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.
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