bertram31.com

Pete Fallon

Erine, There are a hundred ways for water to get into the cabin overhead, like Tony said check the tops of the window frame areas first, then look around for added hardware on the exterior of the fly bridge and also under the fly bridge where wiring goes down to the cabin below. The original headlin...

Pete Fallon

Pcshauss, The wooden fairing block is where the outrigger was mounted to, you can see part of the old outrigger on the side deck in the bottom of the picture. The corroded part on the side of the Fly Bridge house looks like an old VHF antenna base without the ratchet, looks like someone moved your g...

Pete Fallon

Pschauss, I you have any doubts about gas fumes, run your blowers or set up a fan to keep air flow around the engines. The open engine boxes provide plenty of air circulation around your motors with blowers and fans also close your fuel line shut offs at the tank. I have done 100's of compression te...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, It seems like only a few years ago not 17 years, that 9-11 took place. Our firefighters from the FDNY that worked the pile for months are dying at an alarming rate from cancer related illness. A lot of the members have since retired and the FDNY is not or never will be the same. I personal...

Pete Fallon

Pschauss, You will be okay with any type of Silicone sealant or Life Caulk, just don't use 5200 By 3M, You will never get it off without wrecking the fiberglass under the panel. The original sealant was called Dolphinite, Bertram used it just about everywhere, under the windshield at deck joint, und...

Pete Fallon

Steve, The barnacle buster is basically Muriatic Acid your boat shouldn't have that much build up if your still keeping it on the lift in Florida, in the Bahamas they grow like crazy in the warm water. I never used Barnacle Buster but what does it do to the inside of your hoses. I used to use a wire...

Pete Fallon

Mizerita, My 1961 express had OEM rudders that were solid bronze with 1" stainless steel shafts with the tiller arms above the rudder shelf bearing. The rudder measurements were 19" from the top of the blade to the aft tip tapper, they were 9" across the top and 7-1/2" at the bottom and the max widt...

Pete Fallon

Jack Ryan, I recommend either Acorn or Gemlux for quality hardware good stainless not Chinese recycled chevy parts. After 20 years my stainless looked like new it helps to spray it down with Corrosion X or a good coat of Woody Wax. We used Acorn and Gemlux when we built the Legend 34 back in the ear...

Pete Fallon

pschauss, The original early 31's had an Attwood bilge pump under the cabin sole forward section, it was a 1200 gph pump with a built in float switch that was wired to the switch on the instrument panel with a leg going directly to the battery. I was fishing one day when I smelled wiring burning. I ...

Pete Fallon

Pschauss, I used the aluminum West Marine/ Boat US canvas back and seat with logo . I made some changes in the hardware, I removed the cheap aluminum rivets and replaced them with stainless steel bolts with cap nuts on the ends so you don't cut your legs , also I used crutch tips on the leg bottoms,...

Pete Fallon

Pschuass, I didn't have a lower station 1961 Express,s but most of the 31's that I surveyed (over 40 ) had eight switches on the fly bridge and lower stations with metal tags that were embossed They were Cole Hersey push pull switches the top ones (2) were Ignition switches, (1)Anchor light switch o...

Pete Fallon

Yardpro,
Most of the window latches for Bertram's were made by Perko, some of the early boats had Wilcox-Chritton( spelling) window hardware. Depends on the purchasing agent that was working at that time and the year of the boat.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Someone called me last Friday looking for a survey on a boat, my voice mail message was very garbled and the number they left was not readable. They said they got my info from this page please call me again if you read this message, it was a 954 area code. I am still in Massachusetts at th...

Pete Fallon

Faithful,
I am not going to be able to make the P-town get together next weekend, my right knee is really bad and I have a broken big toe on my left foot (I tripped over chair leg on Friday PM). Life sucks some times.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

David Welcome to the sandbox , I have 2 names that you can call about getting a set of outriggers for your 31. If the boat has never had outriggers your going to start from the bases and work upward. You stated that the boat is going to be used for tuna about 40% of the time. I would go with a set o...

Pete Fallon

Charlie, You don't have to tell me about going to the doctors for appointments, this week alone I have been to a cardiovascular doctor and had 2 MRI's and a yearly physical. But I rather be still able to work than going to doctors offices. Next Thursday I fly to Baltimore to see ortho doctor hopeful...

Pete Fallon

Peter, Your gauges are Stewart Waner with chrome metal bezels, which are still available from the larger supply houses like Defender, Lewis Marine or Johnstown Supply. When you order them make sure you ask for the classic black faces with the chrome metal bezels. Some of the gauges on the market hav...

Pete Fallon

Charlie,
Thanks for the encouragement, I read that you were having health issues also. Getting older is supposed to be the golden years I fell like it's more like the rust years. Are you back on Long Island or still down in North Carolina?
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Max, I hope to attend the P-town Rendezvous on one of the days during the weekend. I will be coming by P-town to Boston Ferry because I am boatless at this time. I will know more after I see the Orthopedic Doctor in Baltimore on May 31st. This week I am undergoing 2 MRI's Friday and a blood flow ana...

Pete Fallon

Dr. Pat, If you have trim tabs now, stay with what you have, a few of the 31's that I have surveyed had that system, If it's made by Volvo it's going to be expensive and you will have to have custom shims made because the 31's transom is not flat she's got a slight curve all the way across. I think ...

Pete Fallon

Mogels2go II your keeping the dinette in place go with a piece of 1/2 plywood the size of the head door, that can be hung from the cabin overhead above the dinette. There are fiberglass stiffeners on the underside of the FB that you can tie into use a D ring to attach the web material to onto the st...

Pete Fallon

Mark S, If I remember correctly some of the Mercury outboards had 2 different sized drain screws the bottom one had a magnet attached to collect metal chips from the gear oil and the top screw was a little bigger than the bottom one. Both had O rings, the different sized plugs were back in the mid t...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, My 1961 31 express came with a FRP box in the bilge between the engine boxes as low as they would go just in front of the cabin door. The box held 2 group 31 batteries with no cover just boots over the terminals. After backing down on a blue fin for about 25 minutes the boat stopped dead, ...

Pete Fallon

Joe,F, #1 Check your shore power cord for any open wires, #2 Check your shore power inlet for corrosion, #3 Check your wires in the battery charger #4 Make sure all your green bonding wires are still bonding each thru hull that your protecting. #5 Call a marine electrician and have him run a bonding...

Pete Fallon

Early Bird, My Father in Law Class of1942 Kings Point had 25 North Atlantic crossings during WW11 as an engineer he told me stories about German dive bombers and out running subs, 15 runs to Murmansk Russia and more in the Med and Egypt. He was on the USS Panama a converted United Fruit passenger li...

Pete Fallon

Mizesetra , I have used Barney Stolz at Skipper Shipper out of Jensen Beach Fl, he goes up and down the coast all the time His cell,is 1-772 225-1279 . Also try Marblehead Transportation Ron Wiswall or Ron LeBlanc I have used both, fully insured and been in business a long time both have low boy tra...

Pete Fallon

Steve, Welcome to the sandbox she is a pretty boat, being a golfer I like the name, just don't get too many of them. The 383's are good solid engines, I had 440 Chryslers in my 31 express before repowering with Mercruiser 7.4L throttle bodied FWC fuel injection big blocks. Run them until they die an...

Pete Fallon

Bob, I feel for your wife and I have been going thru replacement after replacement and operations on the same knee since 1978. I had a 11 room 1873 Victorian right on the water in Salem Willows, it got to the point that I couldn't go up and down the stairs to my bedroom I ended up sleeping in a recl...

Pete Fallon

Tony M,
What kind of unit do you have Hynautic by Teleflex with tank and gage or a closed system without a tank. Usually low fluid with be the cause or there is a leak in one of your lines or the ram has frozen up check for crud at the ram exit.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Bob Lico, There is a fully staffed Martin County fire station 3/4 mile South of the yacht Club entrance on A!A with EMT/ Paramedics 24/7 . The nearest hospital is off of Salerno Rd About 4 or 5 miles away to the North West Martin Memorial South Hospital the main Martin Memioral Hospital is approx. 4...

Pete Fallon

Bob, I did a couple of surveys in Stuart Yacht & Country Club and played the golf course a few other times. From the inner part of the club to the inlet is no more than 20 minutes there are no wake and speed zones for manatees in season. A good veggie stand right across the street to the North on A!...

Pete Fallon

Bob, There is a 5 mile an hour zone from Jupiter all the way to Stuart cross roads in season, If your looking to run out of Manatee Pocket it's a no wake zone until you get to the Cross roads , Like most of Florida the population increase has hurt the fishing but if there is bait near the inlet you ...

Pete Fallon

Bob, I lived in Stuart in 1979 -80 before it got popular. I moved back in 2005 after living in Wellington (Horse Country) It was like the Hamptons only with mosquitos. More horses asses and almost as many horses. I got real crowded in the mid 2000's after they built a huge mall and there was only 2 ...

Pete Fallon

I never had any problems with a 9 DB, I fished within 25 miles offshore and always picked up my Base Station that was 20 miles away. What ever works for you. it's your money. If your out in seas that create that much roll you should be out there.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

I found that the Icom 504 with DSC is the best, It's got all the bells and whistles that you will ever need It's fairly expensive but well worth the money and It will last forever Also don't skimp on the antenna get a good Shakespeare at least a 9 DB with an extension mast for the side of the bridge...

Pete Fallon

Grande, When I repowered with 454 &.4 liter Mercruisers (330 Hp detuned to 310hp ) I used Hurth 63 A 1:52:1 8 degree down angle trannies both my engines were the same rotation in order for them to work the Port engine is run in reverse. I know that GM stopped making counter rotation engines in the e...

Pete Fallon

Andresvero, First off the prop pockets in a 31 is a waste of time and money. You have 210 hp engines which are very fuel stingy, but the 310 to 315 hp range is where a 31 runs the best. I had a 1961 31 Express that came from the factory with direct drive 413 Chryslers. After repowering with 440 Chry...

Pete Fallon

Faithful. I would love to be a weatherman who gets a $75,000 a year for being wrong 80% of the time. We got about 1-1/2 inches of snow just north of Boston they were predicting 4 to 8 . Where are the robins, they are supposed to be the signs of spring, all we have up here are sea gulls and pigeons ....

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Jet Blue called me back at midnight on Monday night and said they have a flight at 11:15 AM to Baltimore . I booked it and got to the airport at 10:00 AM, we boarded the plane at 11:00 AM and then sat at the gate for an hour then they shut the engines off and the pilot came on the intercom...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Here we go again another Nor'easter on Wednesday, the forecast is for 5 to 10 inches of snow starting mid day Wednesday. I have already been cancelled for my flight to Baltimore tomorrow morning they are getting 6" plus in metro Washington/Baltimore tomorrow and Thursday, I had a doctors a...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, We just had our 3rd Nor'easter in 3 weeks. !8'" of snow in Salem Willows with wind gusts to 65MPH. down the Cape way and Islands had wind gusts to 87MPH and over 250,000 people without power again, temps are in the 20's at night with highs around 40 during the day. I go snowed out of my do...

Pete Fallon

Earlybird & Kenny, welcome to the sandbox you will find a lot of knowledge about 31'Bertrams here, I sold my 31 Express 4 years ago after 37 years of stewardship. Hopefully next year I will be back on the water with another express cruiser. After being on the water for 45 years I miss it a lot. Kenn...

Pete Fallon

Steve,
I have seen a self contained air conditioning system put up in that space. I think it was Marlin's boat that had it up there. Just remember to put a drain for the drip pan so it drains overboard or into the bilge.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Kevin, During the 1978 Blizzard the waves were breaking over the roof of my house 28' high (just like the videos of Scituate) and I lost 35 feet of my sea wall and 10" of the back yard, water came to the foundation of the house and into a basement apartment that I had. I also lost a car that was par...

Pete Fallon

Keith, While your at it check your fuel pick-ups they have a screen material at the bottom which by this time are usually corroded away from the water in the fuel over the years. Also check the condition of the rivets on the baffles and any blistering on the tank top bottom( water collects their fro...

Pete Fallon

Dug Rawleigh et al, Sustained wind at Salem Willows at 47MPH gusts to 65. Seas 8 to 10 in Salem Sound. Salem Willows is a peninsular that juts into Salem Sound has been an island since the 1st high tide at 11:30 this morning. There is a granite day beacon 1/4 mile from my house is called Abbott Rock...

Pete Fallon

Rawleigh, The NOAA and local weather gurus are calling for 40 to 65 mph winds North of Boston further South and the Islands up to 90 MPH in gusts and 3 high tides of over 15 feet plus 3 to 5 inches of rain turning to snow before it ends on Saturday PM. They are calling for mandatory evacuations alon...

Pete Fallon

Vince,
Check with Bruce but I think the molds were destroyed after Pat died.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Dave Davidson, Is that the unit that has a thru hull keel cooler that is about as big as a large bronze transducer, I saw that unit about 10 years ago at Ft Lauderdale Boat Show. I never saw one actually work in our boats, I was wondering with the speed of our Bertram's if it has the cooling capacit...

Pete Fallon

I used to have the original Trend ice Box (Blue Plastic) that came with the 1961 Express. For 20 years I used 4 -1 gallon jugs that were frozen in my garage fridge kept thing cold all day and when you got thirsty before it was time for a beer there was always cold water in those jugs. When I move to...

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