Bottom Paint

DIY Bottom Paint Job at Glades Boat Storage

Time for a bottom job, boat bottom that is! — Because of limited time in our schedule, when we took delivery of Kismet, we did not address scheduling the boat’s bottom paint until our after arrival in Florida. A couple of weeks after our Florida launch, I made arrangements to have our new boat travel lifted, power washed, and set up on jack stands at the DIY Glades Boatyard on the Caloosahatchee River. A day’s cruise from the marina. I did the research for the proper bottom paint. We use our boat in both salt and fresh water and for…

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Fresh Water Tank Capacity Dilemma & Solution

  Gaining Capacity in Our Fresh Water Tank – We just downsized to a Ranger Tugs R25OB from a Ranger Tugs R29S. We plan on keeping this boat for a long time, not our typical four to five-year history. Lisa and I are preparing for another stage in our boating adventures, one where trailering and maintenance are less of a chore. So, as we age, trailering will be easier because the boat is shorter, narrower (not requiring permits), and lighter than our prior two Ranger Tugs (an R27, and R29S). We found several advantages in the new R25OB: • Easier…

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Black and Freshwater Tank Solution

Black and Freshwater Tank Solution on a Small Boat

We Recently Downsized from a Ranger Tugs R29S to a Ranger Tugs R25OB —    Above-Left:  Interior of the hull, behind the refrigerator. Here you'll see I installed the fitting to the hull that houses the 12V fan, to exhaust the Airhead solids tank. Above-Right:  The grey hose is the vent hose. It runs from the solids tank through the hull interior to the vent exhaust.  Lisa and I plan on keeping our new boat for a long time, not our typical four to five-year history. We still want to trailer Kismet to distant cruising grounds and inland lakes. We…

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Kismet R25OB

Ranger Tugs R25OB – Are We There Yet?

Waiting to Take Delivery of our New Ranger Tugs R25OB I recall going to the lake with my parents when I was a child. A distinct memory of mine was asking my parents, “Are we there yet?” I asked every 15 minutes, after we got out of the City, thinking the lake was just around the corner. My two sisters and I were eager to get there in order to go swimming and boating. I loved being out on the water then, as much as I do today. Fast forward from the late 1950s to 2020 In the fall of…

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Ranger Tugs R25

The New Kismet Will Be A Ranger Tugs R25 Outboard

Ranger Tugs Have the Perfect Size Boat for Everyone! When we put our Ranger Tugs R29S up for sale, at the end of last summer, our family, boating friends, and acquaintances asked us, “What’s Next?” as it relates to our next boat. Or, they’d ask, “Are you getting out of boating?” This situation also happened to a friend of ours, an avid boater, when he was in between boats. Someone asked him if he was finished boating. His reply was, “Did you hear I died?” He, like us, had boating in his blood. We also plan on boating until we…

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Kismet

KISMET FOR SALE – 2018 RANGER TUGS R29S LUXURY EDITION – $230,000

Jim and I had a mutual deal when we bought our Ranger Tug R29S, we would up-size from our six-year-old R27 (sold in 2017) and buy and keep a Ranger Tug R29S for two years. Before we decided to sell the R27, we had a decision to make – it was time to either sell her and try something else or keep her for the rest of our boating days. We both agreed it would be fun to try something new. It was one of the best decisions we’ve made together, as boaters. The R29S is roomier than the R27,…

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Kingston

Kingston, Ontario, Marks the Start of Our Rideau Canal Cruise

After making a loop through the Thousand Islands, on the Saint Lawrence River, we returned to the canal system in Ontario. The first stop was Kingston, the southern starting point of the historic Rideau Canal The French established Kingston, Ontario in 1673 as a trading post, Fort Cataraqui. In the 1780s the British took possession of the Fort and officially named the city, Kingston. For a short three-year period, in 1841, Kingston was the capital of Canada. In 1844 they moved it to Ottawa, at the northern end of the Rideau River. As we walked around town, we noticed a more European…

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Clayton New York

Crossing Over the Saint Lawrence River to Visit Clayton, New York

Clayton, New York is Home to the Antique Boat Museum Clayton, New York, and the Thousand Islands area, on the Saint Lawerence River between New York State and Ontario Canada, are places we’ve always wanted to visit. We knew we'd have to cross the border again to dock on the U.S. side of the river. We would have to cross back again to Canada to resume our trip to Montreal. The border crossing felt seamless as we used the new mobile app from the Department of Homeland Security, called CBP Roam, to check into Clayton. One highlight of visiting this small town…

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Frankford Lock

Peaceful, Friendly Stop in Frankford, Ontario – Trent Severn Waterway

We Looked Forward to our Stops in Campbellford and Frankford – Cruising to Campbellford today, followed by Frankford, Ontario tomorrow. At this point on our Trent Severn journey, we were only three travel days, 18 locks, and 50 miles away from Trenton, Ontario, and the end of this amazing Canadian waterway. We departed Hastings for a leisurely 19-mile cruise to Campbellford for a quick overnight stay. After negotiating several locks we arrived at the roomy dock wall at Old Mill Park where we knew, from our earlier visit, we’d have electricity and be able to fill up our water tanks…

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Rendezvous Day Three

2018 Great Lakes Rendezvous Day Three

Rendezvous Day Three – Started Off on the Docks with a Big Pot of Coffee and the Best Butter Tarts we’ve ever had – Baked fresh at Wilkes Bakery, in downtown Orillia, that morning. These tarts are so fresh and buttery,  if you eat one it’s hard to stop! After mingling on the docks with our "sweets," we reconvened at the Royal Canadian Legion for John and Laurie Gray's presentation on the Great Loop. The presentation was followed by lunch. There was a huge interest in this presentation by the attendees. Many would like to do the "Loop" on their tugs. We spent…

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Rendezvous Day Two

2018 Great Lakes Rendezvous Day Two

Yesterday Was Fun, But the Rendezvous Day Two Was Action Packed! – The scheduled meals and presentations, of the rendezvous on day two, were easily accessible, located across the street from Port of Orillia, at the Royal Canadian Legion, which worked out well. The RCL folks were easy and delightful to work with, they made us feel like members. After breakfast Ranger Tugs Customer Service Rep Tim Bates conducted a Q & A for everyone, which continued on the docks with one-on-one sessions on attendees' boats. Much appreciated by all. We left open a 3-hour window for "free time." Attendees could…

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Lefroy

Lefroy Harbour Resorts Rendezvous BBQ & Seafood Boil Feast!

Lefroy Harbour Resorts is Also a Ranger Tug dealer – Lefroy Harbour Resorts is located in Lefroy, Ontario, on Simcoe Lake. They have been a sponsor of our Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats Great Lakes Area Rendezvous’ since we started the first one in 2014. During the initial planning stages, last spring, Ryan Stovold offered to host a pre-rendezvous reception at Lefroy for the participants, Thursday evening, the night before our event started in Orillia. The friendly staff at Lefroy welcomed everyone as if we were all long-time friends. Just as when we arrived at Lefroy a few days ago…

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Linderman Creek

Linderman Creek – Adding This Anchorage to Our “Favorites” List!

Linderman Creek Has Our Attention! Linderman Creek is located in the northernmost islands of the Florida Keys. North of Key Largo Florida, not too far south of Boca Chita and Biscayne Bay. Card Sound is a grouping of smaller islands separating the Sound from the ocean. Linderman Creek is a very picturesque anchorage. Another chance to commune in silence with nature before we return to the big city activity of Miami and eventually our destination of Fort Lauderdale. We were looking for a good, well-protected anchorage and had never anchored in this area before. What we found was an idyllic…

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Marathon

Old Florida Appeal at Blackfin Marina and Resort – Marathon, Florida

Zooming down the Overseas Highway, through the town of Marathon, you might be at a loss to understand the attraction some people feel toward this small, laid-back, community. Marathon sits on a group of 13 islands in the mid to lower half of the Florida Keys. Many of you have probably seen a movie or TV show depicting life in the Keys as lethargic, perhaps even a little unrefined. Things move at a slower pace here, Folks don't get wound up about things so much. Life is simpler in the Keys – especially in Marathon. Marathon has an "Old Florida" appeal. The…

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Orillia, Canada – 2018 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats Rendezvous

2018 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Summer Rendezvous Port of Orillia – Ontario, Canada on the Trent Severn Waterway Dates:  August 17, 18 & 19th Registration for this Rendezvous is Now Underway. Registration has been extended to May 31, 2018 • LINK TO REGISTRATION FORM • Since 2014, the Great Lakes Area Rendezvous has moved to different areas on, or near, the Great Lakes. This way, we can explore different ports of call. Last year's event was held on Round Lake in Charlevoix, Michigan. This year's rendezvous will be held in Orillia, Ontario, on the beautiful Trent Severn…

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Fort Myers, Florida

Kismet is Wintering in Florida – Palm Trees, Dolphins and Beach Walks for the Crew!

Our long-range plan last year was to spend the winter in Florida this year. After hauling the new Kismet across the country last fall, we put her away in a storage building in Sidney, Ohio for a three-month winter's nap. We like to be home with our family for the holidays and always leave northern Michigan after the new year. It would be tough, due to ice and snow conditions, to leave Traverse City with a 10.500-lb boat behind our truck. Ohio is a little safer bet. Even if it is in the throws of a storm, we'd be out…

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Cross-Country

Delving Into the Oversize Load Permit Process – DIY to Save Money!

We Decided to Secure the Oversize Load Permits Ourselves – There are many things in life I enjoy, two of those things are saving money and learning. In this spirit, I forged ahead with the Oversize Load permit process one has to go through when traveling on highways with an oversized load. I looked forward to learning how it works, as well as saving money by doing it myself.  If you are trailering a load, that is wider than 8 1/2 feet, you have to get an oversize/wide load permit from every state and each Canadian Provence you’ll be traveling…

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Loading Kismet

A Little Apprehension Loading Kismet for Her First Cross-Country Trek

Heading Back to Des Moines Where We Will Be Loading Kismet Onto its Trailer for the First Time. Apprehension is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.” As our time in the Pacific Northwest was coming to an end, I was beginning to feel a little uneasy about trailering our new boat cross-country. The new Ranger Tug R29S is two feet longer, one and one-half feet wider, a little taller, and a couple of thousand pounds heavier than our previous R27. I've been known to worry a lot when faced with something new…

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San Juan Islands Sucia Island

Island in the Sun – Sucia Island, San Juan Islands, Washington

Sucia Island Marina State Park – As long-distance cruisers, we are routinely motivated by an appetite to explore the unknown. We push ourselves to seek out that which we have not yet seen, filling in with returns to some of our favorite finds. Sucia Island is one of those "return" places for us – this being our third visit to this horseshoe-shaped island refuge. We still remember the first time we set foot on this island paradise with its natural sandstone caves. The park includes 564 acres of parkland with over 77,000 feet of shoreline Spanish explorers, circa 1781, called…

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Cruise To Margaritaville

How Do You Say Thank You?

If you are Fluid Motion, the parent company of Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats, you hold the largest “Thank You Rendezvous” the boating community has ever seen! – We attended our first Ranger Tugs Rendezvous in August of 2011, just after taking delivery of our 2012 Ranger R27. At that time it was organized by the owners and supported by the Factory. It was held in Bremerton Washington that year and attended by approximately 68 boats and over a hundred owners. It was a fun event, “Parrotville Party” was the theme that year, very similar to this year's theme, “Cruise to…

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Tacoma

Out of the Wild and Into City Life – Tacoma, WA

Lots to do with Silas in Tacoma! – By Thursday, knowing that Silas would be ready to burn up some pent-up energy, we headed to Dock Street Marina in Tacoma. Just cruising into the busy port gave Silas some maritime visual stimulation. He asked lots of questions about his surroundings at the busy marina – all day long. After docking, we gathered up the accumulated garbage bags to dispose of and walked a short distance into town. One nice thing about Dock Street Marina is its close proximity to a fairly vibrant harbor town. We wanted to take Silas to…

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Silas Onboard

Silas Onboard Kismet – Penrose Point State Park and Filucy Bay

We've Waited a Long Time to Have Silas Onboard for a Weeklong Adventure! – Monday afternoon, Lisa, Silas, and I waved goodbye from shore to Ross and Hadley and headed back to the boat. To see the wonderment in Silas’ eyes, as we departed Gig Harbor, brought back memories of when I was a child spending time on the water in a boat. From Gig Harbor we cruised through the Narrows into Hale Passage en route to Penrose Point State Park, off Carr Inlet. We have never cruised much in South Sound, except for one trip to Gig Harbor in…

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Silas First Boating Adventure

Silas First Boating Adventure – Gig Harbor

Our First Guest on Our New Ranger Tug, Kismet! – It is often said that people are a “product of their environment.” We had our grandson, Silas, on his first boat ride, in 2013, before he was a week old. Since that day, we’ve had a few boat rides with him, his parents, and recently minted sister, Hadley. As he is now almost four years old, we thought it was time to immerse him in our boating lifestyle. So we invited him to join us for – Silas' first boating adventure – a week-long cruise in South Puget Sound, Washington.…

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packing

Insights Into Jim’s Packing Science

Packing for a Cross Country Trip is Like Preparing for a Marathon Getting ready for a cross-country trip requires some mental gymnastics! We’ve only got one shot to pack up the truck before we head west. Better to be well-organized from the start. We knew it was going to be tight, especially since we were taking a few containers of personal items to our son, Ross, and his family, who live in Portland, OR. We actually started the packing process back in April when we unloaded the contents, of our sold Ranger Tugs R27, from our truck into the garage.…

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Kismet Ranger Tugs R29S

Ready and Waiting at the Factory – Kismet a Ranger Tug R29S

When does a boat become a boat? My thoughts are... “when it is ready to float and cruise!” Based on the final assembly production photos we just received from the factory, it appears Kismet, a Ranger Tug R29S, is ready to become a boat. The Ranger Tug R29S sports a larger head than our R27. There will also be more privacy with the head being positioned in the stateroom. The stateroom is a step up for us, having slept on a V-berth for the last six years on the R27. We are also loving the spacious under-bed storage area. There will be plenty…

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