What Have You Bought for Your Ranger Lately

Nellie Too":xacw8h8l said:
Hi Guys,
...snip... If you don't use it for a period of over a week it must be treated chemically to keep it clean.

Bob
Click to expand...

Darn that maintenance chore... 😉
 
We've had a Katadyne 40E for 12 years. Had to replace the membrane once so far ($500? for a rebuild so that it was like new). It makes enough water that we can go for as many days as we wish without stopping in for water, as long as we're frugal in water use.

We added a valve that let us easily pull off a water sample to test before we directed the product water into the FW tank. It takes several minutes of operation in salt water to pack enough salt into the membrane to do a good job of desalination. We can taste if it's still a bit salty or if the primary filter needs cleaning.

You definitely have to take proper care of it - read the manual carefully (ours wasn't the easiest to understand, and had a few typos). Don't use it in any water that might be contaminated with fuel/oil - marinas for example. Remove and hose off the primary filter often - like weekly - to get rid of small sea creatures that get trapped in there and die. When it looks greenish or brownish, it needs attention, and it will likely smell like H2S. If your fresh water supply starts smelling like that you've waited too long.

When you are not going to use it for several days, rinse the primary filter, and flush the membrane with fresh clean non-chlorinated water. If longer than several days, pickle the membrane with the biocide added to the fresh water flush.
 
Thanks for the advice!

We only intend to use it during longer trips, so the maintenance sounds doable

Is there any specific biocide I need to get? Does it require a lot?
Can I just flush and clean the filters with the water that I made?

Mac
 
Katadyne offers the biocide. IIRC, it's sodium metabisulfite crystals, also used as a sanitizer in winemaking. You dissolve a couple of capfuls in two quarts (?) of water, then suck it in through the auxiliary input. One small bottle lasts quite a while. The water you've made is perfect for flushing, as long as it hasn't had a bunch of city water added to it recently.
 
I bought a head lamp, which is great for working around the boat. For today only there is a great one available at www.woot.com for under $20.
 
HEY NUTTERS!!! CAPT STEVE IS BACK FROM SANCARLOS AND THE BEE IS UNDER A COVERED SHED.. MADE IT BACK IN JUST UNDER 30 HRS. THE NEW 30 GALLON WATER TANK I PICKED UP IN LA WORKS GREAT. GOOD LOW BALLAST THAT KEEPS THE BOW DOWN A FEW MORE INCHES WHEN FIGHTING SQUARE WAVES OUT IN THE MIDDLE , PLUMBING IT INT OMY PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE A PIECE OF CAKE.. JUST A MATTER OF A T AND A VENT LINE. WILL TAKE SOME PICTURES WHEN THE BEE IS BACK HOME AND TRY TO POST THEM. WILL BE SHORTLY GOING INTO SLEEPING ON THE BOAT WITHDRAWALS, ,, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SPEND ABOUT 30 CONSECUTIVE NITES ON BOARD!! I'M WAITING TO HEAR MORE ABOUT CAPT DE'S SOLAR... LATER ,,,STILL NO CLUE 😀
 
And I hope to hear more about your adventures in the Sea of Cortez.... what route did you take, where did you anchor, did you catch plenty of fish???? Inquiring minds want to know.

Janeane
 
Welcome home Steve,
I understand about that sleeping on the boat withdrawals. Good luck with that. I am glad you had a great time in san carlos and we enjoyed all your updates. I am also glad you fell in love with the area as we did. I know we will be back there when the time is right. I will need to spend a good season on Spirit of Gratitude getting to know her, and I am sure there will be bugs to be worked out. We will most likely spend the first winter in the channel islands area. The seas have been known to really kick up there and so what better place to really put the new baby to the test. After all it is my old stomping grounds and I have hundreds of crossings to the islands under my belt.
We sure will miss you in Seattle next month but we will catch up with each other at another time I suppose.
Well it is hard to not count the days at this point for it is coming up fast. I think I will spend a good three weeks in the Seattle area breaking her in. I want to stay close to the Monroe plant for it will be easy to deal with the factory that way if need be.
I am planning on spending mucho bucks on fuel to get 50 hours of break in done. Looking forward to exploring up there and seeing for myself what everyone brags about. I will install the solar panels while I am there and I will be reporting on how well they are doing for all those that are thinking about doing the same. Hope the sun shines while we are there. If not when I get back to the southwest Colorado mountains where we get 325 days of sunshine a year, (on average) I will give better reports.
Say Hi to Tina, Stuart
 
THANKS FOR THE WELCOME HOME STU,, THE ROUTE I TOOK TO THE SEA WAS SACRAMENTO SOUTH ON I-5 TO SAN DIEGO, THEN I-8 TO NOGALES AND THEN I5 STRAIGHT SOUTH TO SANCARLOS.. I KEEP SAYING THAT I AM SAVING FISHING FOR MY OLD AGE....HAVING JUST TURNED 60 [61 ON MARCH 9,, JUST IN CASE ANYBODY WANTED TO SEND A CARD----JUST KIDDING 😉 ] I SHOULD PROBABLY GO BUY SOME TACKLE.. THERE IS A LOT OF YELLOW TAIL IN THE AREA AROUND SAN CARLOS ALONG WITH A MYRAID OF , BIG GOOD TASTING FISH, OR SO I HAVE BEEN TOLD. WE MET SOME PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN A HOUSE OFF OF POINT CHIVATO THAT HAD A HUGE BUCKET OF CLAMS THAT TOOK THEM 45 MINUTES OF DIGGING TO GET... WE LOVE STEAMED CLAMS SO THAT WILL BE THE FIRST BOUNTY OF THE SEA THAT WE PLAN TO HARVEST.. ANYONE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT ANCHORAGES, ETC THERE IS IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ ONLY NEED GOOGLE EARTH AND THEN CLICK THE LITTLE BLUE SQUARES FOR ACTUAL PICTS. ALTHOUGH WE PUT IN ON THE MAINLAND,,, I AM STARTING TO THINK THAT A BASE OF OPERATIONS FOR WINTER W0ULD PERHAPS BE BETTER ON THE BAHA SIDE. IT IS THE WINDY SEASON AND WIND COMING OFF LAND IS SOMEWHAT MORE BENIGN THAN THAT COMING OFF THE WATER.. ANYWAY, WE HAVE VOLUMNS TO LEARN ABOUT THIS ENCHANTED PLACE,, AND WILL BE DOWN THERE MARCH14-APPRIL1......WILL TRY TO KEEP EVERYONE POSTED UNTILL THEN, MAY THE WIND ALWAYS COME FROM THE STEARN,,, STEVE AND TINA [CHRISTINA BEE] 😀
 
Great information Steve. You are right on about the prevailing wind in the winter. The West coast would definetly be better in the winter. Never thought of that. Good tip. Thanks
captd
 
notaclue":3h1go0o6 said:
THANKS FOR THE WELCOME HOME STU,, THE ROUTE I TOOK TO THE SEA WAS SACRAMENTO SOUTH ON I-5 TO SAN DIEGO, THEN I-8 TO NOGALES AND THEN I5 STRAIGHT SOUTH TO SANCARLOS.. I KEEP SAYING THAT I AM SAVING FISHING FOR MY OLD AGE....HAVING JUST TURNED 60 [61 ON MARCH 9,, JUST IN CASE ANYBODY WANTED TO SEND A CARD----JUST KIDDING 😉 ] I SHOULD PROBABLY GO BUY SOME TACKLE.. THERE IS A LOT OF YELLOW TAIL IN THE AREA AROUND SAN CARLOS ALONG WITH A MYRAID OF , BIG GOOD TASTING FISH, OR SO I HAVE BEEN TOLD. WE MET SOME PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN A HOUSE OFF OF POINT CHIVATO THAT HAD A HUGE BUCKET OF CLAMS THAT TOOK THEM 45 MINUTES OF DIGGING TO GET... WE LOVE STEAMED CLAMS SO THAT WILL BE THE FIRST BOUNTY OF THE SEA THAT WE PLAN TO HARVEST.. ANYONE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT ANCHORAGES, ETC THERE IS IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ ONLY NEED GOOGLE EARTH AND THEN CLICK THE LITTLE BLUE SQUARES FOR ACTUAL PICTS. ALTHOUGH WE PUT IN ON THE MAINLAND,,, I AM STARTING TO THINK THAT A BASE OF OPERATIONS FOR WINTER W0ULD PERHAPS BE BETTER ON THE BAHA SIDE. IT IS THE WINDY SEASON AND WIND COMING OFF LAND IS SOMEWHAT MORE BENIGN THAN THAT COMING OFF THE WATER.. ANYWAY, WE HAVE VOLUMNS TO LEARN ABOUT THIS ENCHANTED PLACE,, AND WILL BE DOWN THERE MARCH14-APPRIL1......WILL TRY TO KEEP EVERYONE POSTED UNTILL THEN, MAY THE WIND ALWAYS COME FROM THE STEARN,,, STEVE AND TINA [CHRISTINA BEE] 😀
Click to expand...

We're getting "off topic" here..... 😉
 
Ok I will try to get us back on topic. I have bought two 130 watt solar panels and controller. I am having the factory pre-wire for my install when we take delivery in about two weeks. I also had the factory upgrade my batteries to Fullriver AGM's and the house bank will have 460 amp hours alone. Lot's of power Argh Argh (Tim Allen).
I am also installing the M1 tracvision for those dark nights in a cove after the sun goes down. HBO or whatever as we swing on the hook. Life is goooood!
Oh yes and I almost forgot. We bought a embroidered flag with the ranger logo and our boat name from linda (Island Ranger) From what i am told Mac's better half. Thanks Linda great job! 😀
I am having fans put in for defogging the forward windows but still not sure which ones Howard is going to suggest. I'll keep you posted on that one.
We bought a memory foam mattress for the master stateroom up forward. Had this on the last boat and all i can say is OH MY GOD! That's all I got to say about that. 😉
I am sure that there is more but for now that's all I can think of. 😀

Stuart
 
Spirit of Gratitude":3rn6s02r said:
Ok I will try to get us back on topic. I have bought two 130 watt solar panels and controller. I am having the factory pre-wire for my install when we take delivery in about two weeks. I also had the factory upgrade my batteries to Fullriver AGM's and the house bank will have 460 amp hours alone. Lot's of power Argh Argh (Tim Allen).
I am also installing the M1 tracvision for those dark nights in a cove after the sun goes down. HBO or whatever as we swing on the hook. Life is goooood!
Oh yes and I almost forgot. We bought a embroidered flag with the ranger logo and our boat name from linda (Island Ranger) From what i am told Mac's better half. Thanks Linda great job! 😀
I am having fans put in for defogging the forward windows but still not sure which ones Howard is going to suggest. I'll keep you posted on that one.
We bought a memory foam mattress for the master stateroom up forward. Had this on the last boat and all i can say is OH MY GOD! That's all I got to say about that. 😉
I am sure that there is more but for now that's all I can think of. 😀

Stuart
Click to expand...

Thanks.... 🙂

You've reminded me about the mattress item. I must look into getting one of those. Do you have a ref for the one you're purchasing ?

I also have just received my Burgee flag from Linda. However, since Ranger Tugs logos are already attached to boat I could not see the sense of having yet another Ranger Tugs logo on the Burgee. Linda was kind enough to oblige me and our flag is blue background to match our hull and it has just "Laxey" and "Isle of Man" embroidered on it. It looks smashing as I installed it yesterday.

What's the real significant advantage of having the Fullriver AGM's batteries ?

Is the M1 tracvision a TV thing/item ?

Care to indicate the Total cost for the two 130 watt solar panels & controller ?

Thanks....
 
Hey Berry,
We got the mattress at overstock .com http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Bo ... 95138&fp=f
It was $122.00 with shipping for a king.

The reason for the fullriver AGM's is that they are ranked right next to the very best on the market which are the lifelines. Lifelines were developed for military aircraft. Now all the aviation industry uses them. You will also see them in the marine stores. All the cruise forms that I went on had wonderful things to say about them. Still going strong after five years, is what i heard a lot of. They have a five year warranty, full replacement after two or three years if I remember. It's on the website I posted below. The reason I went with the fullriver is they are almost half the cost of lifelines and are just as good, with even a better warranty then lifelines. http://www.dcbattery.com/fullriver.html

The M1 tracvision is by KVH and yes it is for TV. It is good for around 60 miles off shore and will hold a tv signal while going full speed. No we do not watch tv while underway but I am just making a point.
The dome mounts just above the radar on the mast and the receiver will mount in the closet behind the tv on the 29. It has a system to allow you to use the remote even though the receiver in tucked away. If you already have directv or dish then you will only be charged as if you added a receiver to a room in your house. $4.95 a month for directv. You will get the same programing as you get on your home system.
The M1 will even work to a point down in the sea of cortez. http://www.kvh.com/
They are sold everywhere all over the internet. I think I found mine for $2200.00 but saw them as high as $3300.00 for the same unit. just google M1 tracvision and have fun. The website i gave you is good for learning about the products.

The solar cost total not including battery upgrade was $1250.00 That is for two kyocera 130 watt panels and a SB2000E controller by bluesky. The cost of the pre-wire on the boat is not in here for I am still waiting for Howard to tell me what that will be. I am having them run 4ga from the inside of the stack to the controller location and then to batteries. It is about a 30' run so hence the 4ga so there will be no power drop. http://sunelec.com/index.php?main_page= ... ucts_id=25

Feel free to call me anytime for more details on any of this. That goes for anyone. It took me a awhile to type this.
I kind of hunt and peck on the key board. :roll:
Stuart 970-946-3156 royston@skywerx.com
 
Stuart: Thanks much for all that info -- much appreciated. 🙂

As our R-25 is barely 8 months old I'm assuming the stock factory batteries will last me a few years. The stock batteries are not sealed and do require periodic sight checking for fluid levels. I should have asked the factory to install sealed units and even done some research earlier to have them install better quality batteries. When I say better quality I'm not sure of the quality of the stock batteries but will assume they are 'middle of the road' in terms of quality.

What is the consensus out there wrt the R-25's stock batteries ? The stock batteries in our R-25 are Exide Dual Purpose Nautilus NC-27. Here's a picture of them...
5okyc0
 
Berry,
We replaced the stock batteries on Solitude after the first year with Gel Cell's. On Karma we opted for AGM's. We had Gel Cells on our Catalina Sailboat and they last for about six years. Anytime we have used flooded cell batteries, we were lucky to get two years out of them.

One thought on the solar. If you are not planning to spend an extended period of time (two weeks or more) out on the anchor, I would not go with the set up that Stuart, Mac, and Darrell all have. They spend very long periods out on the hook and need this type of equipment. On Solitude as well as our Catalina, we used two small Sunsei 6 watt solar panels to keep the batteries topped off. We would play the stereo and run the refrigerator all day and the batteries would stay topped off. These will not give you the power that the others are getting however the cost of these panels is $89.00 each. You can check them out at http://www.adventurerv.net/sunsei-solar ... -2669.html. I had brackets mounted on the sports rack and simply dropped the cord through the overhead hatch and plugged it into a 12 volt plug. You can see pictures in our photo album. I have mounted these same two panels on Karma.
 
David:

Thanks for that alternative Solar panel info -- that setup is likely to meet our needs at this time.

At this time I'm awaiting delivery of our Portland Pudgy in Sunset Yellow. It's being built & assembled per my specifications at this time. I will have it delivered to my Marina in Edmonds and from there I'll wheel it down to our R-25 and install the davits etc. Having the Pudgy with us at all times will give us some peace of mind. I also opted to get the lightweight foldable electric Torqeedo outboard to attach to the Pudgy.

Now to find a nearby island with a nice quiet/private beach for us to anchor off and then motor over to it for a walk about and some packed lunch while our two Fox Terriers explore. 😀

BTW -- it's Barry not Berry. 😉
 
Berry,
Here is some easy reading on battery comparisons http://www.thesolar.biz/Battery_Comparison.htm

I am not sure how good the batteries that Ranger provides are. I only upgraded for the reason that I wanted to add solar. I also have been on boats all my life and I have found that when I am out at sea I want the best equipment I can find.
When it came to making the decision to spend the money on a Ranger 29 I thought back and said if I am going to have a boat like this then I do not want to ever have power issues again if I can help it. So I decided to go for the bigger solar system for that reason and also for the reason,That I really don't like to listen to a generator if I don't have to.
I am setting up Spirit of Gratitude to be as self sufficient as it can be. The only thing I would need to run the generator for is if I have been at anchor for a few days and I need hot water for a shower. If the weather is warm then I will shower off the back with air temp water. We also carry solar showers which are wonderful. Fill them up, put them up top in the sun and a have a nice shower that is ready in sometimes just a hour. We conserve water while we are on the boat. It is something I learned growing up living on a boat. My wife and I could make 30gal last on our old boat for 10 days. We drank bottled water. We never felt like we were depriving ourselves at all. Just learning good habits. I am not sure how we are going to handle 70gal on the new boat that seem like a dream. That is over twice the amount of what we are used to.
I also chose the solar system for the reason that there is something kind of cool knowing that we are getting our power for free. Yes with a big initial investment of course and I don't know if it will really ever pay for itself and I don't care. In some way for me it just feels like the right thing to do. If I like how it works on the boat then I will do my house down the road for the same reasons. I will take it slow at first.
The biggest reason is what David said though. We like to stay out for long periods of time.

I will say this about Exide. When I was doing my research on batteries and I would contact the manufacturer of them it was not a pleasant experience. But when talking to fullriver or lifeline I felt like I was talking to people that knew and understood batteries.
Given that I still am not sure of there quality. It may be a good topic for another form. Kind of like the one that someone started that wanted to know how people were liking there 130hp yanmar.
Ok now maybe I am getting off topic, Sorry 😳

Stuart
 
The Laurie Ann is nearly completely repaired from our three weeks of boating. We have:

1. Added a crab trap hoist that is a Scotty brand, an adjustable arm that tilts and swivels and has a pulley on the end. Costs about $40. We bolted it on the starboard side, under the cockpit side rails near the swim step. That way, the pilot can easily put the tug at the trap, the line is pulled up that is away from the gelcoat and fiberglass and the trap is swung onto the swim step.

2. Upgraded the 120 volt AC battery charger. When we replaced the two group 27 house batteries with 4-6volt golf cart batteries, the charger would take so long to charge the 600 amps that the tug is carrying, it wore out the charger. Now we are adding a 40 amp charger from ProMariner (really great tech support) that is a perfect match for our battery setup.

3. Added a screen door to the cabin door by taking the canvas cover to our fabulous canvas person in Arlington, WA (Leta's Top Shop) and they quickly turned out an exact duplicate except where the canvas is, it is all screening material. Velcro's on and rolls up and stores away in the nylon duffel bag that all our canvas is stored in.

4. We moved away from the disposable propane bottles (trash and cost) to a 10 pound bottle that fits perfectly in the old bait well. The well was improved by adding a seal to make it water tight and vented overboard. Now it is legal.

5. From the RV world we are trying a method to rid the holding tank of residue sludge: Fill it with fresh water, a 1/2 of liquid laundry soap and a 1/2 cup of Calgon water softener granules. Mix well with a trailer trip to the marina and pump it all out.

6. An idea from Roger of "Dreamer" a Tom Cat 25, we got went to Home Depot, bought a water filtration unit, got a 5 micron filter, and the adapters to put the hose into the filtration unit. Very little money spent and the filters are easily available.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

  • Tugnuts.com is the community hub for Ranger Tug, Cutwater, and Solara owners. Since its inception in 2008, the Tugnuts forum has grown into an active and thriving community of more than 9,000 members. It serves as both a meeting place for the best boating community online, and an invaluable archive of information.

  • User menu
Back
Top