or not.

Mac
 
😉 henrym makes some excellent and valid points, if one maintains his or her boat on the east coast. i stand by my advice to ron. i very carefully researched, along with hiring northwest maritime title, to assist in documenting the boat. a ranger 25 is documentable, as evidenced by my [ ithink 7 didget] doc # assigned to the notaclue by the u s coast guard. when i went to the department of motor vehicles [ca] to get my ca boat #s i was told that a documented vessel did not get them because the coast guard maintains title to the boat. although g oing this route seems to have the appearance of inpropriaty [sp?] a term liberal democrats love to throw around when talking about consevatives,,,there was absolutely illigal or even untoward about the course i took. i didn't make this od rule, but living in ca, i'll damn sure play by it..the only caveats throwm at me were 2 things. one must have his doc papers on board at all times, and the name of the vessel and port of call must be displayed in characters 4 inches high to gether on the transom, and the doc #s must be permanently affixed somewhere on the hull as to show scarring if removed or changed...[oops, thats 3 things. hope this clears up my position,,, wouldn't want my felow tugnutters thinkng i cheat on my taxes!! notaclue
 
I just want to echo the words put out there by "Solitude". We purchased our R-21EC from Catalina Yacht Anchorage in Ventura/Channel Is. CA. We were assisted both by Bob in CI and Nik in Ventura, (our home port). You could not ask to deal with nicer or more knowlegable sales and service professionals. Furthermore, this dealer is wholly owned by Bob Butler, the founder of Catalina Yachts, and they would not rep a third party builder who was not worthy of Catalina's reputation. Our experience has been positive in every way, and we have received generous attention after the sale. I know of at least 2 or 3 R-25s in their stock now and I strongly encourage you to check them out if buying in Calif.
Alex & Sherry, "Kamalani"
 
henrym":il54jq4e said:
For instance, in Florida if you document your newly purchased $1,000,000 boat, you still have to pay the $70,000 state sales tax upon purchase to the state of Florida, and must also register it annually.
Click to expand...

Everything you said is generally correct, but FL state sales tax is 6%. Counties may or may not impose an additional tax, but if they do, it only applies to the first $5,000 of a purchase. So tax on a million dollar boat here in Charlotte County would be $60,050. (6% of a million, plus 1% of 5k).

Don't give 'em any ideas about making it more! 😉

I have owned a couple of documented boats and a bunch of state titled boats. I avoid documentation these days. The Coast Guard can be a bureaucratic PITA, and they're in another state. Our tax collector's office in town has nice, competent staff, and they're right across the street from our office.
 
Hey Tom , in our county the tax collector folk are all related.................
Marc
 
You got my hopes up, but California Publication 79 says: " Under California law, sales or use tax and personal property tax generally apply to the sale, purchase, or ownership of documented vessels located in this state. Documented vessels are those registered with the US Coast Guard or foreign governments."

Whether it is called sales tax or use tax, it has the identical unfortunate effect on my checking account.

Ron
 
Ron,
What does the law say if you are registered in another state and you come to California to visit. How much time do you get before you must leave the state?
I see people with million dollar motor homes with a Montana plate. I ask where in Montana do they live. Frequently they tell me they have never been in the state. We pretty much have a flat rate on motor homes and boats and they are a one time purchase and Montana has no sales tax.
I like that........send us your money, but don't take up space in the state. Oregon use to do that as well.
captd
 
Captd,
I tried the Montana approach when we purchased Solitude. I explained to the state that I would be using my boat on Flathead Lake each summer from June 1 to September 30. They instructed me that I would have to register it in the state of Montana or face fines. When I submitted my request, using my Nevada address, they told me I had to have a physical address in Montana. Since I knew no one in Montana that would allow me to use their address, I registered in Nevada and paid the $12,000 in sales tax....... Boat registration is very low in Nevada $45.00 a year for this size vessel, it was the sales tax that hurt!

We looked at every angle to avoid paying the sales tax. It came down to not be worth the risk of getting caught. The good news was that since Nevada has no income tax, the sales tax became a tax write off.

David
 
I don't know about California policy nor about RV's, but here in Florida, cruising boats can get a permit that is good for 90 days. It costs around a hundred bucks. It can be renewed once for another 90 days. After 180 days, the boat has to leave (I'm not sure for how long, but seem to recall 6 months) or pay tax.
 
Ron,
You will not find boats like the Ranger line "discounted" like you might RV's and trucks. There may be some factory discounts, but for the most part dealers will be selling at close to the same price. An incentive may be some extra gear, or service. The service and after market help is very important.

As for taxes. I have mostly experience in Florida and California. Florida will not tax the vessel if you purchased it out of the state, kept it out of state more than 6 months, and had no intention of bringing the boat permently into the state. If you are a Florida resident, you have a very difficult time proving that you had no intent of bringing the boat into Florida. The base tax is 6% of the purchase price. Each county can add a discretionary tax on up to the first $5,000 of the boat's cost. This discretionary tax can be up to an additional 2% (depending on the County). Every documented boat in Florida has to be registered in some state---even if your state does not have registration of documented vessels! (citation personal communication by General Counsel of Florida Fish and Wildlife commission). FWC has been warning and even ticketing some boats just as soon as they cross from Alabama. Usually they get a warning, and then given the opportunity to go to a tag office and "register" the boat. This means paying a minimal fee, and getting a sticker--not state numbers.

California becomes complicated. If the boat (or RV) is purchased out of California (and this includes delivery at sea off Mexico) and kept of out California for a certain length of time (it has varied from 90 days to a year) it is sales tax free in California. This is why a number of vessels are sitting in Enseneda, Mexico for 90 days (I believe that is the current time) are free of sales tax. The hooker is that the boat is still subject to personal property tax if it is moored in California on the "lien date", currently Jan 1 at 12:01AM. If it is on the marina rolls on that date, even if the boat is physically absent, it is still taxed. If you go cruising, out of state or out of America, it is still taxed: "Yes. Until such time as a vessel’s habitual place of mooring has been established elsewhere, a vessel documented in California continues to be taxable in California. That is, if the vessel is not in California, but is traveling from one place to another and has not become permanently situated in one place outside of California, the vessel is still assessable in California." h

I had left Calif. on a 4 year cruise, notified the county and board of equlization of my absence, and the boat was documented out of Mississippi. When I returned, I was hit with a tax bill for 4 years, plus penalities. It took about a year, plus copies of my passport stamps, receipts from all of the marinas, and over 200 pages of copies of the ships logs before these charges were dropped.

Although you may escape sales tax, you may not escape personal property tax. If the boat is kept at your home, on a trailer, and is documented to an address out of state, it is possible that you might beat this tax...but hard to know what they will do to collect the tax...
 
I would like to recommend that you call the Farallone Yacht Sales in San Diego. The phone # is 619-523-6730. Ask for Jesse.
Farallone has offices in San Diego and Alameda.
We will be having the Ranger 21, 25 and the new 29 at Trawler Fest, Feb 26-28 on Shelter Island in San Diego.
Life is better on the water
 
Good Evening Tugnuts. I had the opportunity to visit Trawler Fest in San Diego last week. They had about 25 boats there in the water. Despite the fact that the Ranger Tugs were the smallest boats there, I kept gravitating to them. I met Jesse Hibdon and his wife, Shanna from Farallone Boats. They had all three of the Rangers there. What a beautiful collection. All three boats in blue and a 21 and 25 in red. I love that red. Anyway, Jesse and Shanna were very nice. They were also laid back. With the Rangers they could afford to be. The boats sell themselves. The Ranger folks have done an excellent job with all three boats. As has been expressed numerous times already, the 29 is just gorgeous. It is hard to believe that it is just 4 feet longer. I think that I would end up w/ a 25 if I were buying now, which of course I am not. Thumbs up to Jesse, Shanna, Farallone and Ranger Tug.
 
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