•TRAWLER RESEARCH Archives — Trailer Trawler Life Blog

Ranger Tugs – A Serious Choice for Cruising the Great Loop Adventure

September 25, 2020
Lisa Favors
•TRAILERING, •TRAWLER RESEARCH, CRUISING

Looking for a Worthy Boat to Take On the Great Loop Adventure? We received a comment on our YouTube Page, asking us why most people planning on doing the Great Loop Boat Trip look for and buy, “Vintage, 20-30-year-old planing hull, fly-bridge boats.” “Why not buy modern, semi-displacement trawlers, that portray a serious dedication to seamanship?” This comment caused me to ask myself the question of why we became Ranger Tug owners many years ago. If those boats had been on our radar, would we have gone with a newer, smaller boat to do the "Loop?" Jim and I did…

Boat Yard Blues – Part Two

February 29, 2012
Jim Favors
•KISMET UPGRADES, •TRAWLER RESEARCH, FLORIDA, Florida Keys

I am truly in the swing of things on day two in the boat yard. The good news is the On & Off product helped de-wax the hull, one of the steps needed to properly prepare the hull for bottom paint. Next, I applied acetone to the hull to assure that all wax, from when the hull came out of the mold, was completely gone. After a good washing, I taped the hull off an inch below the boot stripe then applied a very light 220 grit scuffing followed by a final washing in preparation for the painting, which I…

Dinghy Davit Decision

January 31, 2012
Jim Favors
•TRAWLER RESEARCH

Lisa and I gave a great deal of thought to the purchase of our Ranger Tug and GMC tow truck but, until recently, we never gave much thought to the dinghy we'd need and how we'd transport it on and off of the water. We finally had some boating downtime over the holidays and were able to do some research after a great deal of thought settled on a small 7' 7" Achilles inflatable, with a soft bottom, made of Hypalon material and powered by a Tohatsu 4 HP 4 stroke outboard. It arrived in a neat little package…

Picking Up Kismet and Heading South

RV Park Palace more than met our expectations for a safe and reliable place to store our Ranger Tug, Kismet, for a few months. Tim took care of everything we needed to have done to the boat – it was freshly washed, tires checked for us and after a few minutes, spent mostly talking with Tim and his crew, we were on our way, heading south for a winter adventure in Florida.

Kismet Goes Into Storage Until After the Holidays

October 27, 2011
Lisa Favors
•TRAWLER RESEARCH

It was a fun trip but sometimes good things must come to a... temporary halt (I was about to say END but heaven forbid that our boating lifestyle would end when it just seems to have started). Before we headed out west we had made arrangements with the RV Park Palace, in Chattanooga, to store our boat there while we went home to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. We had a good feeling about this place just from talking with Tim Aslinger. We drove into the RV Park Palace's compound and prepared to store Kismet. Then we watched…

Final Decision is Made in the U.S.A.

One of Our Top Priorities was to Buy a Boat that was Made in the U.S.A. Over the last several months, we’ve learned more about trailerable trawlers, towing, and tow trucks than we ever could have imagined. This knowledge has come from Internet searches, talking with manufacturers of trawlers, boat shows, marina visits, and owner forums. However, the most important source was often from boating friends and sometimes from people we didn’t know who reached out to us to share their experiences and why they bought the boat they did. We heard from a couple who, like us, had downsized…

Another Trailerable Boat from Ranger Tugs

We recently heard about this new model trailerable boat built by Ranger Tugs. We haven't been on one yet but we'd Therefore to get back your stamina this drug can be bought from any internet or local pharmacy at discounted prices. Looks like a comfortable, well-built boat. For more photos and information visit their website: http://www.cutwaterboats.com

Ouch!!!!!

With the price of fuel spiking up to as high as $5.64 gal on the water in Miami, Florida, it’s no wonder there’s so much chatter about not boating as much this summer season. For those planning on long cruises or embarking on the Great Loop, I have a couple of thoughts on how to have your cake and eat it too. There are several Internet sites that provide daily updated fuel prices, the two I use are waterwayguide.com and cruisersnet.net. In checking prices as I was writing this article I found fuel prices to range (eastern Florida) from as…

Have You Heard About Either of These Trailerable Trawlers?

We recently learned of two trailerable trawlers that we had not known about when we began our search for our new Kismet. If you are looking for something different check out these two new looks. The Nimble Nomad (left) is made in Tampa Florida, have been built since 1990; they also produce models called Wanderer and Kodiak. The Nomad version is a 25-ft. trawler built to accommodate a small outboard engine (up to 50 hp). I was able to download their brochure right from the website for additional information. Besides the 25-ft. model there will be a new 29-ft. Nomad was…

Trawler Fest and the Naples Boat Show

Two Boat Shows – Lots to Consider While in Florida for the Fort Lauderdale and Naples Boat Shows, we had a free afternoon to walk along New River in Fort Lauderdale. As we were strolling the River Walk on this clear sunny day, we came across a rather large yacht named After You and thought the name seemed an appropriate description to the process Lisa and I are going through, as it relates to changing our boating lifestyle from a full-size trawler to a trailerable trawler. (The "after you" reference would, of course, refer to our previous boat, Kismet, a Fathom…

Time for a Change

Why? More Flexibility! When we look back at our on our years together we fondly remember how we discovered that one of our mutual passions was boating. It all started with a 20-foot Four Winns runabout. We used that runabout, as a family boat, to water ski, to overnight on (under the stars many times – very romantic) and trailer places a little farther from home. We hauled that little boat all over our little corner of northwest Michigan, and surrounding areas, exploring the many lakes we’re so blessed with in the Great Lakes state. We found that we could…

Women On Ranger Tugs —Women Ranger Tugs Owners Discover Boating As A Rewarding Lifestyle Choice.
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Upside Of Downsizing To A Trailerable Trawler —Learn about the inherent benefits of owning a trailerable trawler.
Flexibility, Mobility & Affordability!
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Women On Board Cruising – Want to inspire your wife, girlfriend or partner to do the Loop with you? Have them read this book. Twenty-five veteran women boaters share the trials, tribulations, helpful tips and humor about their long-distance cruising adventures. SEE MORE!

When the Water Calls… We Follow – Reflections On the Great Loop Adventure. Read how these “Loopers” prepared for the trip, overcame obstacles, also see what they enjoyed and learned while undertaking their Great Loop adventures.
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