pearson triton 28 sailboat data

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Pearson Triton

Possibly the world's cheapest long-range cruiser; where else could you get a boat like this for so little.

When cousins Clint and Everett Pearson took the first Pearson Triton to the 1959 New York Boat Show, they had no idea that ultimately they would build more than 700 hulls, the boat would establish Pearson Yachts as a premier builder of fiberglass boats, and that more myths would surround the Triton than practically any other boat of its time.

Returning to their Bristol, Rhode Island yard with 16 orders in hand, the success of the young company was assured.

We owned a Triton for a number of years, cruising it from the Great Lakes to the East Coast. Our affection has not blinded us, however, as ownership also exposed the boat’s several problem areas. In any case, this is a landmark boat that many good sailors cut their teeth on.

Myth: The Triton was the first production fiberglass sailboat auxiliary. Not true. The Rhodes-designed Bounty, built by Fred Coleman, owns that distinction.

The story of Pearson Yachts is well documented, so we’ll repeat here just the essentials. The company was founded in 1956 and built rowboats, dinghies and runabouts until the Triton arrived in 1959. A few were built in Sausilito, California, but the venture wasn’t to last long. During the next few years, Carl Alberg and Philip Rhodes accounted for more than half a dozen other designs, including the Vanguard, Alberg 35, Bounty II and Rhodes 41. The last Triton was launched in 1967.

In 1964 the company was bought by Grumman Allied Industries. Clint Pearson later left to start Bristol Yachts and later yet Everett departed to form a partnership known as Tillotson-Pearson. Bill Shaw emerged as the principal designer and later served as president. In 1990 Pearson went bankrupt and its assets were auctioned off. Aqua Buoy bought the molds but despite promises to resume production on a limited basis, no new boats have been built since. Blame the recession in part.

It’s a sad ending to what was once a very fine boatbuilding company. To this day, many of the early Pearsons are still sailing, and, to our mind, represent some of the best buys on the market.

The Triton is vintage Alberg—skinny, long overhangs, low freeboard, large mainsail and small foretriangle. Typical of boats designed to the CCA (Cruising Club of America) rule. Alberg was born in Sweden where people love skinny keelboats with long overhangs, such as the Folkboat. It is easy to trace the Triton’s lineage to such designs. Credit is also due to Tom Potter, of Jamestown, Rhode Island, who brought the project idea to the Pearsons, and had a hand in its development.

Many folks refer to the underbody as a full keel, but as a glance at the profile drawing shows, the forefoot is well pared away, and the rudder is located below the helmsman. The keel is long enough to provide excellent directional stability and minimize leeway. Still, there’s a lot of wetted surface by today’s standard.

There were so many changes made to the Triton over its nine-year production run, one could fill a book trying to mention every one. Displacement, for example, is listed at 6,930 pounds until the last year or so, when it was changed to 8,400 pounds. Like most boats, if you actually weighed them they’d probably come in all over the place. The ballast-to-displacement ratio of the lighter models is 44 percent, which coupled with the Triton’s fairly firm bilges, gives her plenty of stability.

An aesthetic problem of Alberg’s smaller designs is caused by the low freeboard; the cabin trunk, to provide headroom, is tall and rather ungainly looking. There’s six-foot-plus headroom in the main cabin, but the step in the coachroof reduces headroom forward to well below six feet.

The cockpit is long enough to lie down in, yet even when pooped (it happened to us), won’t hold enough water to threaten the boat. The bridge deck, which adds a measure of safety for offshore work, certainly helps. Some of the earliest boats had side-opening seat lockers, which are dangerous unless modified to seal tightly.

The original rig was a three-quarter fractional rig, however, a somewhat shorter masthead rig was later available, though it didn’t perform quite as well. A number of boats were built with yawl rigs (the main mast was shortened two feet and the boom one foot). The jumper struts on the fractional spars make the Triton easy to identify at a distance. The early Tritons were rigged with single lower shrouds, which proved inadequate. Richard Henderson, in his book, Choice Yacht Designs , reports that after about hull #120, double lower shrouds were standard and rigging kits supplied to owners of existing boats. We have several reports of rigging tangs failing; as with any old boat, we’d check the rigging carefully before subjecting the boat to much wind.

Despite the Triton’s tall cabin, she is an attractive boat, especially if viewed from the classic photographer’s position at the quarters or off the bows.

Construction

Myth: The hull of the Triton is an inch thick. Not true. Despite the fish stories of owners, the hull thickness varies from about 3/8-inch at the rail to perhaps 3/4-inch in the keel area. When you drill holes for transducers, you’ll be cutting through about 5/8-inch. Nevertheless, this is a good solid hull, though we have noticed, when examining hull plugs that some fibers were not completely wetted out.

Recently we heard from a former Triton owner in the Caribbean who lost his boat to Hurricane Hugo. Larger boats dragged down on it and carried it onto the beach at the St. Croix Yacht Club. “It finished up outside one boat,” he wrote, “inside two others and with another two on top. That magnificently built hull was completely intact, albeit with a few gouges. The deck had always been weak and it was penetrated by the intruders; in places it had parted from the hull, another soft area. We pumped it out, waterblasted it, and sold it to someone who patched it up, sorted out and resurrected the mast, and now lives on board.”

The Triton was built of conventional mat, cloth and woven roving, and polyester resin. Balsa core was used in the decks. Ballast, in boats after about hull #385, is cast lead lowered into the keel cavity and glassed over (which widened the keel two inches and deepened the draft about one inch). Voids in this area are commonplace. Water entering the cavity from a grounding theoretically should not enter the cabin, but repair is messy if straightforward. The earlier boats had external ballast. Which is better is the subject of constant debate. Internal ballast obviates the need for keel bolts, which are a source of concern and maintenance. On the other hand, grounding labor intensive.

Besides deck delamination, which is common to many old boats, a weakness of the Triton is insufficient load-carrying ability of the beams that support the deck-stepped mast. Because the walkway is on centerline, the main bulkhead and the one separating the head from the forward cabin cannot take all of the loads. A square beam was fastened to the forward bulkhead and run underneath the deck; it is supported at either end by beams that run down the bulkhead to the hull. Nevertheless, numerous owners report caving of the deck underneath the mast. Repair means unstepping the spar, removing the beams and replacing them with new, stouter materials. Not an easy job, but not too tricky either.

Any boat as old as the Triton (more than a couple of decades) cannot hope to retain its original gel coat. Most Tritons have been painted, a few may have been sprayed with new gel coat.

In looking at Tritons for sale, the quality of the paint job may be a decisive factor. A professional or well-done home job is probably worth paying a little extra for. Be wary of the amateur paint job in which the owner has prepped with a sander run amok: telltale little half-moons visible when the light is right.

Our late model Triton was delivered standard with a lightning ground system, bronze Wilcox-Crittenden seacocks and generally good quality hardware. The South Coast winches are out-of-date now, but still serviceable. A nice set of self-tailers would be a great upgrade, but they’re expensive. The spreader sockets are aluminum sand castings and can break without warning. Also check for electrolysis of the bronze rudder shoe.

The rudder was built of mahogany with bronze drift pins. Over the years the expansion and contraction of the wood (during haul-out) causes cracks to develop. Many owners have had to build new rudders, sometimes opting for fiberglass. A few have redesigned the rudders as well, usually by squaring and giving more depth to the trailing edge to help fight weather helm. This is the shape Alberg specified in a later redrawing of the Triton for Henderson’s book.

The Triton’s interior plan is simple. The 6′ 3″ settees in the main cabin double as sleeping berths. They are wider than normal, so it is often necessary to place a pillow behind your back for comfort. The head is private but small.

Furniture components are plywood covered with plastic veneer intended to look like teak. This makes for a dark cabin. You can paint the veneer, but it needs a good scuffing to hold paint, and will still chip. People have tried just about everything to get rid of it, including gluing mildew-resistant designer fabrics to the surfaces.

The sole is teak, supported by wooden, athwartship beams (“floors”). A wet bilge can cause these to rot, so inspect beneath the sole carefully.

The icebox also is built up out of plywood, with just an inch or two of styrofoam in the middle. Equally bad is its side-loading door. This method of construction and design won’t keep ice for long, and again, many owners have rebuilt theirs. Unfortunately, the original location doesn’t allow for much expansion, so you may need to relocate the box to the head of a settee. Any owner or prospective owner of a Triton should read Spurr’s Boatbook: Upgradingthe Cruising Sailboat , which details many of the modifications necessary.

Regarding the ice box, you’ll also note that there’s access to its upper shelf from the cockpit, which was a clever way of grabbing beers, but does nothing to help retain ice.

The early Tritons did not have a headliner anywhere inside. Later, a gel-coated fiberglass liner was added to the main cabin, which improves its looks enormously. The forward cabin, in all but the last Tritons, was unfortunately left bare. You may see the original, dreaded, speckled spray paint jobs there, but most owners will have painted it over.

The best feature of the Triton’s interior is the pair of forward-facing, opening portholes in the main cabin. These are situated at the step in the coachroof, and provide excellent ventilation down below as well as allowing you to see forward, a feature seldom found on other boats.

The 30-hp Atomic 4 was the standard powerplant, which provides more than enough power and easily drives the boat at hull speed—a little more than six knots. Access is not any better than any other boat of this size, but by removing the companionway ladder the front end can be worked on fairly easily. You’ll need your kid to tighten the stuffing box.

So many of these engines were built, and so many are still in service, we won’t bother to detail all the problems, solutions and repowering considerations attendant to the Atomic 4. Suffice to say that if you like tinkering with engines, the Atomic 4 is simple and can be successfully goaded to perform adequately. Some Tritons have been repowered, most often, we suspect, with Universal’s four-cylinder diesel, which was billed as a drop-in replacement. To the best of our knowledge, some modification of the engine beds still is required. A major problem, of course, is corrosion due to sea water cooling.

Performance in reverse, as with nearly all boats of this type with long keels and propellers in apertures, is unpredictable. But that has nothing to do with the engine.

Performance

The Triton is surprisingly quick for her short waterline, which when the boat is heeled, lengthens nicely.

The boat heels rapidly to about 15 degrees, then stiffens satisfyingly. It’s tough to push the rail under, though it can and has been done often. Water still won’t enter the cockpit.

The nice thing about this type of boat is that you can carry on over-canvased without stalling the rudder. Just luff the mainsail a bit and even the gusts won’t send you reeling out of control, as often happens with spade rudders. And it tracks well. Consequently, the Triton is a very forgiving boat, especially for the beginner.

Because of its large mainsail and small foretriangle, the boat has weather helm when carrying working sails. Better to carry a #2 genoa and reef the main. That way you’ll balance the sail plan better and find the helm easier to manage.

The PHRF rating of the Triton averages about 246. There aren’t many boats slower in the U.S.S.A. listings. For comparison, how about a Tanzer 22 or Venture 25? The Tartan 27, a S&S design of similar vintage, rates 228. These figures can be misleading, however. We recall sailing away from an entire fleet of Pearson boats during one of the builder’s rendezvous on Narragansett Bay. Whipping a Sabre 28 (PHRF—192) another day. Perhaps we were borne by some favorable and undetected current, which no doubt gives rise to those familar comments of “shows her heels to a lot of larger boats.”

In any case, the rating does allow for competitive sailing. We placed first and second in our only two PHRF races. And for cruising, which is her forte, speed is just fine for such a short waterline.

Prices of Pearson Tritons peaked in the early 1980s at about $18,000. Since then, their value has dropped along with practically every other boat. And, of course, they’re getting older, requiring more time and money to keep in shape or upgrade. Today you can buy a Triton for less than $10,000, which makes her a real bargain. (You’ll pay in the low teens for a good one.) We feel fairly confident in saying that it is the smallest, most affordable offshore boat you can buy. At least one has circumnavigated, Jim Baldwin in Atom . And we know of many others that have made safe trans-oceanic passages. You should consider fitting storm shutters to the main cabin windows, as they are on the border of being too large.

It’s too bad that Pearson is out of business, as they always had a good customer service department. Over the years we’ve obtained old parts from them, or referrals to the original suppliers, even foundries for bronze and aluminum castings.

If you’re on a budget and willing to do your own upgrading, the Triton at least gives you a solid structure as a starting point. Given the strength of the hull, devotion of owners, and active owner’s association (National Triton Association, 300 Spencer Ave., East Greenwich, RI 02818; (401) 884-1094) with active racing and rendezvous in most parts of the country, we fully expect to see the Triton well into the next century.

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I’m A ! Proud Owner of a 1966 Pearson Triton 29.5 Built on the East Coast and first purchased there I am the third owner! It is Docked in Oceanside Calif.

Hi Michael, I’d like to ask you some questions about your gas tank. I also have a 1966 Pearson Triton 28.5 and live in San Diego.

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About the Triton

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Pearson Triton

The Triton came out with sloop or yawl rig options. She was 28'4" overall, 20'6" at the waterline, with a beam of 8'3". She had a moderately long keel that drew 3'11", and displacement of 6,930 pounds. Her auxiliary was a 25-hp Universal Atomic-4. Alberg gave her a wide flare forward for both dryness and working on deck.

Another factor in Triton's marketing success was her pricing. Alberg recalls that she first came out at a bare-boat price of $9,700. Over the next seven years, Pearson, which became a Grumman subsidiary, sold 750 of the design before stopping production in 1966.

From Sail, January, 1980

West coast tritons.

An owner of a 1963 West Coast Triton in Seattle says, "The Triton was built by both Pearson in Rhode Island and Aeromarine Plastics in Sausalito, California. Very early Pearsons had some problems with balsa core and other minor items. West Coast Tritons were built like battleships."

Maybe because they were built for the windier conditions of San Francisco Bay, the West Coast Triton's also tend to be heavier. The published waterline of the Triton is 20'6". However, the racing rules of the San Francisco fleet allows waterlines up to 21'6". (Bob Potter, the supervisor at Aeromarine in Sausalito told Beauregard that two early boats were made with more ballast, Grumpy and 92 (Windswept). They had 21'6" waterlines which is why that's in the rules.) Ely Gilliam, who sails the East Coast Triton Bolero on San Francisco Bay says, "The East Coast boats sail much more like dinghys. They're very responsive. A West Coast boat, like Hulakai, tracks very well in a blow, but doesn't have the lightness in the helm you find in an East Coast version". In races on San Francisco Bay you typically see the two East Coast boats heeling quite a bit more than the others.

Practical Sailor Review

Daniel Spurr, publisher of Practical Sailor (Box 420234, Palm Coast, FL 32142) owned a Triton for a number of years and wrote a Used Boat review for the June 15, 1992 issue. Here's some of what he said in that article:

The Triton is vintage Alberg- skinny, long overhangs, low freeboard, large mainsail and small foretriangle. Typical of boats designed to the Cruising Club of America rule. Alberg was born in Sweden where people love skinny keelboats with long overhangs, such as the Folkboat. It is easy to trace the Triton's lineage to such designs.

The cockpit's long enough to lie down in, yet even when pooped, won't hold enough water to threaten the boat. The bridge deck, which adds a measure of safety fore offshore work certainly helps.

The Triton's surprisingly quick for her short waterline which, when the boat is heeled, lengthens nicely. The boat heels rapidly to about 15 degrees, then stiffens satisfyingly. It's tough to push the rail under, though it can and has been done often. Water still won't enter the cockpit... you can carry on overcanvassed without stalling the rudder... And it tracks well. Consequently, the Triton is a very forgiving boat, especially for the beginner.

Spurr's Summary

"Today you can by a Triton for around $10,000, which makes her a real bargain. We feel fairly confident in saying that it is the smallest, most affordable offshore boat you can buy. At least one has circumnavigated, Jim Baldwin in Atom. And many others have made safe transoceanic passages to Bermuda, Europe and Hawaii.

Given the strength of the hull, the devotion of owners, and active owner's association with active racing and rendezvous in most parts of the country, we fully expect to see the Triton well into the next century.

I think the Triton attracts so much attention not only because of her sleek, low-slung classic lines, but also because of the fractional, jumper-stayed rig. It is a combination that really makes the Triton stand out in any grouping of boats; it is a unique design that possesses many details that you can't put your finger on, but she just looks right. It is amazing the attention they attract, and everyone you meet seems already aware of the Triton's qualities and probably has a Triton story or two to tell. It is a rare sailor indeed who doesn't appreciate the Triton."

"In a sea of beamy, high-topsided, lacking-character boats, the Triton is a gem."

-Tim Lackey ( Glissando )

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Pearson Yachts Portal

The Pearson 28 : 1975–1982

The 28 is a logical and efficient extension of our theory that a boat should be designed and built with particular attention paid to how families live afloat. Daysailing, racing, overnight or extended cruising, the 28 does it all.

Responsive and Attractive

The guy who started it all has done it again... Bill Shaw co-founded the Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) because he believed strongly that boats under 30 feet could be designed and built to compete offshore just as well as bigger boats with a lot less expense, hassle and crew problems.

His concept was that growing families could campaign a boat this size successfully. And because she was designed and built to withstand the rigors of the race course, she could be cruised safely and comfortably. Witness the new Pearson 28. A superb example of the MORC concept. A good all 'round racing/cruising boat that fits all rules. Beautifully balanced. Manageable. A real delight to sail. And belowdecks? You wouldn't expect anthing else from Pearson, but real live-aboard comfort and quality that won't quit.

We look at it this way. The Pearson 28 will probably not be your last boat. And we want you to " Come Sail With Us "... for years to come.

Pearson Yachts Inc. 1975

Pearson 28 On The Web

Pearson 28 Specifications - SailboatData.com

Pearson-Info P28 - dan.pfeiffer.net

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Triton pearson yawl

The triton pearson yawl is a 28.33ft masthead yawl designed by carl alberg and built in fiberglass by pearson yachts since 1958..

The Triton pearson yawl is a heavy sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is very stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a coastal cruiser.

Triton pearson yawl for sale elsewhere on the web:

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• Sailboat Guide

1962 28.5' Pearson Triton

• Description

Seller's Description

Currently located in Beautiful La Paz, Mexico Outside United States You are already located in Cruising Paradise. Start your trip around the Sea of Cortez or head across to Mainland Mexico and Beyond. Modified Pearson Triton nicely setup for offshore cruising. This yacht has undergone extensive preparation for world cruising, including many major modifications, all of which enhance its strength, safety and comfort. It has a mast head rig with a bowsprit, Pro Furl roller furling (New Sail) and a cruising spinnaker. The mast has a separate track for the trysail (storm main), new chain plates, standing and running rigging. There is a removable inner forestay for the storm jib. The custom hard dodger gets you out of the elements and has an attachable marine canvas cockpit room. New Cusions interior and exterior. The entire cockpit can be made into an enclosed room to get you out of the weather, or the sides can be rolled up half way for the air flow while retaining privacy, or all the way up while still being shaded by the overhead canvas. The entire inside ceiling and sides of the boat have been insulated, keeping it cooler in the sun and eliminating condensation. The mast step has been strengthened, all deck fittings removed, holes epoxy soaked and everything re-bedded. The large windows have been removed, re-fiberglassed and small, strong portholes reinstalled in their place. There is an autopilot and a windvane. The boat is very well balanced under sail and tracks well. The 10 hp diesel uses a quart of fuel per hour and runs beautifully. She is a strong and able boat that will take you anywhere you may wish to go. She is the perfect low priced long range cruiser.

Equipment: Equipment: SPECIFICATION * KEEL: Full with cut away forefoot. Keel hung rudder.

DIMENSIONS * LOA: 31ft * LOD: 28 .6ft * LWL: 20.6ft * DRAFT: 4.6ft * BEAM: 8.3ft * DISPLACEMENT: 8,000 lb * BALLAST: 3019 lb lead * HEADROOM: 6ft * HULL MATERIAL: f/g * KEEL TYPE: Full keel with cutaway for foot

ENGINE AND PROPULSION * ENGINE MAKE: Westerbeke * ENGINE MODEL: Pilot 10 * HORSE POWER: 10 hp * CRUISING RPM: 1800 * CRUISING SPEED: 5 kt * MAX SPEED: 6.5 kt

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

The Pearson Triton’s launch at the 1959 National Boat Show in New York heralded the birth of the inexpensive ‘Plastic Classic’. Her designer Carl Alberg was at the forefront of the pioneering move from wood to fiberglass production and the 28ft Triton was one of the earliest fiberglass cruising yachts. She was an instant hit, with 17 orders taken by the end of the show, and her popularity never waned, with more than 700 boats built before production ceased in 1968.

The Triton is a handsome boat with classic cruiser looks inspired by the well-loved Scandinavian Folkboat. She carries a narrow beam, long overhangs and low freeboard of the Cruising Club of America (CCA) racing rule boats of the time. Although her interior volume and storage capacity are scanty for a bluewater boat the Triton has successfully double circumnavigated and completed many trans-oceanic passages. Today she remains probably the most affordable of the small, seaworthy, go-anywhere family cruisers.

Carl Alberg, a Swedish-born Naval Architect, was unknown as a yacht designer in 1959 and the Pearson Triton was to provide the flying start to his career. Alberg’s brief for the Triton, cooked up in casual conversation with Tom Potter (a lifelong yacht broker with an eye for the future of family cruising) was to design a 28 foot racer/cruiser with full headroom that could sleep a family of four and that could be built for under 10,000 dollars. In using fiberglass Alberg was able to come up with a boat that was unique at the time in offering more interior space than its wooden counterparts and at a much lower cost. Her original bare boat price was only 9,700 US dollars.

Alberg and Potter took the design to Pearson Corporation, a small fiberglass sailboat manufacturer, founded three years earlier by cousins Clint and Everett Pearson, who agreed to put it into production. The cousins had to borrow the money required to transport their Pearson Triton to the National Boat Show in New York but by the end of the show they had 17 orders and went on to build over 700 boats at their yard in Portsmouth, Rhode Island until production ceased in 1968.

These boats built by the Pearson Corporation are known as ‘East Coast’ Tritons but a number of boats, thought to be around 125, were also built on the West Coast by Aeromarine Plastics in Sausalito, California. There are some important construction differences between the ‘East Coast’ and ‘West Coast’ boats but consistent differences are hard to pin down due to many changes throughout the construction run of both boats. The most visible difference between the boats is that the ‘East Coast’ boats were built with wood trim and coamings, while those from the ‘West Coast’ are all fiberglass.

Alberg’s design also made it to Europe and at least three Tritons were built by Jouet in France with alterations to the bridge plan and interior layout. The Jouet Tritons have a distinctive long forward portlight on the cabin similar to that of the Jouet Tiburon.

Configuration and Layout

Both sloop and yawl configurations were available and the majority of Tritons had a distinctive fractional rig which helps her to stand out in a crowd. Below the waterline, her full keel is cutaway slightly fore and aft with a wooden rudder attached. The hull has a wide flare forward to keep the boat drier and allow easier working on deck. The deck itself varies, with one owner recording at least four different deck styles with a number of additional minor variations. She has a stepped cabin top which is slightly incongruous with her sleek sheer lines but provides extra headroom below.

The cockpit is large and low and can be wet in rough seas but won’t hold enough water to cause problems when pooped. The bridge deck helps to keep her dry below. Inside accommodation is fairly cramped and typical of boats of this style but the lack of interior fiberglass liners make internal modifications and repairs easier.

Construction

Although it was a production boat, individual Tritons appear to vary widely in terms of construction. In general they have the thicker, tougher and less sophisticated hulls of the earlier fiberglass production boats. Many of the East coast boats have balsa cored decks where the majority of the West coast boats have decks of solid fiberglass but this isn’t definitive. Ballast in the early days was iron encapsulated in the keel but switched to encapsulated lead in later years.

The Triton sails as gracefully as she looks. She’s forgiving and nimble, though she does tend to exhibit weather helm. To counter this tendency some owners have fashioned small bowsprits to open up the fore-triangle area, while others recut their mainsail with less canvas at the sacrifice of overall sail area. Although a fast boat for her waterline length she’s slow by today’s standards and she doesn’t point very high.

Her short waterline means her light air performance is respectable, and as the wind picks up she heels quickly which increases her LWL and therefore hull speed. The boat is relatively tender up to 15 degrees before she stiffens. West Coast boats, being heavier built, are generally stiffer while East coast boats tend to heel earlier but are more responsive.

Buyer’s Notes

For boats that are now more than 40 years old Tritons have endured remarkably well despite many of them being sailed extensively. Like any older boat, they may require extensive refit if they’ve been neglected. Suspect areas are balsa-cored rot-prone decks (mainly East coast), rotten wooden rudders, corroded masts, undersized chainplates, cranky gasoline inboard engines and electrical systems that require replacement. Compression around the deck stepped mast can be an issue and the supports may require strengthening but many owners will already have done so. James Baldwin, who circumnavigated twice in his East Coast Triton ‘Atom’, reports that the original East Coast fractional rig is lightly stayed and requires reinforcement for offshore voyaging. Boats with recently upgraded systems, sails, rigging etc. as always are preferable and worth paying more for.

Triton’s are most plentiful on the East coast of the US. For prospective buyers, support and information is available from the very active National Triton Association, contactable through their website. The Plastic Classic forum has a page specifically for the Pearson Triton that can provide help and advice and there is also a Yahoo owners group. A search of the used boat market reveals current asking prices of 4,500 US dollars to 17,000 US dollars for a Pearson Triton depending on age and condition.

Links, References and Further Reading

» Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere by John Vigor , (Ch18, p77-82) an in depth look at the Pearson Trition 28. ISBN:978-0939837328 » Used Boat Notebook by John Kretschmer , a review of the Pearson Triton (p28-31) » Wikipedia’s entry on the Pearson Triton » National Triton Association , links and information. » Pearson Triton Yahoo Group » French Jouet Triton webpage » Circumnavigation on a by James Baldwin on sailboat ‘Atom’

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1963 Pearson Triton

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First Sailboat Buying Advice - Victoria 18 or Triton 18

• Thread starter RPD677
• Start date Jul 6, 2020
• Forums for All Owners
• Trailer Sailors
• Can handle the Narragansett Bay
• Easy to trailer
• Good to learn on
• Room for 2-3 people in the cockpit
• Can squeeze an overnight here or there in the cockpit

• LOA 17' 10 1/2"
• Beam 6' 10 1/2"
• Displacement 800 lbs
• Draft CB Up 6"
• Draft CB Dn 4' 1"
• Sail Area 154 sf
• Hull Speed 5.29 kts/6.09 mph
• Bridge Clearance 25'
• Cockpit length: 7'- width: 5'

I don’t have any first hand knowledge of either 18 but I used to own a Mac 222 . when my kids were young we would spend a week each summer sailing in the NC outer banks in that boat  

I don't know if you already bought your boat, but I owned a Vic, and they are beautiful boats and easy to trailer. Not as easy to sail, though, for a novice sailor. Also, the freeboard is a little low. Otherwise it would fit your needs. I don't know anything about the Tritons.  

twistedskipper

@Biosci777 , can you elaborate on what makes the Victoria 18 harder to sail?  

The rigging is a bit more complicated; for example, the mainsheet is in a pulley system attached to a traveller, which is more than the boat needs in my opinion. I'm not a strong sailor, and I found the boat a lot to handle, especially on a windy day. A good sailor wouldn't have much trouble. I have sailed a ComPac 16 and Chrysler 20, both of which were easier to sail. One more note: the Vic has a nice big cockpit, but I found the last couple feet needed to be clear for the tiller to swing around. Don't get me wrong -- the Victoria 18 is a lovely boat and well-made. I recommend it to any decent sailor.  

Hello RPD677 and welcome to the SBO forums! Have your boat search adventures included this site in the classifieds, Craigslist, sailboatlistings, and boattrader? Take your time and see as many boats as you can in your area. RE: boat information. Have you looked on sailboatdata.com ? That site will offer dimensions and weights on many, many sailboats. There might even be some diagrams to show interior and exterior views. From what I know of the boats you mentioned they each have "the look". The sleek appearance of the hull and the stern shape each are appealing to observe. Best Wishes and stay healthy, 31seahorse  

watercolors II

Buy the best kept boat with the most stuff added. When you have to add stuff to make it perform better or more convenient, you're going to spend a lot of extra money!  

The Victoria looks like an older design (1977) and the keel might make launching and retrieving a problem at many ramps. The heavier weight might also call for a heftier tow vehicle than what you now have. Sailing, the long keel and small rudder look like they might make maneuvering tricky coming in to tight situations - or make situations trickier than they'd have to be if you can't turn quickly. The Pearson is lighter and shallower with the board up, so getting it in and out of the water might be easier. The centerboard on the Pearson appears to be tucked neatly under the cockpit sole and extending into the cabin. It is deep when down, but short, so pivoting quickly in tight spots might be easier. The good-sized rudder, placed all the way aft on the transom, should make handling responsive.  

The Victoria 18 specs that I've seen indicate that neither weight (1200# plus trailer plus gear) or draft (2') should be a problem for trailering behind most vehicles that are properly equipped for towing 2000#. I have no personal experience with the model, so I can't comment on any other pros or cons.  

This isn’t an answer to your question, but it’s practical advice that’s relevant. For $3000, condition will be more important than anything else. Buy the boat that is in the very best condition. You are buying a 45 year old boat and trailer for under $3000,, and there are bound to be maintence issues that need fixing which costs money and time. fiberglass lasts almost forever, but everything else on a sailboat falls apart. what would you expect to get for your on a 45 year old car? A $3000 truck? It’s not a dissimilar question. If it’s your first boat, be aware that most old boats require $1500-$3000 in addition to the purchase price to address deferred maintenance. You may need Tires, Springs, trailer rollers, trailer lights, Sails, Uv-damaged blocks, structural,repairs to decks, etc  

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