bertram31.com

ranjr13

This is a day I have not looked forward to. Below is a screen shot of the track on AIS of our Bertram leaving Connecticut this morning for a run to her new home in New Castle, NH. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51163240826_c0c62822e0_m.jpg . Seeing it at the dock with it's name removed showed i...

ranjr13

Really nice. I was hoping you'd put motors with pistons in the boat, glad to see the complete engines in the latter pics, lol. Really nice work, a very lucky Bertram.

ranjr13

A belated Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you observe. What a crazy year. Even the end of the year holidays that often are the hope everyone knows will come regardless of how off track the rest of the year is are not what they usually are. Things will get better, the solid foundations we've buil...

ranjr13

Yannis - I use Flickr.com - works pretty well, free, seems to interact well the last time I posted pics. Best of luck.

ranjr13

David - the props on our boat are 19 x 19 x 3 cupped wheels. I have the recon sheets if you ever wanted them for balancing specs, and have both operation and service manuals. If you need something in those pm me and I can scan. Best of luck.

Bob

ranjr13

Congrats! Couldn't open the pics, but we have a pair of '98 4LH-STE's, only a bit over 1,000hrs on them. I had props reconditioned and have the printout - will find that for size/pitch and get to you. Performance is as follows, and this is in a '64 Soft-top Express: 18kts @ 2,300rpm/7.5gph combined,...

ranjr13

Very nice work, a lucky Bertram.

ranjr13

Travis - not guidance, but thoughts if I was doing it again, or advising a close friend. I've got a 1964 Soft Top Express. We got it 4 years ago in good condition, diesels great and boat solid, never updated - had nautilux still on cabin floor boards, brown faux formica walls etc. We added a transom...

ranjr13

Cam, we are the stewards of the boats we have the pleasure of calling our own for a few years in our lives. Not all owners leave the vessel in better shape than when they got it - you have done more than that. Great job!

ranjr13

Great idea about replacing screw holes with epoxy and re-using them rather than secure from below, and router. This will likely be a fall/winter project, will take pics and share for future. Again, thank you all.

Pete, keep at it - one day at a time, you're doing great!

Bob

ranjr13

Tommy/Pete - completely agree with you both, and likely will go the route of pulling it, digging out bad core, re-glassing from the bottom, then when it goes in fastening it from the bottom so it's done right. Pete - you know this boat, and if I found it now when I was looking and know how well it's...

ranjr13

Excellent ideas, thank you. May try that with one of the hatches, as they all had the same meter feedback I believe - will meter the entire area myself and consider pulling it and flipping it to get to the areas affected. Thanks again. This site is still very worthy of the $4.50 donation I give each...

ranjr13

Thank you all, agree with your comments and all on the same page. The buyer walked without negotiation, stopped the surveyor from even completing, which is fine with me. If that was enough of a concern given everything else as clean including the Yanmars, wonder what else would be next. I will reach...

ranjr13

The deck and hatches in the cockpit is obviously not original. They were scuffed up a bit when we bought the boat, and had them refinished in a 2-tone and look great. They are very solid, no flex - look and feel great....except they pegged the moisture meter during a survey and failed the boat. The ...

ranjr13

Congrats on the sale. I did a lot of research considering purchasing a trailer a few years ago for our 31. I also live one town away from the BoatTrailerDepot site you referenced and have never heard of them, but it looks like their website contains photos of LoadMaster ( http://www.loadmastertraile...

ranjr13

Express in top shape with really good model Yanmars? https://www.grayandgrayyachts.com/boats ... t-6885177/

ranjr13

I've used both of these guys in the past - both top notch, and while a few hours away will come to Connecticut. http://www.mcdonoughmarinesurveyors.com did a BHM Downeast boat for me and http://www.gallupyachtsurveying.com/ did our present Bertram 31 Softop Express. Where is the boat you're looking ...

ranjr13

Really nice....

ranjr13

Most use water ballast in tanks which works great, until the pump system fails as happened last fall in a Car Carrier cargo ship that had just dropped off a load of Hyundais in Brunswick, GA. Exiting the harbor (notice green buoy on port of vessel where it lies) the pilot felt it listing 30 degrees,...

ranjr13

Agree that the FBC has the best lines, but the Express is incredibly functional, easier to single handle, and you're part of the party. I think you can do things to modify the looks with enclosure, etc. We added gin pole for radar and FLIR, and walk through door in transom, plus tons of other upgrad...

ranjr13

Sounds good - 2 thoughts. Do raw water impellers in the spring - even though only a season old, sitting not used in the position can deteriorate them - cheap insurance. Not sure if you have a mice issue, but we put little bags of pet/kid safe mouse repellent in all the drawers, lockers, head area et...

ranjr13

Cool story. I'm a member of the Connecticut Critical Incident Stress Management Team. It's a statewide group that provides peer counseling primarily to emergency services first responders after really bad calls. Members of our team were in NYC the evening of 9/11/2001. Last night, on the 18th annive...

ranjr13

Drain plug on ours is in center of aft most lower side of tank. Still leaves just a bit in it, so we use water system anti-freeze to be safe.

ranjr13

Ours was plumbed to that fitting on the the tank from a deck fill located a ways up the side, outside the window to the head - looks factory original. Far enough from fuel as to not be possible to confuse - you have to walk along cabin side to get to.

ranjr13

We've had a FLIR on our '31 for three years, camera mounted just below radar for same image. Also used one on our FD rescue boat. With a split screen, keep radar overlay on chart plotter on once side, and FLIR image on the other - incredible detail. https://live.staticflickr.com/1899/43563515205_13c...

ranjr13

Our 31 Express with 230 Yanmars does 18kts @ 2,300rpm/7.5gph combined, 22kts @2,700rpm appx 10gph, max speed 29kts @ 3,300rpm. Great motors. Best of luck.

ranjr13

I think you mean an 18,000lb capacity trailer not price, right? Good trailers can be had for around $10K. I was close to pulling trigger on bunk trailer, but vehicle towing specs that would not cover GVCWR was an issue, and didn't want to buy a dually just for this. My other concern without the full...

ranjr13

https://www.bertram31.com/specs/index.html

This might help.

ranjr13

Yea, no pic - just "dash".

ranjr13

To remove corner windows, take out the acorn nuts as you said would come off, then remove molding - will likely need to cut under it, then gently pry up and off all the way around using wonder bars or some other wide prying devices. From there, we used a very pointy hole saw blade to make a hole tha...

ranjr13

I have an F250 Superduty with air bags for extra lift, heavy tow package. We have an express and was considering trailering myself as we've hauled a lot with this truck - but with a good trailer, I am not comfortable saying the truck is big enough with high enough GCVWR when including weight of boat...

ranjr13

Dug - too much riff-raff in 31 Bertrams in CT, especially in the Groton Long Point area, lol. Nice conversation with JJ yesterday - I'm in no rush, really want it to go to someone who appreciates original 31 boats and will be as good a steward as the previous owner and we have been. Those are two ve...

ranjr13

Amen on FLIR. Use the radar to locate items in the water, use the FLIR to differentiate between mooring balls, geese or kayaks. Incredible tool when used after a little practice. Concern with water intrusion in nasty sea with large original style docking lights, but not with new modern surface mount...

ranjr13

I think docking lights are excellent, used when entering harbor or docking to pick out moorings, assisting a boat in distress, working around anything that won't light up just by the lumens given off from nav lights. We had halogen large style docking lights in our 28 - that was 20yrs ago, before go...

ranjr13

JJ - replied to your post in the "Swap and Sell" section. Welcome back and best of luck in your search.

ranjr13

We put that same unit in our 31, under the forward dinette seat, exactly the same installation with tips on sealing it off from bilge air as Tooeez said, also with one vent to the cabin, the other off the Y to the v-berths. Water pump is in bilge right next to intake with strainer mounted on stringe...

ranjr13

Yannis - not the same motor, but we have a pair of 4LH-STE 230hp - smoke enough to clear mosquitoes for miles up to about 2,100rpms. They clean up as turbos start to work slightly above that, then north of 2,700rpms you hear the distinct whistling and the response of additional throttle increase is ...

ranjr13

I single hand our '31 all the time, and could not be without an auto-pilot. You have two groups of issues to consider - installation and operation. If you already have hydraulic steering, any unit rated for the size system you have will work, and be fairly easy to install. Rudder position indicator ...

ranjr13

Excellent pics, great looking '31. Hinckley was so lucky to be a part of your life on and off the water. I put a walk-through transom door in just so my pup can walk onto the swim platform and with a line tied to his PFD, he jumps in to cool off whenever he wants. Dogs and boats with kids = good tim...

ranjr13

Try this...only see one file, here it is in a link format...
https://imgur.com/gallery/ynT7YlU

ranjr13

David - that's awesome - best of luck in your new practice, it will be great for your family, and Hueso.

ranjr13

John - I'm not an electrical wizard, but here's what I'd do to get through the summer. First, you did the most important thing, confirm that it's not truly an overheat issue with the laser. Second, if you are not comfortable that the boat was wired properly, isolate only the most important things yo...

ranjr13

Our house batteries are 4-6's set up in two pairs of series, for 12v, never had a problem - not too much power, but check all connections to confirm 12v and not a crossed jumper, and make sure all grounds are solid to the boat. If all that's good, the "auto-start" feature probably is something else ...

ranjr13

Wow, Bob Lico, nice clean bilge....same here....

Aft bilge

Fwd bilge

ranjr13

Steve - we have one of these ( https://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?name=rule-high-water-bilge-alarm&path=-1|51|2856132&id=680786 ), very simple, audible alarm if water gets above rear most bilge pump, the one that is going to get flooded if something really bad happens while underway. Another alar...

ranjr13

Very nice, welcome.

ranjr13

We put 2 coats of dark blue Micron CSC over a red marker layer in 2016, have a couple spots close, will only touch those up and get another season out - not just because I'm cheap, but to limit unnecessary buildup of bottom paint. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/816/27537090768_2f01f54075_n.jpg On St...

ranjr13

Every spring regardless of what they look like on the outside. Gives a chance to emery cloth the mounting surface to ensure good contact. We have two on each shaft for safe keeping. Engines should have them somewhere, likely heat exchangers. Rudders should have them or be bonded to a common plate, p...

ranjr13

We're impressed with the Awlcraft 2000 as well - this is 19 years on the white topsides and buff cabin top/accents.

ranjr13

You guys are all overkill. Lifejackets? PFDs? I found a much easier way. I tether my dog to me, so if there's a problem, he's there - he can be uncomfortable all day, or even night with his strobe, while I run about in a tee shirt and shorts.... https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4646/25708711448_36bcdb...

Search found 142 matches