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2008 Ranger Tugs R-25

2008 Ranger Tugs R-25 Photos
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2008 Ranger Tugs R-25 Test Details
Category Trawler
Length 24ft 7in / 7.32 m
Beam 8 ft 6 in
Fuel Capacity 75 gals / 283.9 litres
Weight 5,750 lbs
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2008 Ranger Tugs R-25 Description
    At a time when more Canadians want to enjoy the liveaboard lifestyle but fuel prices keep climbing, I often ask myself when a small, well-finished trawler-style cruiser will go into production.The answer showed up at theToronto International Boat Show in January this year.
    The RangerTugs R-25 is a small cruiser with salty workboat-inspired lines, a modern, well-conceived layout and – according to the builder’s performance predictions – fuel mileage that is miserly at displacement speeds and thrifty in semi-planing mode.
    Tug-style yachts (especially smaller ones) sometimes appear too boxy, too tall, too short or too wide. The Ranger R-25, built in Kent,WA, avoids those pitfalls and the “cute-ness” that often comes with small pseudo-tugs. True tugs are beefy, muscular boats so the smaller lookalikes should maintain some of that essence.The R-25 does a good job of balancing practicality with good looks.
    For starters, the newest Ranger is well-proportioned,with narrow yet usable side decks, a short forward cabin trunk and tall vertical cabin windows. There’s no flybridge, but the boat does offer a well-placed indoor helm station. Visual tricks lower the apparent height of both topsides and cabin: the hull-deck joint follows the raised-deck-style sheerline while the actual side decks and coamings are part of the white cabin superstructure; a broad band of “faux panelling” in taupe-coloured gelcoat visually lowers the cabin; and “eyebrow” style shades make the windows seem shorter.
    The boat’s 8 foot, 6 inch beam makes it trailerable without special permits, but also keeps it in proportion.Any more beam would make the boat look like a sawed-off version of a larger design.The boat I toured at the mid-winter show had a navy blue hull,white waterline stripe, white deck and superstructure. There’s a short “smokestack,” plus the optional flag and radar mast and cabintop sports rack.
    The R-25 could easily accommodate a young family, but is more likely to appeal to powerboaters or sailors who are downsizing.The rack for carrying bicycles and kayaks is sure to appeal to the older-but-still-active crowd.
    The cockpit and cabin are laid out with an adult cruising couple firmly in mind. The layout is wide-open, but easy conversions and multipurpose furniture mean there’s always somewhere for two people to “get away” from each other, plus plenty of room for storage.
    It’s easy to get aboard, across the wide swim deck and through a transom door or through cutouts in the coamings just aft of the cabin bulkhead on each side of the cockpit. Stainless steel rails provide sturdy handholds.
    A cockpit floor hatch provides full access to the diesel engine (there’s easier access to the engine below the step into the cabin, just inside the companionway door).A starboard-side floor locker has room for lines and fenders.The boat’s four batteries are in the port-side floor locker.Aft and amidships, there’s a comfortable seat at coaming-top level,with a cooler beneath.
    There’s more careful design in the cabin.The first door to the right inside the companionway door is a full standup head compartment. It’s got an opening screened sliding window, overhead hatch and porthole and enough room to realistically use the shower. Forward of the head compartment is the compact galley, with two-burner electric-butane stove, electric fridge, stainless steel sink and plenty of cupboard space.The helm station further forward has a seat that neatly folds up out of the way to provide more countertop space.
    To port of the companionway is a waist-high opening to a combination closet and mid-cabin berth.The berth extends beneath the raised two-place dinette further forward on the port side. The aft-facing forward dinette seat converts to a forward-facing companion seat when the boat is underway.
    Throughout the cabin, there’s plenty of teak veneer panelling plus solid teak edging and table and countertop fiddles. Teak-and-holly wood flooring is set into the moulded fibreglass cockpit liner. My only beef with the finish is the nubbly carpet-style headliner: foam-backed vinyl would be a better choice.
    There’s also plenty of light and ventilation, with 11 rectangular windows and two opening portholes.The review boat was equipped with air conditioning (and heat in reverse mode), but in most climates – with the slightest breeze – this boat won’t need it.
    Forward there’s aV-berth/lounge.The berth’s filler cushion doubles as a seat in the middle of theV; in lounge mode, the area is genuinely comfortable,with plenty of headroom.Voluminous storage lockers will keep bedding and other gear out of the way. Throughout the R-25, convertible furniture has self-storing features. There’s also space to get cruising gear out of the way. The mid-cabin berth, for example, will swallow masses of bedding, clothing, food and beverages. If it’s needed as a berth, of course, the supplies will have to be displaced; most of the time, though, it will probably be used for storage.
    Another design feature addresses cockpit congestion. In order to let someone pass while another is working in the galley, there’s a cutout in the countertop and cupboards. It costs little in lost storage space, but adds much convenience.
    Ocean swells or five- to six-foot Georgian Bay rollers will provide a true test for the Ranger; I want to see how it behaves in a seaway.Design-wise, it seems likely to handle waves well,with its short keel, weight low in the hull, flat sections aft, hard chines and super-sized trim tabs.
    Speed-wise, the builders promise semi-planing speeds of up to 15 to 18 knots with the 110-hpYanmar 4JH4- THE four-cylinder diesel that was installed in the show boat.A 75-hp diesel is standard, but rarely (if ever) ordered. The 110-hpYanmar is a $4,000 upgrade, a 130-hp Cummins QSD2.0-130 costs $5,000 and a 150-hp Cummins QSD2.0-150 is available for $8,000.
     Fuel-wise, the 110 promises 7-knot cruising at a gallon per hour, for a theoretical range of over 470 nautical miles on 90 per cent of tankage. The Cummins QSD2.0-130 provides 315 miles of range at 7 knots and 218 miles at 21.3 knots. The real appeal of the 130-hp Cummins is likely its top speed of over 20 knots.
    The 22-knot top speed of the 150 Cummins is probably unnecessary. What is necessary, particularly for skippers who don’t want any docking hassles, are bowand stern-thrusters. At $2,500 apiece, they are a good investment in peace of mind and will make the boat easy to handle single-handed.
    Whatever engine or other options you choose, a well-equipped R-25 will come to less than $150,000.That’s great value for a small boat capable of motoring away, sipping fuel, to dream destinations well over the horizon.

2008 Ranger Tugs R-25 Test Specifications
    TEST BOAT ENGINE: Cummins QSD2.0-130,
    130 hp, four-cylinder inboard diesel engine
    with 17X14 three blade propeller.
    CRUISING SPEED (RPM/KTS)
    2000 / 7.0 ; 3000 / 12.3; 3500 / 15.7
    TOP SPEED (RPM/KTS)
    4060 / 20.5
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