Ranger Tugs "50th Anniversary"?

[timflan]

So pretend I haven't really been paying attention. (I haven't)

In what sense is it even vaguely legitimate for Ranger Tugs to celebrate a 50th anniversary?

What did I miss? I'm confused.

[DaveS]

Yep, they've been around since '58.

[TyBoo]

http://www.rangertugs.com/m/index.html

[rogerbum]

It's interesting that they have changed the name recently to Martini Marine and that the current web site doesn't list the Ranger 25. I assume that's simply because the new web site is still under development.

[Shiawassee]

I think Tyboo linked to the old site.

http://www.rangertugs.com/r/ links to a newer page.

Dale

[IT-SEA-BIT-C]

I"m the big mouth usually complaining about the 21ec needing more upgrades & after lookin at the pics of the old 21 it really has come along way, i need to shut up about that . the front window looks like it was opening on the older 21, that looks pretty cool , anyone know what the lever to the left of the wheel was ? (windless mabey ) ? - if they could just squeeze a coupple more mph out of her it would better.

[TyBoo]

[timflan]

I guess I'm still confused. I'm asking how we got here from there. In the real empirical world, I mean, not marketing hyperbole world.

Ranger Tugs was established in 1958.

OK, so just humor for one more minute, if you please.

If I say "C-Ranger", what does that mean, exactly? Didn't C-Dory Marine Group market a line of boats incredibly similar...essentially identical...to the current products from this 50-year-old company "Ranger Tugs"? How did that bizarre coincidence happen to take place? What did Ranger Tugs do with their own designs...the ones they had been building prior to acquiring the C-Dory designs?

And how come I can't find any "Ranger Tugs" for sale on the used market that were manufactured prior to about 2005? For a company established in 1958, it sure was a quiet little operation for the first 45 years, I guess. Or maybe they've got incredible customer loyalty...owners literally never sell their boats.

I just don't buy it. Something doesn't add up.

So to get back to my original question, how is it legitimate for Ranger Tugs to claim that Ranger Tugs (not some other company that happens to own the Ranger Tug designs now) was established in 1958?

I'm not trying to pick a fight. I don't have any stake in the outcome. I'm just a consumer who, perhaps, has become excessively skeptical of promotional hijinks and hucksterism, and resents having history manufactured after the fact.

PLEASE, somebody show me how silly I'm being. I really want the outcome here to be me saying "OH, now I get it! I can see how I might have misinterpreted the information I had. Thanks!"

[TyBoo]

[Bill Uffelman]

I was the Ranger sailboat dealer in Indianapolis IN from 1976 through 1980. I sold boats (all R-20)from both Seattle and Utah builder. The Kent factory was a source of lots of neat designs.

Bill Uffelman
Las Vegas NV

[thataway]

If you go to Yacht World.com, there are over 186 "Ranger" boats for sale. A few of these are built by the company which builds the Ranger tug. Many are "Sea Rangers" etc. built in Taiwan. I was surprised at how many Ranger 25 (12 for sale) and 21(13 for sale) are listed on Yachtworld.com.

Did the entire assets of the Martini Ranger company go to the Livingstons--or are these boats still built? I had seen some of the Martini Rangers a number of years ago--so I do believe the 50 years. There is a 1992 Ranger 21 tug in Long Beach CA for sale.

I associate Ranger sailboats with a Gary Mull design, which was built in S. Calif--and was most popular in a 22, 26, 29 and 33 foot design. (There were also 23, 28, 32 and some Schock (Santana) boats as well as the Newport--which were occasionally called "rangers". There was also a 37. (not sure, but I think that Mold became the Catalina 37. The original Ranger sailboats were built in S. Calif. Eventually the company was bought by one of the conglomerates.

I also found a "kent Ranger 20"--which must be the boat Bill refered to. I don't think I have ever seen one of these. It looks to be a keel/centerboard boat with shoal draft.

[timflan]

Ah, it's becoming clear. I've sailed on Ranger sailboats. They enjoy a great reputation. They are not called "Ranger Tugs".

[Leo Smith]

Back in the late 70's/early 80's Ranger was known mostly for building sailboats. They had a 21 foot trailerable sailboat and a 26 foot sailboat. I believe the naval architect was Ray Richards out of southern California. The Gary Mull designs were built by a different company. Locally, when an ad appears for a ranger sailboat, it is usually noted as a Mull Ranger or a Kent Ranger. The Kent Ranger boats were built on Pacific Highway South in Kent, Just south of the old C-Dory plant. This is the same location where the Ranger Tugs are being built today.

The Ranger Tug originally was introduced a a scaled-down double-ended traditional Bristol Bay hull with an overall length of 18'. It was offered in three versions. The first version was a sailboat with an open hull (daysailer). As I recall, the sailing models were offered with both a gaff rig and a sloop rig. The second version, also a sailboat, had a trunk cabin with a vee-berth. The third version was a power boat that featured a "wedding cake" pilothouse/ trunk cabin similar to the traditional Columbia River gillnetters. Power for all three versions was supplied by a small outboard motor in a offset stern well. (You don't want to wreck the sweet lines of a traditional double ender by hanging an outboard bracket on the stern)

A few years later, this boat grew 3' with the addition of a "horseshoe stern" similar to the traditional SE Alaska trollers. The additional length of the hull and width of the stern allowed for the installation of an inboard engine.

I recall about 10 years ago at the Seattle Boat Show both the double-ended hull and the horseshoe stern hulls were offered as an open "cocktail" launches, similar to the Duffy Boats found around Newport Beach, California. By this time, the sailboats built by Ranger were no longer on display at the Boat Show.

Perhaps the Livingston family can join in this discussion and fill in some of the blanks on the history of these boats.

Best Regards,
Leo

[IT-SEA-BIT-C]

Just wondering does that "coctail" launch thing go faster than ten mph ? if it does i would like to know if the hull and powerplant are different than a 21ec.

[thataway]

Thanks, Leo,
That adds a lot to the knowlege base!