What didn't you get that you wish you got on R25

N

nzfisher

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2009
Messages
592
Fluid Motion Model
C-26
Vessel Name
Swims with Tuna
So I have pretty much comitted to buying a new Ranger 25SC. Does anyone have suggestions regarding what they would have included on their boat that they overlooked? I will be using the boat for both fishing, some offshore Tuna on nice days, and cruising. All suggestions would be helpful.

Kurt
 
Kurt,
I cannot tell what I didn't get that I should have, but I would tell you this. Get both thrusters, Auto pilot, Radar if your are going out fishing in fog country, chart plotter, ECT. Depends on your type of crusing as whether you need a gen set or not. or pick up a Honda 2000 later.
I am a firm believer, I will not buy a truck without a spare tire and think well......, if I need it I can always get it later. I know there are some salty sailers on this site, and they do a wonderfull job with just a compass. I am not one of those guys.


Some additions can be best installed during construction a lot better than doing it as an after thought.

It is all a person choice, depending on how you will cruise and are you going to live aboard for a month or two. O spend a day or two just fishing.

captd
 
I've never heard anyone complain about adding too many options. Most options can be added more efficiently and thus cheaper by the factory.
 
Add some extra cleats, and another heavy duty bow eye mounted high enough to access if you need to to attach a tow line. a couple of stern eyes dedicated to hooking harnesses to when on the swimstep hauling in a halibut. A re-inforced deck area to mount a fishing chair? possibly a set of "spurs" on the propshaft
 
A larger fresh water tank.

Modify the engine hatch so it can be opened while the cabin door is open and latched back. I find this to be a real PITA as it's designed today. I did not check this when seeing the R25 SC at the Seattle Boat Show last weekend.

Water strainer plastic dome should be metal -- plastic is too easily cracked etc.
 
I would have had the battery charger upgraded to a waterproof smarter charger and had sealed maintence free batterys installed.

I would have had all of the fuses in and around the battery box professionaly labled. there are 12 to 14 of them ??

I would have a bar installed over the top of all of the breakers and on-off switches next to the helm to keep things from getting turned off by accident when you are in big water and your leg or some bodys hand hits one of them.

also it would be nice to have a two or three year warranty =maintance and service up grade package
 
I would have gotten the box of money under the v-berth........ it comes in handy when at the fuel dock....

My only true advice is if you think you will need it in the future, get it now. At first we were not going to get the auto helm. We decided to do it while we still had the chance and are glad we did.

Remember, there are only so many things the factory can do in the building process. They may be able to add additional cleats and then, they may not. Redesigning the engine cover is probably not going to happen. As for a clear dome on the strainer, it allows a visual inspection without opening it. If there is concern of cracking it, buy an extra one.

Ranger has done a good job at figuring out what we all may want and then getting as much of it into 21 to 29 feet as they can!
 
On the list of factory options:

Absolutely Yes!
Bimini.
Diesel Stove.
Auto Pilot.
Chart Plotter with GPS.
Macerator Discharge.
Anchor Package.

Absolutely No!
Cockpit Carpet.

The rest of the stuff, depends on whether or not you would use it.
For example, if you live in Texas, you will probably want the A/C, in Alaska, maybe not.
 
Maybe not a big deal -- BUT try and get the factory to provide you with all the Serial Numbers for the various installed components. Some are easily found while others are either missing or impossible to find unless the component is removed.

Think carefully where you want the 120v outlets positioned. On my R25 there are three -- one under rear port side cabin seat, one on galley inset wall and I just don't recall where the 3rd one is located 🙁

If you don't require a Microwave unit then be sure to tell factory as it's location in the R25 SC occupies a large storage area you might want instead.
 
I don't know if they've started to make them for the 25's (as on the 29), but ask about pull-outs for one or more of the cabinets. The cabinets are deep, and a pull-out or three would go a long way to getting the most out of the cubic feet.

Cheers.
 
Bruce Moore":3pwxc5l4 said:
I don't know if they've started to make them for the 25's (as on the 29), but ask about pull-outs for one or more of the cabinets. The cabinets are deep, and a pull-out or three would go a long way to getting the most out of the cubic feet.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Excellent suggestion. 🙂 That is a project I've assigned to myself for this year.
 
When you find the correct baskets and/or slides, post the oictures, the model numbers, and where you bought them (preferably a national outlet), so lazy folks like me can just do the same...

denny-o
 
Denny,
Go to Solitude's photo album. We used a slide out wire basket that we bought at Lowe's Home Improvement Center. A couple of them I had to shorten the legs to make them fit. These worked great. I would almost prefer them over the factory installed ones as you can locate them where you want them.

You will find the photos in the storage solution album.
 
Thanks,

A lot of suggestions many of which apply to my situation. As I used to be a cabinetmaker, the pullouts and adding more storage I will do myself. The cleats, tow eyes, AC, serial numbers and all of the other things I will see about adding before the boat is built if possible. If you add AC what problems do you incur? How much space do you loose? How do you deal with the condensate, extra drain on system etc.? I will also look in history to see what others have said/ done. Thanks so much to everyone for the time they put into the suggestions.

Greatful for the help,

Kurt
 
Kurt,

You asked:
If you add A.C. what problems to you incurr. How much space do you loose.

You lose almost the enire top shelf in the locker under the pasenger seat.
The locker is about 2.5 feet deep so it is a significant amount of space.
There is a thru hull for the condensate, so it goes over the side.

If you are not plugged in to shore power at the dock, the A/C is useless unless you have a generator.
Even as hot as it is here in Texas, I seldom run the A/C while under way because the gernerator is SO LOUD it drives me nuts. I have a squirl cage fan I bought at Lowes that I plug into a 150 watt inverter. I put the fan on the rear deck just ouside the door and it blows a TORRENT of air into the cabin. It is comfortable enough except on the hottst days.
The boat must be in the water for th A/C to work. The Condenser is cooled by sea water.

If you spend a lot of time on the boat plugged in at the marina, the A/C makes a lot more sense.

My A/C quit working about 5 minutes after the warranty expired and it cost me 300 dollars to get it fixed.
 
One thing to keep in mind in this thread is the tag "SC" The location of many things have changed, including the AC unit. We now install the AC in the bow thruster compartment with ducting feeding both the port and starboard. I will try my best to keep up with this thread, clueing all of you in on the different changes.
 
Fuses are now all labeled with minimal inline fuses. We have incorporated a fuse block in the port compartment of the stern with the thruster fuses and all battery switches in one location, positioned on a nice Panel board.

The engine hatch can open now with the cabin door ajar.

All tankage on the boat is custom fit and cannot be changed. We did up the fuel tank by 5 gallons, making it an 80 gallon fuel tank.

Battery charger is located in a dry location and think we have finally got Pro Mariner on board and have not seen near as many issues with them. I am happy with this install.

Newly designed breaker panel. 110 volt and 12 volt panel combined. This is located out of the way next to the helm.

Thank you for everyones feedback on this subject. Our customers and end users is what helps us to improve on boats we build for the future. We take your feedback seriously!
 
After blowing out my stern thruster fuse this weekend and seeing the multiple forum discussions on fuses, am needing assistance on mapping out the fuses our 2009 R-25 (in the battery compartment and any other location, i.e. V-berth panel board). Opening the stern port battery compartment I see clusters of fuses tied together and fuses hanging off batteries, and no labels. Has anyone created a map of what fuses connect with what device?

I read that in February Andrew has created a nice fuse block and labeled the wires on newer Tugs. I am very visual and would like to label each fuse wire on this 2009 model.

Labeling fuses could be a good "winter" activity to add to our list while the wind is blowing in the gulf of Alaska off Kodiak Island (creating a small craft advisory).

Don
 
The only options my 08 R25 didnt come with were the cockpit side panels for the bimini and the autopilot. I ordered the side panels from King canvas and did them myself. Makes the aft cockpit like a spare cabin on the boat during inclement weather. I wish at times the boat had the autopilot and have looked at several models to install. It would of been easier to have installed while the boat is being built. Electrical outlet in the cockpit would be a nice option as well as the others previously mentioned.

Frank
 
This might help. Here are the things that I have added to our R25:

Electric toilet
Solar panels (2x18W)
Radar antenna
Honda 2000i Generator
stainless pad-eyes on the swim platform
Zincs to the trim tabs
12VDC outlet to the forward cabin and under the stereo
125VAC outlet under the dinette and in the forward cabin and aft berth
Microwave oven under the aft dinette seat
400W inverter
Dingy davits on the swim platform
Stainless steel roof rack
Stainless steel propane BBQ attached to the cockpit railing
mounts for the boat hook in the cockpit

Already have the Wallus diesel stove/heater. I would never have another boat without one.

What I still want to add:

Auto pilot with remote
Water pressure power switches by the sinks
Water tank water level sensors
Anchor windlass switches on the bow
pico projector and screen attached to DVD player
stereo speakers in the cockpit
led string lights in the engine compartment (white) and cockpit (blue or violet)
water wash down pump
 
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