Picking Up Our New Little Liveaboard Boat - R25 Ranger Tug - Epidsode 2 

Thank you for sharing the start of your journey. My son and I picked ours up and trailered her home which it looks like you did ! The start of so many great memories! We're three seasons into owning our C-24 and so appreciate the layout and ease of trailering the boat. This ability for the adventurous so much opens up opportunities to "place" the boat saving time, gas and wear. We were third owners in a short period of time and some maintenance was neglected. We new the issues going in and negotiated accordingly. It was a commitment, but well worth it. The ability to "pull" the boat when needed and place next to our workshop to fix or "bullet proof" has been a tremendous help. The first season we had to pull the bow thruster which with the single engine is essential. It actually failed during sea trial. We couldn't get a new one in '21 so a reputable rebuilder in Maryland rebuilt it for about $350. Flawless since and so appreciated! Also, be careful on the tension you put on bow ring when winching onto the trailer. At the end of season one, we over cranked and started pulling the two bolts through the hull. We significantly reinforced the backing plate your access at the front of the birth and now know to exercise greater care. No issues since. Mission 1 season two was getting the A/C going. We were told at pick-up by the dealer the blower fan was the issue. We took apart and tested on land and it worked. The issue was the Kool Pump in the stern. We disassembled, did some minor repair/clean-up of the shaft and reassembled. No issues for the last two seasons. This season we installed radar. You have much more space on your roof that our C-24 coupe. Our challenge was mounting it 16" above the rack to carry three surf-boards underneath. We built a custom mounting plate and added two brackets inside the cabin. I really appreciate the Garmin Chart plotter and interface with Active Captain. Routes are planned and refined on my I-phone and then update on the Chart plotter once aboard. The 18" Array also was true plug and play with the charter plotter. The boat and electronics are 2019 which probably helps. All the best! Dave

These boats are so cool. After watching a lot of videos about them, I saw one in a harbor on Cape Cod about a year ago.

Congratulations on your Ranger Tug. I have a slightly bigger trawler and a little tiny tip about the fridge. They often keep one area of food quite cold, sometimes almost frozen and another area not as cold. You can purchase a small battery operated fridge fan that can really help with that. They aren't very big, maybe 2 or 2-1/2" square and they don't suck power out of your house batteries. It really helps with even cooling. Happy boating.

Absolutely sick boat and following your adventures !!!.

You asked for thoughts on prepping for longer trips. 1. Froli. This is a slightly expensive modification to the bed, but the benefits make it a great value. Depending on the cover and the cushion - beds can be uncomfortable and can sweat (between cushion and support). Froli let us "dial" the bed to our individual body structure (and weight), and it allows the cushions to breathe underneath. Huge difference between before and after. 2. "Kits". We have storage containers that fit unused nooks in the boat, each with a theme - the nature recognition reference container, the game container, the boat cleaning container, etc.... They breathe or are waterproof, rigid or soft, large or small - as needed. 3. Solar, solar, and more solar. I have folding solar panels on my boat, because I don't want the rigid models on the radar arch. It's one thing to be in the wind, but it's a whole other thing to be in a headwind on the freeway. Cloudy/hazy days do not power the panels to capacity, so double or triple what you need - if possible. One nice thing about the folding solar panels is I can make an effort to angle them toward the sun for optimal performance. Rigid panels mounted on the roof or arch usually do not offer this capability, plus they are usually shaded by antennae, navigation camera, and the radar dome. The folders can also be placed remotely (like on the dock), if the need/opportunity arises. 4. Solar-powered generator. It's just a battery with outlets - but it's backup power without the need to use gas. I power my whole boat (while on the hook) with nothing more than a bunch of folding solar panels on the bow (bow facing South), and the solar-powered generator to manage the charge rate and keep the house batteries charged. The generator is usually drained by morning, but the panels fix that by evening (enough panels to charge generator and power boat simultaneously) - and the house batteries do not need the noisy methods of charging. Inclement weather... well... means I burn some gas. 5. Trailer camping. I recommend rigging collection for the greywater drains, and a means to draw water into the toilet. You never know when you might need to use the boat as a camper while it's on the trailer - but it's gunna happen. 6. Are you Sirius? I spend more time out of range of any radio/TV/cell signal at all - and sometime satellite is blocked if I anchor too close to a cliff. Coffee House channel (set on low) is great with that morning air and beverage, Yacht Rock is available in the summer, Classic Rewind, Classic Vinyl, and decade-themed channels all offer something to sate the moods that befit our generation. 7. Optics. PTZ thermals are crazy expensive, but well worth it if you have the means. PTZ color/IR camera is a viable option. Wide-angle marine binoculars (50MM), maybe about 7X work well while under way. Since you are wildlife watchers (like us), stabilized binoculars are a must. I have a very affordable Sig Sauer Zulu 6 binocular that is light, easy to work, and gives me 16X viewing. The eyepieces are a little challenging to line up with your eyes, but the results are worth the effort. I suggest you find a store with these on the shelf to test before buying. I would buy again.

Great job on the video and I’m really happy for you folks. You’re going to have a blast cruising around in the RT25. We bought an RT27 last year and have made a few mods that you may also want to consider. 400 watts of solar, fresh water head (less stinky), AIS, topside dinghy rack. Anyway, happy cruising. Phil and Jodi. Joyful. Bellingham WA.

I've watched tons of these kind of vids, something special about this one

I look forward to your future videos about your new boat!

What a supper boat and location to be at.

Congratulations on your R 25. I took delivery of mine a year ago and love it.

congratulations! Beautiful boat

Nice boat

What a lovely boat

1st time viewed... now subscribed... some of those clips sure look like the 30,000 Islands or areas similar to them that I have Very Much Enjoyed. Congrats. Many safe hours, miles and experiences.

That would be great for week long voyages.

Beautiful vessel!!!!!

Nice boat. Looking forward to follow your boating adventures. Greetings from boater in Norway with a 24 foot fishing boat style boat.

Taking delivery must have been an exciting day. Congratulations.

I have to love the lifestyle associated with boat-camping and being outside.

Nice tug, nice video!

The focus on the local natural environment is interesting. By the looks of things, it's your profession & would be an interesting differentiator from the other liveaboard channels.

Love our Ranger Tug OB27 Cincinnati Ohio

Thank you for your kind words. We are pretty new at the videos . Have done some wildlife filming but not much for RU-vid. Let us know if you have any ideas . We are open to suggestions. Love to hear your comments !

Smart move with the outboard power.

Have you done videos prior? If not, you're doing a wonderful job for first timers and even if you're not. Can't wait to see more of the adventures.

I thought I saw the North Channel in the video ! Say hi to Paul for me , I'm a previous customer ! Nice Video .

I have lived in Asia most of my life and everyone can do it except me! I'm talking about squatting flat footed of course @4m.04 Great video and cheers for your future adventures :)

I like your first two videos. I have been making videos on my channel about boating in Brooklyn NY. I noticed on some of your clips, the audio for dialogue peaks and clips. Not sure what video editor you are using, but there are some features available to make the audio more uniform. additionally you can fine tune the gain of the microphone when you are recording. Cheers

Great video beautiful boat super practical and roomy for the size. Enjoy her in good health and prosperity. Will follow your adventures.

A beauty

I remember on my Ranger Tug 21-EC the stereo would suddenly power up. Usually during the middle of the night. Lol. Never did track down that issue. I kind of miss that boat.

Very nice boat! Do you have a small backup out boad engine beside the dingy's should your primary engine fail?

Biggest boats I have owned were 4 boats that were around 16/17 footers.....Looks like you two have a wonderful boat I'm sure jealous....And from my perspective motor boats are the only way to go .....Sail boats are way to much hassle and are just holes in the water you throw money into.

Love this boat. As a newbie wanting to get into living on a small boat. What's the maintenance for this? I plan to be on saltwater.

Great looking boat! We pick our R25 up from the factory in Seattle (Auburn) Washington in two months! Where did you get the cover for the boat while it is sitting on the trailer? I would love to get one as well.

Thanks for the video. I am curious how heavy is R25 with loads and the trailer altogether? Did you ever weight em? Thanks a lot!!

Keep safe sailing

Just found your channel but didn’t find any of your additional videos?

Hello guys

Sweet boat! what size truck do you tow it with?

I did not see an autopilot on your control panel. Was than not an option for you, or is it integrated into the plotter?

In this video,,are you in the San Juan's?

And how much was this out the door? I'm guessing $210.000

I bet you were surprised at just how small that boat was when you put it in the water! I know you gonna say that you weren’t because you’ve seen and been on them in the water. Anyway you shake it it’s a tiny boat! Nice but small even for two people. PS I used to sell them😃

little toot