bertram31.com

Tony, The Pilemates do effectively extend the pile. During Super Storm Sandy, or docks came within three inches of going over the tops of the pilings. If it wasn’t for a change of wind and tide at the last minute our docks, and boats, would have floated away. I installed the Pilemate tubes (they are...

Jeremy, We have some very long dock fingers that before the Pilemates you had all you could do to walk to the end of them. After I installed the Pilemates they were as steady as a rock. I also put Pilemates on some of the piles between the boats in the slip so the boats could be tied to the pile as ...

For our docks we installed Pilemates (pilemate.com). They rise and fall with the tide and even give secured tie ups during a tide surge like we had here with super storm Sandy. They are relatively inexpensive, last for ever and require no maintenance. They effectively extend the height of the piles ...

Yannis,

Great pumps, but if you sleep on the boat, and are a light sleeper, you will hear it go on and off as it activates to check for water.

Also, if left active during Winter layup, it will run your battery down.

Just an FYI.

Richard

Home Depot has it.

Mortite! That’s what Bertram used to seal the instrument panel on my 1988 Bertram33 FBC.

Great stuff, seals well and allows for easy removal of the panel.

Give me a COSTCO rotisserie chicken and a bottle of Frank’s Red Hot and I’m in heaven.

Save the monkey meat etc. for the more adventurous.

Richard

I think it was done mostly for the station wagon effect of exhaust fumes. My brother (who has a marine repair business) and I have done a few jobs to convert the exhaust out the sides rather than the stern for that reason and to also eliminate the soot buildup on the transom of boats with older Dies...

Yannis,

I have the same two ports on my Bertram 33, one for the exhaust and the vent for the generator blower. Air intake on the port side vent and exhaust out the starboard vent.

Richard

You guys are just too funny!

Remember, when it comes to the head, bathroom, or whatever you want to call it.

Women rules!

When I did my Bertram33 FBC, I used as a fist coat a non ablative (red) bottom paint as a “show coat”. I then applied two coats of black ablative paint. The red show coat has help identify areas in need of additional attention on future coats of bottom paint. Just my 2 cents, for what it’s worth. Ri...

Tony, I’m on the boat at the dock most afternoons during the week and go a short distance to a cove mooring for an overnight most weekends. Also Make a few weekend trips to ports along the Long Island and Connecticut shores. Really don’t put many running hours on the boat, that must by why the diffe...

My 1988 Bertram33 FBC had the standard stuffing box when I bought it in 2004, I replaced the flax packing about 3 yrs later with Gortex packing and just last month replaced it with Gortex again. Most of the rings of packing looked like the day I put them in and I had kept them adjusted for no drip f...

I agree with Bruce, caulking the top seam will stop the rain water from entering the hull and eliminate most of the dirt streaks that show up on the hull sides. I didn’t caulk the underside of my rail because I have the original aluminum rail and don’t want to trap water that would accelerate corros...

God, I loved that show.
Thanks for bringing back the memories!

Last year my insurance company dropped all boat insurance. I had a tough time finding a insurance company that would cover a 1988 Bertram33 FBC for less than double what my old policy cost for the same coverage and all required a survey, which was a problem as the boat was shrink rapped in the water...

I have cork on my 1988 Bertram33 FBC, engine and gen sea-strainers and they are original, if that tells you anything.

Rawleigh,

Take a look at Lenco (lencocoolers.com).

They are located in Long Island, NY and their prices and delivery are very good.

I’ve used them for oil, transmission and heat exchangers for years with excellent results.

Richard

When I had back problems, my doctor told me “don’t lift anything heavier than a lady’s skirt”

After several black eyes from doing that, I changed doctors.

I think the problem is that there is a rubber wear strip on the cradle that holds the heat exchanger, preventing it from being connected to the boats bonding system. I was going through zincs at a rate of 2 to 3 a year on my 1988 454’s. Last year for my Winter layup (in the water) I soldered a male ...

I’m not sure it’s custom as I have the exact same ladders on my 1988 Bertram33, except the swim ladder is mounted on the starboard side and the boarding ladder is on the port.

Works well in that it flips down and up easily, but those 1” round rails are tough on bare feet!

Carl, you’re right, but the older I get the more “forgetter” I get. I’m 74 and counting.

I know I’d like to have them, if I forget to bring my tabs up all the way I can’t back into my dock slip worth a dam!

After replacing the fiberglass tank on my Bertram33 FBC with an aluminum one, I was still concerned about the ethanol phasing out and creating a very corrosive condition in the bottom of the tank. My solution was to design and build a vent line filter that used a desiccant to filter any moisture in ...

I’ve been having the same problem.
All the other areas of the site seem to work okay, just the forum section that doesn’t.