Preparation
Delivery Day
On March 24, 2022 our 2019 Ranger Tug 31 CB arrived in Clear Lake after the 1,281 trip on a trailer from Reed Yacht Sales in La Salle, Michigan.
Splash Time!
We lifted the boat off the trailer at Clear Lake Marine Center as the delivery trailer was unable to launch in salt water.
Maiden Voyage
Once the boat was in the water we were very excited when the engine started first attempt and then motored the approximately 10 mile journey out of Clear Lake to Houston Yacht Club.
Once we were back at HYC the projects began in two categories; Additions or Modifications and Repairs.
Additions or Modifications
The Ranger Tug 31CB Luxury Edition is very well equipped however there were things we wanted to do to make it our own and make it more fit for our needs.
Dinghy
The boat was equipped with a Kato dinghy davit mounted on the back of the swim platform, however the previous owner decided to keep his dinghy. For some time we had hoped to use a dinghy we purchased in 2014 at a boat show in Southampton, England. The dinghy is a hard side “nesting dinghy” that can be rowed, motored or sailed. I worked hard to make this hope a reality.
The first step was to hang the dinghy on the davit, which required lift points to be installed on the dinghy. Next step was to install drain holes to prevent water from accumulating and weighting it down while hanging on the davit.
We then had a cover made for the dinghy and put the name on both the dinghy and the cover because the dinghy covers the name on the back of the boat when hanging on the davit.
Bimini Top
The boat did not come with a bimini top, which may have been ok in Michigan however in Texas a bimini is a must. It was more of a challenge having a bimini installed than I thought it would be. I contacted the Ranger Tugs factory and they were able to provide the canvas for the bimini but not the stainless frame. I tried unsuccessfully to find someone locally to make a frame.
I ended up purchasing a kit from SailRite.com and built the frame. It was an involved project, however I set up a template on the dock and having the canvas from the factory made the process straightforward. I highly recommend SailRite.
Cockpit Top Storage Box
The R31 CB is a versatile boat, however is lacking storage, especially for extended cruising.
In order to add storage I built a box out of Starboard plastic board and mounted it on the starboard edge of the cockpit top. The box is 8 feet long and holds among other things the sail for our dinghy and folding chairs.
Automatic Identification System ~ AIS
One important piece of electronic equipment that the boat did not have was an Automatic Identification System, AIS, which allows other vessels to identify us as we navigate.
We installed a Garmin AIS 800 Blackbox Transceiver with built in GPS in the electronics cabinet under the lower helm. Once programmed and powered up it worked great and has come in handy on a number of occasions during our travels as other vessels have called us by name to ask our intentions.
NeboLink
Another device used to track and share our progress is NeboLink from Nebo Global. Nebo is a social platform set up to allow recreational boaters to track their journeys while sharing with other like minded boaters.
Nebo has a free app that anyone can download plus they offer the NeboLink device and for a fee it dynamically tracks a boat’s position and movement. At the end of each day we receive a map of the day’s journey and relative data such as speed and distance. At the end of the month we receive a summary of the month’s journeys.
NeboLink also allows others to see our current location via the link below.
Peplink Router
Internet connectivity is as important on the boat as it is everywhere else in our lives. The challenge with the boat is we are potentially moving and in a different location every day or night. Because of this movement, conventional connectivity options available in homes or offices are not an option and whatever might be available will likely change as we move to a new location.
In order to help manage these everchanging and challenging issues we installed a Peplink router, specifically a Max BR1 Mini. Peplink allows easy connection using cellular data via installed sim cards, LAN connections such as Starlink, marina WiFi networks or other hotspots.
The benefit of the Peplink is it creates a WiFi network for the boat that all devices on the boat such as TVs and laptops can stay connected to and not need to change as we move. The Peplink then selects the input depending on availability to support the WiFi network.
While at HYC we were able to connect to the club’s WiFi and we installed a T-Mobile sim card in the router as our secondary connection source. We also link to our AT&T iPhone hotspots as needed.
When we left HYC we had to rely on our T-Mobile sim card and 90% of the time this worked great. After about two weeks we approached our 100MB data limit for the month so we are planning to add a Verizon sim card to add coverage flexibility as some locations are stronger with one carrier over another. One thing this taught us was to turn off WiFi on our mobile phones as this was using up our T-Mobile data.
We have considered Starlink however over the past couple of months the plans available for marine cruisers have become prohibitive and not worth the hassle.
We purchased our Peplink through www.MobilMustHave.com and were very happy with their support and service as I did have a few issues during the initial set up.
Upgrade Anchor
The anchor that came with the boat originally was smaller than we felt adequate. We replaced it with a Rocna Vulcan 15 anchor.
We also added a Mantus anchor swivel and bridle. The bridle connects to chain or line, which is necessary as we carry 50 foot of chain and 150 foot of line.
We have anchored out a couple of times with the new equipment and are very happy with how it all performs
We also have a collapsible hose connected to the seawater pump to allow us to rinse the anchor and chain as it is being pulled.
Bridge Power Port
In order to charge our iPads and iPhones while underway and on the bridge we added a USB/USB-C power port. The boat is equipped with a fuse block under the bridge helm which made the installation seamless.
Shower Pump Switch
The boat is equipped with a shower that drains using a pump in the bilge beneath the master bed. The pump float switch is very sensitive and had a tendency to switch on at random times, often times in the middle of the night. In order to prevent this noise and possibly damaging the pump I installed a toggle switch near the fuse panel in the electronic cabinet. The switch is easily accessible to be turned on before showering.
Fuel System Vacuum Gauge
One of the biggest concerns cruising is bad fuel, which can potentially plug fuel filters and compromise engine performance. The vacuum pressure exerted by the engine to pull the fuel through the primary fuel filter is an early indication of problems with the fuel. In order to measure this pressure I installed a vacuum gauge upstream of the primary filters on the main engine. I monitor this pressure every time I check the engine to see if the pressure is increasing.
Repairs
Replace Depth Transducer
The depth transducer on the boat is an “in-hull” transducer, which means the sonar signal has to pass through the hull. Since purchasing the boat the depth readings have been intermittent.
The original transducer was seized in its mount, which made it impossible to check the coupling fluid so I decided to replace with the same model. The only challenge was running the cable from the transducer to the Garmin chart plotter.
Replace AGM House Batteries
While anchoring out our house battery voltage dropped to 10.5 volts in under three hours, which indicated a need to change the batteries.
We considered changing to lithium batteries, however if we had we would have needed to change other parts of the system so we decided to stick with AGM batteries, with a slightly higher amp hour rating.
Replaced Inverter Charger
Over a period of weeks, error messages appeared on the inverter charger control panel. After contacting the manufacturer it was decided best to change the unit.
Bottom Job
Since purchasing the boat over a year ago the bottom has accumulated growth and barnacles that greatly affects the performance of the boat underway.
We had the boat hauled and it spent a few days having the bottom cleaned and painted. Once back in the water and underway the performance improvement was noticeable.
There are other smaller repairs and additions we have made; however this gives a good overview of the work needed to get the boat ready for the journey.