SO WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR RANGER TUG TODAY ??

teflonmom · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 7:49 pm Post subject: R-25

Hi Tom,

I had trouble with my table on the 22 so don't feel bad. I don't know how yours is set up , but, the clips on the house wall seem to unlock if I fold the table leg and lower the edge of the table. Then with luck and a little bump the clips release.

If not your kid can probably figure it out!!!

Fred

terraplane · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 4:23 am Post subject: ranger 25

Hi Fred,

Different kind of table set up on the Ranger...but good to hear from you.

tom

captd · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 10:38 am Post subject:

Tom,
The table is a pain in the butt. I found the best way to get the top off was to get under the table push up with your back while pushing the button one post at a time. Some times it takes two people to do it. Once the top is off, a quarter turn on the posts will turn them loose. It is so tough we leave it as a bed all day long rather than going through the hassle.
If you discover a better way let us know.
Captd

terraplane · Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 8:42 am Post subject: ranger bunk

It took my friend Peggy and I a lot of time and muscle to get the bunk on the /new 25 set up...jeeez... we finally got it set up and it is very comfortable and will be good for two (small) people or one large.

But, it would take a person with three arms and four hands to do it alone i think.

We plan to silicone/grease all the connecting parts and see if that helps.

tom on BANJO

terraplane · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:36 am Post subject: ranger 25

I get my 50 hour service tomorrow. Fifty hours in about 3 weeks...time flies. No major problems with the boat... A few small niggling things, but no significant issues.
Since i live here in Rock Hall, and so does Gratitude Yacht, the dealer...they will come to my slip to do the service.

We just had a major four day heat wave..temps hit as high as 97 F...i ran the air, and it seemed fine, though it took a long time to bring the inside temp down...when i have the service they will check the duct work on the air unit.

I have followed the 50 hour break in rules , varying speeds all the time.

Here is what i have found is good for me..i cruise at 7.5 or 8 kts. That is about 2000 to 2100 rpm. At that speed i seem to using about 1.9 gal an hour..does that sound right?

The noise level of the engine is fine...it seems to increase between 2100 and 2500, then get better at the high cruising speed of 2800.

Generator is noisy, but i don't use it often.

The name is BANJO and since that is my instrument, it fits.

I have not yet used the pump out of the holding tank(it has had very little use...) I have not used the raw water wash down feature. I have not folded the mast..looks a little daunting.

The table/bunk configuration is a pain. I had a guest to use it last weekend...it really did take two grown people a good deal of effort to get it down. ..trying to unclick the legs, and lift the table at same time, etc.
Silicone spray does not help. We had to sit there and work the table up by varying the angle...not good for the long run i think. If there is a modification i can make and keep the beautiful table top, i will do it.

So,that is Ranger 25 BANJO so far.

I will say it is a head turner..Everywhere i go i get questions...at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, ourhome for traditional Bay craft, even those people were impressed by the lines..Biy the way, we also had seven C Dory 22's lined up and they got equal attention..quite a sight.

Terraplane

PenguinPA · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject:

Tom,

Table is true 2 person job. Give Andrew a ring for procedure, but the 1 time I took the table out, I vowed NEVER to do it again. It works, it just takes more work than worth!

Good luck!
Drew

terraplane · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:49 am Post subject: questions

I seem to be the one with the most questions:

We have not used our holding tank much, but i want to pump out this weekend.

What is the procedure...i have a macerator switch and a pump out switch on the console . What is the step by step for pumping out.

If you are in a legal zone and can pump overboard, what is the procedure for that? My hull is number 52, so people around that number might be best for advice since Ranger changes stuff often.

terraplane tom in rock hall md.

Trinity · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:56 am Post subject:

We have hull #46. To pump out while underway, you have to flip a "switch" that is located under the access panel that is in the cockpit and inside the teak doors. Our tug came with the switch open and ready to pump out. We keep it closed while underway because of Coast Gaurd regulation, although Ranger Tug says it is safe to leave it open. You will have to excuse my technical ingnorance, because Kerry is not here to help me explain this! I believe this "switch" opens the seacock. It is a bit hard to find because you have to reach down and back. Then you simply flip the pump out switch on the electrical panel until the holding tank is empty. You may have to monitor the holding tank as I don't believe there is any sort of sensor or alarm that lets you know when the tank is empty.

Hope this helps and I hope you get more technical responses from R25 owners!

Nancy

Island Ranger · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:03 pm Post subject:

If your boat is set up the same as ours, you have two options to "pump out".

Preferred is to find a pump out station, set the Y valve (under the rear cabinet) in the direction that connects the holding tank to the pump out fitting (on the stern). Unscrew the cover, connect the pumpout hose and let her rip. I refill the tank with a little fresh water, and pump out again.

I don't have a chlorinator/macerator (waste treatment for a marine head), the pump out on the boat is raw sewage. Legally, if I remember correctly, you can pump directly overboard if you are three miles offshore. In this case, you can set the Y valve to connect it to the pump, flip the switch and pump away.

I believe you are legally required to keep the Y valve in the position that does not allow pumping out overboard - at least that is the law here in Washington (and I thought it was Federal). Some Inspectors will require it to be "locked" - a zip tie will suffice. It is to prevent a guest from accidentally discharging waste over the side.

Mac

terraplane · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject: ranger

On Wednesday and Thursday i have a music job in Annapolis, across the bay..plan to go by b oat, tie up at the city dock.(four hours) I will play a noon concert, maybe from the cockpit of BANJO, my R25. Then a night concert from the deck of a tour boat...6 to 8...overnight in Annapolis, then breakfast at 6am at Fred and Ruth's Deli, on West Street. Then a four hour trip back across the Bay to home.

All this could be done by car in a total of about four hours on one day...but where is the fun in that.

jlgray

We have not posted for awhile but we have followed the threads. We have had the Laurie Ann for 12 months now. We have 140 hours on the 110 HP Yanmar and are still turning heads in the Pacific Northwest. We spent last week in the Canadian Gulf Islands including Butchart Gardens near Victoria. Because you can boat to the gardens and tie to their mooring buoys, thousands of photographs were taken of the Ranger 25 in this setting. We felt like we were on display!

We cruise at 2800 rpm, 10-11 knots, burning 2 gallons an hour. We anchor as much as we use marinas, prefer cooking and BBQ than going out, spent 42 nights aboard in the last year. We trailer the boat and keep it in our driveway in Marysville, WA. This is our fifth boat having owned two sail boats and two other power boats over the past 20 years.

We have done a long list of personal improvements and if you want more information on these, let me know. From bow to stern:
shelving in the master berth on both sides-for clothes and stuff
3 inch memory foam in the berth (overstock.com for the best deal)
CO2 detector
12 volt fan mounted between the center windows
Dedicated depth sounder
added water and holding tank gauges
additional VHF radio speaker
shelving for plates and cups
all cabinets have additional shelves and some have modular plastic drawer units
moved the Wallas stove tank inside a cabinet
fry pans that fit the stove effectively
indoor-outdoor thermeter on the spice rack
teak holders on the spice rack shelves
chamois cloth towels, face and bath, that dry very quickly
carpet runners over the teak floor
head door stop that holds the door open
transom door stop that holds the door open
added mid-fender cleats to put a third fender down
took out the cushion in the cave and added"action packer" boxes that fit nicely for parts, tools and the like
A modular three drawer plastic, vented cabinet in the cave for food and stuff. (The cat's litter box fits right next to it.)
table rocker-stoppers made from PVC that solidifies the dinnette table
starboard platform on the sports rack for the folding bikes that are in canvas bags
lined the "generator storage area" with starboard to protect wiring from stored items
canvas canopy over the cockpit with a rigid stainless frame with side curtains of musquito netting
labeled all the wiring and fuses in the battery boxes with gray-colored sharpie marker
removed the cushion from the cockpit bench and added a folding table extension to the top of the lid of the bait well
folding chairs that are strapped to the cockpit for storage
added tie downs to to the cockpit
rigid inflatable boat by Endurance with davits that fit the swim step perfectly and a 6 HP four stroke Suzuki engine
400 feet of stern tie line on a vertical hose reel that mounts and swivels nicely on the swim step. We use floating line.

We love this boat. The factory, John, Jeff and Andrew have been the best customer service providers that we have EVER experienced on any product.

terraplane · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:57 am Post subject: ranger

Wow, thanks guys.
I'll be in touch about a few of your improvements. I'm at hour 54 and i agree..love this boat. It just feels right.

terraplane

Island Ranger · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:07 am Post subject:

Yep - we are still enjoying Island Ranger. I think we have a bit over 500 hours on our Yanmar 110.

Until now, we've also been cruising at 10-11 kts, 2800-2900 rpm. At that speed, we burn about 4 gallons per hour. That matches the fuel/rpm curve that Yanmar published. Could you check the 2 gph number? The fuel gauge on Island Ranger is pretty poor, I don't have a fuel flow meter and have been just tracking it by how much fuel it takes to fill up.

At almost $5/gal, lately we've started cruising at 1800 rpm, about 6 kts and burn in the range of 1 gph. We actually ran through 2 full tanks while cruising in Alaska last year at 1800 rpm 'cause we needed the extra range when there weren't any fuel stops. One tank was for data collection - to confirm we'd have enough fuel, the next was to cruise Tracy Arm and back.

Mac

jlgray · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:58 pm Post subject: Fuel use

Hi Mac, glad to hear you are doing fine with Island Ranger. We have seen you from a distance now and then. Our fuel calculations are raw: we note the number of engine hours at each fill up and note the number of gallons bought. Most of the time we fill it. Marina diesel is still cheaper than gas station diesel because of the road taxes in Washington State. We have done the math four times now and the number varies from 2.0 to 2.5 gallons per hour.

Our fuel gauge is nearly right on. When it is half, it takes a half a tank. By the way, Everett is the most expensive to get diesel that we have found and Cornet Bay at Deception Pass is the least expensive.

Thanks for the tip on cutting shade cloth material to fit the overhead hatch screens, that has worked really well.

We are also planning a trip to Alaska. We would love to hear more about yours.

Island Ranger · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:41 am Post subject:

Now that I think about it, I pay more attention to the nautical miles per gallon - not the gallons per hour. Each time I fill up - I check the miles covered with the gallons used. That's where my 2.5 nmpg number comes from - and at my old 10 kts typical cruising speed that would be 4 gph. I do also record the engine hours - next time I get down to the boat, I'll grab the log and calculate the gallons per engine hour.

I have also carefully calculated that the GPS log function on my C-120 is incorrect. During the trip up the Inside Passage, it was off by as much as 17%, and typically over 10%. I measure a distance on the chart, then compare that to the distance recorded in the log. The recorded distance is always much less than the actual distance.

I've contacted RayMarine - they said that's normal. Right.....

It looks like we're not heading to Alaska this summer - our longest cruise this year will be three weeks. Too busy enjoying Whidbey. Haven't decided how far north we'll head- maybe just the San Juans & Gulf Islands if we really get lazy. We do plan another Inside Passage cruise next summer - maybe the whole summer.....Be glad to share our trip experiences any time....

Mac