A lot of us (including myself) were certainly surprised when we learned that Jim and Lisa Favors put their beloved, and well-traveled, Ranger Tugs 29 Kismet up for sale last summer, without any explanation of what they would do next. After all, the Favors have been cruising most of their adult lives, most recently on Ranger Tugs, and have written about them extensively on their website, trailertrawlerlife.
Now we know what comes next: A new Ranger Tugs, but the Favors are downsizing. Their next Ranger will be a 25, with a single 250-hp Yamaha outboard to give them more performance (particularly helpful for enjoying watersports with the grandchildren) and an 8’ 6” beam for easy trailering without having to get any permits. The Favors expect to take delivery of their new Ranger, also named Kismet and also painted red, next August.
The Favors, originally from Traverse City, Michigan, certainly know their boats. They started out with a Four Winns 21, then a Silverton 31, Silverton 42, Fathom Trawler 40, a Ranger Tugs 27 and the Ranger Tugs 29. They’ve done the Great Loop once and almost a second time and have trailered (and cruised) their boats on waters from the Pacific Northwest to Florida.
Jim Favors wrote that after they sold their Ranger 29 they toyed with the idea of buying an old trawler or even a decommissioned tug and fixing it up. But then he said, “After we got that out of our systems and we came back to reality, we turned our attention to what we know and like best, Ranger Tugs.”
The Ranger 25 (see picture above) is a pocket cruiser with a top speed of about 37 knots and a cruising speed of 21 knots. The master cabin is forward, with an enclosed head with shower; a galley with stovetop, sink, fridge/freezer and microwave; a dinette that seats four (and sleeps two) and a small quarterberth under the dinette for kids or storage. The extended swim platform wraps around the outboards, providing a clear walkway without running into any rigging from the outboard.
Specs.: LOA (motor down): 28’5”; Beam: 8’6”; Draft: 2’10”; Disp.: 6,500 lbs.; Fuel: 99 gals.; Water: 34 gals.; Power: 1×250-hp Yamaha outboard.
