(Most of the pictures below were taken with a video camera, so they aren't as sharp as they could be.)
A fellow Triton victim, er, I mean Triton restorer saw an ad for a Triton yawl, coincidently located in South Dartmouth, MA. I have to agree with those who say when you find your boat, you'll know it. I was sure from the time I first saw this boat that this was the one.
I was interested by the fact that it was a yawl. (See the picture at right from the previous owner.) A different look, some different sail combinations. I liked the facts that some difficult repairs had already been done. A new rudder had been fabricated and glassed over. The cockpit hatch to the icebox had been removed and the bridgedeck reinforced. Some of the decks had been recored. Most Tritons need that sooner or later. I was a total neophyte at boat repair, and just the idea of learning to work with fiberglass sounded overwhelming, much less cutting open the deck and replacing it again.
The survey didn't uncover any show-stoppers, although because of a gas leak (an A4 gushing carb) the surveyor couldn't run the engine. I chose not to focus on the negatives and paid what I considered to be a reasonable price for a boat that was basically in sailable condition. I still feel the price was fair, even after spending quite a bit of time tearing the boat apart!
Here's some exterior shots.
Here's some interior shots. They aren't the most glamorous, since the main reason I chose them was to remind me why I went through the pain of sanding and painting the interior!
Truth be told, the paint was a cosmetic problem and it didn't have to keep me out of the water for even a season. At that point, I didn't think it would!
The electrical system had recently been replaced, along with a new breaker box.
The galley and icebox had been removed, and the bridgedeck reinforced with a structural bulkhead and plywood glassed to its underside.
Next: Number 59 Arrives!