East vs West

[barndog5]

I am looking for a Pearson Triton to purchase.

I have read and been told that the Tritons built on the west coast are more solidly build than those built on the East Coast. Is that true?

I have also read that west coast Tritons have solid fiberglass decks and the east coast boats have balsa cores. Is that true?

Is there a way to physically tell east coast boats from west coast boats? Where can I find or does someone know the corresponding hull numbers for the boats built on each coast?

Last question - does the Pearson Vanguard have a solid fiberglass deck or balsa core?

[Tim]

The easiest way to tell at a glance:

East coast: wooden coamings.

West coast: molded fiberglass coamings.

There are numerous construction differences between the two versions (as well as over the 8-year, 600+ boat production run of east coast Tritons). Each version has its pros and cons. Each individual boat, for that matter, will have its pros and cons and differences from the next boat. None are perfect; most have significant deficiencies, no matter when they were built or which coast they were built on.

In the end, your choice is likely to come down more to what is readily available in your area, and/or which specific boats are available when and where you choose to look, and within your chosen budget/condition criteria.

Choose any boat based on its own merits, not based on folklore or Internet conjecture. Don't worry too much in advance about the supposed strengths or weaknesses of one version or another: just go look at boats and find the one that suits you. You'll know.

East coast Tritons and Vanguards both have balsa cored decks and share many construction similarities.

[bcooke]

I have read and been told that the Tritons built on the west coast are more solidly build than those built on the East Coast. Is that true?

Individual Tritons vary widely so those broad statements should be listened to with a large dosage of salt. If by 'solid' they mean 'thick' then possibly. On the other hand all Tritons were built to higher strength standard than most of today's production boats so it really isn't important. They are all much tougher than most of today's boats. Also consider that laminate technology was in the early stages of development so 'thick' doesn't necessarily mean 'strong'. Tritons were crudely built and engineered to overcome the lack of build sophistication.

Also, as Tim mentioned, over the production run, both 'East Coast' and 'West Coast' Tritons underwent many changes so its really impossible to say.

I have also read that west coast Tritons have solid fiberglass decks and the east coast boats have balsa cores. Is that true?

Many of the west coast Tritons had solid decks. Not all. Whether solid decks are good or bad is open to question and debate.

Is there a way to physically tell east coast boats from west coast boats?

Fiberglass coamings are a dead giveaway that you are looking at a west coast boat. Different deadlight installation is another. The overall shape of the deckhouse is different too. After looking at Tritons for awhile you will start to notice many things.

Where can I find or does someone know the corresponding hull numbers for the boats built on each coast?

There is no accurate list. The New England Triton Association has a article on their website written by Bill Bell that suggests a list. I have tried to gather what information I can find but my list is incomplete. Hull numbers were given by Pearson to Aeromarine in batches (groups of 10-20) but there is no way of knowing from a hull number where the boat was built.

Last question - does the Pearson Vanguard have a solid fiberglass deck or balsa core?

I am not sure but I assume balsa since they were built by Pearson. Vanguards are totally different boats by a different designer though as Tim says, they were built by the same company so they share build methods.

[Hulukupu]

Barndog5,

The molded fiberglass coamings on my WC Triton provided a very strong mounting base for the sheet winches and were maintenance-free. That said, I think the mahogany coaming boards on my current EC Triton are strong enough and more attractive. In neither case, did I have any choice in the matter.

Some parts of at least some WC Triton decks were cored (and rot just like the EC ones do).

The WC boats were built on and for windy SF Bay. They typically had an extra (forward) lower shroud and many owners added beefy beams to better support the mast. The mast support on my EC boat is minimal in comparison.

I agree with the comments above. Beyond the coaming boards, it gets confusing to sort out consistent EC/WC differences and you really have to look at the individual boat.

David