FLORIDA BAY

Marathon, Florida

EVERGLADES

Shark River

RENDEZVOUS

Palm Island, Florida

LOVERS LEAP

San Juan Islands – Stewart Island, WA

SOUTH SOUND

Tacoma, Washington

BLAKE ISLAND

Puget Sound, Washington

FLORIDA BAY

Marathon, Florida

Women On Ranger Tugs

June 15, 2022
Lisa Favors
•BOOKS

Just Released... Women On Ranger Tugs Women Ranger Tugs Owners Discover Boating As A Rewarding Lifestyle Choice Way back, in the early 2000s, a boater inspired my husband, Jim, and me, to give adventure boating a try. Later, there were boaters who inspired us to push the veil even further, our gratitude to those individuals is endless. This book is another effort to pass that gift along to others by writing about our adventures. During our trailering boat trips, over the last 11 years, along with many owner rendezvous’ on the West Coast, the Great Lakes, and Florida, I have…

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…

Legacy Harbour Marina – Our Winter Hot Spot!

March 6, 2022
Lisa Favors
CRUISING

We Have Been Going to Legacy Harbour Marina Since 2012 — The Legacy Harbour Marina staff, Harbor Master, Eric, and Office Manager, Sheila, are accommodating, professional and friendly. Over time, we have docked all three of our tugs there for at least a one, or two-month stay. While it’s nice to try out fresh places, and marinas, it’s also fun to go back to familiar marinas, where you’ve made friendships and feel at home. We like a combination of the two when we go cruising, we enjoy finding a balance in life and everything we do. We have not been…

Colossal Road Trip – Part Two – Seattle, Washington to Fort Myers, Florida

It was a Colossal Road Trip — Don't Need to do That Again — Just before Thanksgiving 2021, we departed home in Traverse City, Michigan, to head west to take possession of our new Ranger Tugs R25. That was only the beginning. It was a major, week-long trek to reach our destination of Des Moines, Washington (blue line on top of map). We talked about that trip in a couple of older posts, along with our delivery experience and a brief trip to Gig Harbor, WA. We would have liked to spend more time in the Puget Sound area, but…

Outfitting the Boat in Des Moines, Washington

March 4, 2022
Lisa Favors
•USA-WEST, CRUISING, South Sound, WASHINGTON

Des Moines, Washington for Ten Days — When you buy a Ranger Tugs boat, Des Moines is one place you would take delivery. It is a great location to become familiar with your new boat and load your belongings. Outfitting the boat is easy, being close to shopping, motels, restaurants, etc. Ranger Tugs is generous with its dock space during this process. We took advantage of the proximity to shopping to outfit the boat with items such as storage containers, bedding, and miscellaneous items we could not plan for until we took possession of the boat. Many items needed to…

Gig Harbor, WA – A Brief Trip to One of Our Favorites

March 1, 2022
Lisa Favors
•USA-WEST, CRUISING, Puget Sound, South Sound, WASHINGTON

Gig Harbor for a Pre-Christmas Cruise – The weather was iffy most days during our stay at the marina in Des Moines. However, we found a nice weather window to cruise to one of our favorite spots in South Sound, Gig Harbor. We took a three-day excursion to test out the boat and relax a little in Gig Harbor’s scenic location. We stayed at the town’s public dock, a magnificent spot, down from a city park. Downtown, restaurants, and shopping were all just a short walk from our boat. Arriving before the Christmas holiday, we were fortunate to be there…

Fresh Water Tank Capacity Dilemma & Solution

February 15, 2022
Jim Favors
•KISMET UPGRADES

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…

Our Introduction to Ceramic Coating

Kismet Gets a Shining With A Ceramic Coating If you own a boat, you understand there is a great deal of time, effort, and ongoing expense associated with keeping a boat’s finish like new. Even when washed and waxed regularly, gel coat finishes need constant attention, with detailing needing to be done at least once a year. After a few years, oxidation will creep in. The need for compounding the finish comes into play, requiring more time, effort, and expense. A good-looking boat takes effort! With the above statement in mind, I wanted to look into the pros and cons…

Black and Freshwater Tank Solution on a Small Boat

January 28, 2022
Jim Favors
•KISMET UPGRADES

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…

Factory Delivery Experience On Our New Ranger Tugs R25

January 16, 2022
Lisa Favors
•BUILDING KISMET

Ranger Tugs Offers A Two-Day Factory Delivery Experience We arrived in Des Moines, Washington for our Factory Delivery Experience, (formally known as Factory Orientation) late Sunday, but it was still light out. Jim had booked a room at a motel just up from the marina. First things first. Before we even checked into the motel, down to the boat to get our first look at our new Ranger Tugs R25. Because of Jim’s forward planning, the new Kismet already had her decal on the bow and stern of the boat. We had her hull ceramic coated, and the decal had…

Is the Truck Full?

December 3, 2021
Lisa Favors
•BUILDING KISMET

Our Truck Was Packed to the Gills For The Road Trip West. While the factory was building our new Ranger Tugs R25, Jim and I started packing the truck. Quite a feat, considering the circumstances. We sold our Ranger Tugs R29 about a year ago, in Anacortes, Washington. We packed up our boating stuff, all but a few things that were specific to the boat itself, or that we had promised the new owner we would include in the sale. That meant we packed up all our clothes, most of the linens, all the galley pots and pans, dishes, utensils,…

Ranger Tugs R25OB – Are We There Yet?

November 13, 2021
Jim Favors
•BUILDING KISMET

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…

Our Ranger Tug Family is Growing to Include a Cutwater Boat

September 28, 2021
Lisa Favors
•USA-EAST, CRUISING, Michigan, Traverse City

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…

Preparation is Key – Taking Delivery of Our New 2022 Ranger Tugs R25OB

New 2022 Ranger Tugs R25OB Thought our blog readers might be wondering what we have been up to as we await our brand new 2022 Ranger Tugs R25OB to be built. The factory scheduled delivery for the end of summer, in Des Moines, Washington. We are now in a holding pattern and it just feels weird not having a boat to hop on at a moment’s notice, especially as the warm weather hits northern Michigan. Jim and I have had one boat or another since 1995. We’ve had a good plan in place since before we sold our Ranger Tug R29 last…

The New Kismet Will Be A Ranger Tugs R25 Outboard

February 4, 2021
Jim Favors
•KISMET UPGRADES

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…

What’s Next?

February 2, 2021
Lisa Favors
CRUISING

One Thing Is Certain – We're Not Done Boating Yet! – As many of you know, we sold our beautiful, hero red, Ranger Tugs R29 last fall while we were in the Pacific Northwest. We had a two-year plan with that boat, which turned into three exceptional years cruising in the USA and CANADA. No; we are not getting out of boating, just reevaluating and tweaking our boating lifestyle as we do every so often. Boat shopping is fun! We took our time deciding on" What's Next" for the crew of Kismet. Our boating needs have changed a little, so we…

Sweet As Blackberry Pie – Blake Island, Puget Sound

Itching to make some blackberry pie! We stopped at a few of our favorite spots as we worked our way south on Puget Sound. Port Madison was first, then we headed for Blake Island, always a favorite for the crew on Kismet. We are still on our way through Puget Sound to spend some time in South Sound. A new favorite for Jim and me. Blake Island sits across from Seattle. It always surprises us to find slips available when we arrive. Today was no different, It was busy, and we had to jockey a few minutes for one boat…

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…

Party Time While Anchoring in Port Madison Bay – Puget Sound, Washington

September 14, 2020
Lisa Favors
CRUISING, Puget Sound

We Love Anchoring in Port Madison Bay – Port Madison Bay is a quiet inlet off Bainbridge Island, on the northeast part of the island. Bainbridge Island sits northwest of Seattle across Puget Sound. We are making our way from the San Juan Islands to South Sound. Anchoring in Port Madison Bay was a simple decision for us. We love it, it is well-protected and scenic, and anchoring in the bay is always peaceful. Because of social distancing, we have been anchoring out a lot. We have everything we need on the boat to keep us occupied. After fifteen years…

Social Distancing Aspect of Cruising During the Pandemic

September 10, 2020
Lisa Favors
•USA-WEST, CRUISING, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands

Social Distancing on Kismet This Summer – This summer’s cruise feels unique. Because of the pandemic, we are not forcing schedules to meet up with many people. There are no rendezvous to attend – all canceled this year. The social aspect of cruising has been a little different, leaving us feeling a little out of our element. The upside is we have been so relaxed with the simple day-to-day existence of floating on our little island of a boat, Kismet. We’ve been cooking, eating, playing games, and walking more than ever before. It is a good life without the daily,…

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

September 4, 2020
Jim Favors
CRUISING

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,…

Some Boaters Catch Seafood, We Pick Blackberries – LaConner, WA

Our First Blackberry Haul of the Season Was in LaConner – LaConner is a quaint little town on Swinomish Channel, we often take this route when on our way to or from Anacortes/Puget Sound. The channel is well-protected and scenic but, has a wicked current. Not a local boater, but the village of LaConner has the best shopping for boaters visiting the town dock. Unfortunately, we’re not doing too much shopping this year, but we have been window shopping and sometimes get take-out orders from local restaurants. We love to walk around LaConner, up the hills, and into the neighborhood…

Unexpected Crab Surprise and a Reunion in Anacortes, WA

Before Heading to Seattle and South Sound, We Stopped in Anacortes for Maintenance Chores and Visit with a Friend – Our return trip to Anacortes was just a quick stop to meet a friend, do laundry, get a pump-out, fill up tanks and get groceries and mail. We were busy during our two-day stay. When we leave Anacortes, we will point Kismet’s bow south, towards Seattle and South Puget Sound. Our itinerary this summer is very loose, having us decide every day if we stay one more night somewhere or skip a spot altogether. I like this kind of cruise…

A Lot of Happy Crabbers in Hunter Bay – San Juan Islands, WA

We’d heard a lot about Hunter Bay from other Tuggers – Hunter Bay is a big open anchorage, not too far from Anacortes. According to reports from local boaters, it’s an excellent spot for crabbing. On our way back to the mainland for a marina stop in Anacortes, before we head to South Sound, we stopped for two nights in Hunter Bay. We had fun watching the dinghies, and small boats, zip back and forth to their crab pots to set or pull in their catches. A lot of happy crabbers in Hunter Bay! We had recently met Bruce and…

English Camp and A Beautiful English Garden – Garrison Bay

English Camp – A Fun Shore Visit When Anchoring in Garrison Bay – While cruising in the San Juan Islands, we always try to make a stop to anchor in Garrison Bay. It’s close to Roche Harbor and is scenic with several hiking trails beyond the historic English Camp. The trail to Westcott Bay and the Westcott Bay Shellfish Company is an easy walk through gnarly treed woods and moss-covered rocks. For those looking for a more challenging hike, there is a trail that meanders up the hill beyond the camp. From there you can take in a stunning overlook…

Women On Ranger Tugs —Women Ranger Tugs Owners Discover Boating As A Rewarding Lifestyle Choice.
SEE MORE!

Upside Of Downsizing To A Trailerable Trawler —Learn about the inherent benefits of owning a trailerable trawler.
Flexibility, Mobility & Affordability!
SEE MORE!

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.
SEE MORE!