The death of a Classic

I stumbled upon a 1964 Triton in seriously sad condition. It had fallen victim to an owner with big dreams but limited budget and skill.

The entire boat has been sanded down to fiberglass, i.e. all the gelcoat removed then the decks and cabin tops were opened up. Next the balsa core was removed and the inner skin was aggressively sanded.

Side note:Whoever first thought to use balsa wood as a core material on boats must have been on acid.

Anyway, the results were that in several places the fiberglass broke through. Next it was stored in a work shed covered in opaque plastic which turned into hot house in the summer. The high temps then caused the unsupported cabin top to warp. So that now around the front of the main hatch opening is a 1-1/2 to 2 inch dip.

The owner has, wisely IMO, decided to recycle the boat. It's sad to see a classic go to the recycler but the economics make no other sense. There is a 6 month yard bill cycle coming up. The boat can't be sold whole for anything. So in a very real sense it has negative value. But it does have one thing that has some value, it's 3019lb lead keel. A quick check of recyclers found a local one willing to pay 40cents/lb. Thats $1207! That lead value plus the $350 I paid for all my parts and pieces and now were talking positive value. Sad ending to a classic but on the bright side, every remaining Triton just got a smidgen more valuable.

I'll get some pictures in a few days, it really didn't seem polite to gawk and snap pictures with owner standing there:)