Ranger Tug 21ec "Lil' Green Tug"

Rosborough rf-246, "Blue Heron" I write this seated aboard my new boat, "Blue Heron", a 2008 Rosborough RF246. Living aboard Lil' Green Tug since last December has been a delight, so much so that I've decided to move full-time to Florida and stay aboard here in the winter months. I wanted something with more room and also more open ocean capability. The Rosborough has twin 115-hp Suzuki 4-stroke outboard engines and moves the boat along at a 14-18 knot cruise speed. I will be planning trips to the Bahamas, something the Ranger Tug 21ec wasn't designed to do. So Lil' Green Tug is for sale. She is listed with Wefings Marine and located in Eastpoint, Florida, in the Florida panhandle. The broker is Marc Grove (cell: 850-653-5950). If you think you might want to continue the adventure aboard Lil' Green Tug, give him a call! I'm not sure if I will be blogging about the Rosborough. There was just something poetic about the Ranger Tug 21ec t

Mansions on the ICW north of Vero Beach Yesterday was blustery and chilly, with winds out of the north at a steady 17 knots. It was the day I decided to head north from the Vero Beach City Marina on the Indian River (also known as the Indian River Lagoon and forming a part of the Intracoastal Waterway) to Sebastian, Florida. It's a short, 14 mile trip. The charts show the channel meandering through mangrove islands, but just north of Vero Beach it passes by beautiful mansions on the barrier island to the east, estates you never see driving north on highway A1A past the high concrete and hedge fences, past the gated communities. There were several pods of porpoise, there were cormorants coming up in front of the boat with wiggling fish in their beaks which they flipped around until the head was pointing down their throats and then down-the-hatch so to speak, and a manatee, my first sighting of one. It was a dark grey hulk just below the surface. I'm not entirely sure that&

Rain, rain, and more rain! The Vero Beach City Marina mooring field has over 100 boats, and just about everyone is hunkered down below decks waiting for the rain and wind to stop. Some come ashore in their dingy all bundled up in foul weather gear to do the laundry or catch the free bus to Publix to do some grocery shopping, but for the most part the marina is pretty much empty of people ashore. A week ago, we had 4-inches of rain in one 24-hour period, a record for that particular calendar day. But I really don't mind the rain so much. I have a nice, new lightweight, breathable rain jacket with a hood that keeps me dry when I go outside, and my nylon cargo shorts dry quickly enough. The boat I'm on (a Ranger Tug 21ec) stays dry below decks. In all of the sailboats I've owned over the years, hatches and windows leaked, and condensation built up inside along with mold, but this little boat is as tight as a drum. I have a small electric space heater that takes away the

My first night aboard, I twisted and turned, and couldn't sleep. I couldn't figure it out! I had lived aboard a sailboat for a year back on the Chesapeake Bay, and I was always comfortable, even with a fresh coat of snow on the deck and no heat. Around 3:00 in the morning, I got up and pulled my cargo shorts on and walked to the car. First stop--Walmart for a fluffy pillow and a foam mattress topper. Next stop--International House of Pancakes for some comfort food (I was really needing it!) Back to the boat at 5:00 in the morning (at that hour of the night there are absolutely no cars about in downtown Vero Beach!) and after a hot shower at the Marina facilities, I set about making my bedroom afloat comfortable. I cut the foam mattress to fit the v-berth and covered it with a sheet. Then I unzipped the sleeping bag and spread it out like a comforter. Lastly, I fluffed up the new pillow, kicked off my shoes and climbed back in bed. Ahh, the comfort. I slept soundly for four

Launching at Taylor Creek Marina. By now, I should know the drill: call ahead and Taylor Creek Marina in Fort Pierce will launch the boat. Not much to it! But I always get butterflies in my stomach the first trip of the boating season. Will the engine start? Will it keep running? Have I thought of everything? I was even more nervous than usual because I hadn't purchased Sea Tow or Boat US towing insurance for this season. I've been boating for 40 years and never missed it -- now I feel at risk without it. I may buy it. I'll decide later. Previous boats have been sailboats, so if the engine conked out, I could always sail home. Approaching Vero Beach City Marina, kind of a tricky entrance running along the Route 60 bridge. In about a minute, "Lil' Green Tug" was launched, the engine fired right up, and I was out on the azure-blue, tropical waters of the Indian River. The wind was from astern at about 10 knots, and a nice cooling breeze blew through

Condo in Vero Beach, Florida. In Indiana it's a chilly 46F degrees. Fall leaves are turning yellow, red and orange. Winter will soon be in the air, and streets and sidewalks will soon be coated with snow and ice! But here in the South it's hard to imagine all that. I have made my long-planned escape from the Mid-West winter to Vero Beach, Florida. Here it's a pleasant 78F degrees with a nice breeze blowing through the open condo windows. The plan is to take Lil' Green Tug out of storage in Fort Pierce next week and put her on a maintenance rack to wax the hull. The black water holding tank needs some attention. I'm not sure how to clean it other than to fill it with fresh water and bleach. But what to do then? I can't discharge the tank while I'm on the rack, and I shouldn't do it while underway. I want to discharge the water and bleach through the overboard hose line since there is some residual sewage in there causing an odor. The odor isn'