With one of the largest paint booth facilities on the East Coast, stretching 100’ wide, 145’ long, and 42’ high, Hinckley Yacht Services Portsmouth attracts paint refit projects from near and far. Recently, the team in Portsmouth was approached with a unique request from a long-standing customer—an extensive paint refit for their 72’ custom ocean racer, Vesper, inspired by an acrylic painting from the world-renown artist, Susan Swartz.
Swartz’s painting, “Summer Bliss,” captures elements of nature with striations of green, yellow and blue. Swartz’s rich textures express the beauty of being near water during bright, summer months – moments that bring gratitude and joy. Working collaboratively with Swartz, Mac Design out of Newport, RI and the yacht’s captain, Hinckley Service Manager, Lat Spinney, and Paint Foreman, Dave Gouveia, developed a strategy to bring “Summer Bliss” to life on the hull of Vesper.
The timing could not have been better for such an exciting project. Both of Hinckley’s Portsmouth paint booths just completed a full refurbishment and upgrade in October. Not only did Vesper christen the nearly all new paint booth, but she had the opportunity to take advantage of the latest technology from Awlgrip. AwlgripHDT, delivers unprecedented shine, color saturation, and durability. Continually driving innovation and unmatched quality, Hinckley Yacht Services Portsmouth is one of the leading facilities in the country offering this new high-definition technology. The paint crew has completed 15 AwlgripHDT paint refits since launching this new offering and is slated to complete 45 projects before the end of the winter season.
From selecting a custom hull paint color to complement the acrylic painting to implementing the applied graphics designed by Mac Design from scans of the original artwork, Spinney and Gouveia worked fastidiously with Vesper’s captain to ensure every detail was exquisitely executed. In addition to the extensive hull paint job, the refit included all new SeaDek and nonskid application.
When the project was completed this week, Vesper’s captain underscored that once again “working with the crew at Hinckley was a pleasure. They were professional and courteous at all times—and their door was always open. We are thrilled with the end product achieved on time and on budget.”
Looking back on the project, Gouveia pointed out, “at Hinckley, we work together cohesively as a team alongside other Hinckley service departments to accommodate customer needs, stick to timelines, and facilitate access to the boats. It’s our experience working together and the relationships we develop with our customers is what makes Hinckley special.”
If you’re interested in a paint refit or learning more about the wide array of offerings from Hinckley Yacht Services Portsmouth, please email General Manager Tara Regan at tregan@hinckleyyachts.com.
