bertram31.com

Pete Fallon

Why even bother trying to convert a boat that was designed as a twin screw that runs fine when propped correctly
As far as i am concerned its a complete waste of money and time. If you want a single screw boat buy a down east lobster boat.

Pete Fallon

Why even bother trying to convert a boat that was designed as a twin screw that runs fine when propped correctly
As far as i am concerned its a complete waste of money and time. If you want a single screw boat buy a down east lobster boat.

Pete Fallon

Tommy, and the rest of the sand box. As Tommy said I am still undergoing PT on my right knee(# 4 on the same knee also 20 surgeries on scar tissue and nerve damage. Its doing better but still have some nagging pain . I had to quite surveying on the orders of my doctor( no climbing ladders or getting...

Pete Fallon

Merry Christmas to all the members of this sand box and a Happy New Year.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Marlin, Glad to hear that your going to get some use out of the 31 after all the work you put into her. I am still in Massachusetts and had to retire from surveying on orders from the doctor. Still hope to get back to South Florida but looks like I need more knee work in the near future. How's the f...

Pete Fallon

JohnV8ER. Gel Coat is very, very temperature sensitive. You should wait until the air and hull temps are over 50 degrees for a couple of days or inside a heated shop/barn. 72 degrees is the best temp for doing gel coat. Gel coat will not flow well below 50 degrees and try and warm it to sounding air...

Pete Fallon

Marlin, Most of the FBC's I have surveyed have a trucking height of 11'6" from the keel to the top of they windscreen. If you have any anchor lights, antennas, outriggers or removable Bimini tops I would taken them down or remove them to the cockpit. The Interstate bridges have a 13'6" clearance, un...

Pete Fallon

JohnV8r, It really looks like some type of contamination clean your gun pot, measuring bottle and anything else your using to spray gel coat. Water in your air sprayer line could also be a factor. You might even have some contaminated gel coat or gel that got overheated during all the hot weather th...

Pete Fallon

JohnV8R,
John looks like there is some moisture or a contaminate that is trapped in the material or surface that your deck is made of. Used a heat gun or heat lamp to dry out the material sand it all down and re shoot the hatch. Also wipe down with acetone or denatured
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Bob, Still having issues with the knee, been over a year since I tore 2 ligaments and a tendon in the 4th replaced knee. Ligaments have healed up but Ham string is still bad. I keep pugging away. doing PT 2x week for the past 8 months. Somedays it's bad other days it's real bad. Good luck with the d...

Pete Fallon

Carl, Galley Maid out of West Palm makes a porcelain head that has a built-in macerator pump and a stainless steel impeller, that fits where the old Groco head was. It's got 3/4" inlet and outlets and a plastic piece that hides the hoses for under $400.00 back in 2004. Will grind a herring for chum ...

Pete Fallon

Peter, That is the old Buddy Boy, I surveyed it 3 times since Bruce and Pat did the redo in 2003 she was a 1973 hull that Jim Bailey owned, he kept her in Key Colony, Key Largo. after Jim sold her the new owner brought her up to the Miami area, Bertram used her as a display boat at Miami Boat show. ...

Pete Fallon

Bob, After surveying close to 60 31's, the Glass Tech Balsa cored decks just about always showed some signs of wetness, either from screw holes that were not properly sealed or edges of hatches that some cracks from being dropped over the years. As long as the sub-flooring (mahogany uprights) are no...

Pete Fallon

Matt, Were you able to get ahold of Kevin Meehan about the hinges? I have been laid up since last May with torn Ligaments and tendons in the knee that has been replaced 4 times. just had platelet injections into tendons last week. Haven't been on the water since I sold my 31 Express in 2014. Hopeful...

Pete Fallon

Coolair,

Check with Kevin Meehan on this board, He has a 28 Bert. I gave him 4 sets of original OEM Bertram off my 1961-31 Express a few years ago, He still might have them he was in Marathon Key but I think he moved back to the mainland of Florida last year.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Kevin767, Make sure that you get all the termites out of the boat or they will continue to destroy the rest of the wood in the boat. If you find anything that looks like coffee grounds around the cabin sole or inside cabinets the boat still have termites have the boat tented or use a good grade bomb...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, How about a 1961 31 Express Hull #186 with FWC 413CID Chryslers, Direct drive 72 Series Borg Warner trannies, Judson Scynro. Alpeco Flasher/ Paper machine, Ritchie Compass and a 9 Channel Raytheon VHF. Boat sold at the New York Boat Show Javitts Center, for $15,900 brand new with Shipping ...

Pete Fallon

Priceless, Dr. Pat I had a similar problem years ago, my wheels were less than 6 months old. The 120 volt wiring in the marina was rubbing against a piece of rebar that was broken, the metal was exposed to the sea water near my starboard side shaft and wheel. Stray current ate right thru the bronze ...

Pete Fallon

Sean,
How did you make out after getting the turbo issue straightened out? speeds and RPMS?, the helm pod looks real nice.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

As everyone else said it's a Judson engine scryno, most early Bertram's had them. Steady flash you were in scyn. Another way to see if your in scyn is to look at the wake if one side is higher than the other your out, wave height the same your in scyn. The area that your watching is where the first ...

Pete Fallon

sea palm,
They are in Peabody, Ma. 16 miles north of Boston off of Rt 95.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Carl,
Okay, No problem I understand. If anyone else needs the old style hatch covers let me know, they are going in the dumpster if no one wants them.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Carl. I found a better scale, a digital luggage scale. Here are the results, large aft engine box covers both are 18.5 pounds,1 small forward hatch cover 15.1 pounds the other is 13. 5 pounds, must have used a little more Fairing compound on one of them. Anyway, I can meet Timmy somewhere along RT 9...

Pete Fallon

Carl, I weighed the old style hatch covers that I redid with AirEx coring, here are the numbers the small hatch that goes over the front section of the box is 13 pounds, the large hatch that goes over the rear of the box was 19 pounds. I used an old fish scale that might be off a pound or two. They ...

Pete Fallon

Sean,
I went thru a bunch of my surveys and found that most of the 31's that are running diesels used 20"x 23P 4 bladed props and the distance between the center of strut barrel and the hull bottom was 15". I hope this helps.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Carl, I will weigh each hatch cover to see how much different the weight is compared to yours. When I first got my boat in 1978 I was running 16'X11 wheels horrible fuel burn after the re-power in 1997 I was able to run 17"x19's or even 18"x18 I had both I found the 17"x19 worked the best. My fuel b...

Pete Fallon

Carl, Nice work, I was able to get 3-1/2'' to 5" FRP couplers from Merritt Marine back in 1996 when I started my re-power. I went gas big blocks and used 5" blue silicon hose and 5" FRP pipe with Vernay12" long by 10" wide flat FRP mufflers under the cockpit sole to 5" SS flanges with rubber flaps a...

Pete Fallon

Sean,
My phone dropped you telephone number after we talked on Monday call me again or e-mail me.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

John Haszard,
I found the number for MR Marine Woods in Stuart Fl Tel 772-2200309 the address is 3197 SE Grand Parkway St6uart Fl 34997. Ask for Mark he will tell you how to attach the teak to the covering boards. Rose usually answers the phone.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

JHaszard, I think they are still in business in Stuart Florida, but I am now in Mass. and out of touch with them. Their company was M and R Woods Stuart, Fl. sorry I don't have their tel number anymore. I have retired from surveying after the 4th knee implant, no more climbing in and out of vessels ...

Pete Fallon

Quota2, What ever you use you will need a piece for the transom that is at least 105 " long to allow for the curve of the transom . When I was building boats we had a 10' x 5' lay up table with a glass top that was 3/8" thick. We also had a chopper gun that we used for small parts. I had the guys la...

Pete Fallon

Seamonkeyfez, I take it that you dropped the headliner above the V berth to check on soft spots. The forward deck has glassed in stiffeners as Carl said. If the surrounding fiberglass is brown in color, that tells me that there has been water getting into this area either from around the screws hold...

Pete Fallon

Pschuass, Depending on the year of the boat or if the blowers have been replaced, the blower wiring coming out of the blower motor, the colors of the wiring are black and white or black and red if replaced with newer blowers. The original white and yellow stripped Bertram wiring is usually the posit...

Pete Fallon

Kevin, I have used Flitz for years on fiberglass and aluminum it's expensive but what isn't these days, it comes in pint cans not just tube. we used it for years in the boat yard I had my yacht brokerage in. Try and call Rupp Outriggers in Stuart Fl and ask what they recommend for restoring old alum...

Pete Fallon

Steve, I would go with the bladder system they fold up smaller than using ridged the barrels and you can use them for the generator that you will have to buy if you don't already have one at the house . Looks like the power is going to out for a long time in the Islands. Good luck finding the small ...

Pete Fallon

Amberjack, Back in 1980 I had 20 Adults and a 8' FRP dinghy on the forward deck going and coming from Marblehead to Boston Harbor to see the tall ships boat parade. Yes, I had enough life jackets for everyone aboard. Another time after a good day of tuna fishing at the Cape Ann Tuna Club dock, there...

Pete Fallon

Brandon 33, You have a wealth of knowledge to listen to on this board, listen to the guys that have done complete restorations and then double what you think it will cost to do the restorations you want to do. As a former 31 Express owner(1961) for 37 years and a Marine Surveyor for 18 years I have ...

Pete Fallon

Bruce, I couldn't agree with you more about the crap on TV. I grew up worth wooden sailboats and my first powerboat was a 16' wood Amsbury dory built by Lowell Boatworks on the Parker River in Amsbury Ma. It had a 7.5 HP red and white Johnson dating myself by the outboard colors(1956). I sailed in T...

Pete Fallon

Ray, Nice loop of the sailfish against the rocks, the mate looks like he's getting bored waiting for the leader. I've caught sails in the surf off of Stuart years ago went back to the same numbers 18 years later and caught 2 more within 15 minutes in 12 feet of water, who ever said they are only in ...

Pete Fallon

Kevin,
Where did you move to? I'm still in Mass but hope to return to Stuart area next winter, as soon as knee lets me move.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Vince,
Sorry to hear that your giving up you boat, I went through that some thing back in 2014 after 37 years of ownership. But life goes on, you will always have boating buddies on this board.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Dr Pat,
Put the photo of your boat in the slop at the inlet on the board the guys will like it. It's Bertram weather for sure. Also the Cobia photos.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Carl,
If your going to use an aluminum pole for a table leg, I found that rubber crutch tips work the best will not slip like a plain rubber cap. I also used them on my helm and companion seat stainless steel legs. Having a bad knee does have it's benefit sometimes.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Capt. Decent, Attwood and Perko used to make a flat bronze water pick up that attached to their small 800 gph bilge pumps, check the big marine catalog houses, Defender, Lewis Marine etc. Sealing of the forward bilge with a deck plate 3-1/2" smallest will also work. You glass over the old limber hol...

Pete Fallon

Carl, Your so far into the rebuild I would go with the fiberglass shaft logs with PSSI dripless shaft seals. You won't have to worry about any brazing problems and the dripless seals are just about bullet proof, use clear tubing on the shaft seal cooling lines so you can see if it's getting blocked ...

Pete Fallon

Saltysato, Like Carl and Tony said the original from the factory rear bilge pump outlets were just below the rub rail on the starboard stern just forward of the transom curve. The discharge hose was routed outboard of the cockpit sole then up along the stern cleat where the glassed in rib that the s...

Pete Fallon

Bruce,
How many people did you end up with going to TROPIC STAR in Panama in the next week or so. I wish I could have made the trip but continuing knee problems got in the way. Have a great time and catch um up.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

The old 18 gallon 31 tanks only had a screw fill on the top and a top of tank vent line. It's fairly easy to add a deck fill just don't put it on the same side as the fuel fill. Run a 1-1/2" white sanitation hose from the gunnel near the dinette rear seat under the cockpit supports into the tank, th...

Pete Fallon

About the old Perko fuel filter, I would replace that entire fuel line starting at the shut off on the tank all the way to the carb. I had those filters in my 1961 express they had 2 ceramic bowls inside the housing. Your fuel line looks like it's time for replacing, getting old and dried out lookin...

Pete Fallon

John,
The raw water pump for the AC unit is usually under the cabin sole aft hatch they might have used the same sea cock as the head intake . The AC intake line is usually a 3/4" or 1" black wire reinforced hose,
Good luck Pete Fallon

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