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02-06-2017, 10:24 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
City: PNW
Vessel Model: American Tug 435
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 258
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What's coming for Ranger..?
Attended a boat show a couple weeks ago and Ranger Tugs were represented. We were looking for something a little bigger but we had time so climbed aboard and have to say very impressed. We liked a lot about the aesthetics, layout, helm station, etc. we just need a bit more room.
Anyway, the guy doing the talking mentioned Ranger is working on a 38' design and some customers have put money down sight unseen.
This seems like huge news that they're branching out and will be competing against some of the bigger builders, can't wait to see it!
On the other hand it goes against a long tradition; it's a bit like when Mini Cooper started building a "big" mini....
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02-06-2017, 11:23 PM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
City: SEWARD ALASKA
Vessel Name: DOS PECES
Vessel Model: BAYLINER 4788
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 6,263
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Personally I think branching to bigger boats is a great idea.
As we go through the different stages of life, many people find themselves with more and more disposable income.
If you get someone to buy into your brand with a smaller boat, and if they are happy, when their time comes to move to a larger boat, they will naturally trust the brand they have. This makes marketing much easier when you already have the potential customers trust.
Take Bayliner. Many of us started with smaller boats. We started out with a 19' cuddy ourselves. The boat worked great for us. As our lives changed and we could afford a larger boat it was easy to trust Bayliner, since we knew the brand. We have had several Bayliner ocean boats and been happy with all of them.
We now have a large motoryacht, and guess what... It's a Bayliner. My wife is thinking about moving into a yet larger Bayliner, a 5788. Why... Simply because we have had such great luck with all the other Bayliners we've had.
For her at least, she would be hard pressed to even consider another brand, because of the history we have with the brand.
Ranger customers are no different. Happy Repeat customers.
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02-07-2017, 12:33 AM
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#3
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Guru
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,274
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Sabre Yachts does this with their lineup. They also feed people from the Backcove series into Sabres. It apparently works well as they seem to be building boats...
As for Ranger, I have to admit that the first time we got aboard one at a boat show both my wife and I loved the creative use of space. They just seem to have cool features everywhere.
I will be curious to see what they come up with in a 38 design.
Will it be true to their previous models with every inch of the boat seemingly brimming with neat features or will it be allowed to grow a little more space to relax?
Should be fun to watch.
Bruce
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02-07-2017, 06:36 AM
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#4
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Guru
City: Carefree, Arizona
Vessel Name: sunchaser V
Vessel Model: DeFever 48 (sold)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 10,179
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A bigger Ranger, if executed as efficiently as the current lineup, will provide incentive for AT and NT to rethink their decades old designs. But, Ranger best hit a home run as they leave their market niche. AT was able to make a seemingly improved NT, what will Ranger use for their marketing philosophy?
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02-07-2017, 07:26 AM
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#5
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Guru
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,869
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Ranger Tug makes a nice boat for sure. They seem a bit pricey though. The 31' with the folding flybridge is about $380K equipped. There's a one year old 29' at my marina that they are asking $245K for.
It would be interesting to see a 38' Ranger Tug but I doubt I could afford it.
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02-07-2017, 07:35 AM
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#6
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Guru
City: Beaverton, Ontario
Vessel Name: Looking Glass
Vessel Model: Carver 370 Voyager
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,240
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We love the looks of the Ranger but with the narrow beam, find it a bit short of space. The American Tug and Nordic Tug however are a lot more attractive to us even in the same size. As well, any Rangers new or used in our area have been with Volvo engines and not a lot of service room around them.
__________________
Allan
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02-07-2017, 08:11 AM
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#7
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Guru
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,869
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LaBomba
We love the looks of the Ranger but with the narrow beam, find it a bit short of space. The American Tug and Nordic Tug however are a lot more attractive to us even in the same size. As well, any Rangers new or used in our area have been with Volvo engines and not a lot of service room around them.
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The current Ranger Tugs are trailerable, even the 31' model. That explains the narrow beam. The narrow beam explains the lack of service room.
I suspect the 38 will have a "normal" beam for it's length.
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02-07-2017, 01:33 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
City: PNW
Vessel Model: American Tug 435
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 258
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We also love the AT and NT but if you're talking new, they can come in at anywhere from $600k to nearly $1 million ! Ouch!
So if Ranger brings this 38 in at a lower price point, seems like they will be putting some competition pressure on AT and NT... which is probably a good thing.
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02-07-2017, 01:46 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Kinship
Vessel Model: North Pacific 43
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 9,046
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamrow
We also love the AT and NT but if you're talking new, they can come in at anywhere from $600k to nearly $1 million ! Ouch!
So if Ranger brings this 38 in at a lower price point, seems like they will be putting some competition pressure on AT and NT... which is probably a good thing.
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AT and NT make great boats and there are several of their designs that I would really enjoy owning. However, it seems you definitely pay a premium for having the word "tug" included in the name. North Pacific and Helmsman have been beating them on price point for a while but it hasn't seem to have hurt AT or NT at all. It may be the same with Ranger Tugs as they move into that size range.
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02-07-2017, 03:49 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,738
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunchaser
A bigger Ranger, if executed as efficiently as the current lineup, will provide incentive for AT and NT to rethink their decades old designs. But, Ranger best hit a home run as they leave their market niche. AT was able to make a seemingly improved NT, what will Ranger use for their marketing philosophy?
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AT owns NT now?
__________________
Eric
North Western Washington State USA
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02-07-2017, 04:16 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
City: Union, WA
Vessel Name: Touch of Grey
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 115
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AT was founded by some people who left NT to go their own way. Separate companies.
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02-07-2017, 05:07 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,738
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Yup,
That's what I thought.
OK the breakoff guys were thought of as making an improved NT?
I don't see it that way at all. I don't know the boats well enough to call either one better or improved. I like the NT better. I see the two boats as different not better or worse. But I know nothing about build quality or details like cabin layout ect. One difference is that there's no 26' AT. A shortcomming.
__________________
Eric
North Western Washington State USA
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02-07-2017, 05:23 PM
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#13
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Guru
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
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I think growth upward is something that nearly every boat builder does over the years. Then it takes a new builder to come back and service the person wanting a smaller boat. Look at the size of SF's now. Then Nordhavn's sales have moved upward, as have KK's. Bayliner found themselves driven larger. Then when Orin Edson, founder of Bayliner, reappeared with Pacific Mariner and Westport it happened again. Westport only built up to 130' and had to grow to 164' and now they've dropped everything under 112'. I suspect something large coming.
Sea Ray has moved upward in the past and had to retreat. Now they're trying again with the L Series. Cobalt tried to move upward but then 2008-2009 hit and they retreated. On the lake, we had a 30' bowrider. When I was young, there was no such thing built.
I think NT and AT and everyone else will find themselves building larger models. I just hope they don't forget or eliminate the smaller ones. It happens for financial reasons. If suddenly a 45' boat is selling well, then more profit into building larger boats and something gets pushed aside. Pacific Mariner/Westport sold hundreds of 65's and dozen's of 85's but when Westport needed the space for 164's and 130's, they were gone.
Cabo was killed by Hatteras as they focused on larger boats. That to me is the scary part of things. If the new boat is successful, will it lead to the death of the smaller models.
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02-07-2017, 06:08 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
City: Markham
Vessel Name: currently boatless
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 280
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If I were Ranger I would be very worried about the new Great Harbour TT35.
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02-07-2017, 07:03 PM
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#15
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Guru
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,274
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I once had the pleasure of sailing from Bermuda to Newport with the founder of Morris yachts, Tom Morris.
He explained the economy of scale that drove builders to larger designs. He said that in a given time frame you can put more workers on a larger boat with the profits showing a like gain for the given period of time.
He also said it was easier to fit components as a result of the additional room. In other words life was easier.
This from a man who loved small boats.
He preferred the small boat buyer and he preferred simpler boats.
He did acknowledge that large boats made more money and better business sense...
As far as the TT 35 Great Harbor vs the Ranger 38 or whatever it is, I'd suggest that this is a case of apples and oranges. Different boats for different markets!
Bruce
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02-07-2017, 11:03 PM
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#16
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TF Site Team
City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Rive
If I were Ranger I would be very worried about the new Great Harbour TT35.
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That's exactly what I was thinking. The GH TT35 is impressive in capabilities and performance. These come at a cost, though.
On many trailerable boats, one man's "creative use of space" is another man's PITA. Sometimes dual purpose surfaces lose their novelty and become a painful ritual in converting a surface from Use A to Use B. Since I haven't seen a TT35 interior yet, I don't know if this applies to it. It's something I'll be looking for when the new interior is debuted.
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02-08-2017, 12:46 AM
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#17
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Guru
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
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Absolutely found what Tom Morris said to be true. The disappointment is that companies won't expand to keep the small while adding the large and they don't sell the small boat business to allow someone else to continue it.
As to the TT impacting Ranger negatively, i don't think so. First, very different boats. Second if they get more people looking at trailerable and smaller trawler type boats they'll both benefit. I think also the fact they're on opposite coasts and at the far north and south of those coasts makes any erosion of business unlikely.
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02-14-2017, 04:33 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
City: PNW
Vessel Model: American Tug 435
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 258
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Rive, thanks for that! i had no idea Great Harbour was venturing into a swifter trawler, GH website says TT35 could go up to 16 kts! this seems antithetical to everything about GH boats, but hey more power to them and it should open up their customer base to folks that want just a bit more speed...
Now I just wish GH would build a 2-stateroom boat that will go this fast....
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02-19-2017, 04:37 PM
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#19
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Guru
City: Boston Area
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,605
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Rive
If I were Ranger I would be very worried about the new Great Harbour TT35.
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am I the only one that has a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of a 35 foot trawler with twin outboards ??
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02-19-2017, 04:52 PM
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#20
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Guru
City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Benthic2
am I the only one that has a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of a 35 foot trawler with twin outboards ??
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Yes....there are bigger non-trawlers with outboards
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