Great article on Bob Lico and Phoenix in Soundings Magazine!

[Tommy]

Hey guys,

There is a GREAT article about the father-son team of our very own Bob Lico and Anthony that showcases their extraordinary work on Phoenix, their 1973 31 Bertram! Check it out in the January 2025 issue of Soundings Magazine. I will try to post the link to the electronic version if I can find it.

Congratulations Bob and Anthony!!!!!

Tommy

[bob lico]

Tommy i took the editor and photographer for a wild ride in really bad weather and did a 90 degree turn into the waves at 35 knots , HOW can a boat turn 90 degrees in that short of a distance . makes outboards look silly in comparison!!

[Carl]

i took the editor and photographer for a wild ride in really bad weather and did a 90 degree turn into the waves at 35 knots

...of course you did Bob. I am sure you made life long memories that day!

I am sure they were impressed, I cannot wait to read and share with some friends of mine.

[bob lico]

these guys were totally professional and after the wild run on the water they wanted to see the steering ,i told them it is top secret and not marine only one fellow bertram owner knows the secret (you) . could you imagine telling them it starts with SS roller beraing Hein joints and custom ball beraing rudder towers --------say what???? anyway it was a great experience

[Tony Meola]

Bob

Glad to see that you are still at it.

Now I have to go out and buy Soundings and add it to my collection of Magazines with articles about our 31's.

Congratulations.

I hope all is well with you and hope you have a great Christmas.

[MarkD]

Tony - I'll send you mine:) Great article Bob. After all of these years, these boats continue to set the standard. Yours in an exceptional example!

[Ironworker]

Nice article Bob!

https://www.soundingsonline.com/feature ... mate-refit

[Carl]

Wow I know someone famous!

They did a real nice job on that article Bob, then again you gave them a lot to work with.


Thanks for the link Rick

[Tommy]

Rick, thanks for posting!

[neil]

Very nice bob,Gary is the one who wrote about our adventure to the montauck rendezvous.hope all is well

[S Ritzert]

That's pretty dang slick. Nice article!

[bob lico]

rick thank you ever so much for posting this i cannot thank ou enough for some reason they photograph the radical steering and strut inovation but did not put the photos in print ? the radical radar arch based on suspension bridge contruction to eliminate that V piping in the front of the bridge obscuring the vision looking forward from the bridge but they are running another photo shoot for saltwater fishing magazine they want photos with drone of going thru 4' waves at 30 knots in the ocean something not attained with 32 ' center consoles with twin 350 hp outboards you guys know its the hull and the balance with midship mounted diesels anyways have a great healthy holiday brothers and thanks again.

[THESALTYSATO]

BEAUTIFUL and INCREDIBLE Bertram 31
Great article--read it twice and shared with some boating friends.
Bob you should have been there with Richard when he was designing the boat.
One thing you shared with me early on was the engine block heaters. I have had them for 6 years and you are right --NO rust or electrical
corrosion issues. Engines look like new and always dry. I run the heaters 365 days a year and in the winter the engines start right up on one click of the key as I like to take a ride at least once a week. My thermostats are set at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That was great suggestion. We all look forward to more of your well thought out innovations in the years ahead and articles about your boat "Phoenix".
Merry Christmas to you and your family

[franzmerenda]

Nice and enjoyable article:
Phoenix speaks for herself!
Congrats Bob

[Snipe]

Nice article! Bob has inspired many of us on our projects. I know the Georgia Lee has some of his innovations on her. Keep up the good work Bob and Anthony!

[Kimba]

Terrific article on a fantastic body of work! My 72 SF is jealous as am I! Bob how did you handle your anchor? O
I dont see it on the deck or bow?
Thanks,
Mark Spano

[bob lico]

there is a almost useless 100' of line and 4' of chain sitting in the Anchor locker ,the anchor is in the one of the cockpits enormous fishing boxes . i have 1800' of line in a basket and 20' of 3/8" chain, 16 pound anchor that i put on the cockpit deck for wreck fishing with 2' ball .keeping a anchor in the anchor locker will throw the balance of the boat off. like i demonstrated to the magazine and at least five 31 Bertram brothers not a drop of water in the cockpit at 34 knots turning every way i could to attempt to flip the boat in 4' waves.not rocket science NEVER put batteries ,holding tank, extra water fuel forward of main bulkhead ,move bridge chairs as far back as possible using pod and check with single strap exactly under main bulkhead and lift with travel lift if front goes down take her out of the water and think!!!!!

[bob lico]

i realize the anchor placement sounds rather ridiculous however ,anchor plus chain weight about twenty five pounds using the law of levers that becomes 250 pounds on the bow at 10' from main bulkhead (anchor locker). remember getting on the see-saw with the fat kid in the school play ground ?i must explain bridge which is crucial on both overall balance and center of gravity . anyweight on the bridge will cause the boat to roll so before you put a tuna tower on your 31 Bertram think what you are doing and if you take your seating for two or three and move it back one foot from original placement with bench seat you will be directly over the main bulkhead considering two people that becomes 350 pounds of offset weight.treat the boat like a fighter jet everything is balance like i carry a 6 man offshore life raft SO i use it as a counter balance by placing it on the port side engine hatch against the window to compensate for porcelain toilet,Corian counter top and A/C compressor under vanity top against the bulkhead (silent and weight consideration) all must be considered i hope this is helpful

[Yannis]

ALL boats in the Med, without any exception, carry an anchor with chain, at the bow.

For our size boats, the average values are:

Anchor weight around 10kg, chain length 50-60 meters or 70-80 kg, plus the weight of the windlass around 5kg, therefore a total of around 90 kg, which is equivalent to the weight of an adult who eats all their food...

I have no idea what influence all this has on boat performance, but any boat performance comes second after safety.
In other words, it is unsafe and strictly against any logic for boats not to carry the above.
In smaller boats, like the Boston Whaler 26 I had, I carried the SAME equipment, only they were in a rubber bucket at the stern, ONLY because the Whaler didn’t have an anchor locker and everything was easier because it was a smaller boat.

In the Med there doesn’t exist an anchor tied to rope.

So, Bob, try to think what we should place aftmost to counterbalance the anchor weight. I try my best to pack as many women I can on my stern bench!

[DanielM]

Yannis,

Maybe you just need one really healthy corn-fed gal on the mermaid bench for a counterweight?


Bob,

Excellent article. She’s a beautiful boat.

You may not remember, but you were gracious enough to show me around Phoenix and answer some rehab questions for me at the Greenport Rendezvous many, many years ago.

Phoenix looks as nice today as she did back then.

[Yannis]

Yes, Danny, you're right, I should have edited the women to mermaids...

[Carl]

...not going with the really healthy corn-fed gal?


Daniel- I have never heard that reference before. Wow, it does paint a picture.

[Yannis]

What is a corn fed gal? A girl fed on corn? Why?

[DanielM]

It must be a southern expression. I’ve heard it all my life to describe a person of substantial mass. Never thought of where it came from. My parents’ generation lived through the depression and the dustbowl in Oklahoma when food was scarce. Maybe from there.

It was late and it was a goofy thought that popped into my mind. Yannis’s original counterweight plan may be better. Lol


Bob,

Again, it’s inspiring the care you and your son have taken with the boat over the years. Thanks for giving your expertise over the years, it’s always interesting to hear your take on boat set up. Best wishes to you and your family.

[S Ritzert]

That was great to see Yannis' on the corn fed comment. Defiantly a southern expression.

[Carl]

https://nebraskacorn.gov/cornstalk/corn ... ef-cattle/

[Yannis]

...or, how to divert a thread on boats to a thread on cattle feed!! LOL

Thanks guys.

[S Ritzert]

...or, how to divert a thread on boats to a thread on cattle feed!! LOL

Thanks guys.

i thought the same thing... I hate to hijack a thread, but that tickled me to much to let it go.

[bob lico]

yannis READ CARFULLY TWO anchors ,one for the bay never used in twenty years and one ultimate anchor set up to stop her dead in 150' of water! about 20' of 3/8" chain true safety ball and anchor for 45' boat . this is how went stop the boat dead in the water . we pick up the edge of the wreck with the instruments are accurate within one foot with Furuno chart display set to the maximum .check drift then go indirection of drift ,drop anchor and ball and start letting out line until we are at the edge of the wreck and tie off very successful . you and your boat in a totally different situation

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

I guess you never were at a bar and a substantial sized person (pick your preferred gender) whom you would never think about taking home, starts to look like a prospect to take home after it is just you and them left at the bar at the end of the night and the bartender has just told you 20 drinks are enough for you.

Well that substantially sized person is considered corn fed here in the US.

If you don't get this one Carl will paint you a picture.

[Yannis]

Bob,

All this is fine with me. I didn't say you guys do not use any anchor! It is just that all the anchor/chain/rode combos you carry, are:
NOT necessarily stored at the bow and NOT necessarily all chain.

In other words, you do not need to counterbalance a 200lb. weight placed NECESSARILY at the bow, by something placed aft for equilibrium.
We do not use anchors to stop dead at 150' of water! We do not drop anchor in the middle of nowhere!

The only reason we carry anchor is for mooring, either in a marina or in a deserted cove, where depths are usually from 5 to 20 meters deep and the purpose is to hold the boat steady at a safe distance from a concrete dock, or (in the event of mooring in a secluded bay) from rocks all around.

We drop anchor at a carefully calculated distance from the dock, we reverse up to the dock and then we tie two lines from aft to the dock at approx. 1 meter distance from it so that the gangway just about reaches out. That 1 meter distance has to ALWAYS remain the same for the duration of our stay, despite the wind or wake, or else we will smash the boat on the dock. So, this type of mooring can only be guaranteed if the anchor is tied to heavy chain that runs 3 boat lengths on the bottom, plus the depth, hence the need for 50-60 meters of 8mm chain at the bow.
Of course we all may carry a second anchor as a back up too.

Tony,

You had me flashback into my earlier years where the scene you described surely clicked a memory button!!
I just wouldn't know if the gal's extra weight would be a result of feeding on corn, or if after 20 drinks I would even bother for that extra weight!!
Too funny and too true at the same time...
As for my own gender definition I'm between "it" and "they", I'm in the process of figuring it out, LOL !!

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

In college we use to them Heffer's.