Roplene cracks

[rdrsteve]

As I am trying to decide on a 17 triumph or not,I was at thevero beach boat show and a competitor told me the Roplene cracks under sunlight and that Triumphs warp on trailers.How is everyones holding up? What abot screws backing up? What is my answer to people who badmouth the plastic aspect?

[cluggie]

It's just that... bad mouthing. No cracks in my 2003, no warping (mine is stored on the trailer) and no problems with screws backing out. Geesh... Those competitors are getting rough.
Cluggie

[fridaysoff]

RDRSTEVE,
I've had my 2004 17CC with a 60hp 4 stroke Yamaha for two seasons on the coast of North Carolina. I've owned probably 15-20 boats and I wouldn't trade my Triumph for all of them. This is the sweetest riding 17 foot boat on the market. You can take any boat and run it beyond it's capabilities and have problems. I've had my 17CC up to 10 miles offshore and felt safe and comfortable on "slick" days. I take a screwdriver and check all of my deck screws once a year.I would do that on any boat. Believe me, they back out in fiberglass too. I don't know where you live or what water you'll be riding on, but if a 17 foot boat will do the job for you I'd jump on a Triumph!! My 2 cents!!
John D.

[calicokid]

My boat sits on the trailer supplied by Triumph for over 2 years now with no ill effects thru 2 So. Cal. Summers (hot). I did have a crack in my boat near the keel line no way the sun had anything to do with that and my dealer welded it up, the boats have a life time warranty on the hulls hard to match that in a glass boat, especially considering the price of a plastic boat. What kind of price is your competitor talking about for a 21’ center console? does it include a bait tank , T top, trim tabs? I just fish and my rig looks better spattered with blood than covered with wax and I certainly have a better time applying it! I just re read your post and realized your talking 17’er my point still stands check price and options, ease of maintenance your Triumph wont glisten in the sun but you wont spend a fraction of the time cleaning and waxing. Aluminum is as maintenance free but they ride rough are noisy and the good ones are pricey. My options were used glass or new Triumph. I’ve run the heck out of this boat and haven’t been sorry yet. There have been some drainage in storage holds issues but then some competitors just don have storage it boils down to what you want and what you want to pay.

[OspreyVic]

All I can suggest is that you start reading, on this web site, what the owners have to say about their boats. Remember, this is a web site of owners, not a web site of boat sales reps willing to say anything to make that sale. If you spend enough time reading on this web site, we hope you come to understand why we like our boats.

I will start by saying that there is no perfect boat, but our plastic boat is perfect for my family.

The oldest plastic boats were called “Logic”, so go to that forum and read what those owners have to say as well.

Read how the owners have solved problems, and how the owners have modified their boats to make them even better.

If you like to polish a boat then plastic is not for you. If you never hit a dock too hard, or run into anything in the water, then that gelcoat might last a few years. Also, better keep that glass boat out of the sunlight or be prepared to pay higher maintenance costs to keep it looking good.

One last thought, do a search on “Google” for “Gelcoat Scratch Repair”. If you really like that sort of work, then plastic might not be for you. I found the following information at Boat US http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/02.htm .

I really have fun when I run into a sales rep like the one you described. If nothing else, its fun to hear why they will not let me take a baseball bat to one of their new boats. I will be happy to let them hit my boat with the same bat.

Enjoy your quest to gather knowledge. It took me years to learn how great these plastic boats are.

[rdrsteve]

I am glad this forum exists so I can get real answers from non-salesmen! I have been looking and studying for over 2 weeks and I really could wait till the Miami boat show but dealers will drive you crazy! Thanks everyone for the replies,I live in cocoa florida and will use the boat mostly inshore,except for just offshore on good days.

[bob]

I have an 01 17cc Logic that sits on the trailer in the sun when I am not out in coastal NC waters. I rinse the hull every now and then (to get the mud, blood and guts out) but flush the motor after each use. I cannot tell any difference in the finish on the hull from the day I bought it except from a few minor scratches from oyster rocks. My friends grimace when I slam into the dock when landing (caused by just the wind I'm sure!!) and can't understand why I am not concerned about screwing up the hull.
One tough boat that is perfect for my fishing needs and I can freshen it up for just pleasure riding.
Bob

[Jan from Humboldt]

I bought a 150 CC this year and fished the dickens out of it, here is a link to a post I did about the boat eariler this year.

I've owned glass boats before the Triumph, I'm happy(er) with the Triumph although they are not the perfect boat IMHO you could do a lot worse.

Jan

150 CC observations

[ILLOGICAL GGC]

we have a bunch of 2000,'01 and '02 owners and i even saw a post as to whether a '98 logic would be a good buy. i dare say you will ever see 10 yr old glass boat that has been thru half the abuse we give our boats not have spider web gel coats.. i purposely run my boat into the docks alittle hot just to get those glass boy's attention. i have an 01 logic that is a q2 non warrantied hull and didnt think twice about buying it or babying it . i've spent my last day having my knees trying to fit in my shoes from riding --no-- pounding on a glass boat. an yep this is my second triumph and if i can find a 5 year old 23 ft triumph later ,i'll probably buy it too

my 25cents--inflation ya know
GGC

[MolarBoater]

Sun doesn't hurt the hull, only fiberglass gel coating. Beating the hull against docks etc, doesn't usually cause any cosmetic damage that you couldn't be polish off, you would be having some serious fiberglass repair though. I had a crack develop in my 2002 Bay 190. It is mainly a 2002 Bay 190 issue due to insufficient foam backing resulting in a weak spot in "bow concavities", a manufacturing mistake on a few 190 2002 hulls. Factory picked the boat up, fixed it and delivered it back to my doorstep with a nice boat cover to boot! Lifetime transferrable warranty.