On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 08:46:46 -0500, DSK wrote:

Mic wrote:
The Triton is a rather special boat

*Every* boat is a rather special boat.

Well considering that there is no other boat of that era that so many
make the effort to preserve, some are more special than others.

Tritons are cramped & slow & don't handle well. On the plus
side, they're very seakindly and they have the definitive
"look" evocative of their era.

The plus side outweighs the other aspects from a crusing point of view
as decided by the many budget cruisers that choose them.


....Of all the sailboats of
that particular era the Triton is the top of the list for being
refurb.

Not surprising. There were a lot (comparatively) of them
built & sold, so they're plentiful on the market.

Possibly so, but what other boat of today is comparable? Those that
have them and those that want them see value in them and not just as a
piece of history.


... Who comes close
to building a similar boat today like the Triton?

Who comes close to building a fighter plane like the Sopwith
Camel? Or a car like the Model T?

Thats not really a fair comparison per say when it come to
practicality or useage.


... What would it cost
to build a hull like that today

A mold, a lot of cloth, a lot of resin, and a willingness to
get all icky while breathing unhealthy fumes.

It's easy to get carried away with romantic idealization.
And far be it from me to say it's a bad thing. But don't
mistake other people romantic fantasies for reality, it will
bite you where it hurts.

The practical reality, paticularly the time and cost of restoration of
any boat is usually the determining factor. If you see the value in
the design and seek to enjoy such, in a practical manner what are the
current options to a boat like this?

Modern boats are faster, better handling, more
comfortable... many of them are better built, some of them
are more seaworthy no matter how you define the term. If you
want to glorify the good old days, above all other
considerations, you end up sailing a square rigger.

Given the cost of reproducing a Trition today and the likely lack of
mass market for such it reason why there is no comparable. Sure there
are faster, better handling and more creature comforts but as you said
only "some of them are more seaworthy".

The Triton can be a very nice boat. I salute anybody who
takes one from a bare hull & works it up to a working
cruising vessel... a very worthwhile accomplishment. I'd
also suggest that goin in, they be careful & coldly
realistic in assessing how much the project is going to
cost; and that they be cavalier about the price once it's
finished.

From the Trition owners association there is an undoubted passion in
maintaining that design probably more than any other than I have seen
or know of.

Probably the largest sailboat market is in used boats by far and of a
particular size, price and age. When you look at a 20 year plus boat
and what needs to be replace vs what ought to be replaced do these
boats have the value of their price? Price is often a reflection of
location with as much if not more than a 100% plus difference of those
that are comparable.

It isnt easy to determine the value of an older used boat other than
what the average of the market says and in this instance every boat is
special.

When you figure all of the above the true market value ought to be
less than what it is? Thats not to say there isnt many preceived
reasonable points of view based subjectively or objectively. But any
foreray into pleasure sailing can be viewed as "romantic" and or
challenging and the very reasons why people do it. And if not, what
could the possible reasons be?

I think it is interesting that those who are offering the free triton
choose a cape dory, at a cost and expense, that needs work instead.
How much of that was economic based vs other considerations?

Mic'67