Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-14
WATER
LINE
BY HANK BOWMAN

The other day, I, along with
hundreds of batherS and pool
side sun worshippers at the
Olympic-sized swimming pool
of Houston's Shamrock Hotel,
witnessed the weirdest boat
launching since 357 Nubian
slaves lugged Cleopatra's barge
on their shoulders down the
banks of the Nile.
No lutes played but a four
man combo beat out a solid
four as a giant l70-foot boom
crane lifted a 28-foot, Atom
inboard cabin cruiser over the
roofs of the hotels lanai apart
ments, towering palm trees and
deposited the No. l production
Triumph cabin cruiser into the
baby blue pool water.
After Houston's Mayors wife
squashed a bottle of NUNS over
the bow. state dignitaries had
been introduced, models had
traipsed the Triumph's deck as
hundreds of flash bulbs popped,
a helicopter with a TV crew
shot the scene from above and
an NC lauded the new boats
features, hors d'oeuvres and
poolside bars grabbed the
spectator limelight.
Not too many years ago a
pleasure boat in Texas was as
rare as a longhorn steer grazing
in Times square.
Not so today. Texans have
given up the saddle for V-bunkS
and bulldogging for water ski
ing.
The boating craze has swept
through Texas like a locust
blight and the only thing Lone
Star Staters still prefer to water
recreation is the soothing MUIR
muir of flowing oil.
x 4
What manner of Texas first
is this craft? Why the fanfare?
! Well, sub, the new Triumph
of Texas opened this Yankee
boys eyes to luxury boating.
First of all the Triumph
though designed by a skilled
naval architect, shows the
creative influence and freedom
from stodgy custom of its man.
ufacturer, Stonecrafters, build.
err of luxury bank and depart
ment store fixtures.
The Triumph's hull is Of
modified-V design. 1t is Of
fiberglasS construction, up tt
7s-inch thick where beef il
needed.
She's rugged, with oak string.
erS for stress, watertight bulk
heads and air chambers fol-
safety, and a pair of va 2O(
horsepower Crusaders for speed
She represents an escape
from tradition with such
unique features as a camille.
vered aircraft carrier foredeck
a disappearing cabin wind
shield with a walk-througf
! hatch, glarefree reverse canteC
flying bridge windshield anC
solid teak planked decks.
Safety glass and aluminium
screens are standard equip
ment.
She's fitted with electro
, refrigeration. stove and boil
. IL and 120-volt current. tn
latter supplied by an auxiliar,
generator.
The 6-foot-3 headroom, four
/ sleeper cabin is really main
tenance free from its why
flooring to plush mildew ant
fireproof white shag ceilin
{ upholstery and m a ogan,
! grained formica covering al
exposed interior surfaces.
: The cabin interior can b
hosed down as simply as he
skidproof straited rubber
= scanned bleached teak decks.
= Only $50 models will be bull
: this year but her manufacture
I has already broken ground o.
a tract of land on the Sal
Jacinto River where a neN
+ plant will be able to handl
t production of three units
day.
!. The Triumph carries a pric
Tag of $4,000. That's abou
$3.50 a foot. son, but each foo
= is real, whitewater, nfodeE
5 luxury living.
My only regret after a $50
!, mile round-trip to attend tn
4 launching was that 1 didn'
win a Triumph as a door prize