bertram31.com

JohnD

I'm thinking that in another week or so I'll be ready for a sea trial (not like I haven't said that before!). Yeah right, how about a month!! Well, it's finally done (at least with the yard work). I still have the floor to do and 100 other odd things to do. Most importantly, it floats and runs (lik...

JohnD

That's going to be SWEET when it's done!!

Fish boxes are the one thing newer boats have over our older ones. But hey, it's easier to add a fish box than it is to try and make a flimsy boat solid.

JohnD

Thanks! I'm thinking that in another week or so I'll be ready for a sea trial (not like I haven't said that before!). I plan to get her home and finish the interior work there. I like the way the built in sofa's look on this boat. http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?boat_id=18...

JohnD

I finally took some time to upload some pictures into a slidshow.Â Progress creeps along as work and family are taking most of my time. I've got a new appreciation for those who take on a repower/restore.Â Though the yard is doing the install, I'm doing some of the minor stuff such as cleaning an ...

JohnD

Sam, I'm sure somebody has something squirled away that may help you. Are you looking for a project boat or do you already have one lined up? My thoughts would be is that the market is so soft it would be better $$ spent to find one in decent shape and pay pennies on the dollar for work someone else...

JohnD

Walter, I know I'm down in MD, but if you send me either b-mail or e-mail what you need I'll ask my neighbor to look into it. She works in the office that does the licences etc.

no-need to get the runaround.

br, JohnD
johndunker@yahoo.com

JohnD

You guys are making me cry I have to bring that 50 home from Florida. I think I will be selling rides. When I get it home I won't be able to move the rest of the summer. Capt Tom Congrats' on the 50 Tom! If I have any $$$ left from my repower that I don't spend on $4/gal diesel, I'll take one of th...

JohnD

Bill, check these out. They kept the "Crowsnest" afloat with Me, Harv and Diesel Doug in the cockpit.

http://www.mysimon.com/9015-11031_8-34207838.html

JohnD

Harv,

My condolences to you and your family. I feel lucky to have gotten to know him just a little over the past few years. Certainly enough to know we lost a good man. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Sincerly,
JohnD

JohnD

Mack - You're close than I am to splashing. Bob - They were the 420's as a matter of fact one guy is selling and moving down in size. Both admitted to being a lttle under prop'd, it will be nice to have a boat that's not under powered... http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatDetails.jsp?&units=...

JohnD

Thans Bob, That sound like a little faster cruise than the 2 other owners I spoke with, but the 2sp gears may account for that. I know the boat and Norm from the show he had. I thought it one of the better fish shows. No matter what cruise I wind up with, getting on plane will be night and day diff ...

JohnD

Bob, good advise but I wouldn't think that they run any cheaper than the 301A's and my quote was $5800 each for those. I'm near the end of the project and budget as well. Besides sawsalls are fun, just ask Timmy. I only had to remove a little of the aft bulkhead where the old engine hatches set. the...

JohnD

Capt Patrick,

Thanks for the advise, exactly what my mechanic had said. It fits better with the budget and availablity too.

I do plan to prime and paint to protect the floor and the carpet will be removable not glued

JohnD

Bob, What make trans are you talking about? I looked at twin-disk and ZF but they didn't have a 10degree down angle that would work with a CAT 3126 420hp, keeping the same output dimensions as the 280A? I thought about the ZF301A's but that would drop the whole motor and I didn't want to put in bell...

JohnD

It seems my new cats are a little tall for the engine room of my B35 so I've got some construction to do. I'll be building new hatches and a sub-floor on top of the floor in the area in front of the motors. What materials have others used or recommend for the ply, exterior grade b/c or more expensiv...

JohnD

Awesome job on the desk!!! Considering your desk probably won't be seeing much salt water, I'd give a 1-part paint a shot. You can always sand it off or test it on the interior parts. I had good luck painting my rudder shelf areas of my bilge with Interlux Brightsides, it's a 1-part paint and with p...

JohnD

Post some pic's....

Could it be true will the TUBB float in 08???

Take a break from all that partying and hunting you do and get to work on that boat!!!

kr,
John

JohnD

A guy I know .. buoght my trailer for his 31 & had them both shipped to HI. for around 3500.00 (He has a full tower. & it fit in one of their spaces) John D: Are you sure they werent CRAZY ABOUT BEING THERE??? Well, I guess the people I knew who didn't like it weren't very high up on the economic l...

JohnD

Tell him to leave the boat at your house (with the keys) and wait a year or two to make sure he's going to like living on "The Rock".

I've heard from a couple of people who said they nearly went crazy after a year.

just my $.02

br,
JohnD

JohnD

Charlie, Count me in, I'll be bringing my Boat this year (hopefully). I may leave the Sunday before and spend a couple of days in Cape May before heading on to AC. Anybody else traveling from the Chesapeake want to travel together or meet up in Cape May, give me a shout. How about it Doug, JohnF, Ma...

JohnD

ROFLMAO, been there done that, I'm a few years younger. I laugh to myself everytime I tell the wife I hate to be around me 30 years from now, cause I won't remember.....(she doesn't laugh). Welcome to the world of the distracted.... ADHD, you're never too old to get it..... Damm, I wish I remember t...

JohnD

Dick, thanks for letting us know.

Harv, please know and pass along to your Dad that our prayers are with him.

Prayerfully,
John

JohnD

Congrats on making it down to FLA Tom, it's a much better option than blocked in the yard and covered with snow. Hope Santa brought you some fishing stuff for your winter adventures. Maybe a little sord fishing???? Sounds like you'll get to enjoy the winter a little. I look forward to hearing about ...

JohnD

I'm not sure If I want to be a painter or not, but at $15-20k quotes for painting my topsides I may just give it a try. What the heck I can always sand it off if it doesnt turn out. When researching some of the suggestions list here I see something called an LVLP from ASTRO. It's suppose to use less...

JohnD

I second Aetna, had them with my gas motors and have a new set for the diesel. They had an add on boatdiesel & I got the new tach's for $160/ea (I think).

Also, you get a live person when you call them.

JohnD

Rest In Peace Dave,

Our thoughts an prayers are with you and your family

br,
JohnD

JohnD

Oooh Yeah.. Now that's some good eye candy!! Looks like a '64, does it have the tanks on either side of the motor? I've got a '65 with saddle tanks. I like the seating arrangements and the teak decking. I bet with the 383 she's a real rocket (I didn't see any safety harnesses ;), what kind of perfor...

JohnD

Harry, Good Luck on your project, I'm glad to hear of another repower/rehab project going on. We need more of it ;) Little too much selling these days (IHO, not meant to offend anybody). Remember, take pictues, ask qestions, and take some more pictures. I love to see how others tackle their repowers...

JohnD

The 3126 had some improvements/changes over the 3116, but are basically the same motor. You can still get them new in mechanical, 385hp I think. That would be way too much for the B31. Most B31 owner's are going with the slightly smaller cummins, yanmar, volvo, stryer and so on. After all a B31 only...

JohnD

In '06 I went to the Atlantic City Rendezvous and did the return trip all in one day. I have a B35 which had 454's then and averaged about 19k took 9-1/2 hours total, including an hour stop for lunch at South Jersey. Kent Island would have been anoter 30-45min?

JohnD

Will it ever snow again in MD anyway? Thanks for the JINX... Go for it. I left my boat in most of last winter and had no issue. Some old timers I know just put a 100w lightbulb in the engine room and didn't bother winterizing the motors, just winterize the fresh/raw water systems. The past couple o...

JohnD

Sounds good, real good. The prop-speed stuff will cost around $300 and if not applied as instructed (temp and timing) isn't any good.

Ok UV, how about an update on pricing?

br,
JohnD

JohnD

Harry or UV, would you mind giving a re-cap of the application process and the cost?

I'm considering using prop-speed on my running gear for next season, though there's no room for error in its application.

Thanks,
John

JohnD

Funny how the company has changed from making fish boats that could be used as howdy boats. To making howdy boats that can be used to fish. Well, that's the name of the game these days, if you're into building new boats you have to chase the $$. I can't help but think of the $$ left on the table by ...

JohnD

I used the hardnosed white. Previously I used the Interlux brightsides on the rudder shelves, blue-tone white. I did this because it didn't require mixing and was brush friendly. It turned out well hand is only now showing ware marks from the re-power activity. I went with the POR15 stuff because un...

JohnD

Rawleigh: so much for my memory, for some reason I thought Walter had given me that tip. I haven't had na opportunity to try marine clean on chrome yet, I'm looking forward to seeing the results.

JohnD

Mike, Others have used other products, but here's what I used and would use again. Based on Walter's advise I went with the POR15 hardnosed white 2-part paint and Marine Clean cleaner. It's easy to work with and they say on fg you don't need to prime. I'm a little more than 1/2 way thorugh doing my ...

JohnD

Welcome Michael, Here are some of my thoughts. One thing that I think sets the brand apart from others is that it is an off shore blue water boat first and condo second, not withstanding some the newer and larger models. Also, that Bertrams from 20' to 60+' are usually a benchmark for ride and fisha...

JohnD

Congrats Russ,

I can here the oohs and ahhs as you tool around in youre new/old B31.

br,
JohnD

JohnD

UV, would that be go fast with a BANG!!

JohnD

Mack, Thanks for asking but no Sea Trial... not yet. The yard is working on the install, I've got 100gal of diesel on board, racors hung and fuel line partially done, exhaust started. The generator is going in this week. I had attempted to reuse my struts, boring them to 1.5in, however when we went ...

JohnD

For those of us who couldn't make it. How about a re-cap of the good the bad and ugly?

br,
John

JohnD

Thanks Charlie,

As I sit here in Rain soaked Baltimore, working another late Friday night, the pictures were just the right thing to a better place and time.

-John

JohnD

I just paid $2.99/gal for my first 100gal of diesel.

Now whether I burn a drop of it before the year is out is another story...

Harv, at the rate that my re-power is going you'll be done before me and we'll be fishing on Doug's boat again this year...

JohnD

Hi Ian, Thanks, I got the pics and thought I replied, sorry about that. It won't work, the one I have is older and looks different. Closer inspection of the gimble housing (where the outdrive attaches) shows some server corrosion where it attaches to the transom and the seal would be questionable. S...

JohnD

For cockpit controls, I like wat JK did on SEANILE, its got the throttle/shifter in a hdden box on the outboard side of the stb motor box. John, I think you're on the right track with keeping the windows. While off shore is a different story, anywhere else it makes the cabin feel less like a cave. E...

JohnD

Hi Mikey, I used the sea-fire extinguishers which have a temp valve on the head. Got a bigger one for between the motors on my B35 (under the salon floor) and a smaller one for the genset under the cockpit. though they have an optional remote indicator I haven't installed it yet and probably won't. ...

JohnD

John, I asked the question a while back and the general opinion I got was to go straight out the back. Later I considered the cost of the modification and decided it wasn't worth it for me. For my gas motors I had a hood or diverter over the exhaust which canneled it outwoard and downward. I plan on...

JohnD

ditto what Doug & John said, watch the weather and the tides and get the in your favor!!! If not you'll regretit. Also, don't drink 1/2gal of Rum the night before, right Doug.... In all, the trip is a blast. I've grown to really like Cape May. South Jersey Marine has been a great host, not the cheap...

JohnD

Jimmy, Pass on my congrats to Steve, I love the part when the fish sounded...

You should have you're own show on ESPN, That video is bertter than 90% of what they put on the air.

br,
JohnD

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