bertram31.com

DRIFTER31

Pretty boat.....I must say that we had a 28Bert and also a TrojanF36. The Bertram is the one i would rather have between the two for several reasons. one being the hull thickness. I now have a Tiara31 for the same reason as you. More space and wide beam but a Bertram it aint. To each his own. Good l...

DRIFTER31

Lots more room for fishing with the V-drives than the B25 we used to fish in with outdrives. I always wanted to do a B25 V-drive with a pair of old
4cyl. Mercruiser 485's [The engine with no alternator,aluminum block,460ford head,and 460pistons] at 185HP. Troy

DRIFTER31

First class rigging........and what a sweet boat. The engines fit perfectly. Thats a boat to grow old with for sure. One word of caution. I know first hand that Yanmar castings exposed to saltwater[ex.risers] deteriorate very quickly[in my case 3yrs] I would put a time limit on their lifespan and re...

DRIFTER31

Snake oil.......Spend the x-tra money on fuel filters if the fuel is dirty and more clean fuel as you use the boat. Running hundreds of gallons and changing filters often will work like magic to keep incoming fuel clean to the engine. I view those magnets the same as the magnetic braclets people wor...

DRIFTER31

I just sold the upper portion of my Tiara tower and kept the part with the ragtop and altered the stanceon's to weld under the top. Put the top part on ebay sold it in a week to a guy 5 states away for 2000,00 Your whole tower is worth alot to Bertram guys who would want one. I would imagine around ...

DRIFTER31

Ban those SOB's

DRIFTER31

Spark plug wires often look great and people keep them a bit too long IMO. My ford crown vic needed a new set each year to get optimum effeciency.{even the oem wires dont last} Go with a set of 100.00MSD wires every two years. Good old mechanics at the GM service dept told me that they will often ev...

DRIFTER31

Looks like a 70s built Scarab to me. A friend had one that looked exactly like it with a single handrail on the middle of the deck. Hardly any cockpit to stand in and hatch on the rear deck covering the engine made working on them a real pain. Useless

DRIFTER31

Well worth the 5.00 a gallon price. Priceless.

DRIFTER31

The forecasters are 'PREDICTING"the surge. Here in La for Gustov they were saying 20ft storm surge on Grand Island and it took a direct hit and was on the worst side of the storm. The Island had only 7ft over it. Those forecasters are so full of crap. I wouldnt trust them as far as i could throw the...

DRIFTER31

Harry......Thats the way all the coonasses do it around Lafitte with their trawl boats. They all go into the little canals and tie up like a spider to trees and wait it out. Even if the tree falls over the boat is far enough away and still tied to the tree.

DRIFTER31

Best luck......That Bertram needs you back in shape

DRIFTER31

I just took all stainless bolts out of the bronze struts to beef up the Tiara. Inspected each and every one and not even one was damaged after 22 years sitting in the water. They were bonded . Went right back with stainless and would do it again with no worries. Prop is bronze shaft is stainless no ...

DRIFTER31

Another option is clear 1/4 in plexi glass. Just scuff the backside and spray paint any color you like. I used this method for covering all the old cutouts in my dashboard with one big piece then cut out what i need in the plexi. I used black paint but any color works and wont show whats behind it

DRIFTER31

Man i would be hauling ass out there with some lift bags and pumps dive gear and have me a new boat if i saw that hardtop.

DRIFTER31

Craig i suggest stainless due to most gauge sets for marine use are stainless and aluminum will react with the dissimilar stainless. Even if you use plastic ones the aluminum is a little higher maintence.

DRIFTER31

I think these and other species like the great white are migrating here do to over fishing in the atlantic and pacific. Also they are highly sensitive to sonar pings all those military vessels put out. Now all we have to do is keep those giant tuna and foreign fleets out of the Gulf of Mexico

DRIFTER31

Bob.....Can we see pictures of those wild props.

DRIFTER31

Copper paint and aluminum DONT mix. Just a reminder. I know of a guy who copper painted hid custom built aluminum sport fisher and ruined the bottom completly.

DRIFTER31

Capt Pat....www.smartshoppersinc.com This is an autobody mailorder supplier who i buy from and the they make 2 direct air driven DA's one is 8" National Detroit model900 and one is 6" National Detroit model9600 179.00 and 169.00 I have the 8" model and use it strictly for cutting large areas and she...

DRIFTER31

Mikey......Next trip out let us all know the numbers. Speed/RPM, Gear ratio,prop size etc.... Good luck and very nice boat. Troy

DRIFTER31

Sean you are on target........One big storm in your area and the price goes thru the roof so as to be almost unaffordable. Example: 31Tiara 1986 year worth say 90k in south La is about 3-4thousand after the hurricanes ripped thru. These companies areripping us all off

DRIFTER31

I just went thru trying the soda/pressure washer rig and it works a little. Sandblasting works but is grueling. I found the easiest is to use good stripper[not biofriendly] and let it sit then pressure wash. It will take 3 times but by the third time its all gone. 3500lb pressure washer. Much less a...

DRIFTER31

Anyone know of a source for these in 5in.

DRIFTER31

I do believe sealed bulkheaads helped save that 28Bert from sinking.

DRIFTER31

Harry......My 31Tiara came with sealed bulkheads for the cabin and aft of the engines. I think its a good idea and have 2 bilge pumps in each compartment. Its nice to be able to wash/scrub without going into adjacent compartment. Also if you were to run aground the water would have a harder time goi...

DRIFTER31

Dont use masking tape for the boot stripe You need the blue vinyl tape called "fine line" available in auto paint supply stores . The masking type tape will bleed up and leave a nasty edge. You could also just go with any color 3M vinyl stripe tape available in paint supply stores. The runs and dust...

DRIFTER31

Very nice work.......

DRIFTER31

Andre...you can use a tee to install them in line right off the racor between the filter and engine feed line. I used stainless ones from the local gauge shop and they were only about 15 bucks ea.

DRIFTER31

One note on re-cons from Cummins. My local Cummins Mid South dealership tried to get cores from me before the sale or charge x-tra for not having them. Guess what ... Johnsons Diesel was honest and told me that Cummins DID NOT require a core so i purchased two from him for being honest. I traveled a...

DRIFTER31

Have not heard anything on tip top products but star brite teak cleaner and brightner works good for me as does the 3m line. I know you have lots of teak on your model. I use toung oil on the interior and it holds up much longer than teak oil. Wish i had better news on your product my friend. good l...

DRIFTER31

I bought my Cummins re-cons from Johnsons Diesel in Biloxi Miss 228-392-1311 David is the owner and was cheapest in my three state region. Paid 12600.00ea for the 220re-mans.

DRIFTER31

Capt Dana..... I have a bodshop and know all too well about that Indian painter "Running Bear" To fix: Sand run with a little piece of paint stick wrapped with 600grit sandpaper. sand it level and flat with the rest of the paint job. Then: Sand by hand with 1500-2000grit paper for a good while to ge...

DRIFTER31

Whats the problem with stainless underwater? My 1986 31Tiara has stainless trim tabs and i removed the strut plates to just beef up the glass under them for good measure and they used stainless bolts there as well. I saw absolutly no signs of bolt failure on them. Also have stainless swim platform s...

DRIFTER31

Use masking paper from an autobody supply store that wont bleed-thru. Cheap green or tan paper will bleed and can absorb paint and cause paper to stick. I use thin white paper in the bodyshop and its easy to bend and work with. Cost more than the others but wont bleed under any circumstances. You ca...

DRIFTER31

First class work......Yellow hull is sweet......Working in footies...Priceless

DRIFTER31

Thanks Rawleigh....That little adaptor is exactly what i need to do the job. Ask and ye shall receive @ Bertram31.com. Troy

DRIFTER31

Does anybody know if a regular pressure pot sandblaster will strip the paint off the bottom if i use extra fine glass beads[180-320grit]?
Ihear soda uses a different kind of blaster. Thanks Troy

DRIFTER31

The only problem with two part products on exterior wood is when you need to get it off. Its very hard and sanding is a pain down the road. I wouldnt worry about the quality since all brands are basically the same base resin/cataylist mixture. Not sanding between coats is a plus but make sure you re...

DRIFTER31

One more thing to consider......When tee'ing into nylon tube you should use those brass inserts in the tube so when you tighten it wont collapse.
Troy

DRIFTER31

Mikey.......Thats a good reason to go with another brand IMO

DRIFTER31

Very flat bottom..........Wonder how she runs with those 210s?

DRIFTER31

Mack....If you go with stick on...make sure its 3M brand. Every boat i have had i removed the painted name and used vinyl with good results. also one note of caution. The metallic colors of vinyl are not good in the sun at all and wont last long. The solids seem to last forever. just think how long ...

DRIFTER31

Closed cell foam wont absorb water.

DRIFTER31

I have to agree wit Meola on this one. I am 45 and had glasses all my life. Yes i would love to go without them but after 40 we need bi-focals to read and they cant really fix that part with Lasic. So even if you get the eyes fixed with lasic you willstillneed to carry around a pair for reading. Why...

DRIFTER31

Gotta say Garmin.......I have had 4 thru the years and love the simplicity and ease of use without any problems ever. Not sure on radars.

DRIFTER31

Thats one nice hull.......Love the bow flair and rise and big bridge.

DRIFTER31

The best way to keep engines in prime shape is to keep moisture off them. Using the Wolverine 125watt oil pan heaters all year long is what i use or those round 125watt metal heaters withthe fan in them

DRIFTER31

Boatbert........For comparison let us all know how your boat performs with the new gears verses the old ones

DRIFTER31

Score15300 first try

bertram31.com

Search found 165 matches

Soda/Sandblasting