Sea Trial on the Hunt 63: Returning to the Water in a Pandemic

Every year, when the Northeast boating season arrives, our editorial team hits the water. From May through October we take advantage of opportunities to sea trial new models, run restored vessels and walk the docks at boat shows. In a normal year that period is busy and social: long days on the water, lots of hands-on testing, and time spent with owners, designers and fellow enthusiasts who love to talk about boats. This year, however, was different.

The pandemic upended the usual routine. Like many people, our workdays moved homeward: video conferences replaced on-the-water meetings, family lunches became a welcome daily ritual, and the social life that accompanies boat testing stalled. For months we kept in touch with colleagues and sources virtually, but we missed the direct experience of being aboard a new build, feeling how a hull responds in real conditions, and sharing the simple pleasure of a day on the water.

That changed in early July when Hunt Yachts invited us to sea trial their new 63 Ocean. The appointment was close enough to drive—about two hours from my Connecticut home—to make a weeknight trip feasible. Hunt’s vice president of sales, Scott Bryant, described the precautions they were taking: cleaning the vessel before and after our visit, supplying masks and sanitizer, ensuring access to soap and running water, limiting the number of people aboard to five and enforcing social distancing protocols. After reviewing the Hunt 63’s specifications online—the offshore-ready layout, three decks, and an 18-foot beam—I accepted. The boat’s generous beam and layout would make it easier to maintain distance while still getting a true sea trial.

When I arrived at Hunt’s yard in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the place was lively. Staffers moved about wearing masks as they prepared boats for the water, and there was an unmistakable uptick in business as owners planned to spend more time aboard this season. Stepping onto the Hunt 63, the first thing I noticed was the teak sole warmed by the sun. Bare feet on sun-heated wood is a small, sensory moment boaters recognize instantly—it felt like a promise of what the day might deliver.

Onboard I met colleagues Dan Harding and John Turner. Though we’d stayed connected during lockdown, we hadn’t been in the same physical space for twelve weeks. We exchanged elbow bumps and big smiles, then each moved to a different part of the boat to keep a safe distance as Scott eased the Hunt 63 away from the dock. We took up fenders and talked briefly about the weather and the boat’s lines before heading out into Narragansett Bay.

Our run lasted only an hour or so, but that was all it took to remember why being on the water matters. The weather shifted dramatically during our short outing: sunshine gave way to a thick, cooling fog and the calm sea quickly built into something livelier. The deep-V hull met a few solid slaps from the bay as wind and waves picked up. Salt spray clung to our hair and jackets, and the air carried that bracing, elemental energy that can’t be transmitted through a screen. From the flybridge, Dan’s grin said what words could not—some aspects of boating simply require being there in real time.

Back at the dock we tightened masks, gathered our gear and headed for the parking lot with a new appreciation for the tangible parts of the job. We had a scheduled Zoom meeting later that day to discuss business matters, and there was plenty to cover about trends, production and owner behavior in this unusual season. But beneath those conversations was a more human one: the joy of getting back aboard, the satisfaction of a well-built offshore hull handling real conditions, and the reassurance that careful precautions can allow meaningful sea trials to continue even in uncertain times.

The trip reinforced a few clear takeaways: practical safety measures make it possible to resume hands-on reporting; the physical sensations of boating—warm teak, the spray on your face, the feel of a deep-V cutting through a bay—remain essential to evaluating a boat; and when those moments finally return after a long pause, they are that much more vivid. For editors, designers and owners alike, being on the water matters. It always has, and after a long hiatus, it matters even more.

Jeanne Craig
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