Triumph 150 CC

[John Layous]

Gentlemen:

For whatever reason...very disturbing to my Wife I've been thinking about buying a boat. I want a small boat that will fit in my garage. I then would like to cleverly equip the boat with all the gadgets. I've fairly well settled on a 13 foot Whaler because it will comfortably fit in my garage. I prefer an Edgewater 145 but it is out of my price range...Today I noticed an ad for a new 2008 Triumph 150...The boat seems simarily equipped as the Edgewater but probably $5,000 cheaper....Likely the boats have been somewhat discounted due to the financial situation that Triumph is currently experiencing. I live in California and I'm not sure there are any 150s in this area and it probably isn't practical to transport a boat cross country. Just wanted the opinion on anyone who knows something about these boats and whether I'm just safe staying with the Whaler idea. Thank you..

[jack7265]

I've never owned a Whaler before, so I couldn't adequately compare between the Whaler and the Triumph 150CC. I can tell you from the experience I had of owning a 150CC, prior to the Triumph 190 Bay that I upsized to, that it's a great boat.

Without knowing what your use will be for the boat, and what waters you'll be traversing, I'm not sure what boat would best fit your needs. I used my 150CC for fishing the lower Lafitte, LA area, and it's great for shallow water fishing, with it's 6" draft, and it's design will cut through some of the rough stuff if the wind picks up in the Bays and Lakes.

As far as motors go, I'm partial to the Yamaha that I had on my boat. You should have at least a 50HP on it, but I'd prefer a 60 HP, which is the maximum recommended HP. I'd also recommend the four stroke over the two stroke, although both are nice motors.

Another thing that is great about a Triumph is the maintenance. It doesn't require much cleaning to keep it looking good, and it's a tough boat when it comes to hard knocks. You can bang the side of the boat and the blows will glance right off without any damage.

[Putershark]

That is easy, do you know the outline of a Whaler sticker on the side of their hulls? Well if you do this video will speak volumes...

ToughBoats.com

Case closed

[BarryB]

What do you want to do with the boat?

I have a 17 footer (170cc) which fits in the garage without a problem. If I had the cash, I would have gone with a 19 footer - Dual console. (the 19 foot cc is too tall to get into the garage, but the dual console is shorter).

Boats always seem large in the garage or on the trailer, but seem to shrink in the water.

[cagrove]

Not bashing the Whaler, they're great boats, but the Triumph will do anything the Whaler can do and you don't have to wax it to keep it clean. Also, I would recommend going with the largest boat that you can fit in your garage...no one ever wants a smaller boat...esp. in weather/waves. Good luck with your search.

[John Layous]

Gentlemen:

I appreciate all of your responses.... I would easily spend the $15 to join this group but at this time I do not own a Triumph. In answer to a couple of questions that were raised in response ot my original post. I only intend to use this boat for freshwater fishing in lakes. Most likely smaller lakes located in the Eastern Sierras....If I listen to my wife it is most likely that no one will ever use the boat. In answer to the garage question...I have a three car garage an only two cars. Actually the garage probably over 21 feet in length but it has a curb built into the concrete at the 18 foot mark. I have cabinets on the upper portion...So practically speaking I probably can go about 18 1/2 feet and still have space to walk. According to the dealer a 130 Whaler Sport is 17' 6" total...I'd be willing to invest/upgrade to a trailer that has a removable/folding hitch but not sure how much space that would save. This whole point may be mute because I'm not sure there are any 2008 150's on the West Coast. I see them in dealer inventories on the East Coast but not on the West Coast. Again thank you for trying to help.

[BarryB]

Boat on trailer is 21 feet with folding tongue trailer. The boat doesn't go straight in but at an angle. The folded part of the trailer saves about 3 feet.

However, you should also measure the opening height of your garage.

[OspreyVic]

John, you stated you could go 18 ½ feet.

Per Triumphboats.com ; Overall Length of Boat Motor Trailer 20' 6"

If you can save only 2 feet instead of 3 feet with the folding tongue, you have it made.

Hope this helps.

[John Layous]

Again thank you for responding...I think if the tongue information is right and I can save three feet I'm in great shape...I'm not too worried about the height issue...I'm in San Diego now but I will return home tomorrow and measure the garage height...I know when we built the home the contractor made the garage door opening higher than normal because I drive an SUV...I can't imagine that it isn't high enough for this boat.

[Maxg94]

John, I purchased a 2008 150cc in March of 09. This is a great little boat. Every time we take it out we get comments about how good it looks and seems to handle and people can't believe when I tell them it is only 14' 10"(It looks and feels bigger when in it). We had the same issue of having to fit the boat into a 18 foot garage. We have a swing hitch and it just fits. When we put the boat close to the side wall we still have over 2/3 of the 2 car garage available. We use this boat in the Chesapeake Bay and it does take chop pretty well. When it gets rough, it does help if you know how to drive in the chop. We use this boat for crabbing, fishing, wake boarding and an occasional happy hour trip, so it is very versatile. Look for a good deal. I was looking at this boat versers the 15 foot whaler. The whaler was running 21k and the triumph was around 15k with some options. Last march I was surfing(after I was over my boat obsession) and found a dealer that was selling a 150CC for & 11,999. The boat has the Yamaha F60 motor, B- top swim platform, and the swing hitch as options. They also were offering $400 in Triumph rebate and an extended extra 3 years on the motor warranty(6 years total). So final price was $11,600.
As far as performance, I added the trim tabs as per everyones suggestions here ($89) and have had four people in the boat(630 lbs using quick math) and the boat still got on a plane quick and topped out at 33mph. It is really perfect size for 2 or 3 fishing and very easy to handle with one person launching etc. If I had the garage space and could tow the extra weight, I would get the 17 since it is the same boat but would allow me to carry more people, but this one is great for 3 or less people fishing. Happy hunting