ECLIPSE 505 Express Cruiser Build Update: Paint & the Factory Layout Released
ECLIPSE 505 Hull #001 Test Coat
ECLIPSE 505 production is in full swing at the dedicated ECLIPSE 505 facility at Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing in Cape Town, South Africa. Hull #001 is seen here in a test coat of “Island Turquoise” Awlgrip. The 505 production team went through this step to create a paint process that ensures reflectivity from all angles is perfection. Hard to believe, but all of this work will be simply sanded off before this hull heads down the production line. The next time you see hull #001 it will be in its final color- which will be “Whisper Green Metallic” Awlgrip.
ECLIPSE 505 Hull #002 CNC Milling and Onsite Woodshop
It’s all about the “skinny.” Here you see hull #002 of the ECLIPSE 505 with a deck “skinny” placed on top of the real hull. A “skinny,” or very simple layup of a boat’s laminated part is made here as a test. This thin version of the actual deck was laid up in the deck mold then lifted on top of hull #002 to test that fitment was perfect. Yes, the hull and deck tools were milled 100% by CNC, but you must go through this process just to check that everything lines up. The ECLIPSE Production Manager, Alistair Dickson, was absolutely elated with the perfect fitment and proudly stated: “This is how a hull and deck joint should align- this is one of the best fitments I have seen in my 24 years of boat building."
ECLIPSE 505 Factory Layout Released
In single digit months, Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing has transformed an empty shell of a building into a bustling and fully modernized production facility for the ECLIPSE 505. Hundreds of team members move swiftly and with purpose all day long from every department- electrical, stores, lamination, CNC milling- even a full woodshop is all on site. This graphical representation illustrates exactly how your ECLIPSE 505 comes to life. A hull begins existence in hull mold 1 or mold 2, the fully molded stringer grid is inserted in the hull/mated, and as you will see (from the photos above) is put on a dedicated wheeled carrier that it will sit on until departure for the water, shipment, then to HMY’s ECLIPSE Service Center at HMY Willoughby Creek in Stuart, Florida and finally to a proud owner.
Quick Links for Other ECLIPSE Blogs:
- ECLIPSE 505 Build Update
- Exploring the Six Elite Brands at HMY
- A Journey Into the Creation of the ECLIPSE 505 Express Cruiser
- Breaking the Mold: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the First 505 ECLIPSE Hull From Two Oceans Marine
