bertram31.com

Pete Fallon

That looks like the old Wilcox/Chritten sea cock from the early 1960's Bronze cone valve style. Like Steve M said remove the nut and the handle then tap either the nut or the handle side with a hammer (I had those in my 1961 Express). The insurance companies don't like the cone valves because of the...

Pete Fallon

Yannis, The 1100 GPH Rule pumps that you have now are about the smallest pumps that you should have on your boat. If I were you I would go with 2 new Johnson 2200 GPH pumps with Ultimata Cylinder style upright ( spelling ) auto pump switches. Those 1100 Rules only pump about 900 GPH at a 3' head ove...

Pete Fallon

Bruce or Mike,
Could you please remove the second and third posts that I made on the Swap & Sell section of the sandbox. I screwed up and it got posted 3 times. Please remove the repeat posts sorry.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Bruce or Mike,
Will you please remove the other 2 posts in the Swap & Sell section I screwed up and posted the notice 3 times
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Matt, Make sure that your transom core is completely dry and has no rot, make sure every opening is caulked with 3M 4200 or life caulk, do not use 5200. You will need to borrow an alignment tool from a Merc mechanic it's a very important part of putting the drive back on properly. If I were you I'd ...

Pete Fallon

David,
Check with Danny at HIgh Tide Marine Products in the Florida Keys I think he still had some or he will know where to get one. The original windscreen was made by Taylor Made Products.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Mack, Most moisture meters will not work when there is anti fouling bottom paint is in place. The metal content in the paint will give false readings. You have to sand all the way to the gel coat to get an accurate reading. If you sanded all the way down to gel coat and still had high readings then ...

Pete Fallon

Marlin, I think he is talking about the forward cabin windows, didn't Homesey make the FRP insert for your 31. I thought\that Homesy had also made FRP frames for the side windows as well as the front opening cabin windows. I remember reading a post here about FRP window frames for the sides and fron...

Pete Fallon

David, There is a fellow in Jupiter Florida, who makes fiberglass inserts that do away with the forward and curved windows on the 31he also makes the fiberglass replacement windows for forward and side windows His name is Homesly. Maybe someone from the sandbox has his telephone number for you. I do...

Pete Fallon

Mack, I have seen that crack on a couple of 31's that I surveyed in the past. Most of the 'Crack" is in the bottom paintand the flaking on the bottom is due to bad adhering of either the bottom paint or the barrier coating. I would take Tony's advise and sand the transom "crack" down until you get t...

Pete Fallon

Mizerita, Give Glenn Muller at L& H Boats in Stuart a call he had one sitting in front of his shop a few years ago. he might be able to turn you on to a sedan His telephone is (772)288-9878. You could also try Richard Mastry in St Petersburg Fl he had one for sale a while ago, I don't Have his teeph...

Pete Fallon

Todd, With the exception of the very bow and the transom quarters which are thru bolted with 1/4 20 machine screws, the rest is held on with #10 SS screws, Once you release the bow and transom quarters you will be surprised how easy it comes off. Most of the screws are deteriorated from years of sal...

Pete Fallon

John F,
Sounds good to me, as long as there's a breaker in the shore power line between the 110 inlet plug and the GFIC receptacle.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

JohnF, It's not very hard to upgrades your inlet for the 110V system. Most of the old inlet wiring are toast after 30 years, the inner jacket on the 3 conductor cable is dried out and needs to be replaced with new Marine Grade Boat Cable. The wire is just under 6' from where the original inlet is to...

Pete Fallon

Tooez, There were not any backing plates on the early 31"s Just Chrome bronze screws w2ith washers under t5he deck. Sounds like someone added aluminum backing plates on there own. I did backing plates on my out rigger bases but the were plywood soaked in Epoxy resin. The screws and the aluminum are ...

Pete Fallon

my other east, Glenn at L&H has been doing over all lengths of Bertram's for a long time If it fits on a trailer he'll get it to his shop. I have surveyed a 20, 28 3and a couple of 31's at his shop over the years. His custom work is top notch and his L&H 34's are pieces of jewelry and very functiona...

Pete Fallon

Ripsangler,
You could also call Murray Brothers in West Palm the last time I was in the shop they had some small chairs that needed to be redone, upstairs. Talk to Vinny or Jeff.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Steve, I used to have a plastic tool box that I got at Lowe's, It was narrow enough to fit inside the cabinet forward of the refrigerator (Ice box on my boat) I cut the shelf under sink back enough so the box slid inside the cabinet without too much trouble. You might have to re-route the sink drain...

Pete Fallon

Cariedl, By the looks of the wear pattern it has been doing it's thing for a while. The shaft might have been bent, the coupling alignment was way off, the motor mount had collapsed, or the wooden stringer where the motor mount was attached to had a rotten spot causing the alignment to be way off. A...

Pete Fallon

SaBurke, My 1961 31' Express did 41.8 MPH on the NorthStar 951X when the boat was repowered in 1997. That was with full fuel (170) gallons, 25 gallons fresh water, empty holding tank 6 gallons, soft top up and 22' Rupp single spreader outriggers in place. Speed runs were done in Lake Worth between O...

Pete Fallon

Chris,
Thank you,
Your father called me the other day, had a nice talk we are all set for the info that I needed.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Fatbottom, Before I sold my 31 after 37 years I installed a high density 1" thick foam board (made by Michigan Composites 80 lb density) I made it in 3 pieces so it would be removable. The 4'x8' sheets were available wholesale at Merritt Marine Supply in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. it was over 18 years ...

Pete Fallon

Rawleigh, Sorry to hear about your Godfather, he sounds like a real old salt. Like you stated we are loosing the WW2 generation very rapidly and the Viet Nam guys are going almost as quickly. I just buried my front end man today he had just turned 72, he served his country, the Fire Department and h...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Does anyone remember a fellow named Arthur Holgerson from the Chatham Ma area. I am looking to find him So I can get some info on his old 31Bahia Mar called ESPIRT. The boat used to be berthed in Chatham Harbor. If anyone knows him please contact me on the board or my cell 561-310-7179. Th...

Pete Fallon

Dug, I had a 13 Danforth on the forward deck with 12'[ of chain that was coated in liquid rubber(white) with 100' of 5/16 white 3 strand line that was my lunch hook for the Annassquam River sand banks. For Tuna fishing on Stellwagon I used a 23 Danforth with 30' 5/16'' chain and 600' of gold 3 braid...

Pete Fallon

Moguls2go,
Sorry I did get you mixed up with the fellow that bought Dave Meecham's Express out of Newburyport Ma. Your the fellow from New Hampshire am I correct. Anyway have a Happy New Year and keep up the good work on your boat.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Bob, I did the same project back in 2009 on my 1961 express after finding some rot in my rudder tables, I replaced my supports with white oak full 1' x 8" soaked for 3 days in thinned epoxy resin after all the cuts and holes were drilled. I used a section of 10" x12' PVC gas pipe I found laying in t...

Pete Fallon

Tommy Drake, I am sorry to here of your bother Eddy's Passing, my sincere condolences. With all the money that has been raised for cancer research over the past 75 years you would think they would have come up a cure by now. I know it's a big business , between all the research, studies, testing and...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Thank you all for the condolences for my wife, she passed from breast cancer that had spread throughout her body after going dormant for 4 years. She was quite a lady, an accomplished artist, teacher, horse woman and my best friend after being together for 52 years it's been a pretty hard ...

Pete Fallon

Ian, I am glad to see that you extended the two inboard stringers all the way to the transom. When we built the 34" Legend back in 1999 the 2 hollow stringers were 4" wide by a little higher than the fuel tank tops. The reason was that the 2 big outboards (300hp) would push against the stringers whi...

Pete Fallon

Cariedl, Just remember to dish the surface out at least 6 to 8 inches from the cut out from the shaft log. Dishing will give you a flat surface not a lumpy surface when done laying up the glass. That is on both sides inside and out the inside doesn't have to be as smooth, the smoother vthe bottom th...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Happy holidays to all especially Bruce and Mike O for keeping the sandbox going since Pat's death, I hope 2018 is a better year than 2017. I had to deal with loosing my wife to cancer, loosing my golf partner to a sudden heart attack at 60, my front end man from the fire department of blad...

Pete Fallon

Tiki,
Judging by my number, the factory made either 85 or 86 boats in 1961. They usually shut down for the holidays just before Christmas so I don't think they made more than 87 or 88 boats max in 1961.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Tiki, My 1961 31 Express was hull 186 the original sticker under the port V berth was date 12-13-1961 which is the 85 hull ever made by Bertram. So hull 145 is the 44 th hull made sometime in 1961 also. Where was the last place that the boat was. What was the boats name and who was the original owne...

Pete Fallon

saburke, The plug under the cabin sole hatch should be a T handle drain plug, I don't think it was ever opened when Augie had the boat. I don't think he ever had a holding tank in the boat, he used a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat on it. The head floor is molded one piece or at least it is suppo...

Pete Fallon

saburke, That boat sat next to mine in the South Florida Marine Yard in Riveria Beach for many years Mine was stored on land during hurricane season from 2004 to 2006 before I moved to Stuart. The Palm Beach Lady used to fill with water after every rain storm and hurricane she didn't have the cabin ...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, I have been using Starbrite with Teflon since 1976 works great and in Florida twice a year up North just once. Twenty 28 year old gel coat looked as new as the day it went on. The other 26 years was original Bertram gel that was crazed when I got her in 1978. I use acetone to get the heavy...

Pete Fallon

Peter S The big block 454 CID engines should have a few more number than just 4 and a couple of letters. There is usually a metal tag that is either in the front of the block just below the manifolds or near the bell housing aft near exhaust manifold. The newer engines(1996 and newer) have the numbe...

Pete Fallon

Cariedi
Just out of curiosity what year is your boat, looks like an older hull with all the crazing in the gel coat.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Pete, Make sure that you pay attention to the 120 volt side of the wiring. I found that every 31 and 35 that I surveyed needed new 10/3 AWG black jacketed feeds for the duplex outlets in the boat. The black jacketed wire that Bertram used dried out on the inside insulation that covers the black gree...

Pete Fallon

Marlin, I have finally found a orthopedic surgeon in Baltimore. He is a friend of Dr. Pat Peterea from Saulsbury, Maryland who is on the board, he has a 31 Bahia Mar that Wortten Creek Marina has been working on for the past year. On Dr Pat's recommendation I flew down on the 14th of November for in...

Pete Fallon

StevenM, Don't waste your time trying to unstick them they cost between 5 and 12 dollars and are available at any boating supply store. If two are bad the others are sure to go bad shortly replace them all and save your self time and future problems. They are made by either Perko or Cole Hersey some...

Pete Fallon

Bob, 1961 31' Express Hull 85 12-13-61 1997 454's Mercruiser FWC Hurth 63a Trannies Composite 3 piece PVC Foam decks White oak cockpit supports 22' Rupp Single Spreader Outriggers 4' Lee Jr bases, 2 40 gallon live wells,4 bilge pumps 3 group 31 Lead Acid Batteries ! Danforth 23s anchor, 1 Danforth 1...

Pete Fallon

SA Burke,
Glen at L &H in Stuart or Steve AN Boat Yard in Port Salerno across from Rupp. I know them both and they do good work. BRUCE had worked with me at AJ and I know Glen well.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Priceless,

I didn't get anything from you in my email. Make sure it went to fal4artbts@aol.com
Thanks,
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Bruce, Charlie, Peter,Carl, Tony and Rawliegh et al, As soon as I can get around without the pain I will be down to Florida. I have been dealing with this for 39 years since the original accident in the fire house while responding to an alarm. I got around for almost 20 years with just a high tech l...

Pete Fallon

Bruce, I have been using Chapman's for years they have multiple sources of suppliers and will go out of their way to help you get what you want and usually within a few days, mostly overnight and at reasonable prices. I have doctors appointment on Friday to find out what the final option is going to...

Pete Fallon

Bob, When I was building back in the late 90's we used High Density PVC board by Michigan Composites it was 80 pound density and was 5/8" thick, The 80 pound stuff would hold a self tapper and with a layer of vacuum bagged 1780 or 1808 glass and gel coat it held without any problems. The entire 34' ...

Pete Fallon

Stephan, I saw the Nautalex material in Boat Owners Warehouse in Riviera Beach a few years ago. Lewis marine has it also. Make sure you use the cement that is sold along with the material. Nautalex is basically canvas with a vinyl impregnated into the top of the canvas, comes in White and black and ...

Pete Fallon

Incoming, There are 2 different hull designs for the 38 the older pre 1980 are hunt design deep V and the Napier design with a skeg keel similar to the 38 Special. Depends on what your looking for the deep V 38 is a tank also Bertram experimented with some foam coring in the mid 80's Napier designed...

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