Happy Birthday to my Ranger 365V

[Bud Kennedy]

Happy Birthday to my Ranger 365V. It is 30 years ago this month that my 1991 Ranger began it's life in a mold in Flippin, Arkansas. It was delivered to Greens Marine in Spindale, NC where everything was rigged and made ready around January of 1991. I don't have any of the specific dates unfortunately. The original Ranger Trail Trailer was also built in Septembere of 1990. The trailer is now long gone but the boat is still catching fish after all these years. Happy Birthday to the good ship "GLORY DAYS" We have grown old together and although we each have a few battle scars we are still excited each time we visit the water.

[Mike Cork]

Congratulations Bud, to say you are the original owner of a boat built in 1990 is unheard of. Twenty years from now it might be more popular as prices have escalated so much...

Just curious, and if too personal just skip over it, but in rough memory estimates what do you recall your boats package worth when you bought her?

To be honest I can't remember what they were going for. Seems like I paid in the low thirties for a new 20 ft skeeter in 1990

[Bud Kennedy]

I am not the original owner.  Have not been able to find out who was or how many folks may have owned her but whoever they were they too must have loved this boat and took care of here before she became mine.  I do know that the original invoice for this boat was just a shade under $14,500 but don't know what they really paid.  In those days Greenes Marine was one of the early volume Ranger dealers and sold boats all over the east coast.  Greenes is a family operation and still is today and has grown into an organization known as Anglers Choice Marine and they still are a volume Ranger dealer with headquarters in Martinsville, Virginia but the Spindale, NC and Lexington, NC stores are still open and offer some of the cust customer service you will find just about anywhere.  I now have owned this boat for a bit over 12 years and I paid $5K for it at that time.  Even though I have had to put some money in to refurbish last year, it seems to have been money well spent even for a tightwad like me.

[coldfront]

I am not the original owner.  Have not been able to find out who was or how many folks may have owned her but whoever they were they too must have loved this boat and took care of here before she became mine.  I do know that the original invoice for this boat was just a shade under $14,500 but don't know what they really paid.  In those days Greenes Marine was one of the early volume Ranger dealers and sold boats all over the east coast.  Greenes is a family operation and still is today and has grown into an organization known as Anglers Choice Marine and they still are a volume Ranger dealer with headquarters in Martinsville, Virginia but the Spindale, NC and Lexington, NC stores are still open and offer some of the cust customer service you will find just about anywhere.  I now have owned this boat for a bit over 12 years and I paid $5K for it at that time.  Even though I have had to put some money in to refurbish last year, it seems to have been money well spent even for a tightwad like me.

Great story Bud, and love that you have this boat and have taken care of her.

Ever hook her up and take her to Greenes to visit?  I'm guessing they would love seeing it too?

[Bud Kennedy]

I do want to relate a story about Customer Service from the Anglers Choice Marine organization.  About 3 years ago the Fast Strike had a major problem that was created by another dealer and it wound up blowing up.  At that time I was considering another boat or another motor when I received a call from Sandi Logadanian who is the daughter of the Greene family.  She now is the main owner along with her husband nick for the entire Anglers Choice Company.  She called me while on a business trip to California and offered to do a new power head for a reasonable price.  After telling her I did not want to drag the boat to Martinsville as it was just too far, She immediately sent a person here to Myrtle Beach to pick up the boat and then returned it here  when the power head was done.  The person who came here is a member here at Ultimate Bass user name Rustyhook2.   I don't know any other company that would do that but they respected that this was one of their previously sold boats from 1991.  I still believe this was very special.  I know there are many other folks in the Carolinas that also appreciate their customer service.

[Oldfart9999]

Happy Birthday to your baby Bud!!! Customer service like that is what keeps a few companies growing and surviving tough times.
Rodney

[Pat Dilling]

Great story!  Had to chime in on this one. My first bass boat was a 1993 Ranger 365 with a Yamaha ProV 150.  I bought it from Gary Dobyns who won it in with A WON Bass or West Coast Bass tournament.  It was a great boat, my only complaint was the short rod lockers.  Sold it in about 2001 to by a Triton TR20.

Pat