Brashers Ace Paintwork For First Valor 38 Catamaran

The owners of Ray’s Collision & Customs, LLC., an automobile body and paint shop in Madisonville, Ky., Ray and Crystal Brasher are familiar with painting large objects. They’re also not strangers to dressing a high-performance catamaran, as they demonstrated with their last 34-footer.

Though the 38-footer still requires interior installation, its paintjob is complete.

But their recent paintjob for a Valor 38 catamaran came with added incentive for them to do their finest work. Not only do they own the boat, it is the first 38-footer in the Dubai-built Valor catamaran line offered by Manatee Marine Unlimited in Palmetto, Fla.

The couple worked from a graphics scheme created by Stephen Miles Design. Miles has been a mentor of sorts to Ray Brasher, who in turn has worked from time to time at his Owensboro, Ky., shop to gain experience.

Brasher, whose favorite utterance of gratitude is “too blessed to be stressed,” and his wife enjoyed the entire process.

The cat will be powered by a pair of color-matched 500-hp outboard engines from Mercury Racing.

“It went very smoothly,” he recalled. “I changed paint systems and started using Spies Hecker, and the product just works. Stephen Miles provided a great design the complemented the lines of the boat—he even came over the first day to help.”

The job took 26 days.

“The boat was in great shape, pretty much just sand, tape and paint,” Brasher explained. “Crystal was a rock star—she worked early mornings and late nights with me. Julian Maldonado of Manatee Marine was very easy to work with as well. He was always available with whatever information I needed, and he kept me updated on everything he was doing on his end”

Though the catamaran still requires interior installation, the only exterior item remaining is Seadek installation.

The entire paintjob took less than 30 hours.

For Maldonado, who co-owns Manatee Marine Unlimited with Sara Langheim—the wife offshore racer Reese Langheim—the project has been particularly gratifying. He’s delighted with the almost-finished product, as well as its future home.

“Ray and Crystal had the skill and blessing of painting their own boat, which we know they’re happy with—and that’s all we’re here to ‘chase,’” he said. “Happy customers are our best salespeople, and we look forward to giving him and Crystal a great finished product that they can enjoy.

“We are so lucky to be working with them—they are incredible friends and clients,” he added. “And thanks to them, the first boat will be a home run.”