If you were to replace your Ollie with a small pocket cruiser boat, what would it be?

[John E Davies]

Something light and easy to tow, high quality build, enclosed cockpit, minimal maintenance, good fuel economy, and the ability to sleep in over a long weekend….. Cuddy cabin power boats have long fallen out of favor, everybody wants a bow rider so you can carry six people up front. This would be my choice, I happened to see one pop up on the local Craigslist.

https://spokane.craigslist.org/boa/d/coeur-alene-2008-ranger-tugs-r21-ec/7448106603.html

These are realllllly small cruisers. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ItUUGAY0f8U&feature=emb_imp_woyt

I have been in love with Ranger tugs for many years, but in reality this one is a mite too small for a normal sized person. What would you replace your Ollie with?

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Mountainman198]

I have thought this out for some time now, long before I even knew of Olivers, so my answer is quick and steeped in personal preference

 

25’ Nimble Kodiak with diesel inboard

Trailerable, durable and step-up/down is easy for when you do some canal cruising or the great loop. Not the sexiest or most efficient hull shape but bulletproof and roomy for its size

 

 

[topgun2]

24 minutes ago, John E Davies said:

What would you replace your Ollie with?

Ain't happing any time soon!

Bill

p.s.  A former Oliver Elite II owner owned one of those small "tug boats".  He went by the name - Windcrasher.  His boat was really very nice as were his many other "toys".

[ChrisMI]

The Nordic Tug series has always been a favorite of mine. Also like the Corsair Tri for a sporty sailboat. 

[Ralph Mawyer]

I don’t boat, but have lusted after a Nordic Tug for 20 years, back before they were building the longer hulls….probably because my sea kayak was a bit cramped back in the 90s. 😉 

 

https://www.nordictugs.com

[Guest]

I agree with the Ranger Tug, unless you are ready to spend a lot more. Then, I would either get a lightly used American Tug or a Nordic Tug. I love the Cummings diesel engine with around 500 horsepower. Phenomenal motor. Reliable and parts are easy to get and much cheaper than the Volvo parts. We use to take our time and keep it under 8 knots and get 5-6 gallons an hour. I wish I had time and money to do both. We settled on an Oliver and are very excited for our September delivery! 

Kirk 

[Boonter Jeff]

We have been fortunate in having had a 25 foot C-Dory Cruiser, which we could tow, and a Ranger 29 (classic) which I didn’t tow.  There certainly is overlap with travel trailers.  Lots of good times and memories with the possibility that we might get another boat some day.  We kept the boats in marinas and used them as our condo on the water in SF Bay.  We don’t really need a place to stay down there anymore and boats = $$. (ranger=$$$).  One of the selling points of the Ollie was the marine grade hardware and clean interior.  If being a landlubber gets too much for me, there is also the option of a bare boat charter, which we have done a couple of times in the PNW.  I agree with Ralph, when they tell me I’ve won the big powerball (which I never play), a Nordic or an American Tug could definitely make the cut.

[Ollietime]

My wife and I completed the Great Loop in 2017 aboard our 36' Kadey-Krogen Manatee.  The 90 hp diesel pushed us along our 5,300 mile route at an average speed of around 7 mph. Following the seasons in a counter-clockwise direction it took us a year to complete the adventure.

[SeaDawg]

Kadey Krogen builds beautiful boats. I had the pleasure of helping on a shakedown cruise, with a friend who worked for them, several years ago.

Your manatee is an ultimate,  stable trawler for a couple, with its great design. I'm sure you have great memories of a lifetime. 

 

[Guest]

For me, it would be a used  American Tug or a used Nordic Tug.

[dewdev]

Too slow.

My Ollie goes much faster especially when connected to by RAM.

[hobo]

I'd be looking at a Nordic Tug 26 or a Sargo 25 or 28.  Especially if I lived on the west coast.

[Paul and Santina]

If you’re not sailing to enjoy the wind and sensation of galloping through the chop close-hauled, but instead, listening to an engine, then I’d want to get to my destination at more than 5 knots, so I’d choose a Ranger Tug. Or maybe a Downeast like a Sabre 35, a Legacy 32 or, if I could afford it, an MJM 34 Downeast.

[SeaDawg]

1 hour ago, Paul and Santina said:

you’re not sailing to enjoy the wind and sensation of galloping through the chop close-hauled, but instead, listening to an engine,...

That's my hardship with powerboats, of any kind.. noise, fumes, and fuel consumption. 

We'll keep on sailing, as long as we can. 

Probably  a nice coastal sailor, like a smaller kadey krogen, if and  when we can't .

 

[Paul and Santina]

Kadey Krogen’s are lovely trawlers. Lots of brightwork!
 

Our last boat was a Sabre 386. Beautiful craft. But no more sailing for us. My wife especially misses sipping wine while at anchor during a gentle breeze in a Chesapeake river gunk hole, watching the sun set. But we’re now really enjoying State Parks in our Ollie. They’re as beautiful, just in a different way. It’s all new to us, and so far our Oliver’s been a solid, reliable, comfortable craft.

[Jim_Oker]

Is it any easier these days to find a place to "camp" in a boat than it is in a land yacht?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Jim_Oker said:

 

Is it any easier these days to find a place to "camp" in a boat than it is in a land yacht?

 

It’s never a problem in the Salish Sea, as long as you are comfortable with anchoring. 

[SeaDawg]

2 hours ago, Jim_Oker said:

Is it any easier these days to find a place to "camp" in a boat than it is in a land yacht?

Yes, and no. Probably depends on where you want to go, and if you're willing to live at anchor.

It's perfectly legal to anchor in many somewhat protected bays near me, in Florida,  as long as your sewage is properly contained and properly pumped out, and boat is maintained in operable condition, licensed, etc. (If you stay very long, count on an inspection visit...)

Last time I drove over the bridge near me,  there were sixteen boats anchored in the four bays nearby. 

Some Florida communities ban anchoring in their waters.

And, boat slips in my area where you're allowed to stay or live on board are expensive and long waiting lists.

[GrumpyChoi]

I know I am late to this thread, but I just recently joined the forum as my wife and I are nearing retirement. We have considered the great loop as well, but because of boating insurance restrictions, I can not get the boat that I would like from my research which is the old Hatteras 53 MY, but if I were to get something I could use and do it would probably be the Rosborough 246 from Eastern Boats. It has similar size and space as an Elite II, but twice the cost. 😒. I must caveat that I have never owned either a boat or RV, so all of my dreaming is based on what I have found on the Internet. 

[John E Davies]

Welcome to the forum!

The Rosborough is a new one to me. It obviously is intended for a really damp climate with that full length hardtop. It doesn’t really meet the goal of an economical pocket cruiser with twin 200 outboards, but you could use smaller ones and nobody is going to force you to run them flat out. The interior looks easy to clean like an Ollie, but it is a little stark for me (for a boat). It also is really heavy so it would be a chore to pull on a trailer and launch.

https://boattest.com/boats/eastern-boats/rosborough-246-yarmouth-2022

Here is the Ranger equivalent. It too is harder to pull around vs a smaller model, but boy do they look luscious inside.

Plus they figured out how an old feeble owner could carry and launch the dinghy without effort, with their patented hoist/ davits.

https://www.rangertugs.com/models/model-category/r-27/

If I had a spare $350k I could buy a fully optioned one and a big duellie and triple axle trailer to pull it.

FYI this new generation of outboard equipped trawlers have way more usable space inside because they don’t need an engine room. So a shorter model could be equivalent to an inboard one, in terms of livability.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[GrumpyChoi]

Yes, I know the Ranger Tugs as well.  My favorite ball cap right now is actually a Ranger Tug ball cap.  The Rosborough is heavy as you say. I received a message from their sales department that they weighed a normal configured one on the trailer right at 10,000 lbs.  they also normally come with only one 200hp engine, but many people opt to have a kicker.  Also, when I got a quote with all the things that I would like to have, it came in just over 200k, so there is that. 😀

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

If you take the leap from a trailerable boat to the various 30' + cruisers your costs rise dramatically and the amount of time and effort spent on maintenance can easily become overwhelming.  Then there is the challenge of finding moorage ... you just don't tow a 15,000 # boat around with your Tacoma.  Moorage is increasingly difficult to find in most areas with years long waiting lists.

I built my 35' sailboat from a bare hull starting in '77 and still own her  Lived aboard for many, many years and enjoyed the heck of of her but don't recommend boats of this scale to the casual user ... have seen them sink many a bank account (& marriage).  Know yourself, your finances, energy level and skill set well before you tread there!

Got to go now - heading to the marina to prep her for her annual haul out and bottom painting ... runs $1500+ per year for haul out, yard fees and material plus a week or so of labor.  Fortunately our local marina still allows owners to do their own work ... a luxury which is harder and harder to find.

Not trying to quash any dreams here but be aware of what you are getting into!

[Steph and Dud B]

I think we'll stick with our kayaks. Now, if we're talking any replacement mode of transport, there are some really nice Class B RVs out there. I like their flexibility/mobility (although I have to question their practicality).

[SeaDawg]

6 hours ago, John E Davies said:

this new generation of outboard equipped trawlers have way more usable space inside because they don’t need an engine room. So a shorter model could be equivalent to an inboard one, in terms of livability.

That's a good thing. And, engine much more easily repaired/replaced. (Not cheap, of course, but certainly easier.)

The thing about boats vs camper is not the view, it's the usable living space. All our trailers live really big, on the outside, at campsite. 

The inside of a comparable sized boat can become quite claustrophobic,  for me, at anchor, even in nice weather. At least, I've not found a floating platform for chairs, grill, etc, to be practical to tow behind. 😀 dock fees are ridiculous around me, in sw Florida. 

[ScubaRx]

We've never been into boats. Don't particularly like the water or the beach. But, this thread has gotten me to thinking. If I take up something new, I like to go all in. No messing around and trying to just "get by." This boat has recently come on the market and we are seriously considering it. It looks pretty good, comes with two helicopters, 60 foot tender, 10 man submarine (yellow, of course), a bunch of smaller boats and watercraft and several land vehicles on board. Hey @bugeyedriver, you want a job flying one of the helicopter's, includes free room and board. I really believe there would be plenty of room on board for all I like to take with me, plus about 100 or so of my buddies. If we do plan to tow it, I'm gonna need a bigger truck, might go up to a 7500. Hey, don't laugh it's no more ludicrous that pulling an LEII with a Tacoma. At least the 7500 actually has 4 wheel disc brakes.

I wonder if Foy would like to redo the woodwork on it.