REPORTS FROM THE RIP: Getting Painted at Viking South.

Steve and I At Viking Before we hauled out

Last Thursday I left the new Blue Heaven at the boat yard in West Palm at Viking South. I had two days with her before I left her in the hands of the paint crew at Viking. Its kinda funny how after months of working out the deal to purchase the boat, I only got a few days with her and then I had to leave her. Best way to describe it is if you were to get a new Puppy and get to take it home for two days... Then you have to bring it to the Vet and you cant see it for a week. Some of you may just not understand, Some of you in the industry do understand where I am coming from. Oh well Just a couple more weeks and She will be mine. ( Well ours... uhmmm i mean the bosses..... You know what I mean) I will treat her as if she is mine!

Headin to the paint shed

Lower part of brow will be black

The Boat is getting her hull painted. To do this, Viking will first sand off all the antifouling paint below the waterline. then the entire hull ( which is now light green) will be sanded and primed. To do this extensive project, Viking hauled the boat out and put her in a big shed similar to an aircraft hangar. They then completely enclose the boat from the rub rail upwards in plastic. They seal it off so that no paint spray and dust from the painting gets on the topside. After the hull is sanded and primed they will reskirt the hull from the rubrail down. They will make this a fairly sterile environment. They do this because they do not want bugs or dust to get into the paint as they spray the hull. After they get the hull painted and before they clearcoat it, We are having the transom ( back of the boat where the name goes) Faux teak painted. The Faux teak is painted on and looks just like a real wood teak planked transom . The benefit of the paint as oppose to real teak, is maintenance. It is also if easily touched up if a marlins bill were to strike it. A real teak transom would have to be sanded and re done. Kelly Davis is doing the Faux Teak and the lettering on the transom. She has painted the name on the back of many of the boats I have run. She is an amazing artist. Some boats go with vinyl stick on lettering. It just does not look as good at the hand painted job that Kelly does. After the Faux Teak is painted Kelly will paint the name on the back of the boat. After that the entire hull is sprayed with a clear coat. In the past we use to just clearcoat the transom to protect the painted on name but they product they use now will stand up to time and protect the entire hull.
We are also having a Black mask painted across the lower brow of the cabin. This will give the visual effect of the windows continuing from the sides all the way around the lower cabin. One would think that the black paint would be very hot in the sun. But the paint they use has some kind of reflective ability and even during mid day, you can put your hand on it.
At that point, The bottom of the boat below the waterline will be painted with antifouling paint and then we should be done.