Looking at possibly buying a Triumph 195cc

[Vinman]

I looked at and liked a 195CC at the Charleston boat show. Have wife, 4&6 year olds, and plenty of boat friends. Great first impression, but a few concerns.

1) Are the plastic boats more difficult to maintain? I would think the would scratch and dull easy. Will be running up on the beach with family to swim and such. Is it a concern as far as the surface is concerned?

2) Did not seem to have very good "dry" storage. Any comments on that?

3) How does it ride. Much talk of smoother ride on plastic. True or talk?

4) Any engine preference or advice? Dealer had a Honda on it, but also sells Yamaha. Yamaha's big in salt, but Honda strong warranty also.

Obviously ya'll may be a little biased, but any true input would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Vinman

[OspreyVic]

Vinman, may I please suggest that you start reading.

The "Articles" section has an article about why I purchased a Triumph. That would be one place to start.

Then start reading the Forums. Please remember that there is no "Perfect" boat, and a Triumph may not be for you, but it sure is for my family.

There are lots of Forums to read. This site is for owners and people looking like yourself. Please take your time a just keep reading.

[Vinman]

Thanks, Vic. True about the no perfect boat part. Article very helpful and forums helpful & encouraging. JD Powers has them ranked as good as most more recognizable names, better than quite a few.

Its my first boat and hoping to make the best possible purchase for us. I like to keep what I buy, so I'm rather cautious! Will keep reading and will probably go kick the tires (or beat on the hull, as the case may be!) of a Triumph again this weekend.


Vinman

[k9reno]

this has been my experience.

1 they are not hard to maintain at all. they dont have that nice pretty showroom shine like glass boats,but they are easy to clean and can take a beating. I beached hit rocks and didnt have anything to show for it until I ran up on an oyster covered rock and all I got from that was scratches, which are a whole lot easier to fix on these boats than the glass ones.
2 Dry storage has always been kind of an issue. Anything that I am really concerned about keeping dry goes in the CC or my dry bag. The mega storage on the 210 does ok if you have the flalse floor to keep things up.
3 much smoother
4 As far as I am concerned both are good choices IMO. I have a yamaha hpdi and love it starts first turn of the key even after sitting for months and plenty of power.

These are just my opinions from my experience with my 03 210cc...love my boat

[MolarBoater]

I agree with previous posts.

Also, look for the lightest and highest horsepower motor you can afford. Most are adding years to their warranties since most will never need warranty repair, they have become very good all around. I buy into the theory a more powerful motor ran easier over time may last longer and possibly burn less fuel than a smaller motor ran hard. Especially if this is going to be a family boat and watersports are in your future.

I too like to keep what I buy, Triumph is very user friendly to work on and/or do add-on modifications as you can tell from the "pictures" section.

We also have a great website full of helpful owners many whom have "been there and done that" and can lend a hand if you ask.

Good Luck on your decision, Molar

[cagrove]

Originally Posted by Vinman

Its my first boat and hoping to make the best possible purchase for us. I like to keep what I buy, so I'm rather cautious!
Vinman

Vinman,
If you're looking for a boat that could possibly last a lifetime, look no further. Think about this: most (if not all) fiberglass boats are made by laminating the glass over wood. As such, they are prone to delamination (separating glass from wood) and decay (water on wood equals rot).With a Triumph, you have no wood, only plastic. There is nothing to delaminate or rot. You only have to replace one rotten transom in a lifetime to appreciate not having to worry about it.
Don't forget the lifetime warrenty on the hull as well. If you ever needed peace of mind, that should do it. But please, look around and see for yourself. How shiny will that new glass boat look in say, ten or fifteen years? I know how my Triumph will look, just like it is today. Good luck with your search.

[Cincinnati]

The lack of required maintenance on the hull is a huge benefit - more time fishing without concern over fiberglass gel coat repairs. This really is the brightspot for these boats. The soft ride is TRUE. I often take out others on my boat and share rides on theirs. People are amazed at how soft and quiet the ride is compared to their 20' Gradys and expensive Whalers.

About the motor, what HP Honda? I've got a 2002 130 Honda and love it. You're prolly looking at either a 135 or 150 V-Tech - much better motors than the previous 115/130 models. I have over 520 running hours on my Honda in the salt of the LI Sound.

[Vinman]

Thanks for the great replies, and yes, this site is a great resource! In the "give and take" of purchasing, I think the dry storage would be the biggest give. I hope in the future they address that, as everything else I see is comparable or better than the competition.

I'm going to see them on Saturday. Good advice I've received from friends is to go with the 150 motor since I'll likely have plenty of people on board. Worth the extra $3G over the long haul. I look forward, given the weight of the boat, to taking of next to some Sea Foxes and such with the lighter boat.

Great feedback, and sincere thanks. I have a feeling I'll be here sharing experiences this spring! I'll post what I buy when I make the decision.

Vinman

[OspreyVic]

Vinman:

I cannot speak of the 195 in that we have a 210 CC.

As far as “dry” storage is concerned, we really have not had any big problems. The mega storage in front of the center console has a removable false floor that raises the items stored there up about four inches.

The only times that items stored in the mega hold have gotten even damp occurred before we installed rubber plugs in the transom scuppers.

In order to install our transducer, we had to remove the starboard transom drain ball scupper. Well, the water just flowed in the back of the boat, so we had to find a solution to the problem.

The water came in both rear scuppers whenever we just cut the power instead of stopping slowly.

Since we have used the rubber plugs, we get very little water into the rear of the boat. The water that does come in is from the spray caused by our transducer when we leave it in the down position at a high speeds. Please keep in mind that this problem is of my own doing, since I chose the transducer.

Other owners have also added racks to the storage under the stern seats. The racks really help keep items off the floor and much drier.

We voted for the plastic boat because we did not want to spend our time polishing and we did not want to spend money fixing the gel coat when we hit something a little too hard. We have not owned a boat for about 40 years, and we have an 18-year-old son. We do not want to worry about him hitting the dock a little hard, or more likely, me hitting the dock hard.

For those that criticize Triumph boats for not being shiny, have you ever seen what a glass boat that is stored outside for any length of time looks like?

Good luck with your search.

[Vinman]

I did it! Just got back from the dealer with my paperwork for a 195cc! Dealer was straight forward and honest about everything and I'm comfortable with the investment. I put the 115HP Honda on the back. 5 year warranty, which is a great comfort. He loves selling the Honda except for the fact he never sees them again!

They were at the Charleston boat show and sold 16 there, so I'm sure I'll be seeing a few more in the area. Met one picking up their boat today. They've been to this site and agreed with me that it was helpful in making their decision.

Again, thanks for your honest input and can't wait to back her into the water!

Vinman