Why we buy Ranger Tugs

S

Stella Maris

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
1,500
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Helmsman PH38, 11' Boston Whaler, 9' Boston Whaler
Vessel Name
Destiny
Three reasons to buy yourself a Ranger Tug:

1) Great looking boats that turn heads everywhere they go!

2) Great friendships are built around these great boats!

3) Great service from the factory. This past weekend, our windlass decided to stop working (of course only after I let out a hundred feet of chain that had to be retrieved by hand) I sent Andrew and Howard an email on Monday which Howard promptly replied to with some suggestions. I stopped by the factory in Kent on Tuesday to visit with Andrew concerning the situation. His response was "Kenny will stop by tomorrow, remove the windlass and we will send it back to Lewmar for you.

While the Windlass is under warranty, I would not expect the factory to go through all of this. Yet they do. They take care of their customers! We all know, if this were one of those AWB companies, they would have said it was out of their control to deal with it yourself!

Great job to all of the Ranger Tug crew for building great boats and for standing behind your work!
 
This message is easy to relate to. Time and again the entire company demonstrates their unwavering loyalty and support for their customers and their products. I've said it before and it deserves repeating, I feel blessed to be a part of the Ranger Tug experience.
 
Such good things to hear from a rather new Ranger owner. So far All my questions have been answered from factory and Chesapeake Ranger Tug has been great to buy from and work with. The day I bought the Tug it was so hot I thought Chuck and I would pass out. But he held in there never wavering or rushing things.
Eric EC21 Central Pa
 
Ranger Tugs and Cutwater is real life proof that you can get what you pay for. There focus is to always over deliver in what seems every situation. And now a 31' !!!

They would be a great case study for any of the top business schools.

It's great to be associated with the Fluid Motion crew.
 
I will second Eric. I have had three minor warranty issues. I contacted my dealer, Chesapeake Ranger Tug and they contacted the factory right away. All issues were fixed right away with no problems. I couldn't ask for better service. Chuck and his staff have always been very responsive.
 
It is very reassuring to hear that the warranty service is great but what is it like when you do not live close to the factory or a dealer?
 
As for not living close to the factory or the dealer, when we owned Solitude, our R-25, we lived in Las Vegas. Our nearest dealer was in Oxnard California. Five hours away. Any issues that came up, Andrew was able to walk me through on the phone. When we hauled Solitude back to the PNW (Yes, we bought her in Seattle and hauled her to Vegas) after two years, the factory took care of the very minor issues we had with her at no expense to us.

It was due to the great service and support as well as a well built boat that we chose to move up to the R-29. As anyone that truly knows me, the only "gripe" I have about the R-29 is, I want a sofa! I have spent 350 nights aboard in the two years we have owned Karma (not sure if this qualifies as living aboard....) and I miss having a comfortable place to sit and relax after a long days work. Other than that, she is the best boat we have ever owned!
 
In reply to mspaugy, factory support is outstanding, both within warranty an outside warranty. Fellow Tugnutters on this forum are also great. I live in Australia.
 
The crew of Wolf Pack also echoes all of the above post-sale service accolades for the Fluid Motion team. The factory was there for us when still in warranty and still bends over backwards to keep us in the water trouble-free AFTER warranty. Yes, we are close to the factory in Des Moines, but we are also close to a major competitor who doesn't even come close to Ranger Tug/Fluid Motion standards.

Thank you Andrew, Kenny, Jeff, Howard, Kris, Richard and all the others on your team. We are proud to be part of your Tug family.

Wolf Pack
 
We live too far away from any of the Ranger dealers so we are on our own as far as getting repairs done. That said, the next best thing is to start with a quality boat, like our 21, and the repairs, even though you have to do them yourself, are a whole lot easier. The thing I had to come to understand was that it is not like buying a car where you can take it in if anything is amiss. Warranty work for me means me. I suppose if something out of my abilities came along it could mean a significant trip to get it resolved. Ranger Tugs seems to be a pretty good company but they can't be everywhere...
 
And we echo Wolfpacks sentiments. We are 900+ miles from the factory and the response time to issues by Andrew, Howard, and the entire Fluid Motion team is incredible. Keep in mind these vessels contain a lot of electro-mechanical devices that can and will suffer from infant mortality and general failure. We have never experienced such great factory support on any product we have purchased and I have no doubt the superb service will continue. Thank you Fluid Motion.
 
David can't you put the top down into bed mode on the dinette and lounge there?
 
Putting the table down, setting out the cushions and buying some fluffy pillows would give you a nice resting platform. Add a hookah. We had a similar set up in my frat house we called the "orgy platform"; of course, that was in our imagination as it never got used... We did replace the soda bottles in our machine with beer bottles for 25 cents–that got used. An orgy platform might be a nice option on larger Rangers.

BTW, the chief reason I bought a Ranger was because it was "cute!"
 
On the subject of why buy a Ranger. I have had quite a number of things go wrong, almost all with the complex things we put in Rangers, rather than the vessel itself. I can comment on the issue of not being near a dealer, which might be off-putting to potential buyers not living in Kent, WA or next door to a dealer. I bought my boat, new, from a dealer in Mobile, AL but I keep it on Cape Cod and in the Florida Keys.

I needed major engine work when the high pressure pump failed, which was accomplished with total aplomb by Mack Boring although I had to trailer it to them–which was my choice. They discovered a boat issue regarding the engine mounts. Readjustment is not easy in an R25, but trailering the boat to Salem, MA got the problem solved by Peter at the Winter Island Yacht Yard. It took two visits and I crashed on the boat and having spent plenty of time at that boat yard I can tell you that Peter can fix anything. Super nice folks, even though I bought my boat 1500 miles away at another dealer. Other engine work I needed, being one of the first with the heater hose leak problem, was easily accomplished when Andrew called the Yanmar distributor in Tampa who sent out mechanics from Cocoa Beach to my boat in the water near Orlando. This was done with speed and minimal, to me anyway, hassle. See my story about special high-end treatment by Garmin after a call from Kenny to them when they waffled on providing first class service (http://www.tugnuts.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2370). When my water pump failed, a new one was on its way the day I complained to Andrew.

I was nervous about buying such a complex piece of machinery with lots that could go wrong while not being near to any dealers. But, overall I've been able to get everything fixed as needed with excellent results and minimal hassle on both ends of the east coast, without being close to a dealer.
 
Hello US friends!
I want to confirm that the service from the factory of Ranger Tugs is great.
I live in France and for each question..an answer by mail in the day.
I don't understand... i receive a new mail in the hour!
A problem with my pro mariner...a solution in the day.
I think that there is a spirit of service in this factory...and it's very important when you are so far.
Andrew and others are professional, it's sure.
Best regards
Claude of "Claud'in"...
 
Welcome Claude! You will love your boat! My daughter Liz and her husband Edouard will be over from Paris in April to visit, and If I have to make my Tug an icebreaker, we will all go for a boat ride!

Phil
 
It would be difficult!
Corsica is far from Paris!
If you want some informations about activities in Paris, i can help you..during 20 years, i was in Paris for my job.
Best regards
Claude
 
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