NEW BOAT • Jefferson Rivanna SE 45
Jefferson marks its silver anniversary with a smart new model

LOA: 44’ 7”
Beam: 14’ 5”
Draft: 4’
Displacement: 31,000 lbs.
Fuel/water: 420/200 U.S. gallons
Power: 2 x Cummins QSB 5.9 @ 355
mhp
Top speed: 21 knots
Cruising speed: 18.5 knots

As 2007 marks the silver anniversary year for Jefferson Yachts, its interesting to see just how far this boatbuilding company has come from simple beginnings on the Ohio River in America’s Heartland. In 1982, after a successful career founding Kentuckiana Yacht Sales and co-founding Gibson Fiberglass, which pioneered fiberglass houseboats, Leon Shaw began building motoryachts in Taiwan to his designs for export to the U.S. The cornerstones of his boats were comfortable accommodations, convenience and accessibility. His first vessel, a Jefferson 48 cockpit motoryacht launched the business. Fast forward 500 boats, and Jefferson now builds five lines of yachts between facilities in Taiwan, China and southern Indiana. Through the years, Shaw has seen many changes, such as the shift from gasoline engines to diesel, but the biggest change is in communications with his Asian partners.
“There was no e-mail, no faxes, no cell phones when we started. We had to do all our business with letters and telex,” recalls Shaw. Today, Shaw’s son, David, ...

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