PAINTING THE HULL

GPS Position: 30° 40’.450 N: 86° 61’.950 W

Arrived at the Ft. Walton Beach Boat Yard around 4:00 PM. The hull is jet black and the paint appears to be a mile thick. All things considered, I personally believe the boat is better off having the barrier paint and anti-fouling, bottom paint combination, as opposed to the anti-fouling paint alone. But, that’s just my opinion. (Note: There are TWO boats in the picture to the right.)


Walter, his friend Joe and I watched while the boat was lowered into the water. It floats!!! After about half and hour, we boarded the boat and set sail for Niceville, which is about 14 miles from Ft Walton Beach.

We took our time getting to Niceville, due to the newness of the 75 hp Yanmar diesel that is the boats main engine. We ran the engine at varying rpm’s during the trip to help the breaking-in process and as a result, the trip took just less than two and a half hours. The 45cc handles very well. The steering is quick and responsive and the boat backs up extremely well. The only noticeable thing is the wheel spins fast and hard to port if you let go of the wheel under power. This will need some additional investigation later.

Once inside the marina, we secured the boat in it’s slip and set about inspecting all of the fittings and mechanical components for any sign of leaks or breakage. All appears to be in order and the boat will be commissioned after the Thanksgiving holiday.

DATE: 14 NOV 2005

GPS Position: 30° 40’.450 N: 86° 61’.950 W

Current Jumper arrived at the Ft. Walton beach Yacht Basin this afternoon. It is a HUNTER 45cc (center cockpit) Sloop that we will be taking possession of on 01 JUN 06. For the next six months or so, the boat will be the property of Bluewater Bay Yachts and part of their fleet.

I received a call from Walter Moffitt while on the way to Ft. Walton Beach. I was told that the boat was shipped from the factory without anti-fouling, bottom paint. Where I come from, this is kind of an important item to be missed by the factory.


By the time I reached the boatyard, however, Walter had the situation in hand. He had already called HUNTER and they are going to pay to have the boat sanded and painted. The two men doing the application told me they'll put six coats of barrier coating to seal and prime the hull and six coats of black anti-fouling paint to stop marine growth.

After the hull situation was remedied, Walter and I inspected the rest of the vessel; both inside and out. Initially, the boat appears to be in fairly good shape and, without unpacking everything, seems to be in good order. It will take a week to complete the hull painting, after which, we’ll motor the boat over to Niceville, FL. Here, it will be commissioned and made ready to show at the marina.