Ranger Tugs R-23, the Smallest Ranger That Still Sleeps Aboard

The Ranger Tugs R-23 is the entry ticket, not a toy

Small cabin boats often promise overnighting and deliver a cuddy with a bucket. The Ranger Tugs R-23 is different. Within 28 feet 5 inches overall (motor down) and an 8 foot 6 inch beam it fits a forward stateroom, a midship berth that works for a child or as storage, a dinette that converts to a third berth, an enclosed head and a galley. It is the smallest boat in the Ranger range and the cheapest way into the tug lifestyle that has made the brand a fixture at Great Loop and Pacific Northwest rendezvous.

Built in Kent, Washington by Fluid Motion on a hard-chine deep-V hull with a nearly plumb bow, the R-23 shares the look and many details of the larger R-27 and R-31: the tug-style pilothouse, wide windows, a bow thruster and a Garmin electronics suite. What it gives up is space, tankage and sea-keeping in rough water. What it gains is a dry weight of only 6,000 pounds, which changes towing completely.

The R-23 arrived in 2016 as Ranger's first outboard-powered model, with a Yamaha F200 as standard, and current boats still run a single F200. At launch Ranger also offered a 170 hp Volvo Penta diesel sterndrive version at $109,937, so check the power on any used listing. Early boats were also listed lighter, at 5,000 pounds dry with a 75 gallon fuel tank, against 6,000 pounds and 80 gallons today.

What it takes to tow an R-23

Ranger lists the R-23 at 6,000 pounds dry. Add a tandem-axle trailer, a full 80 gallons of fuel (about 500 pounds), water, batteries and cruising gear, and the real towing weight lands somewhere in the region of 8,500 to 9,500 pounds. A well-equipped half-ton pickup may be rated for that on paper, but you will be close to its limits. A three-quarter-ton pickup is the comfortable choice for long trips and mountain passes.

Height on the trailer is about 11 feet 6 inches with radar, or 10 feet 10 inches without, according to Ranger's estimates. That clears most highway structures but still deserves route planning near low overpasses, drive-throughs and fuel station canopies. The 8 foot 6 inch beam means no oversize permit in any US state.

Launching is simple at a decent ramp. With the motor tilted, draft drops to 19 inches, which lets you get the boat on and off the trailer at ramps that would challenge larger boats.

• Dry weight 6,000 lb; plan on 8,500 lb or more towing weight with trailer and gear
• Height on trailer about 11 feet 6 inches with radar
• 8 foot 6 inch beam, no permit needed
• 19 inch draft with motor up for ramp launching

Range at 6 knots versus range on plane

With a single Yamaha F200, the R-23 can plane and run like a runabout, or idle along at trawler pace. Yamaha's own performance bulletin, run in November 2016 on an R-23 weighing 6,956 pounds with three people, 65 gallons of fuel and a 9.9 hp kicker, recorded 33.6 knots at 6,050 rpm burning 20.4 gph, and 26.4 knots at 5,000 rpm on 11.8 gph, which is the natural fast cruise.

The more important number for cruisers is range. In the same Yamaha test the boat made 5.2 knots on 1.3 gph and 6.4 knots on 2.1 gph. With 80 gallons aboard and a 10 percent reserve, that works out to roughly 220 to 290 nautical miles at those speeds, against about 160 nautical miles at the 26 knot cruise. Note the awkward middle: between 8 and 11 knots the hull is climbing onto plane and burns 5 to 9 gph for little gain. In practice, R-23 owners either idle along or run on plane, and plan fuel every day or two at speed.

Can you do the Great Loop in a Ranger Tug 23

People have, and they do. With the mast down the R-23 is well under every fixed bridge on the Loop, including the western Erie Canal's low bridges at about 15 feet 6 inches and the roughly 19 foot 1 inch bridge on the Chicago route. A 30-inch draft opens the shallowest parts of the ICW and the rivers.

The challenge is not bridges but comfort and sea-keeping. Open-water crossings such as Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario and the Gulf crossing from the Florida Big Bend demand patience and a conservative weather window in a 23-footer. Living aboard for months in a boat this size also requires two very compatible people. Many owners do the Loop in sections, trailering home between stages, which plays to the R-23's greatest strength.

How Ranger fits a cruising layout into 23 feet

The forward stateroom has a V-berth for two with a table. A small midship berth tucks under the pilothouse and works for a child or storage, and the booth dinette, which seats four, converts to a double. The enclosed head has a toilet with holding tank, a sink and a shower with enclosure. The galley has a sink with hot and cold water, a refrigerator and freezer, a microwave and a single cooktop, adequate for simple meals.

The helm has good visibility through large windows, and a bow thruster is standard, which takes the stress out of docking for first-time owners. The cockpit aft is compact but works for line handling, two folding chairs and fishing.

Ownership math for a trailer tug

Plan on $6,000 to $13,000 a year excluding depreciation. Keeping the R-23 on its trailer at home removes slip fees, the biggest cost of most boats. Yamaha outboard service is straightforward and inexpensive at any dealer, and insurance is modest.

Resale is a strength. Used R-23s sell quickly, and late boats often retain most of their original price.

Picking a good used R-23

Confirm the engine model and hours, check the trailer thoroughly, and look at the electronics package. An R-23 with a matched trailer in good condition is worth noticeably more than one without. Upgrades such as solar, a diesel heater, lithium batteries and canvas enclosures add value for cruising owners.