













Triton V – A Peek Down Below
It always amazes me when people trying to sell a vessel go to great lengths to tell you about how many it sleeps, how comfortable it is and I quote “features an actor winch” but tell you nothing about the age , who built it etc. Its a little like advertising on trademe – Car For Sale, 4 tyres and comfortable seats.
Putting this to one side – Triton V is 45’ in length, powered by twin Ford 120hp diesel engines, giving her a cruising speed of 8.5 knots.
There is even a nice video, but no audio https://youtu.be/Ykx_U95a0Bo
Can any of the Motueka woodys enlighten us more on Triton V.
INPUT EX RUSSELL WARD – photo below was given to RW by Layne Stephens of Triton in her original form. Russell commented she would be much more liveable with that top but he would rebuild the original.
Original owner Ken Butland used to take sea scouts out to teach navigation. She had a folding chart table and the orders would come down an ex Navy voice pipe from up top.
Triton slipped along quite well with her original petrol engines – quite a slippery wee hull.
Joe Tatham had her in the 1960s and his kids reckoned she was a real roller.
And more ex RW – Colin Wild built her but refused to do the open bridge that Ken Butland wanted. Lanes finished that off. She was a little MTB and rather tasty. Layne Stephens did the closed in wheelhouse up top in later years. More habitable but I preferred her original config. An early owner was quite tall and had the wheelhouse top raised -you can see the line. Dunno where the V came from.

AND THE WINNER OF SATURDAYS QUIZ RE THE LOCATION OF THE AUCKLAND MOTOR YACHT CLUB LOGO IS – Russel Ward . The answer was on the front door of what is now the RNZYS Training Building in Westhaven.
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Anyone hear what happened to Trition after the sale?
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So sad. Hope the finds a well heeled samaritan wo will restore her to her original splendour -hopefully with the original bridge structure.
Yeah, Ken. Dunno where the “V” came in with her name. She was always just Triton to us mere mortals. The original owner, being a pukka boating man, would have registered her and there may have been plenty of Tritons already registered. So she have to have the all on.
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https://www.trademe.co.nz/trade-me-motors/boats-marine/motorboats/auction-5432976821.htm
40’ Wooden Cruiser for sale.
Vessel sunk at mooring in May 2025. Vessel salvaged and placed on hard stand.
The vessel is being sold by Environment Canterbury as is where is.
Note: The vessel has a current wreck notice and cannot be placed in the water without Harbourmaster’s permission.
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Colin Wild built her but refused to do the open bridge that Ken Butland wanted. Lanes finished that off. She was a little MTB and rather tasty. Layne Stephens did the closed in wheelhouse up top in later years. More habitable but I preferred her original config. An early owner was quite tall and had the wheelhouse top raised -you can see the line. Im sure we’ve had all this in WW before. Dunno where the V came from.
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I Don’t know where the “V” could possibly have come from or hy it as deemed appropriate by someone, as I have known her all here life, ever since she was brand new, & she was definitely built simply as “TRITON,” for the Butlands. — KEN R
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