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Garage, Galley & Hangar
GG&H
Technical Owner's Manual
Pearson TritonFIG. 1
28' 4"
PEARSON YACHTS
Pearson Triton
The Complete Owner's Reference
REV 1.0 · 140 PP
SAILBOAT · 28' 4"
GARAGE, GALLEY & HANGAR
9 chapters · 121-term glossary · 69-entry index
Sailboat · Pearson Yachts

Pearson Triton

The Pearson Triton is a Carl Alberg full-keel classic built from 1959 to 1967, one of the first fiberglass auxiliaries mass-produced in real volume and the boat that helped launch the production-sailboat industry. It suits a hands-on owner who wants a sea-kindly, offshore-capable 28-footer to refit and keep, not a turnkey cruiser. This reference is honest about the East-versus-West builder fork that decides whether you inherit a rotting balsa deck, the gasoline Atomic 4 and its hazards, and a restoration bill that routinely dwarfs the purchase price.

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A sample of what's inside

Specifications

Length overall28 ft 4 in (8.63 m)
Beam8 ft 3 in (2.51 m)
Displacement~6,930 lb (design; ~8,000 to 8,400 lb loaded/late)
Keel / RigFull keel, keel-hung rudder; three-quarter fractional sloop (early) or masthead (later), yawl offered
EngineUniversal Atomic 4 gasoline (~30 hp) standard; many now repowered to Beta or Yanmar diesel
Used market~$3k to $15k, restoration-driven

Known issues, covered honestly

  • The builder fork decides the boat: East Coast Pearson hulls have balsa-cored decks that rot into a spongy, flexing deck (the class's defining problem), while West Coast Aeromarine hulls use solid glass and sidestep it entirely.
  • The standard gasoline Atomic 4 carries a full hazard regime (blower, flame arrestor, ignition-protected gear, tank bonding), which is exactly why so many survivors have been diesel-repowered.
  • Chainplates leak into plywood bulkheads or knees and rot the structure the rig loads into, and the deck-stepped mast is carried by an under-built wooden beam that caves the cabin top.
  • Original bronze seacocks are commonly found seized, and on a 60-year-old hull the restoration cost ($20k to $40k-plus) trivializes the purchase price.

…and the full survey guide, service schedules, systems, and parts sourcing in the complete volume.

Custom Edition

Make it your boat.

We fold in your year, your engine, your electronics and refits, your hull number, and your vessel name and your own boat's photo on the cover. The book stops describing the boat that left the factory and starts describing the one in your slip.

$260
personalized to your vessel