Are you wondering, what would it take to build a tug like Dragon Lady? Frist of all, there is the one and only Dragon Lady, the unique and gorgeous tug in every way! She is also a superstar on Youtube: Ranger Tugs R-31 S Tour & Walkthrough (youtube.com)
Nevertheless, let’s take a look at the build.
So, the Drakkar was born as 2020 R31S Northwest Edition coming with the additional options such as Aft Station with Electronic Controls, Carpet Runner for the interior, and 5yr Extended Volvo Engine Warranty at the price of $415K as shown below (R-31 S | Ranger Tugs):
Of course I took the Factory Delivery Experience and it proved to be extremely useful and much needed 2 days course.
Adding to the build aftermarket:
Custom RosKelly/Olsen Davit system with electric winch (the total build is $15K),
SeaDek flooring in the cockpit (cost: $7K),
Aluminum Highfield 290 tender with full length keel guard, E-Propulsion Spirit 1.0 electric outboard with Lithium ion battery (with the price tag of $7K).
To defend against the harsh salt elements, Galvanic Isolator has been added to the build.
Dragon Lady is also enjoying state of the art Vesper Cortex full AIS in addition to Garmin AIS Receiver and we can monitor all systems remotely! Vesper Cortex M1 build comes with external GPS and Cellular antennas with aftermarket price tag of $3,000.
To make things whisper quite, it uses Johnson Pumps Accumulator Tank to smooth out water delivery across the faucets.
To ensure one can sleep soundly at night, the Dragon Lady has an upgraded Mantus M1 35lbs anchor with the Mantus swivel to help the anchor come up straight every time and of course the anchor guard. I’ve tested its holding strength (not by my conscious choice as you can imagine) at 25+mph wind once at the Boho Bay, Lasqueti Island BC, and can attest to sleeping soundly in between checking the tackle every 3hrs. Next time the wind did hit us we had complete trust in Mantus and slept without any interruptions, probably one of the best $500 investments! Actually, all of Dragon’s Lady ground tackle came from Mantus, from the very best! M2 Anchor Chain hook, 2 leg bridle, mooring SS shackle, snubber pendant, even the wet storage bag and more! I’m sure team Mantus loves me as much as I love their stuff!
Since some marine parks in BC require stern tie, the Dragon Lady comes with 300ft of Samson MFP rope, another $500. The rope is brand new, never used and even comes with the tree trunk protector so no one can accuse us of nature abuse!
There are a lot of raving reviews about Victron Energy stuff and rightfully so! Victron is simply the best with unmatched quality and efficiency of its components. Granted, the Dragon Lady enjoys the new 100/30 MPPT Solar Charge Controller, new IP65 Smartshunt 500 amps, and new Smart Battery Sensor for the solar charge controller to compensate for internal battery temperature. Combined with new (March 2024) West Marine 110AH AGM batteries, this setup will get you 3 days on the hook! Of course, power management is a must as any unexpected or parasitic load will increase consumption, however, with the smartshunt you can monitor how many hours left with the current rate and make adjustments if needed. Total package is another $3000 but this is one of the best investments any boater should consider. The MPPT solar charge controller alone improves charging efficiency by at least 20%! Yes, it will put into the battery at least 20% more amps than the stock PWM controller and even with 160 watt solar panel it is significant improvement. When on the hook, every amp matters!
Overall cost of the build including all additional options would be over $450K before tax. Not cheap but worth it every penny as you can’t put a price tag on your safety and experience, right?
In essence, the Dragon Lady represents extremely well cared for Ranger 31S equipped with every option offered by Ranger Tugs factory for NW Edition and has only 520 hours on her Volvo D4 engine. Dragon Lady is absolutely ready for extended cruising now, nothing else is needed for your dream trip to Desolation Sound, Broughton, and Alaska! We’ve taken her places like Princess Louisa Inlet, Desolation Sound, Sunshine Coast, all over the Gulf Islands, Puget Sound, and more, and she never failed us even when the weather was not in our favor (you *will* get caught in a bad weather, having Dragon Lady alongside makes it so much easier to handle the elements!). It’s important to have ability to increase speed to 15-17kts when the weather is turning bad while crossing Straits of Georgia, Juan de Fuca, Rosario, Haro, Johnston, and others so you can outrun the weather. When the weather is right, cruising at 8kts with Dragon Lady happily sipping 1gph makes the journey so enjoyable! We are happy with Dragon Lady giving us that flexibility and speed when needed especially for working couple like us who are always short of free time!
