bertram31.com

John F.

UV is right. Start with props. Use the boat and try not to spend any money unless you have to. As you start to understand her you will see what is next. Remember you may get forced to spend money to fix something that breaks. Just my 2 cents. Great advice. And if you're forced to fix something, fix...

John F.

Thanks guys. She's off to FLA, and should be arriving in Ft.Lauderdale/West Palm or thereabouts some time tomorrow. I'm sure she'll love being in the FLA sun rather than the cold miserable crap that's been around MD. Charlie/John/Harv/Doug and whoever else--yeah, let's do the South Jersey shark tour...

John F.

Thanks. She was used as a Chesapeake Bay family fisher/cruiser. Neat thing about B31s--they're just attract people. We used to overnight with some other friends/families a few times a year. One friend had a new Tiara 31, and the other a newish Luhrs express, and there would be other boats, and then ...

John F.

I've been using my B20 alot the last couple of years, and the Anna E. hasn't seen much use lately with the kids getting older. Our son is a freshman in college, and my daughter a junior in HS, so the tuition bills are here and are just going to get bigger. I got a decent/fair cash offer for her, and...

John F.

Bob-

Are you sure about those numbers? A Yamaha 350 burns 35 gph at normal cruise rpm (whatever that is)? Sound awful high. 99 gph for a 36 Grady at cruise?

John

John F.

Just saw this and posted for general interest:

http://www.thehulltruth.com/fishing-mis ... -mold.html

John F.

They're just bad charts. I couldn't care less what fuel burn is at WOT. I'd also like a somewhat common cruise speed to get fuel burn off of. How about at 20 knts and 25 knts? As is, the charts don't really allow for any meaningful comparison from the get go. I don't know about the other power in B3...

John F.

Same thing with my 454s. You can either pump the throttle, or get a can of quickstart stuff that'll give 'em enough to fire and get the fuel moving. My drill is open boxes, look at motors, squirt quickstart stuff (no need to remove spark arrestors), go onto FB, turn on blower, start motors, go back ...

John F.

sim wrote:Hey they are happy....guess that all that matters.

Yup, but not for me. I'd like to see more shots of the wider FB. From the side it looks OK. I was wondering about the fuel burn numbers, but over the years the only numbers I trust are ones that come from guys here anyway...

John F.

My bench was just bolted/screwed onto the center support and two side supports. You can fit spacers under there. I lifted my bench about 2" with mahogany blocks as spacers that didn't look to bad. Moving it back a couple of inches woulld also have been easy. 6" spacers to go up will be more challeng...

John F.

Thanks.

John F.

I've been asked for the names of some boat haulers--MD to FLA. I've used All-Island, but I remember some other recommendations. Capt Pat had someone out of NC he recommended. I've tried searching, and can't find it. Any help?

John F.

Tony-

They don't open. I sealed the window into the frame, then sealed the frame into the opening. Before I redid the windows, and you could still open the fronts, they leaked.

John

John F.

These windows don't leak. They're also fixed, none of them open. I can be in the cockpit and see all around the boat when we're slow trolling. http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p276/JohnF31/P5301175-1.jpg Its also nice in the cabin. Lots of light and scenery, and makes it feel a little bigger. http...

John F.

Very cool Brewster...the reach of the sandbox is amazing...

John F.

With the market the way it was, I always thought that if you wanted and could afford a really nicely redone B31, you should buy someone's that's been redone---like Buddy Boy, Seanile, Fighting Angel. With the market the way it is now, you'e be way better off buying a boat already done. Boat prices h...

John F.

There are a lot of fwc 454 blocks out there. When I got my boat 8+ years ago, the 454s hadn't run in 2 years, and coded out to 1978s. The boat was on the hard, so we ran them at idle and took compression tests. I bought the boat with the idea that if I got anything out of the motors, it'd be a bonus...

John F.

Rocky- I was told by a local mercruiser dealer that mercruiser gets motors back from manufacturers now and then, and that they can be had for a pretty good deal. If you can't get BBs, I'd think hard about strokers--I think the mercs. are 6.2s. Talk to your local mercruiser dealer. A place called mic...

John F.

There was an early-80s 35 (tournament bridge/formica interior) for sale around here with 330 Cummins 6btas that was in decent shape that wound up selling for around $40K. That boat was close to splash ready and pretty nice. The B28 with new Volvo D4-260s in it, running, that I mentioned before suppo...

John F.

My '69 FBC has the under-the-shelf rudder arms, but they were the mid-size spade shape--not the smaller shark fin type shape. You'll have to work real hard to have a catastrophic failure on a 454 regardless of hours. The stuff around the block may go--manifolds, pumps, ignition--but the long block w...

John F.

Pete- I bought Dug's 4-blades. I think they're 17x15 w/#5 cup. That's what I remember Dug telling me at the time--I never checked the wheels--just put 'em on. I have a set of 18x18 3-blades that were on the boat. Both sets have worked find. I also have a '69 FBC w/454s and 1.5/1 gears. Check around,...

John F.

I have a B31 gasser that I've been slowly upgrading over the years (limited budget). I put Cap. Patrick's rudders on a few years ago, and they are a must have as soon as possible. Even if you don't slow troll, they're great. The B31 on 1 engine with the stock 1969 rudders is awful--can't hold a line...

John F.

I was thinking what Charlie was. There was a place in Mattituck by the rr tracks where a guy had a tank and a helicopter. It was there for years, and now its gone.

John F.

Pete-

Welcome from another 69 FBC w/454s owner. She looks great, and I like the pulpit--it sets her apart. 5000 rpms on 454s is pretty high. Check, but I think they're usually propped to get 4200-4400 rpms at WOT. Looks like you got a great deal. Enjoy.

John F.

John F.

Rocky- Nicely done.

John F.

Very nice. Enjoy...

John F.

Hope you feel better soon Harv.

John

John F.

I have a 69 FBC, and they look like the same rudders that were on mine. I think they're bigger than the 28 style, and smaller than the new 31 rudders. I put Capt. Patrick's rudders on my boat, and that was one of the best things I've done. I highly, highly recommend them, especially if you ever plan...

John F.

I may have a chance to pick up a set of 2008 (I think) Volvo D4-260s with under 200 hours for cheap. They're installed (I'd take the whole boat), so I'd get the gears, wheels, everything, and it all looks like it'd work in my boat (I'm guessing shafts will be different). I've done a search here, and...

John F.

Uh, nevermind.

John F.

Went to profile, added the info, clicked submit, said profile was updated, and didn't show. What am I doing wrong?

John F.

John F.

Charlie and Bertramp, Based on mine which is registered as a 1968 hull# 316-664 (I found the #664 written inside the port engine box), I would say that hull #757 is not a 67, but at least a 68. I wish mine was #757, I fly Boeing 757s for a living. Want to trade? :-D Just get a black magic marker an...

John F.

Patriot--the tank guy I used--supplied closed cell 3/4" thick neoprene rectangles. I used straps to make sure the neoprene bonded with no gaps to the tank. Worked out well.

John F.

Great numbers, great looking boat, graet job. Did you have a BB in her before? Just wondering how the numbers compared.

John F.

'69 FBC - 18 5/8" door opening, door itself is 19 3/8" (I just walked out and measured). Door opening pretty much dictated by space between engine boxes.

John F.

I just watched it with my wife--we were in tears we were laughing so hard. Thanks.

John F.

Crae- None by us. The marinas in MD and VA are pretty far south. There was one in Crisfield and another in VA on the Bay. I posted the link because I thought it may be useful to Rawleigh and some of the others that I think still have f'glass tanks and are tryng to find non-E gas. Been crazy busy at ...

John F.

The link lists gas stations that sell ethanol free gas. I looked at the list for MD and VA, and there are a couple of marinas.

http://pure-gas.org/

John F.

I have a set of stock rudders--smaller squarish style--if you need one/both. I think one is bent.

John F.

I used All Island in 2002 to get my B31 from LI to MD. Everything went right, and the price was good. I'd use 'em again.

John F.

great news

John F.

My '69 FBC is # 315-881. The numbers are hand-written in various places in what looks like magic marker, and glassed into the transom where Pete said. It also says Whittaker Co. It was covered by some paint and lots of grime when I got the boat. My boat came from NY, and the registration had the CG ...

John F.

Walking into the bar, Mike said to Charlie the bartender, "Pour me a stiff one - just had another fight with the little woman." "Oh yeah?" said Charlie. "And how did this one end?" "When it was over," Mike replied, "she came to me on her hands and knees." "Really? Now that's a switch! What did she ...

John F.

I called a couple of shippers, one which I had used before, when I had my B31 shipped from LI to MD. They wouldn't do it without a pretty big price premium because of the rules going over the bridges--a guy I'd used before told me he'd pick up a boat in FLA and bring it here cheaper. I wound up usin...

John F.

If a boat fails to sell because of a brand of engine that is a good engine its usualy because the buyer and/or broker are ignorant. With all due respect, and I mean that sincerely, perception becomes reality. Regardless of reality, if a product has a less than stellar reputation, or has no reputati...

John F.

Just an added thought---the savings you'll realize you may later lose if you ever sell your B31. From watching B31s over the years, its seems to me that the Cummins powered boats sell well, Yanmar powered boats almost as well, and then you have the rest. But what do I know, I run a gasser....and rea...

John F.

You may also want to change your engine oil/filter. I figured that if oil could get out, water may be able to get in. Just a thought.

John F.

The first Trex could get slippery. There are alot of different manufacturers of composite decking materials. If you think you may go this way, get to a lumberyard that carries different products. The TimberTech that I used is tongue/groove and is wood-grained, and looks better to me than the stuff I...

John F.

My back deck is 11 year old timbertech, and my dock is decked with whatever Home Depot had at the time that was cheapest. The maintenance isn't much--wash the deck with a brush and some deck cleaner (or water and bleach to get the mildew) every once in a while--that's it. If you have kids, another b...

bertram31.com

Search found 2009 matches

Tough day..the Anna E. is gone...

Windshield molds--anybody know what this is about?

boat hauler

Vovlo D4-260s

Ethanol Free Gas