bertram31.com

yea mike i was nab again . wife and dauther keep after my health.

sh!t........i have a show in new mexico that weekend.

Bertramp wrote:OK ...
I have the disk from Charlie with the contact info.
In that none of us have infinite time (I was just informed of a wedding the friday nite that weekend that I must attend), so Saturday is my arrival....I think it best that we put together some committees to cover all of the needed areas.
As I see them, areas to be addressed are:
*marina/dockage - seems to be in order and moving along
*sponsors - I have disc from Charlie and will start ball rolling/could use help Harv
*shirts - there has been discussion, who will take lead? Harv
*tables/chairs - who will take lead ?
*tent - who will take lead
*Saturday night dinner - I believe Brewster has this, but possibly could use an assistant ?
I know I have poop for brains, so what did I forget ?
....and can we get some volunteers and names next to some of the tasks?
thanks.
Steve
bertramp1@aol.com

I've got the shirts under control and in design set up. I will be posting a thread to take orders near the middle or end of Feb. If you can, send me the list of sponsors, and I will see what I can do to help you with it.

i will contact the tent and chair folks we had last year and set that up.and get the shellfish bar same as last year.i forget his name but i hope the folks from new jersey bring those blueclaws.

That Friday event was a super hit! As per last year, we should encourage "pot luck" contributions of food by attendees too. Great way for everyone to meet.

Wasn't there last year and not gonna get there until Saturday this year. *what was the complete itinerary last year ?
*was itinerary formally laid out or more play by ear ?
*can someone lay out (print out) what the itinerary/events were last year so that we can kinda make a plan

thanks

sponsor letter update was completed 50% last night and will get other 50% tonite and be out the door by weekend.

You can count on us for some blueclaws

I'll bring some King Crab for Friday. Oh and some tuna hopefully.

Steve, let me know if you need help with the sponsors.
If not, at least let me know who you contacted and who responded.
I'd like to get all the sponsors on the T-shirts if possible.

walterk wrote:That Friday event was a super hit! As per last year, we should encourage "pot luck" contributions of food by attendees too. Great way for everyone to meet.

Yes Walter, that Friday pot luck was awesome.
Whoever brought the pulled pork, please bring twice as much this year!!!

Neil...those blue claws were gooooood eatn...BH

i will bring live blue claws also.

This is sounding better n better ...sorry I have a friday eve/nite wedding.
on a dif front... who's a computer geek?
need to do a "merge" for letters (already done) to the letterhead that Walter (nicely done) ... provided.

bertramp1@aol.com
516-810-0959

I can send to u or contact me and talk me through.
thanks

What I sent him was in pdf format if that helps.

steve i have some other stuff saved on my home computer ill send them to you later tonight when i get home, you should be able to just print them out envelopes and letter heads

bob we cooked the blueclaws at home before we arrived,i dont l
think that live ones would go over so well

i have one of those commercial big lobster pots with the propane burner that goes under it. cooks a hole lot of crabs in 8 minutes. i figure i will bring crabs 3 hours out of the water and make them steamed with o-bay and beer , or if someone else has a better idea ok , i am not a cook .

sounds real good bob

neil how many people show up for the gathering that night? how many crabs do you you think we need between us?

Bob, I think if we each bring 4 dozen that should be plenty.

thank you neil ----will do!

i was just thinking this is the 50th aniv. of the 31 bertram. i have a alot of experiance with corvette collecting. i gave that hobby up two years ago and sold the 1967 coupe . i am bringing up the 50th aniv. idea to take up a collection or out of the raffle profit to bring raymond hunt to the greenport rendezuous much like we would bring zorkus duntov (the father of corvette)to a corvette meet he would later sigh the dashboard of a collectors corvette. i feel we are a unique band of brothers brought together by a common bond this would further cement the brotherhood.-----------------my 2 cents

Bob- After the Montauk Rendezvous, Gary Caputi showed the Motor Boating Magazine story on our Rendezvous to the Hunt people thinking their factory location might be a great venue for our next rendezvous, a great promotion for Hunt, and another great magazine story for him. He contacted me and I followed through with Giff as he was the nearest to the Hunt factory. For a while, there was an interest shown by Hunt's marketing people and we thought that although not a perfect set of facilities, something might happen. Giff put in a lot of time going there, checking things out, etc. and suddenly the Hunt people backed out with no real reason except "upstairs" wasn't supportive and the marketing people wouldn't push it. At least, that's how I understood it. That's also how the location for that year ended up to be Pt. Judith, under Giff's Chairmanship.
To be sure, it's another time, it's Bertram's 50th Anniversary, etc. and the atmosphere and attitude might be different now, but we DID try to expand on that relationship 2 Rendezvous ago and where I thought they would jump at it, they didn't...then. I should know the answer to this question, but I don't...is Hunt still active in his business?

i had mention in a post pertaining to the new york boat show and a disply by hunt boats . to jog your mermory hunt had a knock off 25 bertram called a 25 hunt with a real cool bow thruster ,anyways the had a large 4'x 8' panel with old photo`s of the 31 bertram winning the nassau race and the inside factory bertram production . old black and white photo`s made me glad i went . most pictues were pertaining to raymond hund desigh but they were using the 31 bertram to display this new revolution in "V" hull desigh together with lifting strakes and total new concept at the time and if you saw the hunt boats today on the hard "hey wait a minute isn`t that a bertram" well i wanted to really aim it at the man himself raymond hunt not the factory if we could approach him on a man to man basis rather then a endorsement.

last year i cant tell you how many e mails, and phone messages i left at bertram and for don jones, not one call back, personally iam very disappointed with bertram, to put it nicely, just my 2 cent worth

I think Bertram does not like people who have 45 year old boats that they would not trade for anything.

I couldn't get any sort of a response from them for our Montauk Rendezvous either. Can't even BUY a Bertram hat.

The Bertam anniversary bash is coming up in a couple of months and there's a strong possibility of some pretty tricked out 45 year old B31s present and representive of our group.

If so, and especially if I'm there with Marlin, the Bertram muckity-mucks are liable to get an ear full about viewing us as red headed stepchildren...

We're the best advertising for their products that they have...and that's from a guy who spent 43 years of his life doing advertising!

capt. a strong sales image like " build it right build it strong" perfect after 50 years is a hell of a lot better then a picture of a deliminating 60' going to the bottom. if you have the ace in the hole use it as a advantage what part do they not understand!

Bob,

they don't view us as a customer base. By catering to us, they don't feel they will see a return on their investment....
ie: donating hats and such. But I totally agree with what everyone is saying .

Well ... 20 sponsor mailings just hit the post office. About 10 more to go, but I have the "system" together now, so it will be the next day or two.

On another note...sad that Bertram seems to not want to support the boat that basically made their company. I have an "H" boat too (now just a 50/50 partner) and Hatteras has a company called "SAMS" marine that was started by a former employee that supports and sells parts for their older boats. SAMS is also represented in their display area at boat shows. Aside from parts, they have Tshirts of the older (our vintage) models and a wealth of support and advice. Bertram needs to step (the #@%$) up.

i did not want to portray the wrong image but i guess i did . i never wanted the bertram factory to give surpport both verbal and material gifts to 31 bertram owners with the idea they may purchase a future new bertram---- highly unlikely . i was trying to indicate a brotherhood of bertram owners and there dedication to a product to 'john q public" .using that factor as a base for the bertam factory to expound on." look at these bertram owners you can get the same esprit the core if you buy a new bertram". something like that ,look i am not in advertising but any good publicity is hell of alot better then delaminating boats.

In my years in advertising and marketing, I have met some of the smartest people I have ever known. I have also met some of the dumbest. When Bertram started, they had some of the former. In recent years, more of the latter. They're living off their past and don't even know it...or taken advantage of it. In the words of Uncle Vic, "the enemy of good is better". Bertram didn't go better, they just went bigger, but not as good.

My point is the difference in the companies. I have owned a 1970 45 Hatt for a bunch of years (just sold a 50%share) .... Hatt stopped making boats that SMALL years ago. When I am at the booths at the Lauderdale show, they (the Hatteras people) know me ... AND they know I am not a millionaire to buy a new "smallest" that they make at $1,000,000 plus .... BUT they do show me all the boats as an owner AND are proud to tell the guy with the $1,000,000 check that I am an owner too and are proud to show how I am still treated as AN OWNER. THAT is the difference. Over the years, I've owned a few of the boats of each manufacturer, both good boats, but I DO see a dif in how they treat the average Joe, non millionaire.

Bertramp wrote:Well ... 20 sponsor mailings just hit the post office. About 10 more to go, but I have the "system" together now, so it will be the next day or two.

Can you send me a PM with the list of sponsors?
Also, who decides to respond favorably, so they can be included on the t-shirts.

bertramp that is exactly what i was trying to indicate!

Hatteras obviously knows and appreciates the value of what they have, Bertram doesn't seem to.

Harv ...as soon as the rest go out I will give a list and I will update you on who resonds.

Cool, the shirts are ready to go once I have sponsor names and/or logos!!
I will have pricing and ordering up in about 2 weeks or less.

Good bad or indifferent, I have heard Bertram is in tough shape financially. Not an excuse, just a reason. Don Jones doesn't work there anymore. He moved to brokerage I think. I agree that the schwag has become very, very hard to get. There was a time when they were pretty generous. Not for a while.

Hunt support died on the vine only because the venue really wasn't doable, and it would really have been too much work. Not due to lack of interest on their part. Ultimately they could have figured something out, but it really was just too much of a pain in the ass. Don't land it on Hunt mgmnt however. We were just as much the ones who chose not to bother.

Truth be told I never recognized the full value for Hunt of being involved in a Bertram rendezvous. They are completely different companies, with different hulls, etc. Yes, yes, I know all about the history. My father owns a 36' Hunt. It is still a different company. Ray Hunt Jr. works or worked for them, but doesn't even own any of the company.

Company finances can make a big difference in situations like this... It would be nice if Bertram gave us better support. That being said, the last Lauderdale show I was at, they made me feel like a rock star, and it was quite nice of them. Wholly unnecessary, and not in keeping with all the vitriol being tossed in thier direction now. Don Jones was always really bad at responding. He was great at promises. Last time I spoke with him however, he said it was the single worst time in the marine world that he had EVER seen and that they only had one boat under construction in the whole factory. That was about a year and a half ago. And there are MAJOR trust issues that this company has to overcome on top of the real economic issues that were already hitting them due to the sinkings and hull failures.

Long story short, I think we will be more successful supporting ourselves. And someday, I hope Bertram will be back at it like the good old days. At that point, maybe we will see support. Should they use us for marketing? I can see that they sure could! But then again, its their call. whoever is there anymore!

dug i was thinking of the man not the company . we hold raymond hunt in high regard not hunt boat company, i could care less . something like richard petty signing your restored monte carlo dashboard is what i was thinking . how bout capt. patrick sighing a creation like hitchcock`s boat behind the galley seat!

maybe a pseudonyms like " built by the capt."

how about this; we forget the raymond hunt, bertram idea and we go with two raffles will entitle you to have capt. patrick sigh your 31 bertram. first we have a toast with bertram juice and we salute to our bertram and the capt. signs his name in the saloon behind seat. the 100th aniversary of bertram my grand son talking to some snot nose kid tells him year,year but my bertram was sign by the wizzard!! only two raffles any more and harry and i would be drunk and raised the stars and bars at the marina.

I'll donate a case of CX for a raffle, not a door prize. Buck a pop.

UV

uv
yours was raffled off last year.
as always
thanks charlie

Harv wrote:Cool, the shirts are ready to go once I have sponsor names and/or logos!!
I will have pricing and ordering up in about 2 weeks or less.

Harv ... the letters are out, but no responses have come in. Last of the letters just went out this week. I would think that for an event in August, we could wait until we have an idea on the sponsors before we do the shirts. We have a bunch of months still.

From my experience, responses to the letters will be slow and necessitate a follow-up either by another letter or phone call. The request for a logo to add to a promotional T-shirt might be motivational to some. Given the Northeast's weather this year, the boating industry is still in a state of hibernation. Tough to get gifts in that environment.

Bertramp wrote: Harv ... the letters are out, but no responses have come in. Last of the letters just went out this week. I would think that for an event in August, we could wait until we have an idea on the sponsors before we do the shirts. We have a bunch of months still.

Can you at least forward me the list and contacts.
This way it puts me in a postion to follow up....especially if I know any of them personally.

Harv...
send me an email at
bertramp1@aol.com

i will forward a copy of who I contacted.