My 235 CC report at about 30 hours on the water

[RT113BoatSales]

My 235 CC report at about 30 hours on the water.

OK to start you should know I am a dealer but I drive what I sell and I love my Triumph boats so.................. on with my report.

I was a little un-comfortable at first both with the price and the feel of the boat. I was worried that the cost of the 235 would be out of line with the competition but after comparing it with many boats in its class I find we are a very good value and in fact, I purchased three and one is already sold. Additionally, all that have signed up for a test drive are very happy with the price so, I think we have a winner again.

The feel of the boat? It is a Big Deep Blue Water Boat. I love my 215 and I still have one in the water behind my house. The 215 is a great boat, soft smooth ride and it can handle the back bays 3 foot chop and the Ocean swells as good as any other 23 footer out there other then our 235. That is a fact. But the 235 is Very Different. I ask people to test drive the bigger stuff. Boats in the 24, 25 and 26 footer rang. We CAN run with those bigger boats! We just do not cost as much.

At first I found myself driving it like my 215 and looking for 215 handling and performance. It took me about 15 hours before I started to realize how nice of a fishing machine the 235 is. I took one of my potential buyers for a test ride and we took our fishing rods. We spent almost two hours out their and I listened to what he had to say about the boat both good and bad. Most was good and in the end he purchased the boat. He gets it next week.

The tide was running out fast and the wind was blowing up the bay at about 15 mph, so we had a tight 2 to 3 foot chop pushing up the bay as we ran south. His comments were "Nice ride" and we were staying very dry. I let him take the wheel and he ran the boat through some very hard turns. Made me a little nervous but it is what he wanted to do. It is a Very Deep V so if you power up and turn hard and stay into it, the boat banks like a race car. Not a ride for the faint of hart but his comments were "tight turn for such a big boat" We took a little splash when we were port down into the turn pointed east but remember the wind was out of the south at 15 so............ not bad.

Again with the feel of the boat. I finally stop playing with the trim tabs every 3 seconds and the feel got much better. The trim tabs are recessed and they are big so you do not need to move them much to get some results. Remember the 215, well the trim tabs on that boat respond very differently. I kept trying to use the trim tabs on the 235 like the 215. Well, it is a different boat. Stay off the trim tabs until you get a feel for the boat. Time to plane with no trim tabs and a 17 pitch prop. About 3 to 4 seconds and that is not bad. Still not sure if the 19 pitch is better than the 17 pitch, still testing.

Fish-ability. If that is not a real word it should be. Anyway this is what sold me. Out by myself fishing the Ocean City inlet. Four rods in the rack just behind the captain seating. I am adrift in the inlet with the tide running out. I step back and stand at the "Prep Station" at least that is what I am calling it. At eye level I reach out and grab the line attached to my fishing rods. Reach to the left of the prep station, pull out a tackle box and rig two rods with casting lures. To the right of the prep station I open a door and scoop out two live fish and rig two rods for bottom fishing with live bait. I open the sink that is to the left on top of the prep stating and with the fresh water, wash my hands. Remember, I am alone in the inlet, rocking left and right while I am rigging rods. The Stainless Steel Rail around the Prep station was nice to hold onto. Very Nice

Creature comforts. You just have to get on the boat to appreciate how comfortable it is. The captain seating is great. When driving, sit even in rough stuff. The foot rest is big and allows you to rest your feet when running or stand and lean against the bolsters.

The Wife effect. The seating in the front of the boat with the cushions in place and the T-Top seat bench flipped up allows for 6 to sit. Very social area for wife, kids and friends so............ It is more than a fishing boat. With the rear jump seats flipped up there is seating for 10 adults. No, we never take 10 fishing but if the wife has final say on the boat purchase, this will help.

Almost forgot the bad. The live-well is so massive and I am sure is appropriate for the big bait fish but for me to use minnows and finger mullet I could not find them. So......................... I have a work around. I run the live well for a few minutes, it fills very fast. When I get where I want to fish and I open the sea-cock to the drain of the live well just a 1/4. In just a few minutes it drains down to where I can see my minnows. Yaaaaaaa. I am going to add an overflow to the live well that is about 18 inches over the next few weeks so for those of us that want to keep "little fish" in the live well will be happy.


OK, it is 11:30 on Sunday and I just realized that out my window I can see my 235 at the dock and I am wondering WHY I am sitting here writing this long report.

Sorry but time to go fishing.
Thanks for the interest and I hope to see you on the bay someday,

Captain Glen
US Coast Guard Licensed
US Merchant Marine Officer
Master of 50 Ton

RT 113 Boat Sales - 302-436-1737

www.RT113BOATSALES.COM

[NCangler]

Great report and evaluation Capt. Glen. Thanks for taking time to post. Thanks to for being a Triumphowners.net Sponsor!