bertram31.com

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Thank you for the input about the route to the Mass Pike via I 87. As I said before I do not want to go via the George Washington Bridge I-95, it doesn't bother me to go that way, but my wife hates that route after we had a wheel bearing on our car let go on the X Bronx Expressway on a Fri...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, I know this is not related to Bertram's but I need some advise about the best way to get to Massachusetts without going via the Tapenzee Bridge- 284-84 route. I have driven the 95- Garden State Parkway- 284-84 route about 40 times over the years. This year I need some advice, I was thinkin...

Pete Fallon

Marlin, I don't do sail boats because even if they are from North of the Boarder they want everything for nothing and complain when you fine something that can hurt them or the boat. I came from a sailing background growing up racing US one designs, 110's 210's US1' and Stars. The need for a reasona...

Pete Fallon

Marlin, Which 66 are you looking at in PR Ay Caramba or La Berraquera. It's a proven fishing machine from a chicken coop on the C&D canal in Del. Floyd has a good reputation as quality high end builder. If you are serious about it I would make sure it doesn't have any termites and real close inspect...

Pete Fallon

Bruce,
How many more people are going to drown while diving from his boats either here or in the Bahamas, that makes at least 6 that I can count in the last 10 years, there are probably more that I don't remember. Shark diving at night is like playing in traffic on I-95 on a Friday night.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Marlin, Navatech & everyone else, I got a trucking company out of Pompano to haul the boat from Indiantown Marina to the Port of Palm Beach on it's own trailer. Thanks for all the offers for help, I really appreciate it. Looks like it's going to happen on Wednesday or Thursday of this week. Thanks, ...

Pete Fallon

Marlin, Ray & Bruce, I've already bought the trailer and the yard in Indiantown will load it on the trailer for me. just need to get someone to haul the boat by truck to the port, the trailer is in good condition, just a little on the marginal side for the weight of the boat. The engines haven't run...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Thanks for all the comforting remarks about selling my boat, after 37 years it's like removing part of my life. The new owner and his son are wonderful people, that know 31's and I have visitation rights if I get down to the USVI. I had to find them a trailer so it could be shipped as a de...

Pete Fallon

Cap Pat, That is one hell of a cement pond/tornado shelter and bomb shelter. You will be a rich man soon, when the drinking water prices hit $10.00 a gallon in the Southwest. Hell the groobeaks will never mess with you in West Texas like they did in Riviera Beach, don't forget to install the underwa...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, For the first time in 45 years I am now boat less. I sold the Vizcaya my 1961 31 Bertram Express cruiser to a fellow from St. John USVI, he had a 31 Express that was destroyed in an accident between St John and St Thomas a year or so ago. So now I am moving back to the Boston area for a wh...

Pete Fallon

SeanB, I saw the 62 that was hauled at Hinckley in Stuart. The entire side where it delaminated was completely resin starved, dry as a bone. I hate to say it but the market share of Bertram has been going down hill since the first bankruptcy in the early 90's. The attitude was build a big fancy look...

Pete Fallon

Hueso, Most of your info is correct, the first one is right on, the second uses Hurth 630A 1:5:1 gear 20x23 depending on the load. The third is a waste not enough power for a good cruise. The Styer's can use Hurth 630 A 1:5:1 can go down to 1-1/4" shafts, basically the same running gear as a big blo...

Pete Fallon

JimmyG, The closed system Sea Star is the most common ones I see when surveying 31' Bertrams, most have 3/8" plastic tubing with a outer braided plastic jacket and bronze fittings. The system is closed so you don't need to keep pumping up the hydraulic tank. The helm that Marlin Younker used for his...

Pete Fallon

Chanse,
I have seena lot of pink spots on boats I have surveyed. 99 per cent have been caused by suntan lotion. Try a little acetone on a clean white rag. Sometimes Goof off will work, but I have found that acetone works the best.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Bob S, If you are replacing the glass on your front windows make sure that you replace the bulb seal (the gray vinyl material that goes into the groove at the outer edges of the aluminum window frames). I replaced mine about 3 years ago with the bulb seal material I got at Window Doctor here in Stua...

Pete Fallon

Scott, Which type are they? The round ones with the flange on the bottom or the ones with the fluted glass Fresnel style, like a half moon shape. If they are the round ones that drop in from the top they are available from Boat Owners Warehouse in Riviera Beach, Florida I don't know where you can ge...

Pete Fallon

Capt Pat, That is the best west Texas outrigger I ever saw. Mickey Rupp would be proud of that contraption. Great piece of engineering. Well it looks like the Vizcaya my 1961 31' Bertram has been sold. I haven't got the deposit yet but I have a strong verbal commitment. I hate to see her go but I ha...

Pete Fallon

Russ Pagels, My last home had 2 lightning rods on the roof connected via copper #6 solid strand wire to a ground rods next to the foundation. I had a lot of tall pine trees on the property. It seemed like every month in the rainy season (June through October) a tree would get hit. I only lived there...

Pete Fallon

Steve, Mine were always falling off also. I used clear silicon to fix the window trim, just make sure it's clean of the old glue and the rubber track is clean also. Like Patrick said I filled the holes with thickened epoxy and put in the next larger screws I think they were #10 instead of the old #8...

Pete Fallon

Bob Lico, The old Stuart (St Lucie Inlet)was like that back before they put the rock jetties to both north and south sides. It used to be a breaking bar with one spot to get in and out of,(5-1/2' of water over the bar) to the north side near Sailfish Point. If you had a small skiff (under 21') you c...

Pete Fallon

Carl, I am glad that everyone is going to recover from the fire. Was it caused by a lightening strike?. That shot of the old tin ceiling with insulation hanging down brings back memories of my days on the fire department, Once the fire gets up inside the tin it just keeps cooking. Hopefully you will...

Pete Fallon

Yannis, As long as the scratches are not deep and if you don't see any hairline cracks with a good magnifying glass, you should be good to go. My concern is if there was enough force to crack the strut backing plate epoxy on the inside of the boat, I would really rather have a prop shop take a good ...

Pete Fallon

jwolfe,
If they are that old it's time to replace them, there should be a number stamped on them saying what the length is, get the Supreme red jacket cables they are the best. If one is going bad the others aren't far behind.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

E, The old style cone valves were really the best for the heaviest castings, handles and all other parts, but ABYC didn't like them because they required an extra step to close the actual sea cock off. You had to carry the proper sized wrench for the lock nut on the back side of the cone valve. You ...

Pete Fallon

Yannis, Back a few years ago 2004-2005 all the hurricane damaged boats were cut up and a lot of different shafts, struts, props, rudders, etc showed up in second hand marine parts stores. The original Buck Algonquin style struts that Bertram used had a tapered front and back edges and a thinner wall...

Pete Fallon

Tommy,
Would you e-mail me or call me at 561-310-7179.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Springloaded, It's not a good time to sell a 31 right now, the last 2 that I heard about sold last fall for 150K it was a 9.9 out of 10, the other was Buddy Boy a few years ago for 150K. I have had my 1961 express on the market for a year at 39K with no bites, dropped it down to 25K and still nothin...

Pete Fallon

Scott,
Why don't you get a couple of sheets of Airex, Corecell or Divinycell material, easy to work, with no mess as with expandable foam, you can shape it and if it's thin enough you can bend it easily.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

JohnV8er,
Who is the pitcher and who is the catcher in the British Speedo Special.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Dan, Always start from the top down, leave the bottom for last, the cockpit should be done next to last because your going to be in and out of it a lot before you finish. I never had any problem with the automotive trim paint, you have to sand aluminum rail and window frames down real good I used 2 ...

Pete Fallon

JohnS,
Congratulations she's looking great, those other items will come together soon enough, glad to see her wet, what do you have for power?
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Kevin, Not to be a pain in the butt, I would check all of those bolts with washers on them or even without washers, (1) was it the pressure sender on the tranny switch ( the bolt with the heavy corrosion on it to the outboard side of the tranny at the 1 O'clock position above the hex tool or (2) was...

Pete Fallon

Dan, As long as the rail is tight you should be alright. I know Tom Cargill very well, I think I know you Dad, If that's him with the white hair in the pictures of the temp building going up. If you don't want to put the caulking all the way around the rub rail joint you can get a piece of clear isi...

Pete Fallon

Dan, On the subject of removing the old sealant at the window frames, mine were held in with dried up old Dolphinite, get a 1" gasket scrapper from the Snap-on tool guy, stainless steel blade with a black handle. The cheap ones from Harbor Freight don't work worth a crap. I used a heat gun to soften...

Pete Fallon

Dan, When I replaced my side curved panels on the upper and lower windshields (express cruiser), I used automotive black window sealant made by GE, that was back in 1995. Check with an auto glass windshield company, I think Phillips Glass on Canal St near the do it your self car wash, up the street ...

Pete Fallon

Keith,
The anchor light was an Attwood Brand not Accon, It had a nice stainless steel base with a combo 3 mile anchor/ steaming light LED bulb.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Keith, Which nav light are we talking about, the original open top drop in dome style, or the newer combo bow chock with the bigger domed shaped lens somebody made a knock off of the original (Chrome Brass style) or the larger slab side style with grooves on the outside(Chris Craft Style)? The small...

Pete Fallon

dcasey, You have go your work cut out for you, I want to know how the black pick up truck is going to get out of the driveway now that the temporary plastic shed is up? Good luck with the refit, Dana Sponagale from Dion's did the re- gel coating on my 1961 31 express back in 1994-95 in a heated buil...

Pete Fallon

bbtiller, Call Buck Algonquin in Michigan they made the struts for Bertram originally. I had to replace the port strut on my 1961 31 Express, a 1-1/4" low profile strut, I sent them what was left of my old one and they cast me 2 new ones in about a week. I know they had the 1-3/8" ones in stock. It'...

Pete Fallon

Kevin, After you install the anchor windlass no matter what style or size, I would add a item that is almost always overlooked. A anchor wash down system. it doesn't have to be elaborate just functional. I just surveyed a 40' Cabo with the anchor chain going into a flat bottomed locker at the head o...

Pete Fallon

Capt Mac Creech, I did my deck supports about 3 years ago.I used full board 5/4 White Oak then applied 6 coats of thinned epoxy, fastened them in with stainless steel 1/4-20 bolts. I used the same material for the rudder tables. My decks are 1" 80lb density PVC foam with glass over and under, they a...

Pete Fallon

Guy's,
I think this thing was built by McGreggor it was supposed to be a trailer able weekender but was ugly as hell. The best thing to do with this bucket of mold, with OMC(Oh My Christ) outdrives, is to donate it to the local fire department for a training burn.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

DJCasey,
Welcome to the sandbox, where are you keeping the boat and what yard did you work for? I'll be up there sometime within the next month or so to have my knee replaced at Mass General Hospital. Good luck with the boat redo.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Tony, Carl et al: I had a mate years ago that would jump in while we were chumming out on Stellwagon Bank off Gloucester, I kept telling him it was not a smart thing to do. Finally I made him sign a release that I would not be responsible for him getting hurt or eaten. A week after he signed, one of...

Pete Fallon

MarkS,
The cables are both different lengths, just that little difference can be the problem. always use the Supreme cables on long runs and down thru tower legs, the regular cables just don't cut it.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Along with UV, Snow and Walter they are all missed very much by me and everyone on the board, I will raise a coke to all of them. I can still see UV & Snow sitting on the bench outside the room at the flop house.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

CharlieJ, I am glad to hear that your doing better, whatever you do not push it. I know how much better it feels without the constant nagging pain, After my last replacement it felt like someone lifted a huge weight off of me, I just wish it lasted longer than 4 months. The drugs help control the pa...

Pete Fallon

Faithful, Your eyes are a lot better than mine, I agree with the hull number 204 and the 1962 year as my boat is hull 186, you can also tell by the old style step up engine boxes. Still a nice looking machine. I'll have to stop by the marina and take a look the next time I go to West Palm. Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

bbtiller,
Congratulations She's looking good Came a long way from the original open backed sport fish model. Go get the decks bloody, that's what the boat was meant for.
Pete Fallon

Pete Fallon

Giff,
Hire a midget with a universal joint for a fore arm.

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