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John F.

Looks great. Fresh water boats---its just not fair. She looks like she's been in a time capsule. Enjoy your season.

John F.

Crae- I was buried in kid sports on Saturday, and the O's game on Sunday. I heard from guys coming in that up by the bridge it was slow, and that south of Eastern Bay it was pretty good. There was supposed to be a real hot bite off Cheas. Beach and Deale. I got out Thurs. with lines in for about an ...

John F.

The Anna E. is in, and mostly ready. I plan on doing a pre-season C&R rock outing tomorrow afternoon to make sure boat is right, gear is good to go, etc. I'm going to leave the dock around 3 pm, run about 1 mile to where the fish have been holding, and hopefully have some fun. Plan on being back in ...

John F.

I love my Montauk (1981 w/2000 Johnson 90 hp). Great on gas, really stable for a 17' boat, real feeling of safety in seas bigger than a 17' boat ever should be in, easy to trailer, and UV is right, really rough ride in any a chop. I wouldn't consider anything else in that size boat. I'd also recomme...

John F.

Crae-

Good luck. My daughter has a lax game in the a.m., and I'm hoping to splash Saturday afternoon, so I can't make it. The C&R is amazing right now--the Bay is thick with fish.

Mako looks great.

John

John F.

Bruce-

Great idea.

John F.

Rock season is almost upon us......looks great John.

John F.

I'm going to cut back on runs to find fish, but will still fish. I've fished w/my kids since they've been about 3--now they fish with me or on their own on the whaler. Nothing better than seeing the look in your kid's eye the first time they come back to the dock with some nice fish that they caught...

John F.

Interesting discussion. I find the beauty of the B31 in its simplicity--its a really great, no frills 31 flybridge or express-type boat. I wanted simple--love my B31. If I wanted a big center console, I'd get one instead of the B31--like a Reg. or Contender, or maybe a SeeVee with a diesel (abolutel...

John F.

Thanks for the replies. The boat will do an easy 30 knot cruise, so she's pretty fast. Anybody ever run down Pamilco from Oregon Inlet to where you hit the ICW to run down to Morehead and out? We didn't run Pamlico, and depending on weather, that looks like it may be a good way to go. Unfortunately,...

John F.

I may be helping run my friend's CC35 from MD to Ft. Lauderdale. I ran a boat up from St. Augustine to MD a few years ago, so I'm a little familiar with the trip. When we ran up, we came inside at Morehead City, and ran the ICW up to Portsmouth. The CC35 is bigger and quicker than what we were in, a...

John F.

I have a 69 FBC and I think I'll get about 240 gallons--I haven't pulled the old tank yet. The 240 is baed on measurements with the tank in.

John F.

Harv-

I'm really sorry to hear of your loss. I really enjoyed fishing with you and Sy on Doug's boat, and always enjoyed Sy at AC. Really sorry. Hang in there.

John

John F.

Harv-

All good points, and if I had the time and money, I'd probably go with a fglass tank. But, I don't have enough of either............

John F.

Harv-

Thanks. I'll be looking for a quick turnaround--hopefully a week or so. That, and the price of the fglass tanks (I was quoted $4500 and $4800) has me back at getting an aluminum tank.

John

John F.

Bob-

The told me it was no problem. I have to use gas cans, and can't pull the truck up to the pump. First thing the guy mentioned was how all the locals with hi-performance cars would come and get the gas. Its at least a badn-aid 'til I get this taken care of.

John

John F.

Crae- Thanks. Let me know when Mako get here--I really want to take a look at the tank/install. I used easy-off to get the name off my boat when I got her. I had vinyl graphics made by a place near Annapolis Mall for about $100, and 6 years later they look pretty much like new. I remember my Dad tou...

John F.

Thanks for the replies. Mike Dolan sent me drawings that he used for his tank, and they'll be helpful as I figure out what to do. I found out this am, basd on Tony's suggestion, that I can get non-ethanol gas at the local private airport for only $4.65 gallon. At least that'll get me through spring ...

John F.

OK--E10 looks like its here to stay on the Chesapeake. The spring rock season starts late April, and if its like other years, it'll be hot for a couple weeks and then die. I've got about 40-50 gallons in the boat, and can fish within a mile of my house, so I plan on running through the gas I have, g...

John F.

My bad...what I meant was longblock damage. If I'm running the risk of cracking rings and scoring cylinders, then I'd have to have pretty much a total rebuild done. I was hoping damage, if it happens, would be confined to the heads, carbs, intake manifolds. I wish I knew we were getting E10 here bac...

John F.

OK. E10 has now hit the mid-Bay. I have a '69 FBC w/1978 454s and the original tank. The 454s have good compression and no leaks, but the starboard needs to have the heads redone, and both motors are due for manifolds and risers. I know a couple guys have run E10 in their stock tanks and have been f...

John F.

I live on the Chesapeake mid-Bay. The water here is brackish to salty, and for years I used Petit Trinidad with great results. Last year, I tried Boaters World for $50 gal b/c Trinidad has gone up to $225 gal. The boat looked just as good the end of the year as it did with Trinidad--very little bott...

John F.

Who made your tank? When you get Mako back to Annapolis, I'd like to take a look at the install. Thanks.

John F.

Just got off the phone with a fuel distributor--the lower shore has had E-10 for about a month.....that's it.

John F.

Those on the mid-Chesapeake (like me) have been able to dodge the ethanol bullet by fueling in Talbot County or south on the Shore. I've been told that the Easton gas stations are pumping E-10, and called the marina I've been getting fuel at, and was told that there supplier is also going to start d...

John F.

I put Soundown in my B31, and there is very little clearance between the manifolds and Soundown on the insides of the boxes. I haven't had any problems.

John F.

Amazing........

John F.

...an 11 sec. Aspen with a cut-in sunroof........I raced an RM250 at Bridge also (I think in '76). The road track (like the MX track) seemed to be pretty much a horsepower track. Never was a GM guy until I got my '71 Z-28 (which I sold when I got our current house built). Learned to love the general...

John F.

I raced motocross there a few times. Great place. I think a few guys here (Mike O and Timmy?) road-raced there.

John F.

30 years ago by me it was the spot on 25A in Fort Salonga just east of Northport where it goes dead straight for a mile or so. I had a '65 GTO 389 4 speed. Friend had a 70 Challenger 383 4 spd in that purple color that peeled (plum crazy--amazing what you can remember) that he spun out and hit a wal...

John F.

Harv-

But now you have a classic boat, and up 'till a little while ago, you had not one, but two 454s. You'll have another opportunity to buy a Challenger soon--and it'll knock down mid 13s stock.

John F.

John F.

Crae-

I also don't remember hearing of a sudden dump from the rear main...just drip, drip, drip 'til it gets bad where you need to do something. We're Bay boaters---you're never that far from port, so I'd let it go and keep an eye on it.

John F.

John F.

I also think I'm going with the Sitex SP70. The bigger ram is only about another $150. UV and Sim mentioned that its not needed, but does it help at all? I'm mainly interested in keeping the boat in a straight line while I get lines out slow-trolling (2.5 knts). Thanks.

John F.

Patrick-

Thanks--appreciate it.

John

John F.

OK--got the side window frames mostly made of marine ply. I was planning on putting a layer of cloth on the outside, and then fairing everything smooth. Question is--do I need the layer of cloth? The marine ply is saturated and coated with West epoxy, and will be faired with West. Can I just fair no...

John F.

Steve- Congrats on selling Storm Petrel. Somebody got a pretty good deal. It looks like some boats are starting to sell. My neighbor's B31 is under contract (he bought a B33), and another friend called tonight and his boat just went under contract. Block should be real quiet and peaceful this time o...

John F.

I saw these on BassBarn. I remember somebody trying to find a set awhile ago. I don't know the seller or anything about them--just thought I'd pass it along.

http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/showth ... p?t=127789

John F.

My local Boaters World gives 10% off (as well as their Capt's Club discount) with a Maryland Saltwater Sportfishmans Assoc. card. Makes it pretty tough to beat their prices. For merc. parts, the local marina that has a good parts dept. and a great parts guy is pretty close to any of the online place...

John F.

Thanks for the replies. I've passed it along. I'l let you know how it works out.

John F.

My buddy with a 35 Carolina Classic (35x13'6"x24' high) is moving to Hawaii, and is trying to figure out how to get his boat from the west coast to Hawaii. Anybody have any suggestions on who to contact?

John F.

Dug-

Looks great. Thanks for all your efforts.

John F.

John F.

Although I'd rather fish or stare at the water in the Keys with a cold one in my hand, my buddy really wants to go, so I guess we'll be there 2/17. Thanks for the replies.

John F.

I'm flying in to Miami 2/16 on my way to Marathon to fish with a couple of friends. One of 'em wants to go to the Miami show if its got alot of sportfish stuff--Merittt, Rybo, Gamefisherman, etc. I looked at the site, and the list of exhibitors doesn't look like alot of stuff like that will be here....

John F.

Looks great. Thanks for posting. The hardtop lines look really nice.

John F.

Capt. Patrick- My side window frames were shot. I looked at my options. The American Marine are nice, but I wasn't crazy about more aluminum on the boat, don't really like the large flange they use. Plus, I have side window covers of sunbrella that I like, and with that large flange there is no room...

John F.

I'm making window frames for the side windows. The ply frames will be saturated with West, get a layer of cloth, and then faired. Do I need to use marine ply, or can I use the regular b/c ply from Home Depot I got to make templates out of?

John F.

Temp. in MD is 20 degrees. I've got the day off, and its down to the boat to get some more work done on the windows. I heard last night (while watching the Giants win--GO GIANTS!!) that spring rock season opens 4/16. Gotta' be ready. C'mon Mikey--thermals and layers, and it takes a couple hours to l...

John F.

I think the approach to a B31 falls into one of three broad categories: total project that's out of the water until redone (see Mikey), totally redone boat (see SeaNile, Buddy Boy, Fighting Angel), or a B31 that works and you can use that'll need work over the years (see Walter K's post and my B31--...

John F.

I haven't been on a 28, but I talked at length with the owner of one that had the 4bta 250 in it that were replaced with 6bta 300 or 330s. He really liked the boat, hated the 4btas mechanically and said it was marginally powered with those motors. He said it really ran well with the 6btas. I went to...

John F.

Mikey-

Yeah--but I just ordered two tubes just in case...my last tube, and my qt. of dolphinite went off with Doug for the side window install on Crows Nest. Pays to have extra...

You putting together a Chesapeake rendevous this year?

John

bertram31.com

Search found 2006 matches

Doug, John, Crae or other mid-Bay Bertram guys I haven't met

Chesapeake to Ft. Lauderdale

Tank Suppliers

E10 and my B31--what to do...

Mid-Chesapeake Ethanol

Side window frame advice--cloth or no cloth

Flybridge side steps

Shipping a CC35 from West Coast to Hawaii

Miami Boat Show

Do I need to use marine ply?