Thursday, March 28

Virginia Couple Cruises Puget Sound on Their Brand-New Ranger Tugs 29

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Before last summer, Jackie and Mike Quinn did most of their boating near home in Hampton, Virginia. They live in an inlet there, and they’d take day cruises on the James River or the lower Chesapeake on their 24-foot Crownline. But last August they expanded their cruising area, by about 2,900 miles. They spent five days cruising Puget Sound in Washington State on their brand-new, red-hulled Ranger Tugs R-29 CB, as part of Ranger’s Pacific Northwest Factory Delivery Experience.  They loved it.

“We had a great factory delivery experience and continue to have an awesome post-delivery experience,” they told me in an email.

About two years ago, the Quinns decided that they needed a bigger boat. Mike said he had been a lifelong boater and they decided they needed “to make a bigger commitment to boating as we approach the end of our careers. We love boating together, just the two of us, or with family and friends.” After looking around, they decided that “a boat the size of our Ranger Tug, with all its amenities, was the perfect solution.”

Their nearest Ranger dealer was Mark Schulstad, who runs the Pocket Yacht Company  up the Chesapeake in Grasonville, Maryland, basically across from Annapolis. They worked with him and Jeff Messmer, the vice president of Ranger Tugs and its sister company, Cutwater Boats, just south of Seattle. Both Ranger and Cutwater offer the factory delivery program.

“As east coast boaters we knew our opportunity to sail our new boat on Puget Sound would most likely only be possible if we met the boat out there for a delivery,” the Quinns said. They took delivery of their new Ranger, called SeaQuinns, at Des Moines marina on Puget Sound just below Sea-Tac airport. As part of the factory delivery program, they spent one day with a factory rep learning the systems on their boat, and the next day learning how to run it.

Then they were off for five days on their own. “The factory team ensured we were well equipped to enjoy our follow-on five days cruising the Seattle area,” they said. “It was an awesome trip and the factory team gave us the tool and confidence to enjoy it.” The Quinns cruised up to Seattle, Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo. “The scenery is incredible and very different than our east coast areas,” they said. “We saw seals, orcas (very close) and eagles.”

At the end of their cruise, they took the boat back to the factory, where it was shrink wrapped and trucked to them in Virginia. The Quinns said the entire experience built their boating confidence. Now they’re thinking about the Great Loop; they think SeaQuinns “is perfectly suited to that trip as well.” Read more:

 

 

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