Ranger
Tugs in the News!
-
August 2008
The roominess of the interior
is enhanced not only by large windows but also by
clever use of every cubic inch. The companion bench’s
backrest swings forward to serve the dinette. The helm
seat flips forward to reveal extra counter space. A
cockpit shower materializes when the head’s shower hose
is passed through the bulkhead’s brass porthole.
There’s no end to the versatility of the R25. Having
toured and tested it, I say, “All aboard for
Alaska.”
-
June 2008
On entering the deckhouse, the
first thing one notices is the entire house is flooded
with natural light. There are 10 windows and two bronze
portholes in the cabin sides, plus a large window in
the cabin’s aft door and a bronze port in the cabin aft
bulkhead. There are four overhead skylights in the main
cabin, one in the fo’c’sle and one in the combined
head/ shower space. The flood of daylight gives the
impression that there’s more window than fibreglass in
the deckhouse.
-
April 2008
The builder calls the R-25
tug-style cruiser a “trailerable mini-yacht.” With its
large saloon/pilothouse, ample accommodations (sleeps
up to six) and diesel power, it fits the bill. The hull
shape is bred for the Straits of Juan de Fuca, with a
tall bow topped with bulwarks and a heavy rail. The
freeboard runs well aft to an open cockpit, finishing
in a high, rounded stern and stern rail. The pilothouse
windows are rounded like a tug’s, too. The saloon and
pilothouse essentially comprise one big cabin with a
teak-and-holly sole, giving the boat an airy feel
inside.
-
2007
As she came closer and turned
to dock alongside a finger pier, her distinctive
profile came into sharp focus, and it became clear I
was indeed watching the C-Ranger R25, a compact tug
yacht whose Seattle-area builders are trying to fill a
void in the market left by yacht makers who have chosen
to focus on larger, more costly craft.
-
September 2007
Visibility, ventilation and
lighting in the boat are superb. There is a wraparound,
four-piece windshield and each section has its own
wiper. There are six operable screened overhead hatches
along with six sliding windows and four traditional
brass portholes.
-
September 2005
When Howard Smith (Smitty),
founder and builder of the Ranger 21, decided to retire
in 1998, Fluid Motion LLC, a Kent, WA company owned and
operated by John Livingston and his family, snapped at
the opportunity to continue production of the classic
Bristol Bay design. As the minitrawler's reputation for
seaworthiness and reliability has grown, so have its
sales. In 2004, alone, the company built and sold 40 of
the rugged little boats.
