Al See's Elation, a Shaw 24, Lake Ray Hubbard, Dallas, Texas (updated August 21, 2010)

May 22, 2010. Al sent in the following email and pictures.

Ron

While working to refit my minister's Kittywake, I did some web research on it and was astounded at the amount of information about his boat that was available. Since I last looked for info about my Shaw 24 yawl "Elation" in the late 90's, I looked again and found your wonderful site. Thank you for creating a harbor for Shaw 24's.

Here's a brief recap of "Elation" and if you want more I'd be pleased to provide it. Attached is a picture under full sail from 1985.

Elation is one of the Shaw 24's built in Texas out of this new material called "fiberglass". The builders clearly did not know how strong the material was because her hull measures between 3/4" and 7/8" thick with no core. Her weight is around 5,000 lbs with her tanks empty. In the mid 1980's I had a chat with Bill Shaw. He was aware of the fiberglass boats and referred to my boat as a "pirate" because, he claimed, he received no compensation from her builders. (Webmaster Note: We have some more info about this matter on Trina's page, Shaw 24 hull #1. Click here to go to it)

Her layout is quite different from "Trina's" in that she has a V-berth forward, a full bulkhead with door, hanging locker to starboard and necessary to port, full bulkhead with door, and main salon with lockers and quarter berths. This design down below explains why she has 4 portholes per side in the cabin trunk. A galley with sink is between the quarter berths and serves as a step up and out the companionway to the bridge deck. The cockpit seats take advantage of fiberglass's strength in curves and, instead of being flat, conform nicely to the human posterior. Beneath the cockpit sole lives a 10 hp Atomic 2 complete with cast iron oil pan. There is a cutout in both the keel and 1/4" iron plate rudder to allow a 9.5" bronze propeller.

She joined our family in Dallas, Texas, in December of 1982 eight months after my wife, Betsy, and I were married. She came from the Houston Yacht Club. The following fall a hurricane blew across HYC sinking the yacht then in Elation's former slip. The yacht in the slip immediately to starboard was cast into Elations former slip and also sunk. The next yacht to starboard was cast into Elation's former slip and did not sink due to the crowd on the harbor bottom beneath. Had Elation been at HYC she would have been lost beyond salvage.

After 5 years of cruising Lake Ray Hubbard, we thought we were bold to take our 1st born out for the night at the tender age of 2 months old. Our second child had the advantage of our experience and came aboard at the age of 2 weeks. For years Elation was known as the "floating crib" due to the netting from toe rail to lifeline. It took our children years before they realized that everyone didn't grow up on a boat. Now our oldest child has graduated college and, happily, has a job and an apartment in Dallas. Better yet, she has been asking "when can we go out for a night on Elation?"

I appreciate your including Shaws on your web site. I was interested to read Chip Morris was indeed involved in her building and to learn of the 2 other builders. I heard that the Texas boats were made from a mold taken from "Thumbelina" when she was first at the New Orleans Yacht Club. Sadly the local Houston "Shaw Historian" was lost at sea off the Baja before I learned much more. In the mid 1980's there were two other fiberglass Shaws in the Dallas area. One was at the Fort Worth Yacht Club where I became friends with her owner before she was sold. The other was on the hard in Plano and was interesting because the owner had both added a bowsprit and lowered the centerboard and glass over it to extend the keel.

I hope to correspond with you further.Thanks and regards,

Al See

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August 21, 2010. Al sent in an interesting bit of information about Norry Hoyt (Addicted to Sail) and his O'Day Dolphin Telltale. Click here to go there.