Ranger Tugs 2024 Rendezvous

Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs 2024 Rendezvous – Traverse City, Michigan

GREAT LAKES AREA RANGER TUGS/CUTWATER BOATS 2024 RENDEZVOUS – Traverse City, Michigan – We just put a wrap on our eighth Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs 2024 Rendezvous. It was again at Clinch Park Marina, in our hometown of Traverse City this year. It has been a couple of years since Traverse City has seen so many Ranger Tugs in one place at once. Seventeen boats of all sizes and 48 people joined us (some came by land) for social activities and presentations from sponsors, including a session by Jared Dunning from the Ranger Tugs Factory. Jared spent all three…

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Great Lakes Area Rendezvous

More Photos From the 2022 Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Great Lakes Area Rendezvous

Traverse City has never seen so many Ranger Tugs. All Saturday and Sunday, the boats slowly rolled in for the 2022 Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Great Lakes Area Rendezvous. With 25 boats on the docks, and a total of 56 attendees, some arriving by car, this was the largest event we have hosted to date. A Big Thank-You to Our Sponsors ... Fluid Motion, Volvo Penta, Garmin, Reed Yacht Sales, Global Marine Insurance, and Chesapeake Jewelers. This event would not have been a reality without their support. Also, a big thank-you to Kim Russo, America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association (AGLCA) for coming…

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2022 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Rendezvous

2022 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Rendezvous — Traverse City, Michigan

Last Week was the Sixth Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Rendezvous — Our last rendezvous was in Charlevoix in 2019, Covid prevented the possibility of a get-together for some time. Thank goodness we could organize the event this year as pent-up demand showed in the number of interested attendees to be overwhelming. With limited space, we had to turn many away. It’s called the Great Lakes Area Rendezvous because we like to host it in many locations around the Great Lakes. This gives attendees an opportunity to cruise or trailer their boats to explore different ports. So…

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As the Prop Turns

Ranger Tugs Live Webinar: AS THE PROP TURNS

Webinar Topic: TOP 5 TRAILERABLE TRAWLER DESTINATIONS Join Jim and Lisa Favors, of Trailer Trawler Life, for a presentation on their five favorite trailerable trawler destinations. Learn more about Jim and Lisa and their adventures onboard "Kismet" a Ranger Tug R-29 on their BLOG This is the first of two webinars we will present on AS THE PROP TURNS. The second one will focus on how we trailer our boat across the USA and Canada. We'll share tips and tricks on planning, boaterhoming, permit procedures/requirements, and storing trucks, and trailers, while cruising. Q & A session to follow the presentation.…

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Great Lakes Rendezvous

2019 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous – Day Three

Day three of the rendezvous was the most fun of all! – This is the day when everyone is better acquainted, more relaxed, and in the groove. We’ve seen people make lasting friendships at these rendezvous. Owners all have a lot in common and it’s more than just our tugs. People who enjoy boating, as we do, seem to share similar traits, the adventure-seeking, nature-loving kind. The last full day of the rendezvous began with coffee on the dock followed by a slow dinghy ride around the perimeter of Round Lake and around Park Island, a small island near the…

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2019 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous

2019 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous – Day Two

2019 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous-Day Two – Day two of the 2019 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous started with a full breakfast, sponsored by Global Marine Insurance, at Scovies Gourmet restaurant in downtown Charlevoix. Eric, the Scovies manager, worked with Jim to provide a wholesome breakfast for our group. We had two presentations on the second day of the rendezvous following breakfast. First, Ben Belyea, Senior Marine Underwriter, of Global Marine Insurance talked about the products Global Marine offers to boaters, followed by a Q&A. Next, Kevin Lamont, Service Representative for Fluid Motion, talked about their customer service goals, and future…

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2019 Charlevoix Rendezvous

2019 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous – Day One

Great Lakes Area Rendezvous Was in Full-Swing Today – The docks filled up fairly fast on the first day of the rendezvous. One after the other Ranger Tugs and Cutwaters Boats rolled in all day long. A colorful mix of colors, shapes and sizes lined up on “D” dock creating quite a spectacle. By the end of the day, after many were tucked in remaining spaces or rafted off other tugs to create more room, the dock was full of Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats. Lots of activity on the dock as boats arrived with everyone helping to guide them…

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Charlevoix Rendezvous

2019 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats Charlevoix Rendezvous

Boats Arriving Early for the 2019 Charlevoix Rendezvous Boating is fun! Guess that’s why it’s a popular recreational activity around coastal waters and inland lakes. If you are not joining in on a rendezvous during your boating adventures, you are missing out on a fantastic social, and informative (mechanical/technical/operational), opportunity. An organized rendezvous is not only a social event. Many times there will be dealers, factory service reps, engine service reps, and/or navigation reps on hand to address boat-specific, or accessory, issues. Topics discussed during scheduled presentations are of interest to any boater. We arrived early for the 2019 Charlevoix…

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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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Pot Luck

2018 Great Lakes Area Rendezvous – Day One – Potluck Dinner on the Dock

DAY ONE – 2018 Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats Great Lakes Area Rendezvous – We all came for this! A gathering of TugNuts and Tugettes. We love our boats, and there's nothing like a rendezvous to bring this happy group of boaters together to have a good time. We started the festivities before the actual event began, with the BBQ dinner at Lefroy Harbour Resorts, on Thursday night. On Friday more boats arrived at Port of Orillia, by Happy Hour Ranger Tugs littered the docks, every shape, size, and color, and one Cutwater Boat. Several people came but didn't bring their…

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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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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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Cayo Costa State Park

Post Rendezvous Flotilla to Cayo Costa State Park

Cayo Costa State Park Flotilla Many of the Ranger Tugs / Cutwater boat rendezvous held around the United States include a flotilla to a nearby anchorage after the event. About ten boats departed Burnt Store Marina in Punta Gorda the morning after the 2018 Southwest Florida Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats Rendezvous, in Punta Gorda, forming a Cayo Costa State Park Flotilla, approximately 14 miles from Punta Gorda. Flotillas are always fun! We just had several days to get to know some of the other attendees of the rendezvous and the party actually continued for a few more days with the Cayo Costa State…

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2018 SWFL Rendezvous

2018 Southwest Florida Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats Rendezvous

Do You Own a Ranger Tug or Cutwater Boat? The 2018 Southwest Florida Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats Rendezvous was held at Burnt Store Marina this year for the first time. If you own a Ranger Tug or Cutwater Boat, you might be interested in attending one of these owner-driven rendezvous. Always a fun time meeting other tug and Cutwater owners, we all have so much in common. Mike and Jess Rizzo, on Illusions (above), are the event hosts and coordinators of this rendezvous. [huge_it_maps id="5"]   Can you spot Kismet, sitting pretty at Burnt Store Marina? That red hull sure stands…

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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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2017 Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats Factory Rendezvous

2017 Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats Factory Rendezvous

Taking delivery of our new Ranger Tug R29S a few weeks ago also meant we’d be in the Pacific Northwest to attend another noteworthy 2017 Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats Factory Rendezvous – THE WORLD'S LARGEST BOAT RENDEZVOUS! With 190 boats and approximately 400 people, in attendance, this is quite an accomplishment. Seems like we were just in Roche Harbor for the 2016 rendezvous, while we had our boat in the PNW for 12 months. At the time, we didn’t have a clue that we’d be here again so soon. Just shows... a lot can happen in a year. We had…

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2017 Ranger Tugs Charlevoix Rendezvous

Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats 2017 Charlevoix Rendezvous

Coming Home to Charlevoix, Michigan for the Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats 2017 Charlevoix Rendezvous! Charlevoix Michigan was home to the Ranger Tugs Cutwater Boats 2017 Charlevoix Rendezvous. What a spectacular setting for this year's event. Lisa and I have a fondness for Charlevoix as this was once our homeport. That was before we became enamored of trailering our Ranger Tug all over the United States. So being in Charlevoix again was like coming home. Arriving on Monday morning, for our 3-day event, we had nothing but clear sunny skies while greeting attendees as they arrived. With 40 people in attendance, we had…

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2017 Ranger Tugs Charlevoix Rendezvous

Own a Ranger Tug or Cutwater Boat? Add to Your Cruising Calendar!

Come One, Come All! Own a Ranger Tug or Cutwater Boat? 2018 Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats Summer Rendezvous Orillia, Ontario – Canada on the Trent Severn Waterway Tentative Dates:  August 17 – 19th – 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. Last year's event was held on Round Lake in Charlevoix, Michigan. This years planned rendezvous will be held in the beautiful Trent Severn Waterway. A must-see boating destination for any serious cruiser. Check Out Last Year's Event...…

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Phenomenal Factory Rendezvous Turnout!

The Largest Boat Rendezvous in the World – Jeff Messmer When we made plans last fall to bring Kismet out to the Pacific Northwest for a full year, we knew we wanted our itinerary to include Fluid Motion’s (parent company of both Ranger Tugs and Cutwater boats) 2016 Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Factory Rendezvous. This year the event was held at Roche Harbor, Washington the first week in September. 150 Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats Attending the 2016 Rendezvous in Roche Harbor, Washington We’ve now been to three rendezvous in Washington state. Our first was in 2011 when we took possession of our Ranger…

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Tugnuts Group

Day Three – North Channel Presentation, Boat Crawl and Pizza Party

Day three began with another broadcast of the Little Current Cruisers' Net at the Anchor Inn for those who missed it on Monday. Jim and several other Tugnuts went back and helped Roy log in the names of vessels calling in. We were also very fortunate to have another North Channel Presentation, again this year by Roy Eaton. Thanks, Roy! After the North Channel Presentation, we had another fabulous creation for lunch, by Kelly and the Anchor Inn. Lunch was followed by a boat crawl. We all opened up our boats so that we could take a look/see at what improvements, changes,…

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Day Two – Featuring Roy Eaton’s Little Current Cruisers’ Net

Day Two Featured a Visit to Roy Eaton's Live Broadcast of the Little Current Cruisers' Net! Breakfast on day two was proceeded by a short walk from the marina to the Anchor Inn downtown. Roy Eaton's live broadcast of the Little Current Cruisers' Net (LCCN) was about to take place. We filled the room with mostly Tugnuts, but other boaters visiting the town docks that day also joined us for the broadcast, the room was overflowing. Roy (below right) started his career as a marine radio broadcaster while boating in the Abaco Islands in 2001. At that time he provided Canadian news to…

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Ranger Tugs-Cutwater

DAY ONE – Thirty-Seven Tugnuts Arrive in Little Current for the 2015 North Channel Rendezvous

2015 Ranger Tugs-Cutwater North Channel Rendezvous. Fourteen Ranger Tugs and two Cutwaters arrive for the rendezvous in Little Current, Ontario. All boats were secure in their assigned slips by late afternoon, except for one that arrived during cocktail hour. Half of the boats are from U.S.A and half are from Canada. Half are repeats of the rendezvous, half are first-timers. We are all here to share in the camaraderie of the friendly community of Ranger Tugs-Cutwater owners. We are also here to exchange stories, help one another with boat issues, trade boating knowledge, and acquired skills, and cruising interests. The term "Tugnuts" refers to the popular…

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Group Shot, Ranger Tugs North Channel Rendezvous

Ranger Tugs/Cutwater 2015 North Channel Rendezvous!

Join Us for the Second Annual Ranger Tugs/Cutwater 2015 North Channel Rendezvous! If you've never cruised in Canada's North Channel, this might be the time to trailer or cruise your Ranger Tugs/Cutwater boat to join us in Little Current, Ontario, for the second annual Ranger Tugs/Cutwater 2015 North Channel Rendezvous. With spring in the air the much anticipated boating season in Canada’s North Channel is just around the corner. With that in mind the official registration process for the 2015 rendezvous is in full swing. See the fun we had last year! Rendezvous Location: Little Current Downtown Docks Manitoulin Island Little Current,…

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Tugnuts Happy Hour

Cayo Costa State Park – Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Flotilla Cruise, Shark's Teeth and Happy Hour on Heart Tug – Cayo Costa State Park Mike Rizzo had organized a post-rendezvous flotilla to Cayo Costa State Park for a one-night group anchor event, about a dozen boats participated. First, after anchoring, most of us dinghied to shore and the entrance of the park where we caught a buggy ride to the beach – we all seemed to be on a hunt for shark teeth. Later that evening everyone was invited to Heart Tug for happy hour. Now, this seemed to concern a few of us because, although Heart Tug is one of the bigger tugs, a 31, we were…

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