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Chattanooga: Dealer launched to sell Ranger boats

By: Brian Lazenby
(Contact)

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Rick Afton was visiting coastal Maine in 2001 when he decided that he wanted a vacation home there with a boat.

Only after buying a boat did he realize it was the “wrong” one. He was unhappy with just about everything about it, and it was then that he discovered Ranger tugboats.

“I love these boats,” he said.

That love led him to open Tugs and Trawlers TN inside the Lakeshore Marina at 5600 Lakeshore Terrace.

To many, the term tugboat conjures images of an industrial workhorse pushing a string of barges along the Tennessee River, but that is not a Ranger tug.

Mr. Afton said these are luxury craft that come equipped with a sink, stove, pressure wash system and a stereo and other luxury amenities.

The diesel-powered craft range in price from $50,000 to $68,500 for the 21-foot model and between $134,000 and $178,000 for the 25-foot model depending on the features included.

“They are not go-fast boats,” he said. “They are trawlers meant for casual cruising with very efficient fuel usage.”

The 21-foot model uses about a gallon an hour traveling between 6 and 8 mph. The 25-footer uses about two gallons of gas when cruising between 10 and 12 mph.

Staff Photo by John Rawlston -- Rick Afton, owner of Tugs and Trawlers TN, is seen with a 21-foot Ranger tug in the foreground as well as a 25-foot Ranger tug at Lakeshore Marina. He is the only dealer for Ranger tugs in the state.

Mr. Afton said he is the only luxury tug dealer in the inland United States.

“I don’t want anyone to buy the wrong boat. I don’t want to put anyone in a tug that doesn’t want to be put in a tug,” he said. “I want to avoid buyer regret.”

J.Ed Marston, vice president of marketing and communications for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, said the city riverfront is a vital tool for attracting businesses such as Mr. Afton’s.

“This is a great example of how our focus on the riverfront is attracting businesses of all kinds,” he said. “We’ve found that the riverfront is the catalyst for attracting a variety of businesses including shipbuilding and sporting events.”

Mr. Afton realizes that a tugboat may not be for everyone, but for some people, like himself, the Ranger tug, which is distinct from Ranger bass boats, is the perfect vessel.

“I figure if we have 20 people looking, we might close one deal, and that’s OK,” he said.

Mr. Afton said he began in Chattanooga, but he hopes to open dealerships soon in Knoxville and Nashville and eventually in Memphis.

Mr. Afton has not sold a tug yet, but he said he is “having a lot of fun doing this.”

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