THE FACTORY BULLETIN Official Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Factory Newsletter INSIDE THIS ISSUE A Letter From Ranger Jeff Jeff Messmer, or “Ranger Jeff” if you spend much time on youtube, has been with Ranger Tugs for over nine years. You’ve probably met him at a boat show or a rendezvous and more than likely he remembered your name, the fact that you’re a Gemini, and where you grew up boating. Newsletter! What Newsletter? Our Director of Communications, Sam, (fondly referred to as Sam the cameraman) continues to remind me that I need to submit my column by the 15th. Sam doesn’t understand that it is summer. e sun is out and that I have different priorities! It is time to go cruising! Cruising to Desolation Sound on our Ranger 31 with my family and with 40 plus Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats! We look forward to this trip every year! AS THE PROP TURNS DEALER PROFILE COMMUNITY PHOTOS EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT OWNER INSPIRATION FACTORY TECH - DIY INSIDE THE INDUSTRY Harbour Marina on Cortes Island. Followed by a BBQ dinner courtesy of Volvo Penta. en we are off to explore new destinations and to visit some of our favorite anchorages! Rendezvous! What Rendezvous? (Sam again) You mean the largest Rendezvous West of the Mississippi! e largest gathering to be held at Roche Harbor Marina and Resort! Oh, that Rendezvous! We are pleased to be able to offer such an amazing setting for our 2015 Rendezvous. We have once again reserved the entire guest dock for our customers. e menu has been set, the theme has been chosen and the guest list has been distributed. Now all we need is for our guests to arrive and to help us fill the dock with Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats. Please join us for a fun filled, informative weekend. Not to mention you will not go away hungry. For more information or to register visit: bit.ly/2015RocheRendezvous Wherever you are cruising this summer, I hope this finds you in your favorite anchorage saying Yardwork! What Yardwork? Happy adventuring! Jeff Jeff Messmer Vice President Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats jeff[email protected]With that said, the final preparations for our annual Desolation Sound cruise are currently underway. Andrew and Kenny are loading their boats with enough spare parts to build two boats. We like to be prepared! Our itinerary includes a stop at Comox, complete with a BBQ salmon dinner courtesy of Port Boat House and Dolphin Insurance. After Comox we will spend a couple of days at the beautiful Gorge AS THE PROP TURNS
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THE FACTORY BULLETINOfficial Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats Factory Newsletter
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
A Letter From Ranger JeffJeff Messmer, or “Ranger Jeff” if you spend much time on youtube, has been with Ranger Tugs for over nine years. You’ve probably met him at a boat show or a rendezvous and more than likely he remembered your name, the fact that you’re a Gemini, and where you grew up boating.
Newsletter! What Newsletter? Our Director of Communications, Sam, (fondly referred to as Sam the cameraman) continues to remind me that I need to submit my column by the 15th. Sam doesn’t understand that it is summer. The sun is out and that I have different priorities! It is time to go cruising! Cruising to Desolation Sound on our Ranger 31 with my family and with 40 plus Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats! We look forward to this trip every year!
� AS THE PROP TURNS
� DEALER PROFILE
� COMMUNITY PHOTOS
� EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
� OWNER INSPIRATION
� FACTORY TECH - DIY
� INSIDE THE INDUSTRY
Harbour Marina on Cortes Island. Followed by a BBQ dinner courtesy of Volvo Penta. Then we are off to explore new destinations and to visit some of our favorite anchorages!
Rendezvous! What Rendezvous? (Sam again) You mean the largest Rendezvous West of the Mississippi! The largest gathering to be held at Roche Harbor Marina and Resort! Oh, that Rendezvous! We are pleased to be able to offer such an amazing setting for our 2015 Rendezvous. We have once again reserved the entire guest dock for our customers. The menu has been set, the theme has been chosen and the guest list has been distributed. Now all we need is for our guests to arrive and to help us fill the dock with Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats. Please join us for a fun filled, informative weekend. Not to mention you will not go away hungry. For more information or to register visit: bit.ly/2015RocheRendezvous
Wherever you are cruising this summer, I hope this finds you in your favorite anchorage saying Yardwork! What Yardwork?
With that said, the final preparations for our annual Desolation Sound cruise are currently underway. Andrew and Kenny are loading their boats with enough spare parts to build two boats. We like to be prepared! Our itinerary includes a stop at Comox, complete with a BBQ salmon dinner courtesy of Port Boat House and Dolphin Insurance. After Comox we will spend a couple of days at the beautiful Gorge
BYS is very much a family business. Matt with his wife, Heather and their daughter, Olive. FYI - Olive has spent so many hours on Cutwater Boats that she is eligible for her own USCG masters license next year ;)
Dealer Profile
Dean and Nick Ouilette, brothers and Co-Owners of Bellingham Yacht Sales and Charters purchased the company in 1984. Having spent their entire adult lives on the water, they decided a family owned and operated business combining their love of the water and boating would be the best of all worlds.
Cutwater Specialist, Matt Ouilette is the son of Dean and has worked with his father and uncle for over a decade in their Bellingham Harbor waterfront location. “We’ve worked with Cutwater since 2011 and I can’t imagine a better relationship. The Cutwater and Ranger factory folks are like family, we even cruise together in the summer.” - Matt Ouilette
What started out as a small dealership, basically a two man operation in 1984, has evolved into a thriving yacht sales, service, and charter company with a total of nine full time staff/sales members along with various part-time employees and subcontractors.
There are Ranger Tug and Cutwater Boat owners cruising all over the world today and we stay in touch with many of them. “Owner Inspiration” is where we share their stories of adventure with you.
Congratulations to Ken and Pauline on the successful completion of their Great Loop adventure. Ken and Pauline departed Wiarton, Ontario in their Cutwater 28, Shipperly on August 3, 2014. They crossed their wake back in Wiarton last month on June 27th.
According to Pauline, Ken spent years convincing her to make the 6,000-mile trip after he read about a similar adventure in a boating magazine.
The circumnavigation of Eastern North America by water is known as The Great Loop. The trip varies from 5,000 to 7,500 miles depending on the options used. - Wikipedia
Overall, Ken and Pauline traveled about 6,000 miles, put over 700 hours on their 2014 Cutwater 28, and went through 100 locks! They say that Shipperly now has about 850 hours on her with many more planned.
When asked what advice they would give to someone that is contemplating a Great Loop trip, Ken and Pauline said the following, “Get a Cutwater!! And then just do
it!! Our best advice is to just plan a few days at a time and enjoy. If you look at the whole trip it can be a bit overwhelming. We left our truck and trailer in Wiarton where we started the trip so for us it was a great comfort knowing that we could stop anywhere and get back to the truck and trailer if we needed to. That allowed us to just enjoy the journey. It’s not a race; it’s the journey that counts. Everyone that does it should enjoy every day. Also, don’t take risks.”
“Life is short. Our faith in mankind was restored on this trip. People are amazing. We met so many kind and generous individuals. It has changed us for the better.” - Ken and Pauline
Now that Ken and Pauline have finished the loop, they plan on spending most of the summer
on Shipperly in Ontario enjoying beautiful Georgian Bay and the North Channel before trailering her back home to Alberta to spend some quality time with family. Then it’s off to the West Coast of British Columbia for the fall before trailering throughout the US during the winter months. They are also planning to spend some time on Lake Powell, Lake Mead, and then take some of the side trips that they didn’t have the chance to do while completing the loop.
Cutwater 28, “Shipperly” Completes Great Loop After 6,000 Miles!
Employee SpotlightRanger Tugs and Cutwater Boats are made by talented, hard-working men and women in Washington State and we are proud to introduce them to you!
INSIDE THE INDUSTRY
Dave Livingston, NMTA LegendWith six factories manufacturing 13 boat models, there is always something exciting happening at Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats. We’ll keep you up to date with the latest from the factory here in “As The Prop Turns”.
Here at the factory we’ve always known that our Lead Designer and Head of Engineering, Dave Livingston was a legend but he officially earned the title on June 17th when the Northwest Marine Trade Association announced
Dave as the recipient of the their prestigious “Legend” Award. Dave is only the 6th person to receive the award in it’s 20+ years of existence.
The NMTA is the country’s largest regional marine trade association. It’s members include boat dealers, boat brokers, marinas, boat yards, manufacturers, retailers and suppliers of boating accessories and services. They also produce the Seattle Boat Show.
The award is NMTA’s highest honor and presented to individuals who have significantly contributed to the evolution of the recreational boating industry.
“It is remarkable what Dave has done for recreational boating and we are honored to present our most prestigious award to him,” said NMTA President George Harris. “Dave is one of the most accomplished boat designers in the world.”
Dave has been designing boats for over 50 years. Before Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats, he created or modified boats for Bayliner, Reinell,
Wellcraft, Regal, and many, many more. His iconic design bearing the family name, the Livingston dinghy, is one of the most famous designs of all time.
There are more people on the water in boats that Dave designed than any other designer in the world. That is quite a legacy and as an owner of a Ranger Tug or Cutwater Boat you are the beneficiary of over 50 years of design and engineering (not to mention cruising) experience.
Check out the video about Dave and his award at cutwaterboats.com/videos.
Kris Laplante - Kent, WA FactoryKris has worked with the company for 15 years. She is in charge of patch, detail, and final inspection in our Kent, WA plant that produces the Ranger Tugs R-21EC, R-25SC, and R-27. She is originally from Des Moines, WA and has been boating in the Pacific Northwest for 30 years.
Kris’ main responsibility is final inspection in order to assure our quality standards are met before delivery to the customer.
Q: How did you come to work here?
K: John Livingston (President, Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats) stalked me at my previous job (which was ending soon) and convinced me to come play at Ranger.
Q: What is your favorite part of working here?
K: It’s so great seeing a product come together from start to finish and I love interacting with our customers.
Q: What is your favorite boat that we make?
A: Hmm, that’s a tough one. The R-21 is pretty cute.
Q: Are you a dog or a cat person?
K: All things fuzzy! I have three black cats, all of which I actually rescued from behind our Kent factory.
Q: Do you have any tips for Ranger Tug and Cutwater Boat owners?
A: Yes. Make sure you wax your hulls and any other dark fiberglass components of your boats.
Q: Any final thoughts?
A: When I started at Ranger there were about 10 employees, look at us now. I am very proud of what we have accomplished. John and Dave Livingston have been very good to me over the years.
See your photos in the next issue of The Factory Bulletin! Send your favorite snaps along with your name and a brief caption to [email protected]. You can also share your shots on Instagram by using the hash tags #rangertugs or #cutwaterboats.
Poets Cove, BC - Andrew and Kenny from the factory jump in the chilly water with Ed from Saratoga Smile.
Tacoma, WA - Group shot from the 2015 Tacoma Mini-Cruise at Dock Street Marina.
San Juan Islands, WA - R-21EC, Purdy Bug Toat following in the wake of a Washington State Ferry.
COMMUNITY PHOTOS
Poets Cove, BC - It’s hard to beat coffee and friends on the dock in the morning.
Family, Friends, Ranger Tugs, and Cutwater Boats - as seen in the wild!
Rock Hall, MD - Group shot from the 2015 Cheasapeake Bay Pocket Yacht Rendezvous at Haven Harbour Marina.
VW power! Tom B. is putting the final touches on his new towing rig as we speak ;)
“Someone asked me, if I were stranded on a desert island what book would I bring... How to Build a Boat.’”
-Steven Wright
FACTORY TECH - DIY
Packing Gland Adjustment with Andrew Custis
Visit the “Cruises and Gatherings” section on tugnuts.com or email [email protected] for full event information.
Andrew Custis is the Customer Service Manager for Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats.
At Ranger Tugs and Cutwater Boats we’ve always used a conventional stuffing box as apposed to a dripless system. Simply put, we feel that the conventional stuffing box is safer and more reliable. The trick to adjusting the stuffing box on your boat is to achieve the proper drip rate. You don’t want it too tight and you don’t want it too loose. The general rule of thumb is to make sure that the drip rate of the gland is about 1-3 drops a minute. Having the assembly too tight can cause the packing to wear out prematurely and having it too loose allows excessive water into the bilge and engine compartment.
The adjustment on the stuffing box is something that should be monitored and maintained just like the engine in your boat. With all of that said, you should not let this type of system scare you. They have been around for
over a century and the maintenance is minimal.
Whether it is the first time you are putting your boat in the water for the season or your first time cruising on your new boat, the stuffing box should be checked for the proper drip rate although adjustment isn’t always necessary.
Some telling signs that a stuffing box is dripping more than the ideal amount could be:
- Your bilge pump cycling while you are on the boat.
- Noticing misting of water spray on your engine or engine compartment after a cruise.
Tools for adjustment: I use a set of Ridgid offset hex wrenches (model # E-110) but many people use oil filter pliers (both pictured above).
Typical rules for adjustment if needed:
- Boat must be sitting in the water.
- I suggest that the engine runs in
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neutral as the drip rate is monitored since we use the wet exhaust for additional cooling to the packing assembly.
- Loosen the two nuts away from each other.
- The narrower of the two nuts is simply used as a backer to keep the large nut from spinning loose as the shaft rotates.
- To allow more water to drip from the assembly, you would spin the large nut towards the front of boat by rotating it counter clockwise.
- To slow down the drip rate, slowly tighten the large nut towards the stern of the boat until the proper drip rate is achieved.
- Once the adjustment is made, tighten the narrower nut to the position of the larger packing nut to secure them in place. It is important to maintain the same position of the larger nut to ensure the drip rate does not change.
Notes:
- Packing nut size measured out at 2-3/8” or 60MM
- Procedure is identical for Ranger Tugs & Cutwater Boats
