Ranger Tug 25 for Sale, Buying the Right R-25 Generation

Ranger Tug 25 for sale usually means one of three different boats

Type ranger tug 25 for sale into any listing site and you will see boats from about $60,000 to well over $200,000, and the reason is that Ranger Tugs has used the R-25 name for three distinct designs. The original R-25, now called the R-25 Classic, and the R-25 SC are inboard diesel boats with a 24-foot 7-inch molded hull. The current R-25, launched for the 2020 model year and shown at the Miami boat show that February, is a larger, outboard-powered boat at 28 feet 5 inches with the motor down.

All three share the Ranger formula that built the brand in Kent, Washington: a tug-styled pilothouse, a private cabin and enclosed head, a real galley, standard thrusters or a bow thruster, and an 8-foot 6-inch beam so the whole package can be towed without a wide-load permit. What separates them is power, space and price, and knowing which generation you are looking at is the first step in judging any listing.

This page focuses on the outboard R-25 that Ranger builds today and gives buyers of the earlier diesel boats the key facts they need to compare.

The Clear-Path platform changed how the stern works

The signature feature of the outboard R-25 is what Ranger calls the Clear-Path swim platform. Instead of leaving the outboard and its rigging as an obstacle across the transom, the 20-square-foot extended platform wraps around the engine, and the steering and control rigging are routed so the walkway stays clear. Heavy-duty handrails surround it. In practice that means you can board a dinghy, land a fish, step down to a low dock with a dog, or med-moor without climbing over an engine cowling.

The cockpit has two fold-out benches, one across the stern whose backrest drops into deck rod holders and one to starboard, plus a transom door. An optional electric grill fits in the aft port corner, a soft-top or sun shade covers the cockpit, and the glass bulkhead into the cabin opens with a reversible seat that faces either way. Forward, a self-launching stainless bow roller and windlass handle the anchor, and a folding stainless mast drops for trailering and low bridges.

Inside the pilothouse and cabin

A full-height glass door opens to the salon, where a dinette seats four and converts to a berth for two. Overhead, roof hatches and skylights keep the space bright, and teak trim and stainless portholes give it a traditional tug feel. The helm is to starboard with a bolstered single seat, a 12-inch Garmin chartplotter with sonar, a Yamaha engine display and single-lever electronic controls; the seat bolster folds back to extend galley counter space.

The galley has a single-burner electric and alcohol cooktop, a refrigerator and freezer, a microwave and a sink with hot and cold water. Forward is a private stateroom with a V-berth, opening hatches, reading lights and a television. Under the dinette is a quarter berth with a removable mattress that works for a child, a guest or simply as a gear locker. The enclosed head has an electric marine toilet, sink and shower with an enclosure.

Current boats include climate control for heat and air conditioning, lithium house batteries, an inverter and a 220-watt solar panel, which is why owners can run air conditioning at anchor without a generator for limited periods. Earlier outboard boats came in a Northwest Edition with a diesel heater and downrigger plugs, sold through 2024, and a Luxury Edition with air conditioning, which continued through the 2025 model year.

• Private forward stateroom with V-berth
• Dinette for four converts to a double
• Quarter berth under the dinette
• Enclosed head with electric toilet and shower
• Climate control, lithium house bank and solar on current boats

What a single Yamaha F250 does for a tug

The name suggests a slow boat. The R-25 is not one. In a PassageMaker sea trial out of Fort Pierce Inlet, the boat came onto plane at about 4,200 rpm, settled into an efficient cruise of about 21 knots at 3,800 rpm, and reached a top speed just above 37 knots. Ranger fits electric trim tabs and the Laminar Flow Interrupter surface, a pattern of dimples between the hull strakes that the builder says improves grip in turns.

That speed range is the main argument for the outboard generation. A cruising couple can idle along at displacement speed on the Erie Canal, then cover a long open-water leg at over 20 knots when the weather window is short. The 99-gallon tank gives a useful reserve, but Ranger and the magazines we read did not publish a full fuel curve, so plan range conservatively and log your own numbers with the Yamaha fuel-flow display.

The older diesel boats are a different experience. The R-25 SC ran a single 150 hp diesel, first a Yanmar 4BY2 and later a Volvo Penta D3, with bow and stern thrusters, and suits owners who value diesel economy and simplicity over speed.

Towing it and living aboard it

The R-25's beam is legal for towing without permits. Ranger lists a dry weight of 6,500 pounds for current boats, an estimated trailer length of 36 feet with the motor up, and a trailer height of about 11 feet 10 inches with radar. Add fuel, water, gear and a tandem-axle trailer and you need a properly rated pickup, not a crossover SUV.

Owners do remarkable things with this boat. Soundings profiled Julia and Michael Bertelsen, who spent several winters living aboard their R-25 in the Bahamas, towing south from Canada each year and crossing the Gulf Stream. They added a watermaker to stretch the 34-gallon water tank and run Starlink off solar and a portable generator. Yachting magazine pointed to the boat's 2-foot 10-inch draft and roughly 9-foot clearance as reasons it suits a Great Loop cruise.

Buying an earlier diesel R-25 or R-25 SC

Ranger's archived spec sheets show the R-25 SC on a 24-foot 7-inch molded hull, 27 feet 7 inches rigged with the swim step, with an 8-foot 6-inch beam, 26-inch draft, 80 gallons of fuel, 40 gallons of water, 30 gallons of holding and a dry weight of 6,250 pounds with the Volvo D3. Ranger says the SC's aft deck is 25 percent larger than the original R-25's, close to 50 square feet. The R-25 Classic was also a single inboard diesel boat with bow and stern thrusters and carried a 2010 introductory price of $139,937.

These boats appeal to buyers who want a capable tug for well under $120,000. The trade-offs are a smaller cabin, slower cruise and the cost of servicing an inboard diesel and shaft in a tight bilge. Survey the engine carefully and price in any overdue maintenance on the drive train.

What ownership costs and how values hold

A trailered R-25 avoids slip fees for much of the year, which is the main reason running costs stay modest. Budget roughly $8,000 to $18,000 a year for insurance, outboard service, trailer upkeep, bottom paint if kept in the water, electronics updates and seasonal storage, more if you keep it in a marina year-round.

Ranger Tugs has an unusually loyal owner community, factory rendezvous and a factory delivery program, and that support shows in resale. Outboard R-25s that are a few years old typically ask close to their original ready-to-cruise price, especially Luxury Edition boats with low hours and the factory trailer.