Would you do it again?

[Uboatcdr]

Hello Ranger owners,
My name is Pete and my wife Brenda and I are considering purchasing a Ranger tug in the future. We have been fortunate to have been invited on a few of them as we were tied up at the same docks. We came from a 28’ trophy offshore fishing style boat we sold two years ago. We are looking into the cruising side of life as we near retirement, but are still a few years away. Ranger Tugs are a great boat, but cost as much as a house. I am trying to get your feeling towards the overall experience with these boats.
Would you do it again, factoring in all that goes with owner ship? I know what it cost to own a big boat, but this is a whole new ball game with the Ranger tug. They say the happiest day is the day you buy a boat and the day you sell it. Your incite would be appreciated.
Thanks
Pete

 

[Boont Boater]

Hi Pete and Brenda. My wife and I sold our 25 foot C-Dory last fall and bought a 2010 Ranger 29. I certainly thought about the upgrade for a long time. We chartered a 29 out of Bellingham a few years ago so we had some experience mostly good.

Our decision to buy the Ranger vs. say a Nordic 32 was based on several things:

We liked the way that the boat looked - could have been a deal breaker for one of us 🙂
The sleeping accommodations for two are wonderful.
The company has a great reputation.
The boat came with lots of bells and whistles - mostly all desirable
The boat is trailerable - opens up lots of cruising grounds.

The only real negative that I may not have appreciated is to hear the mechanic groan as he tries to work in a fairly restricted area on the motor, etc.

We had over a month total cruising around the Pacific Northwest and had a great time.

I'm sure others will put their two cents worth in. Maybe some longer time owners. I doubt you will find many nay-sayers on this forum. You can go to the Trawler Forum where they seem to like heavier, more seaworthy boats. Some of them will be happy to critique the Ranger Tugs.

Have fun with your search, Jeff

 

[pleeson]

The Ranger and Cutwater lines are bar none the finest pocket cruisers available and I guess that's why they cost so much. However, they at least come out shining when it comes to supplying big boat attributes in a completely useable (usually trailerable by the owner) package. Nothing else comes close in quality or practical, capable cruising in a small package and the company seems to bend over backwards to look after their customers and these boats - and not just when they are delivered. They deserve to be the best.

 

[LADYBUG TOO]

You bet we would! My father-in-law was a boat builder and over the years we maintained both his 43 ft. commercial snapper boat and his 36 ft. cruiser. Wooden hulls, of course. We cruised from Pensacola to Apalachicola and all along the gulf coast. The boats were absolutely works of art but they were heavy, slow and required tons of maintenance. When we boarded our R-29 at the Orange Beach, AL boat show we just did not want to get off. We loved it and it followed us home so we kept it. It just has everything we wanted and more. The systems in place on Ladybug, Too were there for the boat show. We did not get to choose our set up but it fits all of our needs. If we had custom ordered it, the only thing we would have left out is the wine fridge but I have enjoyed that feature way more than I ever thought I would. In my book it is the best baby trawler out there.

Pat
Ladybug, Too

 

[pugtug613]

I came from a sailboat. My last one was a 38' Irwin. Very comfortable, roomy and sea worthy. It weighed in at 23,000 #. I loved the boat, but couldn't deal with the maintenance. I took possession of a 27' Ranger in March 2014. We are already looking to move up to an R29!! The used price would be in the 180 - 210K range. I could get a very nice sailboat for that money. But, I'll take the R29. Honestly, I make the payment each month and I feel great when I use the boat. I don't care about the trailering thing, I leave it in the water. The 31 is too big for me, the R29 is perfect. So, you want to buy a "mint condition" R27 with 170 hrs?? :lol:

 

[baz]

Pete:

What Ranger Tug model have you been on (including Brenda) ? There's the R-21, R25 (Classic), R25SC, R27, R29 and R31s out there today.

In 2009 (2 years before I retired) we first looked at the R-21 and we immediately felt it was too small for us and lacked some of the creature comforts. The R-21 was easily affordable so it was natural for us to review it first, and it was the one that attracted me to Ranger Tug having seen it on a trailer at my local gas station while Jeff Messmer was getting gas for the R-21 towing truck. Then after the R-21 we looked at an R-25 (Classic) which happened to be alongside the R-21 at the Kent factory. Although the R-25 was nearly $80K to $100K (depending on options) more expensive there was no argument for us that the R-25 was THE boat for us. In retrospect we should have gone up to Monroe where the first R-29 was being built to review it also. No matter, we ended up with buying the R-25 (2010 model). We've now had it for almost 5 years and for the first few years we felt our choice was correct. However, as time has marched forward as well as our use of the R-25 we think the R-31 or a used R-29 would be a better choice for us today. We are now 5 years older and heaving into and out of the V-berth is a struggle and feel the R-25 is just a bit too cramped for our liking when on it for more than a few days. We have two small Wire Hair Fox Terriers and they would like more room as well. 😱 We also have a growing extended family and having them along with us on the R-25 boat at times is very tight.

The sleeping arrangement in the R-29/R-31 is awesome, and the extra cabin and cockpit room is something we would enjoy immensely. It would also encourage us to take the boat out for longer periods.

If we were to "do it again" today we would certainly go for a Ranger Tug and the R-29/R-31 would be our choice.

We likely will be putting our wonderfully kept R-25 with all its accessories up for sale later this year and make plans to move up to the R-29/R-31.

BTW... Ranger Tug's after sales service/attention is a very large factor for us staying with the Ranger Tug family. This type of service/attention has to be experienced to understand its immeasurable value for the boat's ownership. It amazes me how they do this after selling 100s of boats around the world. They treat you as if you were their only customer.

 

[Captmike]

Pete, we owned a 26's clipper craft for 14 year prior to purchasing an R27. We loved that boat and were amazed about the little time we it took to do the usual maintenance required of our previous wooden boat. We had that boat for three seasons and then I discovered the benefit for being able to get to the anchor more easily and having a bit more room so we went for the R29. We have been with this boat now three seasons and just finished 30 days cursing and we are still married. These boats are very comfortable in the water even in rough seas. Factory support is amazing. These boats put the pleasure back in pleasure boating. Hope the best for you and hope to see you on the water. Mike and Ellen

 

[jroyle]

I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I'm still waiting for the R-34 with a single big diesel. The wife thinks the 29 is a tad bit small after a 40ft Meridian but, as the guy who washes and sort of maintains the boat, the 29 is a pleasure to deal with. The Ranger Tug is by far the best quality boat out of the 4 we have purchased over the years, yes, there are the annoying nuances such as loose hose clamp fittings and some general quality issues but the boat is still far ahead of the others and the customer service is by far second to none. You can call Andrews cell phone anytime and he always answers and is willing to help no matter what. Thats what sold us on the Ranger line, customer service. So yes, we absolutely would do it again.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Yes, yes, yes we would do it again for all the reasons spelled out below....we love our R27, it's trailerability, quality and even thou it may be a little more pricey then the competition they have better dock side appeal and, in my opinion resale value, and of course there are not enough words to express how thoroughly professional everyone is at Ranger Tugs....they truly do care about the owners of there products.

Jim F

 

[kskogerson]

I would agree with everything said. The Ranger staff is probably THE reason for getting this boat. I've had several boats including sailboats and the 29 seems to be the most versatile. The 31 would probably be better left in the water. The 29 and 31 have exactly the same living space.
Regrettably you have to use it. I seem not to have time to use mine and my belief is that disuse is worse than abuse. As a result mine is available for sale . Check the forum "Rangers for sale".
Kent

 

[Bruce Moore]

Yes, and yes. The classic R-25 was our first boat of any kind. We spent three years gaining confidence and competence, then upgraded to an R-29. We spent two extended seasons exploring the San Juan and Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, Discovery Islands, and the Sunshine Coast. Then, we upgraded to the R-31.

The constant improvement to the boats and unwavering support from the factory have made it easy to do it again, and again.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[Skeeter63]

Yes, and yes. The classic R-25 was our first boat of any kind. We spent three years gaining confidence and competence, then upgraded to an R-29. We spent two extended seasons exploring the San Juan and Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, Discovery Islands, and the Sunshine Coast. Then, we upgraded to the R-31.

The constant improvement to the boats and unwavering support from the factory have made it easy to do it again, and again.

Cheers,

Bruce

Bruce -

Do you find it a big difference upgrading from the R29 to the R31?

Tim

 

[Bruce Moore]

Bruce -

Do you find it a big difference upgrading from the R29 to the R31?

Tim

Hi Tim - I replied to your PM.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[bill46]

Yes
We first saw a 2011 R-29 that met our needs. Asking way over market.
Went to St. Pete boat show and Moderntugs folks showed us 25-27-new 29 and 31 alongg with some Cutwaters.
We did not like the lack of helm door on new 29, and 27 was too small for our old bodies.
Then we found Seagate had 3 used 31s, a 2013, 2014, and 2015.
We made a great deal on a loaded 2014 with only 70 hours.
If I were ordering from factory, I would not get command bridge, dinghy, kayak hoist or aft helm.
I would get solar panel, gas stove, generator, air conditioning, Garmin package, platform rails, led lighting, ice maker.
I can single hand it with helm door and a mid spring line.
The engine is outside the cabin and quiet. The day head is great, and of course the master stateroom is very comfortable.
We did add 3" of foam on top of mattress.
We have cruised 600 miles, 80 hours in 5 months, staying 19 nights on board.
The more we cruise the slower we seem to go. This is not a fast boat, much more comfortable at under 10 knts.
Biggest criticism is location of cabin air conditioning outlet, cold feet, warm cabin. Stateroom AC is great!
All in all it is a well thought out boat, and everything is quite accessible for a boat.
Bill46 on Radio Active