Small trawler tugs at heartstrings

The new Ranger Tugs 29 is grabbing a lot of attention, and not just from older boaties.

At first glance, perhaps in a magazine article or from a distance with nothing to show scale, the Ranger Tugs 29 looks like a far bigger craft than it actually is. In these situations it looks like a fairly standard trawler, perhaps an ex-commercial vessel converted to pleasure use.

When one realises that this is actually a boat that measures just 10.06 metres LOA and has a hull length of only 8.9m the eyes widen a tad and the jaw does a perceptible drop. Is someone having a laugh?

There are now more than 1000 Ranger Tug boats doing pleasure boat duty on the world's various waterways and, while most of these are close to the company's home in the northwest of the United States, some are finding their way to these parts of the world.

What's more, the 29 we are talking about here is not the little baby of the fleet as one might imagine. It is actually the company's flagship model. There are also Ranger Tugs 27, 25 and even 21.

As a quick glance at the accompanying photos will show, the Ranger line-up are not really tugs at all. They are, instead, miniature versions of a Bristol Bay trawler from the west coast port of Kent, near Seattle, Washington.

The initial model, the R-21, started its life as a th scale of a Bristol Bay fishing trawler, designed by retired fisherman Howard Smith.

Things were relatively quiet until 1998, when marine designer John Livingston bought the business. Livingston absorbed the design into his family's boat-building enterprise, Fluid Motion, and spent weekends away on the R-21, cruising the local waters and crossing the Straits of Juan An De Fuca (renowned for its strong tides and winds, and ocean swells).

He then used those experiences to tweak the design and to incorporate those changes into the larger models.

The first Ranger Tug to arrive in this part of the world was an R-21 that debuted at the 2008 Sanctuary Cove boat show on Queensland's Gold Coast. Last year, the Australasian agency for the brand was taken over by Sydney man Peter McCook. His company, Ranger Tugs Australia and New Zealand, is planning to have dealerships in all Australian states and in New Zealand.

Across the ditch, our Aussie cousins seem to have taken a liking for these funny little boats, with more than 30 now sold.

One would imagine that the market for these miniature trawlers is the older boating couple. Indeed, when Pacific Powerboat magazine recently featured the Ranger Tugs 29, they headlined their review with: "Ahoy Grey Nomads."

However, as McCook explains, the appeal has actually been far wider.

"It has been surprising how these vessels have appealed to the younger families; we have sold boats to people in their late 30s and early 40s, people who have young families and just want something different and are not in a hurry," he said.

Because the boats are all trailerable (although, with a dry weight of over 4 tonnes, a reasonable tow vehicle will be required for the 29), they are also appealing to those who might have been considering a caravan. The argument in favour of such a decision: the internal layout is similar to that of a motor home so it works on and off the water.

I once spent a couple of weeks sailing around the Hauraki Gulf in a Carpenter 29. There were five of us on board and consequently there was not a lot of either room or privacy. It is a very different story on the Ranger Tugs 29 and I can imagine few issues with an extended cruise, even with the same number on board.

However, most will probably cruise, except for shorter day trips or an occasional long weekend, with far less. These are boats for families or couples, not large groups. Nevertheless, should one need to accommodate a few extras at short notice, there are berths for six: provided they get on well together.

At the helm, it is easy to feel one is on a much larger passage maker. There is a sliding door to the side decks, a proper helm seat and footrest and room for a large MFD display (in this case, a Raymarine C120) as well as all of the gauges and controls for the engines, windlass and other systems.

The Ranger Tugs 29 is powered by a Yanmar 260hp 6BY2, through a conventional shaft. Perhaps a little surprisingly, it actually has a top speed of 24 knots, although one would imagine this is a rarity rather than a habit. Cruising speed is listed at between 6 and 15 knots but most will probably stick to the lower end where the fuel burn is really quite minute.

At 700rpm, the 29 does 3 knots and uses just 1 litre of fuel per hour; at 900rpm, it is 3.5 knots at 1.7 lph; 1500revs: 5.3 knots at 4.5lph; 1800rpm (regarded as the best cruising speed) 6.2 knots at 7.5lph; 2000rpm: 7 knots at 10.5lph. Even at that speed, one is starting to need another 200 revs and about 30 per cent more fuel to gain an extra 0.8 of a knot.

Thanks to the 29's 568-litre capacity, at 1800rpm and 6.2 knots, one can cruise for a tad over 75 hours and cover more than 450 nautical miles.

Across the Tasman a "base" model costs A$335,000 including GST. I would therefore need to spend about $435,000 in order to own one here, possibly a bit more.

Ranger Tugs 29

LOA: 10.06m

LOH: 8.9m

Beam: 3.05m

Draft: 0.71m

Displacement (dry): 4196kg

Construction: GRP

Engine: Yanmar 260hp 6BY2

Maximum speed: 24 knots

Cruise speed: 6-15 knots

Fuel capacity: 568 litres

Water capacity: 265 litresIt has been surprising how these vessels have appealed to the younger families.Peter McCook

Want to know more?
Check out the review of the Ranger Tugs 29 in the January/February issue of Pacific Powerboat magazine.