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Using AI to Figure Out Food Rules When You Cross the Border

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 We regularly cross the U.S./Canadian border on the boat. The rules for what foods you can bring with you differ depending on the direction you are traveling in, and food items you purchased in the U.S. often cannot be brought back into the U.S. if you don’t finish it in Canada. Figuring out the Canadian rules involves searching for each type of item, very specifically, on the Automated Import Reference System (AIRS) . Figuring out the U.S. rules involve visiting both Customs and Border Protection and, the USDA Aphis site.  Since both of these systems are rather complicated, I decided it was worth a try building an AI prompt to figure out the rules. This prompt configures an AI tool so you can simply type the name of a food item, say “eggs”, and it will respond with the rules for both the U.S. and Canada. It will also put a table on the canvas that contains the list so you can reference back to it.  To use this prompt, copy this text into your favorite AI tool (ChatGPT,...
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Driving with Volvo Penta IPS Drives

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We recently took delivery of our Ranger Tug R-43, Out Of Office, powered by two Volvo Inboard Performance System (IPS) Pod drives. The IPS Pod drive has been around for over 20 years and while many boaters have heard about it, many have not had a chance to experience it. In this article we cover our initial experiences with the various aspects of driving a boat with the Pod drives and the different drive modes available, including one that normally is not available on the Ranger Tug R-43. If you are more of a visual learner, we have a companion video showing how these drive modes work. If you just want to know what we like about them, here is our tl;dr: Joystick Driving is awesome. It is unlike any other boat control system. You have total control over the boat with one control. It is extremely intuitive and especially new boaters will likely take to it faster than they do a traditional throttle-and-wheel system. We will drive the boat 95% or more of the time in Joystick Driving or J...
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Fuel Consumption on a 2026 Ranger Tug R-43 S

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Since we recently took delivery of our Ranger Tug R-43 Sedan we have been learning more and more about the boat. This weekend, while cruising the San Juan Islands, we conducted a little bit of fuel economy testing. We had 3 adults on board, about 220 gallons of fuel, and about 75 gallons of freshwater. The water was flat calm and we had little current.  The 2026 R-43 comes with dual Volvo Penta D6 IPS 500 engines. These engines generate 380 horse power each and the IPS drives, facing forward, allegedly have better fuel consumption than a standard shaft drive with. While we were testing we were using the joystick driving  mode on the IPS drives.  We did not test each of these speeds during extended cruising. What we did instead was use the cruise control feature to bump the throttle in 200 RPM increments and then leaving it for several minutes at each RPM to let it stabilize at the new speed. Once we were at that new speed, we recorded the data. The results are in the grap...
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Finding the Best Ranger Tug, For You!

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As a Security Engineer, I’ve spent most of my professional life trying to convince people that engineering is always a series of trade-offs—whether between “good”, “fast”, and “cheap”, or in my case, “secure”, “usable”, “cheap” - you get to pick any two.  In my free time I’ve been boating and fishing, among other hobbies, since I was a child. It turns out that picking a boat is exactly the same exercise, just with more fiberglass and fewer passwords.  In 2024 we decided to replace the Bayliner Ciera Classic 2452 we had for over 20 years with a 2024 Ranger Tug R-25. In the process, we looked at a lot of different boats and learned a lot. In the two years, and 200 engine hours since then, we’ve learned a lot more. This article is an attempt to share some of what I’ve learned, in case it helps anyone else. As I am writing this, we’re waiting for our two-foot-itis boat; our “forever boat”: a 2026 Ranger Tug R-43S. We will also talk about why we are upgrading. The factory spec shee...
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Propulsion: Transom v. Bilge

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If you’ve spent any time looking at boats, you know the engine is the heart of the upfront cost and the soul of your annual maintenance budget. In the Ranger Tugs world, we have two very different philosophies at play: the high-speed simplicity and speed of Yamaha outboards and the heavy-duty but slower Volvo Penta diesels. The dividing line is between the R-27, available in two different outboard gasoline options, and the R-29, the smallest of the diesel boats.  The decision isn't just about fuel type; it's about how you want to cruise. Do you focus on the destination and need to get there fast, or do you prefer to enjoy the trip and take your time? Choosing Your Power: Outboard vs. Inboard Diesel Here is a breakdown of the different engine options across the fleet. Engine Type Primary Models Maintenance Complexity Performance Profile Yamaha F200/F250 R-23, R-25 Low: Easy access from swim platform; simple tilt/trim. High top speed; louder; light weight allows for easier trail...
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