Ranger Tugs and Cutwaters

[JohnEasley]

We’ve been thinking about our next boat. We’re thinking we’ll be doing weekends and week to ten day trips. We won’t be living aboard.

A couple of boats that have popped up on our radar are the 28-32 foot Ranger Tugs and Cutwater tugs. Pocket trawlers. Some even come with a three axle trailer, which could expand our boating range a bit.

Does anyone have experience with these? They seem well made, amazingly dual-purposed inside, economical to run, easy and inexpensive to dock and roomy enough for two during a week long trip.

Thoughts and experiences are appreciated.

Thanks.

John

 

[FWT]

I don't own one, but spent time researching them. There was a time I considered one. So take this for what its worth.

No boat is perfect. Pros and cons.

Pro:

Perhaps the most popular trailerable line of boats. If you want to go trailerable, that is the mission for these. They are optimized for that mission. All dimensions fit that. Weight is kept as low as possible.

A lot of "features" are stuffed into these small boats.

There is active support from the company. Check out tugnuts.com and a tugnuts users group on Facebook.


Cons:

Spend some serious time on those user groups, especially tugnuts.com. There are more build issues than you might think. It spans all areas. Water infiltration from hull-deck seams. Wiring done poorly. No ventilation to the engine compartment makes the air intake too hot. Fuses in odd spots that you can't get to. Focus on the difference between well built, and well designed.

A lot of features stuffed in means every system is stuffed in. Maintenance generally involves removing a number of components to get to the one you need to service.

Notice that none of them float on their waterline. That bugged me and made me doubt some design elements.

The more recent hulls are speedboat hulls with trawler or Downeast looks above the waterline. That's good or bad depending on what you want.


Bottom line is that its always a case of dealing with cons to get the pros important to you. I have no interest in trailering, so for me the cons that arise due to design choices optimized for that mission made the tradeoffs not good ones for me. You might well have a different set, making these right for you. Just get comfortable first with quality

 

[IRENE]

We used to tow a 27 Skagit Orca, so similar mission but without the new boat features. The mobility certainly opened opportunities that we took advantage of, and we had no problem living aboard for 2 weeks on vacations.

If you have not towed a bigger boat before, beware the following thing$ that you will likely need to become familiar with and budget time and money for. Bad things can happen quickly when you are piloting #20,000+ down the road with your loved ones buckled inside.

tow vehicle, proper size and equipment to be safe

trailer, same

lots of maintenance - this is severe duty for the truck and you will be dunking the trailer in salt water repeatedly

trailer brakes and lights require constant maintenance

Yes, we would (will) do it again.

Good Luck

 

[JLD]

I love the Cutwater 24 Coupe, it is one of my favorite boats in this size.

Once you get above 29/30 feet, the boats have a 10' beam. This would be a great size in terms of having the boat hauled, but it would be to wide for me to trailer any significant distance. My own personal trailer comfort ends at 8 and 1/2 feet, especially on curvy or narrow roads!

Jim

 

[tiltrider1]

Ranger tugs deprecate rapidly. PO’s are usually new to boating so maintenance practices become questionable. Do your due diligence. Wile I hear about odd complaints most owners love their boats but being new to boating they quickly move away from the ranger tugs to something more suited to their style. There is no consistency in which direction they move. Some go bigger, some go faster and some leave the water. Most all are happy with their ranger experience.

 

[Ken E.]

Notice that none of them float on their waterline. That bugged me and made me doubt some design elements.

These boats are very popular in the PNW, especially the tugs. We see them up the Inside Passage to northern BC and SE AK.

As FWT mentioned, and especially regarding Cutwaters, I have never seen one square on its waterline. They all seem to have some degree of list, and some a lot. One dissatisfied owner of a newer Cutwater I talked to said the factory wasn't able to do much about the list and that it was a function of all options that were stuffed in. Still...other boats have lots of gear installed and are trim on their lines, so that's hardly an excuse.

 

[Arc]

You get a lot of features but nothing is really great

 

[Mischief Managed]

For up to 10 days trips, I would aim for something faster, simpler, and cheaper. We took our 25 foot Regal Cuddy (coincidentally designed by David Livingston, the guy that designs all the Ranger Tug and Cutwater boats) on some great trips up to 450 miles and 17 days straight. at 6000 lbs it was easy to trailer with a GMC 2500 and with full camper canvas that converted the cockpit into a salon, it was remarkably comfortable for two. We used the effortless 35 knot cruise to take advantage of weather windows to cover long distances when we felt like it. If I had to do it again, I'd look for outboard power. Thinking 25 to 28 feet in length and twin 200s would really rock. I confess that I have no idea what brand to look at though. One downside is that air conditioning is not typically an option on a cuddy cabin and most don't a lot of ventilation, so if you are planning to cruise in hot areas, it's probably not a great recommendation.

 

[sean9c]

Had my boat surveyed last week, surveyor had a pretty good rant about Ranger Tugs. There are a few in the marina, they're sure covered in geegaws and gadgets. I think my favorite is mounting the helm compass outside on the cabintop in front of the helm window. They're sure selling a bunch, so they must be making something that is attractive to buyers. My opinion based on nothing is that they will not age well.
It's sort of a shame, they've taken a bunch of sales from Nordic Tug by undercutting them on price and offering a bunch of bling, while NT's are just a nicely done, high quality build, customers are swayed by the shiny bauble.

 

[READY]

To me the rangers and cutwaters seem more suitable as day or weekend boats but at a premium price. There is virtually no space in the saloon and no pilothouse in order to minimize the beam so they can be trailered. Just seem a little cramped and impractical for more extended cruising. But if I were looking for a boat I could trailer they would be on my list. Ranger/cutwaters that I have seen have Engine and genset access that is extremely tight. I have an NT32 which engine room is not exactly spacious but comparatively speaking feels like walk in/standup.

 

[Nomad Willy]

My friend went out on a test run in a Ranger and said it bobbed around like a cork. They are nice looking boats but I see no reason they would be any better/different than an old Bayliner 26 or 28’. Hard riding and not much directional stability. They seem to have a following but they are what they are. That said I really do like the cabin on the Ranger. Good use of space too and if they’re the same company that produced the copy of the 17’ Willits Canoe back in the 60’s or a bit later they probably are well made too.

And my friend hasn’t ridden in my Willard yet either. With covid on the loose only Chris and I go on the boat or in the house.

Sean9c wrote;
“ . They're sure selling a bunch, so they must be making something that is attractive to buyers. My opinion based on nothing is that they will not age well.”

Most trendy things don’t.

 

[Cruzer]

Just another slice...

Very good friends of ours have a late-model 29 that is currently for sale as they've had a change in lifestyle. Before that change it was their home(!) for three years. To be clear, they are nomads who like small spaces and previously had lived in their small Airstream which they towed around the country. That said, and having spent much time aboard, it is an amazingly livable 29 and it is understandable to me why fans find it to be a comfortable option for coastal/inland cruising in favorable conditions. It is the tiny home of boats with a great deal of thought put into its living spaces. While we can't speak to how it will hold up over time, they took excellent care of their's and it took great care of them with no major or unusual issues through their tour around the Great Loop and beyond. Last I saw it, it showed as a very lightly used boat (inevitably more of a testament to their care of it). I do know that after their experience with it they would buy the same boat again.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

They were born out of Livingston Boat Company I think, a son is President of Ranger Tugs.

Many things start out very nice but once demand increases, production pressures kick in. I remember taking a spin on a R-25 way back in 2009, when they were purely inboard diesels and had a different hull shape. Sweet boat. I'd have no interest in an outboard powered model.

 

[Nomad Willy]

AkFly,
Diversity .... In this type and size OB is the only acceptable power IMO.

 

[Comodave]

I wonder if when they went from an inboard to outboards with a bracket if they did any redesign to the hull to rebalance it or not. Never been aboard one but that is a pretty drastic change in that small a boat. Is this the brand that the one went turtle at the dock up in Canada?

 

[Nomad Willy]

Comodave,
I suspect that if the boat was balanced w inboard engines substituting a lighter engine further aft the trim via weight balance should remain about the same.

I much prefer just making the boat 2’ (approx) longer. That gives much more flotation and planing surface support especially valuable at hump speed.

 

[Comodave]

When you add 2 300 hp engines cantilevered back a couple of feet aft of the transom at the same time removing about 1000 pounds in the middle has to do something to the balance of the boat. I am not sure off hand what a 300 hp outboard weighs, maybe 500 pounds each?

 

[ctjstr]

I came very close to purchasing a 29 a few years back. Price seemed hi and eventually picked up a Camano, which was a great boat that held its value very well over the years.

 

[MVMischief]

My wife and I recently purchased a 2017 R-31, having previously owned cruising sailboats. Our cruising ground is Pamlico Sound and Neuse River in NC where the 28" draft lets us explore many new places we couldn't go in our 5 ft draft sailboat, and so far (2 months) we are in love with her.

The boat is extremely well thought out and built with quality. The owner community is strong and supportive (checkout tugnuts.com as mentioned earlier), and factory support is terrific. Notice how many times someone from the company responds on Tugnuts to help, including Andrew, the Ranger GM. I can't think of another company that close to their customers.

I find engine access (inboard diesel) to be downright luxurious compared to every sailboat I've owned. The boats do tend to list to port, but it's not dramatic and is mitigated by gear stowage. Some owners have moved their house battery bank to starboard to counteract, but that seems way excessive to me.

We don't trailer her, or even own a trailer, but it is possible. With a 10 ft beam, I believe a permit is required in most states. If that were important to me, I'd go smaller.

We've only done weekends so far, but we're planning a weeklong cruise this summer, and we have zero concerns about livability. She is very comfortable despite the compact size.

Finally, there is something about these boats that makes people smile. They're conversation starters, and we are almost guaranteed to get questions and compliments pulling into a new dock.

As they say, every boat is a compromise but we are happy with ours.

 

[sunchaser]

AkFly,
Diversity .... In this type and size OB is the only acceptable power IMO.

Eric
Agree on OB. But, I'm curious as to required redesign to deal with the Cutwater that sank last year due to water intrusion at aft OB specific chase through hull area. Thanks to TT and others on TF the company apparently made the owner "whole" somehow.

Personally I'd strongly lean towards an Al boat like a Kingfisher or Coastal Craft if considering in this size range. Something big water tested for moving around in the remote areas of BC and AK. But I'd miss out out on those TugNuts rendevouz and the social gatherings so sought by many.

 

[Toki]

Ranger 27 owner here (inboard diesel), I'll respond to a couple of the above comments.

I believe that when Ranger went to outboards on the 25 and 27 in 2018 they went with a completely new, redesigned hull. It's quite a different hull than the inboard "classics". I believe it's a true planing hull, specifically designed for the outboard. It's built for speed, but not for efficient cruising at displacement speeds. Whereas my inboard Ranger will displace at 7 Kn sipping less than 1.5 Gal/Hr, or if I'm in a hurry I can plane at 14 Kn.

I agree with most of the comments above. Rangers are high volume, cost sensitive factory built boats. As such, there may be more build issues than one might find on a higher end boat. I've seen my share of such issues on mine. However, it's been nothing major, and the factory support to make things right has been stellar, even out of warranty.

Probably my biggest criticism is that these boats do indeed bob around like a cork at anchor. Lightweight, narrow beam, high freeboard, so of course they do. But that's the price one pays for maximum livability in an easily trailerable package.

 

[JohnEasley]

Some great feedback from people that currently own them and some good food for thought from others. Thanks everyone.

 

[tiltrider1]

Toki is correct. The Ranger hull was a complete redesign for the Change to OB engines. The reason for the change to OB engines was speed. Most Ranger Tugs were traveling around at 12-14kts, the least fuel efficient speed. By redesigning the boat and switching to OB power an efficient 18kt planning hull was created. Regardless of what is said here, Ranger Tugs knows their customer base and provides the correct product.

It reminds me of all the sailboat manufacturers who laughed at Roger McGregor for introducing a trailerable sailboat that could go 18 kts under power. Four years later 99 out of 100 new trailerable sailboats sold were a McGregor 26x.

Being popular on TF and being profitable are rarely the same thing.

 

[Ken E.]

There are a few outboard Ranger tugs in my area and I've seen them at planing speed. They look clean and easy through the water with just a slight nose-up attitude. The wake is low and pretty flat. I'd guess some work was done on the hull for use with a bracket and outboards since it looks like they got it right.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I thought they were all planing hulls ... still do. Anybody got a picture to share of the aft end of the hull of one of these diesel Rangers?

At this point I’d like to downsize but what I’d want would be a SD OB about 24’. Unobtainium.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

I thought they were all planing hulls ... still do. Anybody got a picture to share of the aft end of the hull of one of these diesel Rangers?

At this point I’d like to downsize but what I’d want would be a SD OB about 24’. Unobtainium.

Here's one when they still used a Yanmar, before they went to the Volvo common rail.

And a couple photos of a similar vintage on jacks in a yard:

 

[RonR]

Like previously mentioned, there are a ton of these in the PNW. On our dock alone there are 8. We travel with a few that own/love them. They seem to have a very high resale if kept up. Some other friends just ordered one up (8 months out). And are coming from a Bayliner 3788.
Out of the group we have traveled with the only complaint was that on a newer boat the fuel tank vent line was pinched, so at high speeds for longer than 20 min it would create a vacuum and the boat would slow down. Yes they do pack a lot of options in a small space. But for the volume/price I absolutely love them as so do many others.
I do feel like they are on the same path as Bayliner, lots of options, lots of boats, at a fair price. Your not getting the best built boat, or is it junk, but middle of the line with a fantastic layout and option list.

 

[journey on]

I would like to point out that the Ranger Tug 27 OB is just barely trailerable. by a pickup. The 29 OB would need a special permit and a big truck. Any bigger would use a commercial hauler. Lets not get too romantic about hauling them overland, there are limits.



Boris

 

[Nomad Willy]

AkFly,
It looks like there’s some warp to the bottom but can’t really see.
I see a tunnel stern and that is almost always a feature of a planing hull.

Also looks like the chine line and bottom to keel line (as far back as it goes) are straight and level. That also is a feature of a planing hull.

There are very very few SD hulls in this size and general style. Most or all SD hulls will have some rocker (convex curve) to the bottom amidships or further aft. Those that don’t have a chine line and keel line that are not parallel. The keel to hull line rises toward the stern in most SD hulls.

Judging from the apparent WL scum line this boat does not suffer from being bow heavy .... IF the applied WL is true and correct. It appears it is to me.

 

[Comodave]

It isn’t a real issue towing oversize boats. I used to move boats cross country. It is more difficult but certainly doable. Especially if they are 10’ or less beam. And with the tricks being manufactured today the towing ratings are much higher than in the past. I have towed boats up to 38’ with a 12’ beam cross country. Yes, there were permits involved but I did it with a 1 ton pickup.