31 trivia

[craig mac]

Looking at a 1962 Bertram ad---in the prestigious Cat Cay Tuna Tournament of 1962--a 31 Bertram took second place competing against the best Rybo's and Merrits at the time.

Name of the boat was "Hopalong" owned by Fletcher Creamer and Capt by Buddy Landers. Anybody know the boat? It was a fllybridge boat with a tower.

A second 31 was also entered---"Thunderbird Jr"

Also in the ad was a picture of Tommy Gifford's "Stormy Petrel".

Both "Thunderbird Jr." and "Stormy Petrel" were hardtops with tuna towers--I guess were popular at the time, but i have never come across one.

Next to the picture of the "Thunderbird Jr" was Jim Smith's personal boat " Boca Jima" a 35' with twin 409 supercharged Chevys and an inovative tuna tower that you did not have to climb as the steps lifted by some means.