bertram31.com

Capt. Mike Holmes

Finally got my copy - it was already out on the newsstands. I blame that on Charlie Levine - I had problems with him during his short stint at Sportfishing as an editor. Great article. Lots of good information, and not a several page ad for our buddy Peace. Richard did good. What Dave Ferrell neglec...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Scot, at the time he bought the engines they could not locate a smaller gear in a timely manner, so they gave him the 5050's. I haven't heard of any more problems with them, although I do have a charter buddy who wears out Borg Warner's on a regular basis. Of the gears I have now (5011A still), one ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Scott, it was actually a 5050 that my buddy had come apart with the 210's. Should have been more than enough gear for those engines in a 31. My original 5011A's had a lot of problems, some maybe my fault. Busted a couple of oil lines, had a leak at the lower drain that was hard to find. The one that...

Capt. Mike Holmes

The 502 has had as good a reputation as any marine gear made, although it is an older design. Not sure about high power installations, though. The 5011A and 5010 that replaced it haven't fared as well. The 5011A was made in Begium, I had a pair in the 1.45:1 ratio, one went out in the slip with abou...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Sounds like the Cummins/Mercruiser engine, which is usually coupled to a stern drive. I know of a few that have been installed as inboards, and the owners like them. They are light, high rpm for a Cummins. I think it was actually from the Mercruiser side of the family. Walter is right about the reps...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Capt. Dave, I just installed the top of the line Raitan - the one that looks like a household toilet and flushes on a timer. This is my 3rd electric head since I've owned the boat - theit had a manual flush head whn i bought it that was toast. I guess my raw water inlet line does make sort of a loop...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Capt. Pat and everyone else - practically - thinks these boats do best with more weight aft. When I did my repower, I mounted the 6BT's far enough back that I have about 10 inches between the harmonic balancer and the cabin bulkhead. This is a huge help in getting to belts, etc. on the front of the ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Here in Texas our water generally has enough grit in it to clean the shafts by just running the boat. If not, we run it aground in some good mucky sand and spend some time rocking it out. Especially great for cleaning props.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Ernest, are the Yanmars that loud? Maybe you should ride with me and my unmufflered Cummins first. I put 2 inch Soundown under the engine hatches and on the cabin bulkheads because I got it free, put 1" on the inside of the hull outboard on the genset, and also inside the cockpit panel where the gen...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I had about a foot of water over my dock this morning. By dark today, the tide had gone out some, and it was only about 6" above the boards. This was as much rain as I've seen in a not tropical storm in a while. Instead of taking care of my boat, I was spending all day not getting picked on a murder...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I joined a fireworks shoot off on the 4th several years ago with some expired 12 gauge flares. Set the pasture across the road from the marina on fire!

Capt. Mike Holmes

In the new Southern Boating (November issue) there is a article previewing the 2006 Ocean Reef Club's "Vintage Weekend". In the opening picture, at the dock between two beautiful wooden classic yachts, is a pretty, blue-hulled Bertram 31! Thought maybe Doc would know the boat?

Capt. Mike Holmes

JP, you'll have to type louder - I can't hear you witn my generator running! Before I did all the modifications to quiet mine down, it was louder than both my Cummins. With the noise tempered a lot, I'm pretty happy with it. Had to change a couple of impellers, but that was due to muddy water cloggi...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Ernest, sounds like it's running better than you expected - great news. I would certainly have trouble keeping up with you on a long offshore run. I wondered, also, about how you cram 6BT's in a 28, but i saw one advertised in Boats & Harbors that claimed to have John Deere diesels, and the Deere do...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Actually, I don't think any of the articles in their 50th anniversary issue have bylines - appear to be "staff collaborations".

Capt. Mike Holmes

Tommy, do you remember hsi name? Just curious.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Tommy, I need to try that on my truck bumper! As for my transom, the 12 valve Cummins in the boat don't make black smoke or soot, just a little gray when cold. Of course, painting the boat black helps , also.

Saw your quote in Boating - good deal!

Capt. Mike Holmes

JP, Vic had a bad experience with the Ferryman engine on a used model. I bought a 4.3 Norpro new several years ago, and have had nothing but good service from it. By the way, all the other Norpro's use Isuzu engines. My Norpro came with a stainless drip pan and the same panel they use on the larger ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Boating has done some great tributes to the 31, including the 20th anniversary (of the 31) issue in 1980. They also did one about 5 years ago where their staff voted the 31 "The best boat ever built". Today's Boating staff, however, is a different breed. They love the sensational, have a very juveni...

Capt. Mike Holmes

OK, went to the VW Marine website. The 225 hp engine is a V-6, same engine they use in the Audi's and the Volkswagen SUV's. Peak hp at 4,500 rpm, torque at 4,000. All the technical info was in metric. I don't do metric, for personal reasons, so don't know the weight, length, width, etc. Should be a ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

In the same issue of Boating which briefly mentions the 31 Bertram and Ray Hunt's efforts, there is a full page ad (p. 78) for VOLKSWAGEN MARINE DIESELS. The ad says they are available from 50 to 225 hp, quiet, smoke free, fuell efficient, etc. They are being handled by Ring Power Corp - wwwmarine@r...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Well aware of the long run from Sabine pass to good water., better here. Then again, more boats fishing out of here. My son lives in Orange right now, going to school at Lamar

Capt. Mike Holmes

The reply I just got from Cummins says in their testing they have seen some high mileage (hours) 5.9 mechanical engines develope leaks at the lift pump after running low sulfur fuel. They do not recommend using an additive, and said the changes made to accomodate the low sulfur fuel consisted mostly...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Scott, I went to high school in Buna, down the road from you, many, many years ago. As we were waiting to play a district championship football game my senior year, a reporter from the Orange Leader walked by in a bright yellow sportscoat. This paper had been giving us very little respect, instead r...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Environmental regulations are taking the fun out of life. The glowball warming activists need to start worrying about the balance of the planet on its axis after all the illegal immigrants finally leave Mexico for the states. Some of them aren't very big, but there's a lot of them! A thought I had t...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I didn't see anything about the cylinder or block configuration., but I prefer straight six's. Shorter is OK, but I have enough trouble getting to the outboard side of my 6BTA's with the aftercoolers, etc. in place. A friend marinized 7.3 Ford International v8 diesels. Had to pull the engine to chan...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Bruce, since I'm out of the "oil bidness" now, I don't know crap. I'm not even sure what they've done to allow the new engines to operate with such a low sulfur level fuel. Why is it gonna be bad to run 500 ppm diesel in the newer engines designed to run on 15 pmm? Is there a catalyst bed somewhere ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Rob - I'll take you up on that offer, but you don't have to pay. Email me your phone numbers to captain31@ev1.net. I have some deck hatch braces to replace, and a couple of other small projects to finish before I'm ready to take paying customers, but have a lot more time to work on it now. Bob - tha...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Rawleigh, THAT ought to keep the truck mechanics happy!

Capt. Mike Holmes

Thanks again, guys. Pete, doubt I'll make it this year, too much with house and boat repairs, etc. I'll miss it, for sure.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I was more interested in the displacement increase, didn't sound like a modification of any existing Cummins engine. Wonder what the increase in weight and diminsions will be? With Ford dropping to 6.0 liers on the powerstroke, this will give Dodge the size lead, which I'm sure will be heavily adver...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I've been using a Cummins approved additive for some time - in both the boat and the truck - just wondered if the significant drop in sulfur ws goign to cause problems, anyway. Got an answer from Cummins this morning, very briefly said it won't cause any problems.

Capt. Mike Holmes

15 ppm sulfur diesel is supposed to be at the pumps any day now, and the stickers on the pumps already say you can't use 500 ppm diesel in 2007 and newer engines. My understanding is 500 ppm sulfur fuel will still be available for "off road" use, like marine. Is my 2005 Dodge Cummins going to run on...

Capt. Mike Holmes

In January, 2007, Cummins will be introducing a 6.7 liter engine in the Dodge Ram pickups, although I don't know if it is to totally replace the 5.9, or will just be an additional option. It is listed as putting out 350 hp, and 650 lb ft of torque, with a "variable geometry turbo charger" and improv...

Capt. Mike Holmes

"Son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin', if you don't stop drivin' that hot rod Hatteras" - or something like that. So the kinda secret plan is to make an express out of it, eh? Probably a good move. I love express boats. I would have looked hard at the 41 here that was down to the bare hull for tha...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Thanks, guys. Timmy, I better visit it when it isn't frozen. I'm a whuss when it comes to cold weather. Ernest, let me know any time you are going. I have to replace some deck hatch braces on Black Sheep, then finish my fighting chair beef-up, and I'm ready to go, I guess. Got two bent butt 80's rea...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Gentlemen. As of today, I started my retirement from the petro-chemical industry (my "day job"), after 38 wonderful years. I am retiring early, because I started early, when I was barely 18. Now that I have told the regular paycheck to kiss my ass, I will have a lot more time for fishing, working on...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Timmy, I had a run in with a tornado, not a hurricane. Tornados are much more personal. A hurricane is what it's gonna take to get the Tubb back out of the woods!

Capt. Mike Holmes

Paul, it happens to the best of us sometimes. My bad back kept me from fishing much the last two years, but now I have that fixed (supposedly), about to move back into the house after storm repairs, and I just retired from my "day job", so I hope to be playing catch up soon. By the way, from what I ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Starboard is basically polyethylene. 5200 will ahere to it.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Good luck with it. I've haven't done much with mine, either. Had a tornado hit our house Mother's Day, still living in a camper in the front yard. Had back surgery the week after the storm. I'm retiring from my day job effective next Friday, boat work and fishing become high priority items then.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Daniel, - thanks. If I couldn't find Lee's card, I was going to ask you to post that information. How is yoour boat coming along?

Capt. Mike Holmes

Lakewood Yacht Service in Seabrook, TX, ordered mine, I'm sure they're easily available. Good, strong pumps. I used one to pump about 150 gallons of diesel back into the boats from drums after "polishing" the fuel, no problems. If the juice goes off for some reason, they tell me they will free wheel...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Ray, I have a pair of converted 6BTA's, the old 12 valve mechanical engines that were replaced by the 24 valves with electronic controls in 1998 or 1999. It has taken awhile to get them going right, not the engine's fault. Right now I am running 2:1 gears with them on 1.5" shafts, pulling 22 x 24 3 ...

Capt. Mike Holmes

Bruce mentioend the name is an earlier post. I'll look at mine when I'm at the boat and let you know. Got them trough a marine supplier in my area.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Mikey, email address is : Captain31@ev1.net

Might have one of your UVI pictures appear in my column in next month's (November) Southern Boating.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I think the key here is "flooded". In Texas, the courts have ruled on whether it is legal for boaters to enter private property that is normally dry land, but is temporaily submerged due to floodwaters. Even if this is more than an occasional occurance, I think they ruled in favor of the landowner.

Capt. Mike Holmes

Too tall, too wide, way too heavy.

Capt. Mike Holmes

I think mine also run the whole length of the coupler, helps to get something like CX in there to loosen them. I'd run up and give you personal advise this weekend, but we'll probably be busy tying up loose ends on the house rebuild. Maybe I can sneak off and mess with my boat a little. My retiremen...

Capt. Mike Holmes

I think the hope is that they go back on easier than they come off. I put mine on, originally, and don't remember them being all that bad, just tapped them down, then i think tapped on the end of the shaft to seat them further. Tapped, not whacked. They are sort of fused to the shafts now, it seems.

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