|
Buc Scales. I knew it was him when the doorbell rang. Buc is kind of "special" and he does something to the button that makes the ring stutter. It had to be him.
"Hey Buddy! Where have you been? I haven't seen or heard from you since June" I said.
His smile was as bright as the day – even the cracked tooth had a glitter and his eyes were sparkling-wide like I hadn't see since we landed that 44 pounder two years ago.
He pushed his hat back, stuck thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans, leaned against the door frame and said, "I'm finally keeping that promise I made to you a while back. Went and bought me a new boat. Ready to put your name on it like I said I would. Come down and take a look!"
I've always considered Buc as the "top-rod" when it comes to finding fish, catching fish and eating fish. Years ago I told him if he ever had plans to take the next best step, we would be proud to mount THE REEL NEWS Fishing Crew sign to any new boat that he would skipper.
As we rounded the corner there was Buc's wife, Lucy Scales, sitting on the running board of their gently used Tahoe, laughing her head off. Inside the new boat was Buc's slightly obnoxious brother-in-law, Max Grommet, bouncing up and down with a death-grip on the steering wheel screaming "Giddyup 'n yahoo!" just like a kid on the mechanical horse at the grocery store.
"Max! Get your hind-quarters outta the boat! You're gonna dent the seat cushions!" Buc screamed.
"Sorry Jim," he said, "Lucy said the new boat and all is okay with her but I had to make Max a partner. Wasn't too excited about that so I made him the CEOF (Chief Engineer Of Fuel.) He's gotta buy all the gas."
The boat, a Triumph 150 CC, was sitting there in the afternoon sun on her EZ Loader trailer, waiting to be pushed by the shinny black new Mercury 60 hp EFI FourStroke. He had done his homework and had her fully trimmed-out with Lowrance, Scotty and Lamiglas appointments. I was impressed to say the least.
"Well Buc, she looks great!" I said. "I've read about the Triumph but this is only the second or third one I've seen. Okay, unload on me. What's the whole story?"
"Jim, as you know, I've had lots of boats. I loved the aluminum ones and some day I'll have another just special for river-runnin'. Love the fiberglass ones too and I'll have another one of them again some day. They shine up so pretty. But this Triumph is different. When you started talking to me about the next best step, I got to thinking it was time to make a move out of the three-bench tiller operated boat I had, but I wasn't ready to step up to the 20'+ vessel. Looked everything over real close at the boat and sportmen's shows this year. Then I found this at Clearwater Marine Services in Bellingham. It's perfect for me and Lucy, (and Max I guess,) to fish in Puget Sound, the river estuaries and the lakes we like. Shoot Jim, this was the next best step!"
"Okay Buc. Here's the deal. We'll get you THE REEL NEWS stickers and all but you're going to have to take me fishing more often! Also, how about writing a monthly TRN article on why you've chosen the Triumph, the boat's advantages, what you like best about it, the equipment you're outfitting it with, some boating safety and just maybe a few of your secrets?"
As the smile brightened all over again, Buc said, "Okay Jim. You've got it! And the more time you spend fishing with me the less time I'll need to have the CEOF on board. This is gonna work great!
And so Buc reports:
TRIUMPH 150
I was looking for a boat that had low maintenance and was strong enough to withstand anything that Bro-in-law Max Grommet would do to it. This boat is made out of space-age material, Roplene. The next best step. The hull is formed as a single unit in Triumph's computer-designed molds that rotates on two axes during the forming process. The internal cavities are filled with closed-cell foam metered into the flotation chambers and stringers. The Roplene and foam will absorb shock and provide a quiet, comfortable ride even in choppy water and because the hull delivers a smother ride they are designed with less deadrise for greater fuel efficiency. More fun, and fishin' per gallon. Because Roplene actually floats it's much lighter than many boats and far exceeds requirements of the U. S. Coast Guard and the double-wall construction offers absolute structural integrity.
This Roplene material will never need waxing, polishing or buffing to keep it's appearance like new, which is good because Max has refused to help anymore with the maintenance. It's impervious to saltwater, and all offerings from an extended typical Northwest fishing season. Because the surface color is saturated through the hull and deck material, there is no fading either. Blistering? Never.
Sooner or later this boat is going to make abrupt contact with a dock, beach, rock, driftwood or some other obstruction which too often can mean expensive repair of permanent scars. Roplene has five times the impact resistance of fiberglass. They tell me that Triumph boats routinely absorb this kind of punishment without damage but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough for ourselves. Since the boat color is more than skin-deep, we'll be able to polish out and remove scratches and minor dings with fine sandpaper. If denting occurs it can often be restored by evenly supporting the boat's hull and allowing the hull a few days to recover. Now that's what I'm talkin' about when it comes to low maintenance!
Because I was being so darn picky about which boat to buy, when I finally did decide on Triumph, the factory was sold out of the 2005 models and I had to wait a few weeks for the 2006 models to come off the assembly line. Lucky for me. This boat now has many BIG boat features and, in my opinion, is the most complete fishing boat for it's size on today's market. Here are the features as listed from their brochure:
- 12 volt accessory power point
- Automatic Bilge pump
- 20 qt. Baitwell
- Binnacle control with tilt and trim
- 2 bow fish box storage lockers with drain
- 21 gallon built-in fuel tank
- Center console storage
- Corrosion resistant tinned wiring
- Cup holders
- Forward casting deck
- Forward console seat with cushions
- EZ Loader galvanized trailer
- Helm seat with pivot back and 76 qt. cooler
- Instrument panel - Speedometer, tach and fuel gauge
- Level foam flotation
- All navigation lights
- 4 recessed cleats
- 2 rear seats with cushions
- Resetable circuit breakers
- Skid resistant floor, hatches and gunwales
- Stainless steel bow and stern eyes
- Stainless steel side rails
- Stainless steel steering wheel
- Stainless steel console grab rail
- Tinted windshield
- 4 vertical rod storage
The approximate dry weight of the boat is only 875 pounds and will take a maximum of 60 hp of power. It has a U.S. Coast Guard Maximum Capacity rating of five people or a dry weight of 1080 pounds of people and gear.
There are some factory options available for this particular boat. One is a fishing seat in the bow which I didn't choose. In my opinion, when you're fighting a Northwest fish, you had better be standing up and ready for the chase. Besides, another seat just gives Max more excuses to be sitting. Another option I didn't take was a swim platform. This is a fishing boat, not a swimming boat. I did opt for the Bimini top. With an open boat like this, some shade and/or rain resistance will make a day on the water more comfortable (and keep Lucy happy.)
THE TRAILER
In most cases, the boat spends a lot more time on a trailer than in the water, all hours considered. The proper support of a boat when out of the water is very important. The Roplene hull is much more impact resistant than fiberglass in part because it is slightly flexible. When the boat is on a trailer the bottom needs to be supported evenly along it's entire length to avoid distortion.
I could have bought my trailer separately but why would I? The Triumph package can be ordered and it comes with an EZ Loader bunk style trailer built to fit the boat. The supports will evenly distribute the weight of the boat, and avoid any dents or deflections from the bottom. Keep this in mind: The best way to select the right trailer is to have your dealer help you when buying the boat.
THE POWER
Man-o-man...there are more power-houses out there than you can shake a stick at and darn near all of them have their unique advantages. Max doesn't know the difference between horsepower and manpower. Lucy was a little more helpful – she wanted something that looked "sexy." I, on the other hand, had my own criteria. Mercury worked for both of us.
The official description for the outboard is ME 60ELPT 4S EFI, and all that stands for Mercury 60 hp Electric Start, long shaft, power trim, four-stroke ,electronic fuel injection. The Triumph 150 CC has a maximum power rating of 60 hp. I really don't need 60 hp to fish the waters I'm going out in and I didn't want the power to get me in trouble, I wanted the power to get me OUT of trouble. The electric start is good and hopefully I'll never have to ever pull another power cord, unless it's to start the lawnmower. It's the next best step. The power tilt and trim are a must. The long shaft and fuel-efficient fourstroke speak for themselves. The electronic fuel injection I'm really excited about. The EFI Fourstrokes feature a tuned, flexible injection system that provides an injector for each cylinder increasing fuel efficiency and performance.
As a treat to myself I added the Mercury Smartcraft. This is an in-dash monitor that compiles data on key boat and engine functions and displays it on a single compact digital monitor. I immediately know what my RPMs actually are, exactly how many gallons of fuel I've used, gallons per hour of consumption at certain speeds, and how many hours are on the motor. Kind of a neat little gizmo, just for me. And for Lucy, yes, it looks "sexy."
NEXT MONTH
My personal boat safety requirements (anti-theft stuff) and requirements per the U.S. Coast Guard. And maybe a little bit on fishin' too! 
|
