| The buyer arrives at his preferred choice by one of | | | | cognizant that much of the industry was going to |
| several methods. | | | | fiberglass, whether he liked it or not”. |
| But once such decisions are made, they are usually | | | | The F-series came out in 1970 - with the |
| irreversible, as with most product loyal customers. This | | | | ”F” denoting fiberglass construction. The |
| seed may have been planted years back during a | | | | F32s that you see today first appeared in the summer |
| memorable afternoon on an uncle's boat . Or perhaps | | | | of 1972 with teak on the foredecks and cockpit - a |
| it was a good article written about the boat that made | | | | design that lasted only for a short period of time . The |
| such an impression that the buyer looks for just one | | | | last F32 was built in 1992. |
| particular brand in the boating classifieds. | | | | Of the three models offered, the F32 Sedan (model # |
| Trojan certainly has its loyal following. The F32 series, | | | | 321) was by far the most popular than the F32 |
| in particular, broke all sales records. Over a period of | | | | Express (model #320) or the F32 Sports Fisherman ( |
| nearly 20 years, some 2,700 rolled off a line at that | | | | model #322). Only about 20 percent were ordered |
| Lancaster, P.A., plant - more than any other production | | | | with the long cockpit and diminished house area of the |
| boat in its size range. And the F32 is still a highly | | | | Express. And only two-or three dozen of the F32 |
| sought after boat today. | | | | Sports fishermen (model #322) were sold, according |
| “They were certainly popular because of their | | | | to Ressler. |
| space and price,” says broker Joan Kelly of | | | | Right Time, Right Place |
| McMichael Yacht Sales in | | | | The birthplace of the Trojan F32s was just east of |
| Mamaroneck, N.Y. | | | | Lancaster, P.A., about 70 miles west of Philadelphia. |
| “When one comes up far sale, if it's in good | | | | Built in the 1960s on about 55 acres, the Trojan |
| shape and has low hours, it will not last long. There | | | | planthad almost 300 employees working two shifts on |
| aren’t too many flybridges in a certain price | | | | three assembly lines - at one point all of them building |
| range - such as the Trojan F32 or the Silverton 34. | | | | F32s, recalls Ressler. |
| They had a nice traditional look, and a great fishing | | | | At its peak, production volume was between 8 and 10 |
| boat, and you can still buy them reasonably.” | | | | boats a week, he says - more than 400 a year. |
| Dollars & Cents | | | | Although today's literature says 2,700 were built |
| When introduced in 1973, the F32 Sedan sold for | | | | Ressler estimates the total number of F32s at closer |
| $29,000. Five years later, the base price of the F32 | | | | to 3,000. The ride eventually ended with the late 80s |
| sadan was up to $40,600. Equipped with the standard | | | | implosion of the boat building industry: bankruptcy and |
| 225 Chryslers and later the F32 was equipped with | | | | asset buyout. The molds for the F32's were cut into |
| 350 Crusaders V-8s, the F32 had a cruising speed | | | | pieces with a chainsaw, but notthe F32 legacy. |
| between 15 and 22 mph (2500-3000rpm), with a top | | | | “Jay” Crumlish of Chester, Md., sold |
| speed of 32.3 mph (4,ooo rpm). | | | | Trojan's for almost 18 years. His father, thelate John |
| After 1983, standard tankage was increased to 220 | | | | Joseph “J. J.” Crumlisch Jr., was Trojan's |
| gallons. Today's buyer considering a used to Trojan | | | | regional sales manager for the mid-Atlantic and |
| may find a range of $44,800 to $51,500 for a 1988 | | | | influenced his son in the direction of yacht sales. |
| F32 Sedan. A 1974 recently appeared on the Web for | | | | Crumlisch, too, remembers the Lancaster plant. At its |
| $29,500 - roughly its original price. In Massachusetts, a | | | | peak, “they were flying off a line he says. But |
| 1977 with 250s wasoffered at $39,500. | | | | the fit and cabinetry weren’t rushed.” |
| The Beginning Of The F32 | | | | Why was the F32 such popular boat? “This |
| The F32 was among Trojan’s first ventures | | | | was wider than most boats,” says |
| into fiberglass construction. From 1949 to 1964, Trojan | | | | Crumlish.” It had a good reputation and was |
| built exclusively in wood, developing a momentum and | | | | economical to run. That was certainly the heyday of |
| reputation for affordable craftsmanship. | | | | boat production, though. |
| But with the 1960 introduction of fiberglass as a building | | | | “They hit the market at the right time.” |
| material, Trojan would not be the first boat-builder to | | | | The F32 layout remained largely unchanged throughout |
| make the switch to fiberglass. Trojan president James | | | | its long production run. Sedan models have a 60 |
| R. McQueen wanted to make sure fiberglass | | | | – square-foot cockpit, and enclosed |
| construction was going to hold up under marine | | | | ”main salon” of about 73 sq. ft. that |
| conditions before committing to what would be a | | | | includes the standard lower helm to starboard, and is |
| major capital transition costs for molds, methods and | | | | simply appointed yet bright and spacious interior. |
| tooling, recalls Jim Ressler, Trojan's chief engineer from | | | | Forward, a wide V- berth is flanked port and starboard |
| 1970 to 1977. | | | | by ample shelving with hanging lockers providing the |
| “Jim McLean was very much a wood advocate | | | | privacy bulkhead. On port, the head is forward ofthe |
| and reluctant to switch to fiberglass | | | | galley, which abuts the aft bulkhead. On thestarboard, |
| construction”, says Ressler. “But he was | | | | a large dinette converts to double berth. |