The old adage about watching paint dry refers to something incredibly boring. Well, thanks to time-lapse video, watching a superyacht paint job dry can actually be fun. The video here was shot at Thunderbolt Marine by the captain of the 102-foot (31.1-meter) expedition yacht Beothuk. He condensed the four-month-long task into just 55 seconds.
Although the paint job took place a year ago in the summer, the video just became available from Capt. Jerry Samuelson now. The task took four months because, as Samuelson explains, it “required pulling everything off the boat that was not welded. The owner has very high standards and a keen eye for detail, so the work had to be good.”
Beothuk was in the climate-controlled paint shed added by Georgia-based Thunderbolt Marine a few years ago. “We specifically went to Thunderbolt shipyard for their spray booth, overhead crane, and general cleanliness of the yard,” Samuelson explains. If you’ve never stepped inside such a structure, it’s pretty impressive. The painting bay at Thunderbolt Marine stands 90 feet (32.6 meters) high at the door. This obviously accommodates far taller megayachts than Beothuk. But, it’s practical for her, and projects like her: allowing them to be raised via the scissor lift you’ll see in the video. This ensures even painting all around. Overall, Thunderbolt Marine’s paint shed is a healthy size, suitable for various LOAs: 225 feet long by 60 feet wide (68.6 meters by 18.3 meters, respectively).
On an interesting side note, Hollywood filmmakers have even come to see the facility. Ernie D’Alto, Thunderbolt Marine’s general manager, says they’ve checked out the paint shed for potential scene staging. Thunderbolt Marine is near Savannah, a city that’s seen an influx of movies being made.
As the video plays, you’ll notice a wall of light. Keep in mind that there are 424 light fixtures, each fitted with four bulbs, lining Thunderbolt Marine’s painting bay. Grand total: nearly 1,700 super-bright lights. They eliminate shadows, which are sometimes cast inside tented structures. Also keep in mind that a full paint job on a megayacht like Beothuk is a 10- to 12-week process.
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