Our Ranger Tug Family is Growing to Include a Cutwater Boat

I imagine our blog subscribers are wondering where all the summer posts are. Well, we are still waiting to take delivery of our new Ranger Tugs R25, so we have been taking a little hiatus from the blog during this time. It was a long, hot summer for Jim and me without a boat, but we found a few things to do to distract from our misery. Jim continued working on his house projects until just recently, while I have been working on a new boating book. To keep us sane, at the end of many beautiful northern Michigan days…

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Family

Family Boating – The Next Generation Takes the Helm

Boating Provided Great Memories for Our Family – When our three sons were barely teenagers, Jim and I bought our first boat together. The configurations and possibilities seemed endless when we started our search for a used boat for our family. I had one requirement, it had to have a v-berth for overnighters. It didn’t take long to settle on a used, red (of course), 21-ft. Four Winns Sundowner. We did a lot with that boat on Grand Traverse Bay; the boys loved to ski and swim behind the boat. We even did a few overnighters with them at local festivals. Jim…

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Trailering

Trailering Kismet North for Summer Cruising in Northern Michigan

On the Road Again! – We were dubious about trailering Kismet back home; it was already mid-April. The temperature should be okay, right? We kept a close eye on the weather as there were serious low digits on the horizon for our hometown of Traverse City, Michigan. Ideally, we'd like to not have to winterize the boat when leaving Florida. Not looking too good as our departure day inched closer. We even stayed a couple more days, hoping not to do this chore. However, as serious blizzard conditions headed for Traverse City, our outlook seemed glum. We couldn't wait much longer as we…

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Crew on Kismet, Power Island, Michigan

West Arm Grand Traverse Bay – Kismet’s First Cruise in the Bay

New Tug's First Time Cruising the West Arm Grand Traverse Bay!  The crew on board Kismet today were excited for the tug's inaugural cruise on West Arm Grand Traverse Bay. Skyler, Sarah, and friend David joined us for an afternoon trip to Power Island (also referred to as Marion Island). We put the boat in at Elmwood Township Marina, their facilities are exceptional. It was the perfect day for a cruise and lunch at the island. Power Island is a 202-acre property located in the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay. It's approximately nine miles west of Downtown Traverse City and…

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