Subliminal messages made national news in the 1950s when television
advertisers were accused of flashing secret codes like 'Drink Coke' or 'Geritol Cures Iron Poor
Blood' in ads that were too fast for the human eye to see, but supposedly brainwashed viewers to
consume gallons of both products. It turned out that subliminal brainwashing had about as much
scientific merit as the theory about fluoride in drinking water being a Communist plot to take over
America.
But there are definite subliminal rewards to choosing the right name. Would 'The Rock,' a
wrestler and movie star, be the tough-guy idol he is now if he'd gone by his real name, Dwayne?
Where would the SUV market be now if the Ford Explorer had been called Grasshopper?
In the same way, Triton ' named for Neptune's son and rhyming with 'Titan' ' gives you a
strong sense of confidence. Titan, according to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, is 'one who stands
out in greatness or power; or one who excels in greatness or achievement.'
While that definition might be bulking it up a bit for Triton's 2286, which Boating World
tests in Stuart, Florida, the center console does exude a sense of inherent strength for its
compact size, even in the choppy waters on the St. Lucie River. The 2286 is one of four 22-foot
center consoles that Triton builds, and is arguably the most versatile of the four. The 220TS and
22 Seaflight are designed for fishing in shallow waters, with lower gunwales and more foredeck
space for casting, and the 2200 has 'Offshore' written on its center console, so it's meant to be a
bluewater machine. But the 2286 is more of an all-round angling machine, with a deck layout aimed
at the plug-caster, live-liner, troller or bait fisherman. When one species doesn't happen to be
biting, it's time to try another.
Alas, the fish aren't biting any way you try them today, but you have a good chance to see
how the 2286 handles in rough-ish water. The two-foot chop isn't exactly stay-at-home material, but
denture wearers should've lathered on the Polygrip before leaving the dock or suffered the
consequences. Being a 22-footer, you don't just slice through waves. There's some pounding and
wave-jumping, but minimal rattling. The impression it delivers is that of substance.
The boat feels solid, even running at its top end of 44.6 mph in the slop. It has a sharp
entry foreward, with a 20-degree deadrise at the transom. The 2286 is rated to carry twin outboards
up to 250 hp, but the new 200-hp Evinrude E-TEC on the back seems like the right size for this
boat. It gives it a decent top end and is a fuel miser at mid-range. At trolling speed, this engine
isn't as quiet as some of the big 4-strokes, but that was by design. Manufacturer BRP believes that
boaters should know that the boat's running, even at idle. At other points of the power curve, the
big-block E-TEC is right on par with the 4-strokes, but significantly lighter, so it doesn't weigh
down the transom. The boat is also available with Mercury, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki or Johnson power.
The 2286 is set up for fishing, with a 25-gallon transom livewell, two 95-quart fishboxes,
17-inch-wide tackle box with five drawers, four rocket launchers on the helm seat, and another pair
on the gunwales. The boat also has low-profile grabrails and six pull-up 'no-snag' cleats. There's
also a 233-quart storage box up front in the bow that can serve as a casting platform. The transom
step-through is 12 inches wide, and there's a 19-inch-by-19-inch opening on the transom that gives
you access to the oil.
Though rated for eight passengers, it's definitely more of a fishing machine than family
wagon. You could squeeze a kid onto the helm seat between the driver and another passenger, and
there are decent grabrails on the optional T-top, but it's not a Sunday family boat, as many center
consoles claim to be. It does have a few features for the kids, though, like a walk-in console
where you can keep a portable head, and a cooler built into the console. Also, a Ritchie compass,
lockable dash box, self-draining anchor locker and 12-volt accessory plug are nice standard
features. A raw-water washdown and courtesy lights are standard.
Even if the fish don't happen to be biting, the 2286 is a pleasure to drive down the St.
Lucie River. The boat, as mentioned, has a rock-solid feel, and that's due to the titan-like
construction techniques Triton builds into all its boats. The manufacturer uses wood-free composite
construction through the hull and transom, so that there's no rotting or potential delamination
(wood can also soften over time, which causes fasteners to pull loose).
Triton employs a unibody construction, in which the stringer, hull and deck are all
chemically bonded, forming a single structural unit. That translates into less flex and a firmer
ride. The hand-laid glass hull is also joined to a composite stringer system with structural beams
and multiple crossmembers that provide extra strength and rigidity. The stringers are built to
unusually high tolerances, so there are no gaps between the hull and stringer. The stringers are
cored with flotation foam. Storage boxes, fishboxes, livewells, inner liners and hull sides are
foamed for greater flotation and sound-proofing.
The transom, which is often fiberglassed plywood on many boats, is also composite, and is
full-width, running all the way from port to stern. The wide transom, made of the same materials as
the stringers, absorbs stress better ' which translates into the structural strength of the hull.
The hull, stringers and transom carry a lifetime warranty for the original owner, and a
transferable warranty of up to 10 years for the second owner. That's a good sign the company
believes in its products.
The 2286 comes with a long list of options for you to choose from, including a battery of
Lowrance fishfinders and GPS, T-Top with radio box, outriggers, bow cushion to cover the raised
deck, and footrests. In addition to that, there are 17 colors to choose from ' black to finesse
blue to yellow.
The test 2286 is the Fighting Lady Yellow, which is an eye-soothing subtle color that
delivers the subliminal message that this compact boat might look pretty, but the Triton label on
the side means it's a giant among center consoles.