Hello from Pilot Mt, NC (170 SC 2002)

[HiSport]

Just a quick note to say Hello...

Purchased a used Triumph 170 last Friday. Spent the weekend cleaning it up. Seems a nice little boat

I joined the forum to find out how to care for and maintain the 170. Believe it was originally sold as a "170 Bass". I will be using it in local lakes here, primarily for fly fishing

Recently retired, I have had a number of boats over the years. Never a polyethylene one like this (except maybe a canoe?), but numerous fiberglass sailboats, a tin Duranautic (good but v noisy), a bowrider inboard Bayliner (yep; crap, but the kids loved it), a Parker 19, two Grady's (24 gulfstream; 22 seafarer), and (most recently, while living in Oriental, NC), a 17 McKee CC (wonderful)

This time around, I needed something relatively light for towing (behind my VW Westfalia fish car), and was looking at v small bass boats and slightly bigger tin boats. Came across the Triumph, and was lucky enough to connect with Carl Merritt (of Merritt Marine in Hillsborough). Carl knows these boats inside out, and gave it a thumbs up after we chatted. Which is good, because I might have ended up with a garish metal flake candy apple red Ranger ; )

Cheers, john

 

[Push&Pull]

Just a quick note to say Hello...

Which is good, because I might have ended up with a garish metal flake candy apple red Ranger ; )

Cheers, john

No worries, I don't think the fish are fashion conscious.

Congrats & Welcome aboard.

 

[Harper]

Welcome, John.

 

[NCangler]

Welcome aboard John! Good move on purchasing a Triumph from Carl at Merritt Marine. Good folks! Our family owns a home on the Oriental waterfront (www.thestallingshouse.com). Do you still live down there? If so I'll be looking for that 170 on the water!

 

[cgg]

Welcome HiSport. I have a 2012 170CC I fly fish out of in saltwater around Cape Cod, where I live, and also Cape Lookout, where I go for a few weeks in the fall. I've done a few mostly minor mods to my 170 to make it more fly friendly. Just let me know if you have any questions. And if you make any modifications to your 170 please post pics here--I'm always looking for new ideas. Have fun.

Outside The Hook @ Cape Lookout last fall. I'm trying to clear the line after an albie hit right at the boat!

 

[NCangler]

Great photo cgg!

 

[HiSport]

Welcome aboard John! Good move on purchasing a Triumph from Carl at Merritt Marine. Good folks! Our family owns a home on the Oriental waterfront (www.thestallingshouse.com). Do you still live down there? If so I'll be looking for that 170 on the water!

Many thanks! My wife (Kathy Kellam) and I lived on Neuse Drive in Oriental, just down the road from your place (Stallings House, next to Lou Mac Park?). We loved Oriental. Moved to Pilot Mt area ~ 5 years ago.
Sorry if I was misleading, but actually bought my little Triumph locally, after calling Merritt to see about the price of a new one. I was lucky; Carl Merritt answered the phone. I would buy a boat from him in a heartbeat (but he had no new or used Triumphs, and shared that Larson was shutting down Triumph operations in MN?)
Thanks again to you and others for the warm welcome. Seems like this is a great forum!

john

 

[NCangler]

Yes the Stallings House. Carl is a great resource for any info on Triumph/Logic boats. Merritt Marine was the first Logic dealer in the US and has consistently had the largest selection of previous year Triumph/Logic parts and supplies. And yes we heard that Larson stopped manufacturing the Triumph line last November. The hope is that someone will pick up the brand and start the line again. It would be great if they could move manufacturing back to Durham, NC!

 

[HiSport]

Welcome HiSport. I have a 2012 170CC I fly fish out of in saltwater around Cape Cod, where I live, and also Cape Lookout, where I go for a few weeks in the fall. I've done a few mostly minor mods to my 170 to make it more fly friendly. Just let me know if you have any questions. And if you make any modifications to your 170 please post pics here--I'm always looking for new ideas. Have fun.

Outside The Hook @ Cape Lookout last fall. I'm trying to clear the line after an albie hit right at the boat!
View attachment 18794

Beautiful photo, cgg!
I have fished the Fall albie run off Cape Lookout as well. First time was with George Beckwith - a master at chasing birds and putting you on fish. Great fun!
Carl Merritt had suggested that I look for a (later model) 170CC, but the "170 Bass" will be fine for what I now do - mostly lake and river fly fishing for smallmouth. It has a (bow mount) trolling motor as part of the package, and an aft casting deck. Plus, lots of places to snag a flyline. I might try using a stripping bucket
Thanks for mods help; I will search the forum archives for yours. At present, I'm still trying to figure out the battery draining bilge pump feature, and what all those thruhulls in the transom are for. And, looking for a wiring diagram...
Does your (four stroke?) 50 Suz move things along all right? Mine is equipped with a 2 stroke 50 Yam, though I see the boat is rated for 75 on the USCG plate
Compliments again on that wonderful picture.

 

[cgg]

Beautiful photo, cgg!
I have fished the Fall albie run off Cape Lookout as well. First time was with George Beckwith - a master at chasing birds and putting you on fish. Great fun!
Carl Merritt had suggested that I look for a (later model) 170CC, but the "170 Bass" will be fine for what I now do - mostly lake and river fly fishing for smallmouth. It has a (bow mount) trolling motor as part of the package, and an aft casting deck. Plus, lots of places to snag a flyline. I might try using a stripping bucket
Thanks for mods help; I will search the forum archives for yours. At present, I'm still trying to figure out the battery draining bilge pump feature, and what all those thruhulls in the transom are for. And, looking for a wiring diagram...
Does your (four stroke?) 50 Suz move things along all right? Mine is equipped with a 2 stroke 50 Yam, though I see the boat is rated for 75 on the USCG plate
Compliments again on that wonderful picture.

Capt. Brian Horsley was nice enough to take that pic when he saw me get hit. He and his wife Sarah Gardner are the premier albie guides at Harkers IMO--great people.

I'd love to see a pic of your rear casting deck. Actually I would love to see a pic of the whole lay out--I am not familiar with the Bass model.

Basically I took off all my bow rails and seat backrests in the stern. Got rid of the bow cleats that snagged fly lines and added a collapsible bow cleat and folding cleats on the gunnels--I trailer my boat, so I don't need to moor it. I just need something to tie up to the dock with while I move the truck. My bow is very "fly friendly" now, but the stern isn't. Just too much stuff there with the seats and motor and I have fly rod storage along the gunnels etc. So I wear the stripping basket when by myself, or with a friend and I am in the stern. I don't mind--I have shore fished with stripping baskets for years.

About the "battery draining bilge pump"--mine had both an automatic switch and a manual switch. I did not like the automatic switch--it would turn on if I got enough water in the bilge, but it would not turn off reliably. Because I trailer the boat and it does not sit in the water I do not need the auto-switch feature so I disconnected that. Now my bilge pump just operates from the manual switch on the console--that works fine.

My 50 4stroke Suzuki does fine IMO. With an aluminum 14 pitch 'zuki prop I get 32 mph in flat calm with a WOT. A 15 pitch prop gets 34 mph, but the 14 gets going better from idle. A 75 hp motor would go crazy fast, but would also be a lot more weight in the stern which I don't want at all. If I had to repower tomorrow I'd look at the 60hp on the same block as my 50, but I don't want a bigger block 75 and more weight. BTW, the Suzuki manual says my 50 4stroke weighs 225 lbs.

And I did manage to clear the line and get that fish--Brian Horsely took another pic a few moments later--
Capt. Horsely takes many gorgeous pics of fly fishing in NC, Mexico, Central America and other places. Google his name and Outer Banks Fly Fishing and check out his website and/or Facebook page or Instagram

 

[HiSport]

I'd love to see a pic of your rear casting deck. Actually I would love to see a pic of the whole lay out--I am not familiar with the Bass model.

Basically I took off all my bow rails and seat backrests in the stern. Got rid of the bow cleats that snagged fly lines and added a collapsible bow cleat and folding cleats on the gunnels--I trailer my boat, so I don't need to moor it. I just need something to tie up to the dock with while I move the truck. My bow is very "fly friendly" now, but the stern isn't. Just too much stuff there with the seats and motor and I have fly rod storage along the gunnels etc. So I where the stripping basket when by myself, or with a friend and I am in the stern. I don't mind--I have shore fished with stripping baskets for years.

Thanks, cgg - another gorgeous photo. Believe I may have met Cap Horsley via CCA when I lived in Oriental. Ain't Harkers a magical place?
Can't believe that you boated that fish. My albies all break off if I so much as touch the flyline

I will post pics of my "170 Bass" for you as soon as I get my ducks in a row. I can see the "170 Bass" ghosted on the starboard side console from old decals (most of which I have finished pressure washing off the boat and trailer).

The aft platform is located where you're standing in the pic; it contains a central live well and two hatched storage boxes. There is a baitwell in front of the helm station, though looks like the feed plumbing has been removed. Port side amidships is a lockable rod cabinet. Four folding swivel seats (and a cushion + cover on the baitwell). As I do mostly catch/release, I'll probably simplify things quite a bit, following your lead

From all the 3M 5200? gooped around the motor mounting and transom tie down points, I suspect this boat takes on water. Following old forum threads, I've ordered a couple extra 4" access ports (for the splash well) so that I can get in and really examine all the plumbing, etc (Its either that or find a very flexible girlfriend with super skinny arms). I'm resolved to do this before finding myself 2 miles from shore with wet shoes. The idea that there may be no accessible seacock between one of those thuhulls and a 15 year old livewell pump (or similar) is sobering. And, whose bright idea were those dime sized transom bilge drains? Are they threaded, or just grooved? Mine came with v loose fitting rubber plugs. And, and... that (hidden) stringer "inner hull" drain didn't let any water out (after I finally found it), but it sure as hell would let water in! Appreciate your "automatic" bilge pump tip; now I fathom why the PO installed a (Harbor Freight?) battery disconnect and a (get this) permanently mounted 18" x 24" solar panel. The take off junk pile is a'growing...

Thanks also for advice on motor size. I'm good with a little 50, as long as it will plane comfortably with two on board. And, my last outboard boat - a lovely, fast McKee 17CC - had a 115 suz 4 stroke that was simply too heavy for the transom. So, I appreciate the need to keep this little Triumph trimmed correctly. Carl Merritt (a real gem) also suggested keeping the motor as light as possible. I checked, and my yam 50 TRLA 2 stroke is 190 lbs; a yam 60 or 70 4 stroke is 250 lbs, and a yam 75 4 stroke jumps to 335 lbs (the suz 115 was ~ 405lbs). I'm going to renew the water pump, etc before using the little yam 50

Glad I subscribed to this forum. I've been reading through the 170 forum, and picking up some great tips. Looking forward to seeing your fly fishing mods...

 

[cgg]

HiSport--just saw the above post--sounds like you are off to a great start. And your previous experience with other boats sure helps. My Triumph is the first boat I have ever had, so I have been learning as I go, but my 2012 170CC was also "new old stock" when I got it in April '14 so I did not have too many issues.

I just uncovered it yesterday and put the battery in and started to clean her up. She started right up when I put on the "ear muffs" and ran water through them, so that's nice. Spring comes later up here, so I will fool around with some small projects and probably test her in a big local lake sometime over the next couple weeks, but I don't expect to really be fishing for bass or blues for another month.

I'll take some pics of some of the things I have done and added which make my fly fishing better and post them here.

Have fun and keep us updated on how your 170 is doing.

 

[Shallowminded]

Got my eye on that Yam 70 should my 60 ever go. Same weight and since it already moves out pretty good with the 60, it ought to be pretty sweet with the 70. Given that the 75 only offers up 5 more hp, I would not want the extra 85 pounds. But, given that it's a Yamaha, I don't think my 60 will be going any time soon.