A Nice Visit with Scott at Triton Marine

Pat Anderson

New member
Patty and I had arranged to meet with Scott at the Triton Marine factory yesterday, specifically to get a bit of teak trim for our dinette project, which we will be doing to match our new galley counter top. Scott was gracious enough to come in on a Saturday afternoon to accommodate us since we are only up north at Birch Bay for the long weekend. When we got there, Scott had C-Brats up on his computer screen, I think he was answering a question about inspection ports on the cockpit floor or something. So great to have this kind of interaction again!

There was a new CD25 on the floor that Scott said would be finished next week and was headed for North Carolina. There are a couple of CD22s on the schedule, including one for George in Nanaimo. He mentioned that they would like to have a link on their web site for pictures of each boat while they are building it so the owner can see all the stages of the build - a great idea, and I hope they are able to implement it, we were very fortunate to live close to the factories in Kent and Auburn while our CD22 and CD25 respectively were being built, and factory visits to see the progress definitely made the waiting a bit easier!

The factory is doing about three boats a month and Scott thought they would be hard pressed to do more than five in that facility. So that is right there with the Kent facility, where they were straining to do six. Scott mentioned that the C-Dory line is really great for them because it has the CD16 and CD19 models at the entry level, which neither Skagit Orka nor Osprey has.

The main thing we left with is that Scott (and no doubt Jeff and the other Lindhout brothers) are all a lot more relaxed now that all the bank stuff is behind them - it was a very stressful experience, and now they are looking forward to doing what they do best, which is building boats. Scott was quite appreciative of all the suggestions for improving the various C-Dory models. Scott will evaluate all the suggestions but he is going to focus on something I think that all of us will appreciate - making every system that periodically breaks and needs repair or replacement accessible and more easily removable. This was a feature of Sea Sports and a pretty glaring issue on the current C-Dorys, and for sure it is on our CD25, where you would have to cut fiberglass to get to a lot of stuff, like the water tank. A lot of small improvements in accessibility of systems in my view will add up to a major improvement.

Anyway, just wanted to report that things are looking good at the factory, and that once again, we have real people that we can talk to at the C-Dory factory. All in all, a very pleasant afternoon, thanks Scott!


 
Pat that sounds like great news. I really want to see these folks succeed, and I would love to have significant interaction between the factory and the CBrats. The report on fixing repairability issues is great news for us. That they are considering our suggestions is equally good.

Thanks for sharing!
 
Thats great... now I hope some of the dealers will have some inventory that they can sell..... I understand the dealer in Ventura sold his last boat... He used to have four or five in stock all the time....

When I bought my boat, I called a dealer and luckly he had boats already in production so I was able to buy one of those....and avoid the long production waiting list....

Joel
SEA3PO
 
Thanks for that, Pat. I believe the 25 Cruiser you were looking at is coming to me in NC. Scott has been in contact with me several times about the progress being made plus a couple of custom details that he is taking care of. I've received a dozen photos of the build process. Sure makes one appreciate all that goes into building one of these boats! I think we should also keep in mind that while it is always great to hear from Scott on this site, he is also communicating directly with those whose boats he is currently building on a regular basis. Scott has a lot on his plate and from my experiences with him so far he's doing a darn good job. From what I've heard, a lot better than the last owners.
 
thanks for the report Pat. I'm excited to get the new CD22 'Kerri On" She has a name already and plans for travel are coming along.
I intend for this boat to be well traveled, she will be home for most of the coming years somewhat like Bill and El. Looking forward to a visit at the factory in a few weeks myself to see how she is coming along. Life is uncertain folks let's get on with what we want to be doing. George
 
Pat, Thanks too for the report. Good to hear good news. I'm sure joefish and ghone are both excited to know they have boats in progress.

:?: :?: Not the biggest concern I'm sure, but did you happen to notice the aft lazarette hatches? Are they the new and improved, horizontal application ones, like what Joel (C3PO) made available to everyone that wanted the update? When we were at the factory in June, that is one of the things that Scott/Jeff said they would take care of.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Harvey, I did not look at the aft lazarette hatches, sorry!


hardee":1zi03vqo said:
:?: :?: Not the biggest concern I'm sure, but did you happen to notice the aft lazarette hatches? Are they the new and improved, horizontal application ones, like what Joel (C3PO) made available to everyone that wanted the update? When we were at the factory in June, that is one of the things that Scott/Jeff said they would take care of.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
It is great to see that Triton is back on track to making boats and not fighting with the banker.
I also notice that Scott thinks the smaller, cheaper CD's were selling in this poor economy.
My suggestion ( made to Fluid also)..........make a fisherman's day boat in the 22' and 25' CD models. Leave out the stove, refer, water tanks/pumps/sinks/showers, heads etc. It would lower the purchase price down to a more affordable level. Day fishermen do not need or use that stuff. They just want a dry, seaworthty and affordable boat to go out for a days fishing. It is not a motel room or water home to them. Make them in long and short cabin models.
Just my idea.
Good luck with your boat building and sales.
 
I sent a PM to Scott today and received a response in less than 12 hours. Actually less than 10 minutes, but I didn't get back on the site for 12 hours.

I was asking about the lazarette covers they are using, referencing the ones many of us ordered from Joel (SEA3PO), that are spec’d for horizontal use. His reply indicates that they are using the new larger, horizontal application covers now and the first boat out of the shop with them will be going to Master Marine later this month.

It’s nice to have his response.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
All really good news! If we were ever thinking of another C-Dory it sounds like the quality would be up to par.


Fred, Pat and Mr. Grey(the cat)
 
I have no doubt. Unlike prior owners (except the original owners) of C-Dory, Scott Boysen is a boat builder first and foremost, with 22 years of experience building boats. He lives and breathes fiberglass, resin and gelcoat. In this new, downsized C-Dory, with Scott overseeing every aspect of design and production, you are going to get an excellent build out of Triton.

teflonmom":11vspqdq said:
All really good news! If we were ever thinking of another C-Dory it sounds like the quality would be up to par.


Fred, Pat and Mr. Grey(the cat)
 
Plus Scott is accessable. Something he can be in the new lean mean Triton machine. I expect that to fade in direct proportion to their future growth, but the impression I got was that he is dedicated to keeping close contact with C-Dory customers and if it isn't Scott personally it will be qualified (and responsible) staff. He ain't no dummy fer sure, little nephew. Brats represent an awesome group of future customers and a wealth of new ideas. Why ignore a proven "honey hole" to fish elsewhere?

Don
 
This is very good news for those of us who understand what C-Dory boating is all about. They are definitely a niche boat, with a strong following. Having a communicative manufacturer doesn't mean a weakened dealer relationship. The two previous owners were somewhere between lax and indifferent in communicating with owners and potential buyers. I had concerns regarding the Triton folks (formerly SeaSport) since there was SO little interaction here in the past year; but this new effort toward participation here gives me hope.

The average C-Dory buyer doesn't walk into a dealership, look around, and say, "Oh, the red is pretty; we'll take that one." Rather, they already know the brand and want to visit with some boat owners to ask questions. OR (as in our case), they know how they will use a boat and they go in search of the boat that will best suit their needs. We were over 1,000 miles from the nearest dealer, so this forum was our primary source of information.

There are still people buying new boats... certainly NOT in the quantities of a few years ago. BUT, the C-Dory is a unique boat that will be well-suited for many in this current economic situation: versatile, economical to operate, and durable. Getting themselves in the right production position for the demand will go a long ways to insure the success of Triton. Being responsive to potential buyers and current owners is also important.

Building a good boat isn't enough these days (see the thread on Nordic Tugs). A manufacturer has to be responsive and accessible as this market now dictates a boat-by-order sales model instead of walking into a dealership and picking out your favorite color that's on the sales lot. Dealers will obviously need something to show buyers, but not get inventory shoved down their throats. Buyers will want to know that they can call someone (dealer or manufacturer) with a question and get a response.

A boat isn't a bunch of fiberglass, a motor, and some systems put together... for most of us, it is the realization of a dream. It is the expectations of how we will USE the boat. It is sea breezes on our face, puffy white clouds on deep blue skies over equally blue water. It is a fish on the line or a toast at sunset. It is convenient usage so the owner WANTS to spend more time onboard. It is satisfied owners enthusiastically answering questions from looky-loos. It is pride of ownership and exploring new waters. The previous two owners didn't understand this - they thought they were just building boats. I am hopeful that the Triton folks understand how special these boats are and how enthusiastic the owners can be. Participation here helps fuel the dream and the expectations. For ALL of us.

I hope this is a sign of things to come... and the renewal of the commitment to the boats we love.

Best wishes,
Jim Bathurst
Wild Blue, CD-25
 
That was a very well written statement thanks Jim. I could not agree more, interaction between builder and clients, both previous and new, is key in todays market. Now that the fiasco of the last year is behind us, I will be spending much more time here answering questions, supplying ideas and submitting my own questions. As the brand starts its new resurgence it is critical that both ends of this party are pulling for the betterment of the brand, so keep your ideas and comments coming and lets grow this together.

Sincerely,

Scott
 
Yes Jim, very well said :thup

I can remember stopping by the factory in 2003 to have a center window installed following our first trip north with our dream boat. We couldn't contain our enthusiasm about how great we thought the boat and all the different unique places a couple of boat novices like us had just come back from (up and down the Lynn canal, Alaska, the Yukon River, and Yukon glacier lakes). They worked us in and did a good job on the window on very short notice, but were entirely blazay about our enjoyment of the boat and how great we thought it performed for us. Remember thinking. What a shame these people are making wonderful unique boats and are all fired up about selling them, but have no understanding of the people who might want to upgrade or by word of mouth sell many more for them.

Jay
 
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