Plastic Classic Forum

I was curious how much people have paid for their Tritons.

The purchase price of 346 was a $1000 and $2500 for 466 but neither could be sailed or used for two years or more afterward. Even with my industry connections each boat was up in the $12000 range before sailing could be done. Both boats, (466 is still in many pieces) had to be completely re-fit. That said, I have noticed that Tritons that may need a little work but overall are in sailing and sound condition range from $5500 to $12000 dollars. Tritons with recent diesel engine replacement, furling units and new interiors seem to fetch the most money. Interestingly, I have not noticed that much of a difference in price in concern to new sails - sails allways seem to be a topic that is swept under the rug in a boats being purchased or sold.

Well, I only voted once, but I've owned three Tritons now for one reason or another.

Glissando cost $2000 to buy. I got very little in the way of useful gear or equipment with that purchase, as most of you know.

Hull #100, which turned into the daysailor, cost $700, including 5 jackstands.

Dorothy G was given to me as a potential project. I paid the cost of transport, which was not insubstantial.

#680

$8,000 for a "sail-away" boat that I tore to pieces afterwards.

Freshly rebuilt A4 and 5 good sails. Faded/crazed gel-coat, gray teak, limited anchoring gear, a truly ancient VHF radio and depthsounder. About a case and a half of hard liquor stored in various hiding spots throughout the boat that I kept finding for weeks.

Basically a true "sail-way" though. Only a few things that really needed attending to.

Brian wrote:sails always seem to be a topic that is swept under the rug in a boats being purchased or sold.

Strange but true.

-Britton

Oh, and how much have I put into it since then?... I don't like to talk about it. Figure 15-20k maybe.

Dasein, 668, was listed for 12,900. We paid 8000 (Thanks, Tim!) in September of 2001. She was in basically sail-away condition including 2-year-old standing rigging, lifelines, roller-furler, and jib, and 5 or 6 year old Yanmar diesel. Somewhat better-than-stock interior. Reasonable electronics (decent gps, vhf, depth etc). Old mainsail, no spinnaker. Fair amount of miscellaneous included gear. Included somewhat leaky inflatable dinghy. ;-P

Since then we've replaced the main, replaced all exterior woodwork, refinished the hull and deck, rebuilt the head compartment and replaced plumbing, replaced all wiring in the boat, replaced most running rigging, replaced the cabin sole and icebox. Probably other stuff too. I'd guess we've spent another 10-12K in the six years we've owned her on upgrades and repair/restoration work. Doesn't include general maintenance, or usage costs such as moorings etc.

She needs probably another 3 or 4K worth of stuff, plus a new jib before we're "finished" with her.

#680 was also listed for 12,900. Thanks Tim!

I forgot the roller furler that came with my boat.

If Nathan really thinks 3-4k will 'finish' the boat he has obviously not been paying attention.

Either that or his wife is reading his posts!

-Britton

Purchase and transport was something on the order of $2500, with the boat needing recore, bulkhead replacement, and a general rewire.

Nathan, if you're only $3k away from having the boat "finished", then you must already be shopping for the next boat. Fess up.

bcooke wrote:If Nathan really thinks 3-4k will 'finish' the boat he has obviously not been paying attention.

What's left? New fuel tank and galley. Few sheets of beadboard. Note that I didn't include the new jib in that cost estimate.

Figment wrote:Nathan, if you're only $3k away from having the boat "finished", then you must already be shopping for the next boat. Fess up.

Yup. Not what you're probably thinking, though.

Legacy 34.

Figment wrote:Legacy 34.

Ummm. No.

This could go on a while...

Luders 33?

(This in the "same thing in a larger size" category.)

dasein668 wrote:

Figment wrote:Nathan, if you're only $3k away from having the boat "finished", then you must already be shopping for the next boat. Fess up.

Yup. Not what you're probably thinking, though.

I know what it is....probably be a little while, though, right?

bcooke wrote:

Brian wrote:sails always seem to be a topic that is swept under the rug in a boats being purchased or sold.

Strange but true.

My boat's not a Triton, but it did come with 16 sails, of which I've sold four and made back 1/4 of what I initially paid for the boat in the first place...

Tim wrote:

dasein668 wrote:

Figment wrote:Nathan, if you're only $3k away from having the boat "finished", then you must already be shopping for the next boat. Fess up.

Yup. Not what you're probably thinking, though.

I know what it is....probably be a little while, though, right?

Yeah, I wouldn't expect to start it for at least 2 more years.

When I was a teenager, thumbing through Boat Traders, the newspaper classifieds, and walking through marinas in Florida, I would constantly find great deals on small, older sailboats and immediately begin trying to finagle a way to buy them. After each unsuccessful attempt, my mom, always patient and wise, would tell me, "There will always be a great deal." Twenty years later, I proved her correct when I found a truly great deal -- a 1962 Pearson Triton that I bought for $500.00.

She was on the hard at a marina in Friendship, MD. I can't even remember how I learned about the boat. The owner suggested I drive out and have a look and then give him a call. My parents owned a Pearson Triton in the late 70s, and we cruised along Florida's Gulf coast in her, so I was familiar with the boat. My son and I drove the hour and a half to the marina and found the boat easily. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, because the owner had not disclosed a selling price.

What I found was a sailboat almost 40 years old in original condition. I gave the hull a thorough inspection. I'm no marine surveyor, but I had accumulated a bit of knowledge and experience over the years and so I knew what to look for. I didn't find any blisters--that was my main concern. It needed bottom paint. The propeller and shaft looked okay. The rudder was not attached to the boat.

I set up the ladder and climbed aboard. The mast was standing, and it--along with all of the standing and running rigging--was original. I had already begun to make a mental list of what I would replace. All of the exterior wood, and I mean ALL of it, had been painted brown at some point, and the paint was peeling and the wood in poor shape. I walked up to the bow, and felt the spongy deck under my feet. The list was growing at an alarming rate.

I went below. Dark...musty...I would've been surprised to find it otherwise. I started in the v-berth. The sails looked to be original and in very poor condition. A porta-potti sat where the marine toilet would have been. In the main salon, the cushions were a little ragged and smelled musty. There was a lot of junk spread around. It smelled...old and unused. I looked at the engine and turned the key. I almost jumped out of my skin when the engine turned over.

I climbed out and sat in the cockpit, looking over the boat. Several thoughts were running through my head. Here was a boat that could, with a lot of time, work, and money, take me around the world some day -- a dream I had had since I was 12. I believed that if I wanted to, I could clean up the boat, paint the bottom, splash her and begin sailing immediately on the Chesapeake. But I was already making plans in my head for adding storage space and wondering if you could buy mahogany on the Internet.

I called the owner when I returned home. I told him I was interested in the boat and wanted to know what he was asking for it. I didn't believe him at first when he said $500.00. I knew the boat was worth more than that. He told me he had two kids in college and didn't have the money to put into the boat. Needless to say, I didn't counter with a lower offer.

Well, eight years and probably close to $10,000 later, I have a safe, comfortable boat that is close to being capable of taking me around the world. It's the fourth sailboat I've ever owned and the last!

Wow, Jay ... only 10K .... I must be shopping at the wrong marine stores!
Seriously though, you did a beautiful job!

Jay... Wow, is that nice!

Love the "Atlas" fabric on the settees - I have to have some :-)

I also really like the stove/trotter box combination; that's something I've been thinking of doing in future, too (you know, 8 years and $10,000 from now...), and so it's especially nice to see it.

Is that a table on the port fwd. bulkhead? How does it work? (I see latches above it.)

I sure hope you plan to start a photo-gallery thread for #318. I know I'm not the only one who would like to see more. Please tell me you have some "before & after" shots. Sounds like you brought it back from the brink.

--- Rachel

You also ought to post details on your external chainplates, since that option seems to come up for discussion so often in these circles.

Jay,

You've done a excellent job of restoring your boat. Congratulations.

I also really enjoyed reading the story of how you found her. It was very well written.

Thanks for posting it.

Oh yes, more pictures please.

I bought #59 in December, 2000 for $5000. It seemed like a good deal at the time, as it was a boat that was more or less in "sail-away" condition. The decks were mostly solid (the side decks had been recored), the A4 had been rebuilt in the recent past. the Pearson through-tubes had been replaced with some nice bronze through-hulls, the rudder had been replaced and the sails were in decent shape (they look really nice after coming back from SailCare!). Someone had removed the seatbacks, galley and icebox, and had reinforced the bridgedeck with a structural bulkhead. The cosmetics were poor: the smooth parts of the deck and cabin had been painted with house paint, there were many grinder half-moons, and the interior paint was badly peeling.

I probably should have known that I wouldn't be able to look at all the badly painted surfaces while doing a "sailing restoration." I also should have been more realistic about the time a full renovation would take given my other commitments (family, job, etc.). I'm just glad the bulk of it is past and next year I'll probably launch before July 4th for the first time! Also, for the first time since I've owned the boat she won't spend the winter in my driveway, but at my boat club instead. Everybody in my house thinks that's a good thing!

FWIW, one of the first meetings of the reconstituted New England Triton Association included an inspection of #59.


Before





After



More pictures here: http://www.tritonyawl.com (although the site is badly in need of updating)

Mari

I bought my Triton in 2004 for $3500 on ebay. I?m having a hard time today understanding why I paid that for it, but I did. The boat had spongy decks, a broken bow rail, a false keel that could be peeled open, flaking interior paint, and all the other traits of a Triton that has never had a major refit. On the plus side, there was a nearly new main and genoa, replacement spars, and two self-tailing bronze Barient winches. Oh, and there was the really cool trumpet style boat horn that polished up nicely. Most everything else went to the dump. I?ve seen much better deals since then, but I rationalize it by saying that someone needed to save this particular hull, (though I am far from making that claim).

I?m lucky to have a spouse that doesn?t mind living near a hull decorated with purple fairing compound under an ugly tarp thrown over an undersize awning supported by logs in the driveway. However, to keep my marriage healthy, I intentionally refuse to keep financial records of the project so far. We subscribe to the Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell policy of boat expenses. In turn, I reciprocate when she goes to the mall shopping. I do know though that I did acquire a (yet unproven) used Yanmar 2GM for it for $2500. I am up to about 16 gallons of epoxy so far with all the associated balsa core, biax cloth, and fillers. I bought 2 new water tanks, a holding tank, and fuel tank, for a grand total of $700 (though I still occasionally consider a $600 custom fuel tank). I have also bought a stove, bulkhead heater, anchors, two line stanchions, table pedestal, 6 (non-matching) dorade vents, sink, sink pumps, instruments, engine controls, bow rail, vhf radio, gps plotter, cd player, and way, way too many other items to list.

Let?s see--- I still need to buy another jib, some standing rigging, running rigging, canvas, paints and primers, shaft coupling, drive saver, toilet paper holder, ECT?..

Maybe items include a Lavac toilet, roller furling, new rudder, dodger, ECT?.

I guess that puts me well over $10,000 for everything I?ve bought so far, and it all might fetch the $3500 I paid for the boat if I listed it back on ebay tomorrow. That?s kinda scary, though I very much enjoy working on the project. I come home from a trip at work anxious to get back to work on it. Tomorrow, I?ll get up, have a cup of coffee, and dive into spot fairing the decks some more.

Jay, your Triton looks very nice. I look forward to seeing more pictures. I?d say you?ve done very well to bring it where it is now for $10,000.

Joe

I paid 5500 for my Triton. It had a good Yanmar diesel 1gm10 and good sails. The interior was original but it did have newish cushions. The rig was ok and the running rigging was usuable. The boat was very dirty and the decks were soft in a number of places but with a little effort it could of been sailable as is. I looked at close to 10 Tritons before I settled on this one.

I put about 7-10000 into it. New awlgrip, cherry interior, new electronics, painted the mast, recored the decks, new seacocks, new holding tank.
It is a really pretty boat now but I just made a list of improvements for a 1 year carribean cruise and came up with 12,000 dollars. It's easy to eat up a lot of money fast. I either have to shelve some improvements or the cruise.

When we first started on the boat my wife grabbed the first reciept and said I"m going to start a file so we know how much we spend on the boat. I told her "don't do it YOu won't want to know". I'm glad we did that as I'm sure I don't want to know it would diminish my enjoyment.

Brock
Good Goose

I bought hull #227 for $640. The boat has solid decks but the atomic4 is shot.

I got 451 for $800. It had been donated to a charity in Richmond. Oddly enough, I spoke with the PO prior to him donating it and he was adamant that he wouldn't part with her for less than 2K. Of course, it need lots of attention. It needs refinishing in and out, the A4 "runs but it needs a starter".....Yeah, right. The original rudder seems to be ok but the rudder head needs to be remachined. The keyway slot is chewed up. the mast needs lots of work, the jumper brackets are corroded away. And that awful pink fiberglass floor is broken or cracked in 2 places. All hardware and sails need either replacement or lots of work. It has no stern rail but I will add one. I think I'll order it from tops in quality as they seem to be well represented here. New stanchions and maybe a new pulpit as well. Sooner or later, I'll get a new mast but I think I can repair the one I have and get a few years out of it. Want to add a small bow platform for double anchor rollers and a manual winch. Not sure what I'll do about an engine. I'm considering an electric motor. Nice thing about that is it charges your battery while sailing with no noise!
The one thing I really liked about this one, (I looked at many Tritons in all stages of condition) was the mast beam support. This one has a massive beam with no sign of warping, deflection or cracking. Not one of the other Tritons had a mast support like this. Its sitting on a trailer now waiting for me to assemble enough hardware to start the refit. (I'm getting close) and I have been sanding the hull down getting ready for new paint. I'm not sure if it will be floating this summer or next but I'm very happy with my new toy.
Also looking for name suggestions!

No name suggestions till you post pictures! :<)

Jay - nice job on #318

I paid about $1,100 for 185. She came with good sails and a 14 hp Universal diesel that I eventually elected to replace.

My Triton Yawl was free plus $2,000 to build a trailer, $1,000 in fuel to pick it up, plus $200 in hotel bills, plus $180 to haul out and pressure wash, plus...... But yes it was a free boat.


John
#15 Triton Yawl
Sometimes the free boats are the most expensive.

Free Triton and 4000 dollar Trailer a factory built trailer with SN# all though the boat was free so far with labor and materials this little boat is creeping up on 18365 dollars and I still haven’t completed the running rigging and standing rigging and new sails. I haven’t got my rudder shaft back from the fabrication shop yet either. But with all said and done I didn’t build the boat for resale and I enjoyed working on the boat project. I can say this also there isn’t one square inch of this boat that I don’t know any thing about lol no mysteries hiding behind door number???