Pearson Triton to nice daysailer

[Hwyl]

Let's start with the dessert first.

http://www.tritondaysailor.com/images/ds90705-41.jpg

From this

http://www.tritondaysailor.com/images/seawitchhome1.JPG

It's sort of the reverse of what most do, which is put a huge cabin on a small boat.

Full story here http://www.tritondaysailor.com/

[Ian McColgin]

Interesting idea. The Triton was about the first successful glass cruiser and quite a few have unremarkably and safely circumnavigated. Of glass boats, one of the finest.

For those interested in the early days of glass, check "Heart of Glass."

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Gosh, that is quite lovely.

Doesn't look like frozen snot any more..

[Figment]

A couple of my favorite shots:
http://www.tritondaysailor.com/images/cockpit2-90705.jpg
http://www.tritondaysailor.com/images/launch3.jpg

[Hwyl]

She looks like an oversize ensign (not surprisingly) in those pictures.

I understand there's a class of chopped J24's somewhere.

[Dan McCosh]

Curious what the interior looks like. Could be quite serviceable.

[TimH]

would have looked even better if he had cut a little more sheer into her before re-decking.
I wonder what price is on that "for Sale" sign.

[rbgarr]

Another one... this for $249K (!!!) and not as successfully executed IMO.

http://tinyurl.com/3y32o7

[TimH]

249k for a daysailor cobbled together from an old blister infested plastic boat!?!?!? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

is it just me, or does it appear the whole world is smoking crack?

http://newimages.yachtworld.com/1/4/2/9/7/1429750_1.jpg

[bamamick]

That's what you do when you find an old 6mR or 8mR that has been reconfigured for cruising. You rip that stuff off of there and get her back flush!

As much time as you spend in the Carribean, I am surprised you haven't seen the IC24's, Gareth. That's a J/24 hull with a different deck on the. Originally used as a club boat among the different venues of the Carribean, they have now made their way to Dallas and I hear a couple of other places in Texas are considering them.

Mickey Lake

[ishmael]

Re-imagining boats like this is great stuff! A rock solid hull you can dress however you wish. Those hulls were built like proverbial tiger tanks.

A lot of work! He's got many thousand hours in this project, just in case people think it's a walk in the park.

I notice he's selling it. He won't see his investment in time, not even close. But, who cares? Nicely done, and I wager a fine boat for someone who wants to day sail a large party or to weekend. It's not my cup of tea, but it opens the doors to imaginative thinking.

[rufustr]

Loverly,

Thanks for posting that.

[JimConlin]

Excellent! I've always been fond of the Alberg-Pearson boats. I honeymooned in a triton and owned an Alberg 35 for many years.
I wonder how much lighter the Triton daysailer ended up. Losing some weight would improve it.

Thanks, Gareth.

[Ian McColgin]

TimH may not have been afloat longe enough to know that glass boats like the Triton made before the Carter-era energy crisis have not experienced osmosis blisters.

[JimD]

I think a lot of very ordinary looking glass boats could be transformed by chopping off their glass houses and replacing them with wooden ones, large or small.

[Figment]

That $249K boat has been "on the market" for at least 5 years now, and has become something of a running-joke among Triton owners.

The boat that started this thread, on the other hand, found a new owner shortly after its launch.

Jim, I don't think they did any match-racing before the boat was sold, but I've come to doubt that the reduced weight would have made a remarkable difference. Tritons can vary significantly in weight from one to another before one even picks up a saw.
http://images.snapfish.com/34674%3A%3A32%7Ffp342%3Enu%3D325%3A%3E5%3B6%3E637% 3EWSNRCG%3D32336333%3B8%3A77nu0mrj
This pic shows the relative waterlines of three Tritons, and that represents a difference of roughly 3000# (30%!!) between the top and bottom tape.. It's been suggested that the Daysailor above floated somewhere between the bottom two tapes, which means it turned out to be about the same as a light-ish unmodified Triton.
In comparison to the bulletproof-weight hull, Pearson built the deck/cabin components rather lightly.

[TimH]

TimH may not have been afloat longe enough to know that glass boats like the Triton made before the Carter-era energy crisis have not experienced osmosis blisters.

Actually I *was* wondering about that. When I was working in marinas back in the 80s the only boats we did blister work on were the lower quality stuff, like your catalinas and columbias.
I was wondering especially about the Ingrid 38 hulls built by Blue Water in Port Townsend (actually they were made in Woodinville I believe).

[Dan McCosh]

I think a lot of very ordinary looking glass boats could be transformed by chopping off their glass houses and replacing them with wooden ones, large or small.

There was an era when glass hulls often were mated with wood cabins, coaming, etc. Even a handful of Folkboats were built this way--with the lapstrakes molded into the glass. The urge for low maintenance seemed to kill these efforts, however. There are lots of junkyard hulls laying around these days waiting for the transformation. As a project, i would be inclined to do this rather than a wood hull from scratch, myself.

[JimConlin]

... In comparison to the bulletproof hull, Pearson built the deck/cabin components rather lightly.
Do I recollect correctly that the Tritons did not have molded headliners? The later Pearson boats did.

[Figment]

Early Tritons had no liner, but later models did. I think the upgrade was added in '64 or so, around the same time they switched to encapsulated ballast, but I could easily be off by a year or three.

[TimH]

Did the Ingrids have any hull lamination problems? They are probably about the most beautiful of the plastic boats IMHO.

http://students.washington.edu/hoehnt/tumbleweed.jpg

[willmarsh3]

Full story here http://www.tritondaysailor.com/

That website's a keeper. :)

[Keith Wilson]

Yeah, that's a really complete construction log, and it resulted in a very nice boat. I always liked Tritons even with their original undistinguished deck molds, and that one is spectacular! Good job!

And, dammit, it got me thinking - I have a Mariner; a Rhodes 19 with a semi-ugly cabin that sleeps four legless midgets and a fiberglass cockpit that resembles a worn-out jacuzzi. It's a very nice sailing boat, but it's not pretty except from 100 yards away. Damn! I don't need another project, but it sure would make a lovely little daysailer with the house from a Bridges Point 24 and wooden cockpit seats . . . . .

[John B]

We have some wonderful 50's and '60's boats that would react well to that treatment.
Some of the early John Spencer keelers sell for virtually nix and have fabulous looking hulls.

[Dan McCosh]

Do I recollect correctly that the Tritons did not have molded headliners? The later Pearson boats did.

I've been on one where the whole interior was rough, sprayed chopped glass.

[TimH]

I've been on one where the whole interior was rough, sprayed chopped glass.

sounds painful :)

[Ric_Bergstrom]

Here is Tim's forum. He is the guy who redesigned the Triton Daysailer.

http://www.triton381.com/forum/

If you can get over your fixation with wood. It is a great place to meet up with fans of classic plastics!

[JimConlin]

Most glass boats of that era were designed by respected designers and had attractive hulls but er, unfortunate deck moldings. The hulls were solidly built and are selling for very short money these days. If the hull design is appealing, recycling such a hull is a very cost-effective way to build a boat like this.

[rbgarr]

If I were to make a daysailer type out of an older fg hull, I'd be looking for a clapped out Bristol 29 hull. Halsey Herreshoff adapted an Alerion type model for the class. This one would make a good candidate (though not a basket case): recent sails and awlgripped hull, decent engine, tiller steering, custom winter cover... http://tinyurl.com/2ktqsv

[ishmael]

"TimH may not have been afloat longe enough to know that glass boats like the Triton made before the Carter-era energy crisis have not experienced osmosis blisters."

Brother had a Pearson Vanguard of the same vintage as the Triton posted. He had some minor problems with osmotic blisters. Nothing terrible, but they were there.

The thing is, with those hulls there is so much meat. Built before they knew the engineering well, and they really laid the glass and resin on. His hull was hand laid, and a few blisters were mere pimples. I think he said the hull at the joint with the keel was 1 3/4 inches thick. Real MOJO in the hulls. The deck and cabin structures were a different matter. Bill reported lying ahull in a gale in the Pacific and watching the coachroof oilcan, with more than a little consternation.

[rbgarr]

http://www.triton381.com/forum/ If you can get over your fixation with wood. It is a great place to meet up with fans of classic plastics.

Their forum for wood boat freaks is called "The Splinter Group"
:D :D

I recommend that the Bilge's name be changed to THAT!!

[TimH]

the hulls on the Ingrids are extremely thick from what I have heard. Isnt the blistering caused by the type of resin? I cant remember. I thought moisture got in and had reactions to the styrene or something.

[JimConlin]

The decks on early Pearson boats were balsa cored. When the balsa rotted, as was common, the decks got limp.

[Fretz]

And, dammit, it got me thinking - I have a Mariner; a Rhodes 19 with a semi-ugly cabin that sleeps four legless midgets and a fiberglass cockpit that resembles a worn-out jacuzzi. It's a very nice sailing boat, but it's not pretty except from 100 yards away. Damn! I don't need another project, but it sure would make a lovely little daysailer with the house from a Bridges Point 24 and wooden cockpit seats . . . . .

this picture was taken at 10 yards.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid212/pdbc2a1297a17109802e2589e73f28444/ed5ec263.jpg

We put this boat in the philly strictly sail show. it was amazing how much interest a 30 year old boat got compared to the hunters and catilinas.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid223/pa60787774a77143e5d1f2bf54e044c89/eafaaae1.jpg

[rbgarr]

Rhodes 19s are a good design, and that Mariner is the best looking one I've ever seen. Nice job!

(Hijack alert)

When I was 16 I was one of the crew in a junior sailing competition called the Sears Cup. My skipper was one of those guys who has a natural touch and we represented all the New England yacht clubs in the national competition in San Francisco. Several years later we did the same in the Mallory Cup which was the grownups version of the competition. In both regattas the best sailors were able to get the Rhodes on a plane (not just surfing) with the spinnaker up in a bit of wind. That was a quick learning curve on a keel boat!!

[Hwyl]

The reason I found the info about the Triton, is that someone offered me an Ensign for the kind of price I can justify. I found the Triton link surfing around.

Ensigns are perhaps the nicest boats of that ilk.

[rbgarr]

One of the elimination rounds for that Sears Cup I mentioned was sailed in Ensigns at the Portland (ME) Yacht Club. They had a whole fleet of them in the 60s and are getting attention again. The people who sail J-22s around here are getting creaky and want something more sedate. The Ensign may be the boat selected. As you say, they can be had for short money.

[ishmael]

Just a note, Phil Rhodes really knew his way around a sailboat. I can't think of a bad design of his. Nothing that jumps your shorts, but good, practical experience in his designs.

[paladin]

we picked up used Rhodes 19s from the USO groups in Vietnam as scrap.....when the damaged the sails, broke a mast, cracked the ballast....anything...they sent it to the scrap heap...we would buy the stuff at 10 cents a pound, haul it downtown and have it rebuild....I chopped the cabin off and made a daysailer out of one, all teak trimmed everything and fresh imron paint....

[rbgarr]

Sounds nice. Gotta picture? Like to see it.

[rbgarr]

Damaged Triton (ed. oops... Ariel) on eBay, maybe real cheap: http://tinyurl.com/2whth7

[JimConlin]

That's one of the very rare 26' Tritons. ;)

[Figment]

That's one of the very rare 26' Tritons. ;)

By the looks of this pic, I'd say that came close to being true!
http://i1.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/8f/15/b474_1.JPG

I don't even want to think about the impact required to send a fracture through the toerail like that!

[rbgarr]

My guess is that happened when she was dismasted and the spar landed on the stern pulpit.

[George Ray]

Pearson Ariel 26' by Carl Alberg. I had the large(9' long) cockpit version of this hull the 'Commander.'

http://www.pearsonariel.org/
http://www.pearsonariel.org/images/broc1.gif

[rbgarr]

I like the Commander better than the Ensign. There's one of each in the harbor here. http://tinyurl.com/2tsrxz

[JimConlin]

I'm beginning to wish i'd kept the Alberg.

[Ric_Bergstrom]

I'm beginning to wish i'd kept the Alberg.


I did.....

http://andiamo35.blogspot.com/

[Woody Woodside]

My 'play' boat is a '62 Pearson Electra, same hull as the Ensign, but has shorter cockpit. Poor in light air, but really comes to life when the whitecaps are forming. With nearly a ton of lead in the keel she seems to be knock down proof. You can put the rail under, and the main will spill, and up she comes. When I bought her, she had been in the water for ten years without hauling, rudder was intact, and as typical not a single blister. The Electra's do not have floatation like the Ensign, so a bit more room inside, can actually sleep in them...if very tired thry are small, but really fun and very forgiving to sail. They are like mini Tritons.

[rbgarr]

Triton FS: http://maine.craigslist.org/boa/284511024.html

[JimConlin]

Damn! These boats are a bargain.

[willmarsh3]

FYI: The content of the original website www.tritondaysailor.com has apparently moved here:

http://www.northernyacht.com/current.htm#daysailor

Also see: http://www.lackeysailing.com/

I emailed the owner - he said it was issues with the ISP or web host - it should be back up soon.

[rbgarr]

A construction log for another Triton project is posted here now: http://www.lackeysailing.com/