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 far, we have had events in Little Current, Ontario Canada (2), Charlevoix, Michigan (2), Orillia, Ontario, Canada (1), and now our hometown of Traverse City, Michigan.

Fluid Motion is integral in making this rendezvous happen along with many sponsors, who also come to talk to attendees during the three days and make presentations on subjects relevant to our Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats. Sponsors for this year’s Great Lakes Area Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Rendezvous included — Fluid Motion, Volvo Penta, Garmin, Reed Yacht Sales, and Global Marine Insurance.

So many hero red boats this year!

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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 to speak and share information about cruising the Great Loop boating adventure.

It was fun to hang out with Brian Dickhault and Tim Bates, from Ranger Tugs, and Andrew Sweet, from Volvo Penta on Kismet during the rendezvous.

This rendezvous marked a first-ever, and very special event for us, as our son, Skyler, and his wife, Meghan, along with their son, Declan, joined us for their first rendezvous. They became Cutwater Boat owners last year.

These two (above) surprised us during the rendezvous. We normally see friends Bruce and Vicki Moore when we are in the Pacific Northwest, They have family ties in the Traverse City area and were visiting during the rendezvous. We were lucky to share a little time with them during their visit. Many know Bruce as the guy who oversees the TugNuts Forum.

Day One started with many introductions and reunions of past attendees. The day ended with a potluck with an abundance of yummy food.

Day Two began with an Ask the Factory Q&A, from Tim Bates, Ranger Tugs Customer Service Rep and
Volvo Certified Technician.

Ben Belyea, of Global Marine Insurance, presented a Marine Insurance Industry Review.

Presentations were followed by a boat crawl.

Our son, Skyler, took the Ranger Tugs crew out on West Bay to get some drone footage.

Garmin Reps, John Suleski, Garmin Field Service Manager, and Greg Richmond, Regional Sales Manager shared information on Garmin products.(Above.)

Day three of the rendezvous, Kim Russo of America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association, gave a presentation on the highlights of boating the great loop followed by a Q&A.

Volvo Penta Rep, Andrew Sweet (above), gave a presentation on Volvo Penta engines.

Winners of the Last Man Standing drawing — David Kanzler (above) won first place with a Ranger Tugs Parts Package. Second place winner, Kathy Murphy (below), won a tug pendant donated by Chesapeake Jewelers.

The post More Photos From the 2022 Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Great Lakes Area Rendezvous appeared first on Trailer Trawler Life Blog – Cruising USA & Canada.