bertram31.com

CaptPatrick

Vince,

Glad you finally saw the forest instead of the tree... lol

Here's what the unit looks like off of the tank & without the sender. Be sure to collect any crap that's fallen into your tank from the old sender...

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

http://bertram31.com/fitting.gif Vince, I'm stickin' to my guns... In the photo part of the above image, am I pointing, (white arrows), at your hole(s)? If so, then the holes are being poked through the rusted out steel sender flange. There is a fair sized hole directly below those points that the ...

CaptPatrick

Vince, I doubt seriously that the bronze manifold plate is corroded, other than surface oxidation. I can see that the steel sender plate is shot... Once you get the manifold plate off, stripped down of valves and such, it'll clean right up. You can use muriatic acid to clean the surface. Paint it on...

CaptPatrick

David, Sounds like you had a great trip. It's doubtful that any B31 owners down there, (other than BrianB), will be frequenting our board, but who knows, you might get lucky. There are numerous B31s scattered along the Yucan Pennisula & into Central America. I always find it amazing that a boat with...

CaptPatrick

Tony, You guys ain't headaches, your beloved family! And when someone has access to Bertram 31's the world over, why want ownership of any boat? I can even walk out of my front door and climb right aboard one right now. Trying to make them better than they already are is the real fun. Actually, all ...

CaptPatrick

Walter,

Good to have you back & recouperating nicely I hope!

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Welcome aboard & back Tiger! Hopefully you Coonasses will eventually get our favorite fishing camp back on line.

Could the UVI return to Port Eads?........

You betchum' Red Rider!

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Wayne, I assume you have a can or two of red label CX... After using the Max Wax, put the nozzel onto your can of red label & shoot it clean. Then use the red label & the little plastic straw to clean out the Max Wax can opening. You'll be good to go the next time you reach for the Max Wax. Br, Patr...

CaptPatrick

Been married three times, (slow learner on that exercise), not sure that I'd even rent another one...

Never owned a plane, but occasionally buy a ticket...

Owned two boats, traded the last one for the Best Boat: NONE!

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Using a Sea Ray as a test platform is a wise choice. If a Clorox Bottle Boat can survive a sheared lower unit, better quality boats will have little to fear...

Are they doing a full structural survey on the hulls after the impact, or only looking at the drive damage?

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Right on target, Randy...

Goes along with: If it flys, floats, or fornicates, rent it...

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

This is meant for all & is going wander off topic a bit, but... Pep Boys, Auto Zone, Home Depot, Lowe's, Scotty's, Discount Auto, and a host of other "Bargain" & "Home Improvement" Centers base a lot of their inventories on sub-standard crap that's produced overseas and offered with bottom line ment...

CaptPatrick

She's surly a canidate for Doug C, & he even has a Harley...

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Thanks, JP... Just decided to be a bit different this time around. Since glassing in exhaust tubes from the inside is real pain in the ass, I built composite flanges, dry fitted the tubes, slipped on the flanges to conform to the hull, & tacked them in place on the tubes. Then removed the tubes and ...

CaptPatrick

Bill, If its tabbed aft, you can be sure it's tabbed forward also... In this case you'll need to remove at least the lower portion of the fwd bulkhead in order the access the tabbing. Once having that access, you'll also have the advantage of using wedges under the tank to break it free. I make a co...

CaptPatrick

Bill, In most cases only the cast urethane foam & side tabs are all that hold the tank in place. Occasionally, Bertram also tabbed the two ends of the tank to the hull. Find yourself a strip of steel about 2" wide & maybe 2' long, & about 1/8" thick. Local scrap yard should plenty laying around... U...

CaptPatrick

John,

Don't waste time on finding out about the wheels on the Ocean. Apples and oranges... Two totally different hull types, weights, wetted surface, etc, etc.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Conversion of an automotive engine over to marine application can be less expensive initially than purchasing a true marine engine... But there are many other differences between the two engines other than just changing out some external parts & may in the long run be just as costly, or more so, as ...

CaptPatrick

Hang in there, Dave, you'll see it through in good shape...

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Craig, Correct on the baffles... One long down the center & three across, dividing the tank into eight chambers. The Glass Tech style deck is configured to accomodate the original tank design & placement. Both the 170 or the 220 gallon tanks have the same manifold configurations; supply manifold aft...

CaptPatrick

Walter,

Have you in mind...

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Capt Frank, Undoubtedly, rotational drag is far more detrimental to speed than linear drag... Fully encased shafts, from exit point to the strut will eliminate the rotational drag, changing it to linear drag. As to how much benefit results depends greatly on the hull shape, weight, power source, gea...

CaptPatrick

Mike,

Sounds like some previous owner moved the fiberglass water tank forward and added a bladder style holding tank.

The water tank has a 1/2" outlet at the bottom, center, aft & a 1" bronze fill hole on top, plugged with a square head plug. The plug is where the vent is drilled.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Mike,

That's a fresh water tank you're lookin' at... The vent is a hole drilled into the bronze fill plug and any water likely came from that. Bertram never fitted the B31 with waste tanks.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Joel, Easy choice... First, the 370s are too much hp for the B31, the truck engines are, well, truck engines & will still be truck engines even after marinization. The obvious choice are the 6LPs, provided they have been properly cared for by the current owner. What's his reason for not wanting to k...

CaptPatrick

Bill,

A spray bottle, 75% water, 25% clorine bleach should do the trick... Rinse well after 2 - 3 minutes. Follow up with an inhibitor such as Impact.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

I am not sure I want to spend 3-4 years rebuilding a boat. Mike, Don't be in too much of a rush to grab the first B31 you have a shot at... While alot of guys have rebuilt their's, some to yacht quality, and have enjoyed doing so, major rebuilding is a tireing, teadious, and expensive road to go do...

CaptPatrick

Harry, The purpose of a garboard drain is to allow you to keep bilge water drained off while the boat is out of the water... The placement of the drain, by Bertram, is near the lowest point of the bilge when the boat is blocked with the deck level to the ground. I prefer to block the boat bow proud ...

CaptPatrick

Ethanol-free gas for boaters Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald

CaptPatrick

Bob,

I'm not even going to check your figures, it's enough to just say: Damn Boy, I like your attitude!!

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Can the prop angle be successfully modified without adding prop pockets? No. Without pockets you'd have even less space to swing the proper wheels. That's the only reason anyone would add pockets. Coupled with the added expense of unnecessarily big engines, custom struts, custom rudder assembly, & ...

CaptPatrick

John, Nose diving is not a factor of speed, but of over powering while maintaing the stock 15Âº shaft angle... The stock shaft angle is fine for diesel power up to about 330 hp. Above that power range a much larger wheel is needed to properly load the engine, developing much more torque. Gas configu...

CaptPatrick

Bobby Perez at Sea Trac in New Orleans 504 737 0591

CaptPatrick

Walter,

Not being a tank builder, I can't say about the thickness, it's probably OK...

Powder coat would be fine, try to specify Epoxy Power.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Bill, Impossible to say from your description, but it doesn't sound a big deal at this time... Clean up your engines very well, clean the bilges, and spread oil absorber sheets under the engines. This will make it easy to track the source when the next drop falls. The absorbers won't let the oil in ...

CaptPatrick

John,

I really enjoyed meeting and fishing with you on "Reel Cowboy" that year. You're a Trooper of the First Order.

Looking forward to our next meeting...

Best regards,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

John,

In the "Tips Section"....

Design and Installation of a Fuel Tank

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Kevin,

Try contacting Shell Oil Co. for distribution...

Shell Info Website 800-782-7852

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Jp,

Absolutely great lookin' wood work. Really like the way the transom corners were rounded out. You're on the road to having one of the sharpest B31s around...

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

John,

Word of caution....

If possible, don't sell your existing engines before you find and secure replacement engines.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Now thats a Swordie bait for ya.

Naw, you'd be trollin' for sperm whale. "Ya' needa' BIGGER boat..."

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Phil, There's nothing cosmetically pleasing about the modules... You could cut out a rectangular notch in the tub below the bridge dash, directly behind one of the two doors. Build a shelf on the back side, (cabin overhead space), and mount the modules. The indicator lights would be visable through ...

CaptPatrick

Randy, Welcome Aboard! The bulkhead in question is not a structural member, so you're not loosing strength or integrity. Replacing all or part of with plywood is OK so long as as you use epoxy to bond all repairs together. A layer of fiberglass over the wood would be recommended, but at least a coup...

CaptPatrick

Tony,

You're on target... Funny how a B31 is identifiable even as a mere speck in a panarama.

Now, just try to identify just about any other of the boats by name & length.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

TX, Welcome aboard! There are none... Those that do build plastic tanks rarely exceed 100 gal capacity. If you could even find one that'd build to the 200+ gal range, it'd have to be custom built and the cost would far exceed the cost of a new fiberglass tank from Alied Richard Bertram, (see Sponsor...

CaptPatrick

Scott,

Not always accurate, but just about any name other than Perko is the better choice. Perko does supply some items that are good quality, but they also supply a ton of pure crap...

In this case, Blue Seas would be my choice...

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Harv,

The deck height on '72 & later is 3" higher, so your new tank would have to be 3" lower...

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

John,

Gerry's tank is a little over 80" and is spec'd by Nautic Marine at 255 gal.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Mike,

Is that the "Iasgair" that Kevin Schuler owned?

Thanks for the invite, if I'm ever up you way I'll sure give you a shout.

Br,

Patrick

CaptPatrick

Mike, The stainless steel tank that I had made for Gerry Santiago's B31 FBC is a bit longer than the diagram below, but all other diamensions are the same. If your B31 is pre-1972, you will need to reduce the height of the tank or raise your deck height accordingly. Br, Patrick Click on the image fo...

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