The Trailerable Trawler

2023 Ranger Tugs R-27 Luxury Edition — $224,900 (Trailer Included)

Imagine deciding on a Thursday that you want to cruise the San Juan Islands, but your boat is sitting in your driveway in the Midwest. Because your boat is exactly 8 feet 6 inches wide, you don’t need wide-load permits. You hitch it up to your truck, drive across the country, and launch it yourself. You spend a week living aboard in absolute, air-conditioned comfort, completely off the grid. This is the superpower of the modern, outboard-powered Ranger Tugs R-27.

Currently located in Michigan, this 100% freshwater, one-owner 2023 model is the “Luxury Edition.” It features the classic, salty pilothouse look that turns heads in every marina, but underneath, it is packed with cutting-edge tech. By moving the engine to the outside of the boat, Ranger Tugs freed up the interior to create a remarkably spacious cabin that sleeps up to six people, complete with a full galley, an enclosed head with a shower, and a convertible dinette.

For the fourth boat of The Outboard Revolution, we are looking at how outboard power has completely rewritten the rules for long-distance cruisers. For decades, the “Tug Life” meant chugging along at 8 knots while constantly monitoring a complex diesel inboard engine. But the modern “Smart Money” Loopers and coastal explorers wanted more speed, less maintenance, and the ability to trim their engines up to access shallow anchorages. Ranger Tugs answered the call by hanging a Yamaha 300 off the back of their legendary R-27.

But the real “Smart Money” play on this specific listing isn’t just the boat—it’s the $20,000+ in upgrades that the original owner already paid for. You are inheriting a massive triple-axle trailer, a factory Lithium-Ion battery bank, and a highly coveted $5,000+ Sharrow Propeller. Located in freshwater, this is the ultimate “Turnkey Explorer” for the buyer who wants to tow their yacht to the Pacific Northwest in the summer and the Florida Keys in the winter.