2001 Beneteau Custom 65 Sailing Yacht Project

Manitowoc Marina recently completed the hull refinishing of “Blue Sky Messenger”, a 2001 Custom Beneteau 65 Sailing Yacht.  She was painted in Awl Grip Flag Blue, with white boot stripes and gold cove stripe, and was one of three yachts painted Flag Blue this winter at Manitowoc Marina.

“Blue Sky Messenger” was not your typical paint job.  In addition to being one of the largest boats we’ve refinished, there were several extra steps in the process, necessitated by the original construction methods.  Beneteau built the hull out of fiberglass and kevlar, but the molding was done in reverse.  Instead of using a female mold (gel coat sprayed first, followed by layers of bi-directional fiberglass & kevlar roving), they employed a male mold, building the hull from the inside out.  This method resulted in a very uneven exterior hull surface, which required fairing material to smooth it out before the gel coat was applied.  The original hull surface was noticeably wavy and beginning to show hairline cracks.

The first step was to grind off the existing fairing material from the waterline up, exposing the laid-up composite.  The exposed surface was prepped and two coats of 545 Primer were sprayed on & sanded, then a coat of Ultra-Build was applied & sanded.  This was followed by the fairing process, which involved mixing and spreading 100 gallons of fairing compound over the surface of the hull, then boarding it into the proper shape.  Once the Awl-Fair dried, it was sanded, covered with a coat of Ultra-Build then sanded again, and a coat of 545 Primer was sprayed.  This was sanded and the Top-Coat shot (3 coats of Flag Blue), followed by two coats of Clear-Coat.

750 hours of labor went into this project, and the results we achieved were nothing short of spectacular.  The above picture doesn’t do justice to the quality of the finish.  The hull has a high gloss to it and reflects its surroundings evenly and without distortion.

If you’re interested in improving your reflection, give us a call.  We would be delighted to provide you with an Estimate on refinishing your Pride & Joy.