READY & ABLE

I grew up pummeled with the aphorism, “If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is,” and in the years I’ve spent in the marine industry my belief in it has been repeatedly reinforced. Indeed, the boating world has taught me that if something sounds too good to be true, you can pretty much bank on the fact that it is.

I must have repeated that mantra to myself at least a dozen times during my test of the Ranger Tugs R-29 CB. I began the day with the notion that this would be a nicely done, entry-level, relatively bare-bones cruising boat, but as the company reps pointed out each of the boat’s features, my preconception evaporated. I simply couldn’t understand how a builder could pack so many features into a boat so well designed and keep the price so low.