Help With ID Plate B20 Bahia Mar

[Chris W]

Can some one please help to identify the year of my Aussie imported B20 Bahia Mar?
Thanks Chris.

[CaptPatrick]

Chris,

1961
Bertram Yacht becomes a division of the Nautec Corporation, providing capital for a larger plant, more machinery and a research and development department.

1964
Bertram 20 is introduced with over 1,300 units produced in the first ten years

1968
Bertram is acquired by Whittaker Corporation.

Based on these historical time lines, your B20 is somewhere between a 1964 and 1968. The early Bertram hull numbers usually designated hull design first, and numerical hull number second. Probably like the B31 numbering system, the first hull had the number 101. Deducting 100 from the hull number yields the true production hull number.

Your #848 probably indicates production hull #748. Based on 1,300 hulls in the first 10 years, they averaged 130 hulls per year. 738/130 would place your hull at approximately late in year 5+1964 or about September of 1969. But since Whittaker took over in 1968 and having a Nautec label, I'd move your boat back to 1967 or 1968.

Now as to an import date into Australia, that's a bit of a crap shoot. My guess would be that it was exported as a new boat around early 1968...

[Chris W]

Thank you for information CaptPatrick, Its nice to know the history of these spectacular boats.

[Tony Meola]

Is that hull no 266 on he plate. Looks like it says capacity for hull no. 266. Could be me, the eyes are slowly going.

But on the bright side, according to that plate, people weighed less back then. 8 people @150 lbs a piece without gear, 200 lbs with gear. Pretty funny, be tight even with 8 people coming in at 150lbs.

[Chris W]

I don't know many adults that weigh 150 lbs, I think 4 persons maximum or fishing but 3 would be the perfect number. I never really gave the 150lbs weight a second thought, but yes I think our indulgent life styles have certainly changed the averages a lot.

[Joseph Fikentscher]

It says 8 persons or 1200 pounds.

[Yannis]

Or, hull # 266-848 could mean: Hull 748 (=848-100) of Feb 1966 !
In my 28 it says hull # ...1172 = of Nov 1972.
As for the weight, has anyone noticed how much the elevator companies account for a person ? Still 75 kg, or 150 lbs give or take !!

[CaptPatrick]

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average weight for an adult male in the United States is: 189.8 pounds (1999 - 2002)

[Michael]

My view on this plate is that the number is 206 848.

The 20 refers to the size, the 6 refers to the style, much like the 31's. My 20 Sportsman starts out as 204.

the 848 is the hull number.

[Yannis]

Michael, it's simple, yours was made back in Feb 1904 !

[Rocket]

My Baron reads 200 1122. The 20 is for 20', the 0 is the deck style. I think mine was made in 1967, but I do not know that for sure.

So we have :

Baron = 0
?? = 1
= 2
= 3
Sportsman = 4
= 5
Bahia Mar = 6

Who has a moppie or sedan with the number on it? What other styles could their be, or do they use the same numbering system fo all lengths?

[Tony Meola]

OK I give up, how are you guys seeing the whole picture. I can only see part of it. A lot like I could only see part of Mean Mike's gilfriend under the St. Pats thread. What is the secret for expanding the picture.

[CaptPatrick]

Tony,

2 ways....

Easiest, (at least for me), and for full size image: Right click on the image and select "Properties". A dialog box will pop up and the URL will be shown. High lite the entire URL by left clicking, holding the mouse button down and drag across. Place your cursor in the blue high lite, right click and select "copy". Open a new tab or browser window and, in the address bar, right click and select paste. Hit your return key. Only the image will be returned. Control+c will also perform a copy command; control+v will perform a paste command.

Second, but will reduce the image size, temporarily change your browser display to 75%. This will display the entire image on the parent page, but by reducing the visual image size by 25%...

Hope this helps...

[Pete Fallon]

Chris W,
The Bertram Plate is 206-848 The O is double struck making it look like a 6. My 1968 20' Bertram was hull 201-1006 built in 1968 so I would think that 848 would be around late 1966 to 1967 vintage. My boat was a open runabout version, made by Whittaker Corp. it had an aluminum wind shield and storage area under the forward deck, it had 2 pedestal seats for the helm and companion passengers, a cushion on the top of the engine box and a fiberglass fuel tank, with a 165 hp Mercruiser.
My 31 Express is a Nautec Corp boat built 12-13-1961 Hull 186 or hull 85 It was the last 31 built in 1961 before they shut down for Christmas vacation in 1961. That hull plate that you posted makes sense since she's a Bahia Mar model.
Pete Fallon

[Chris W]

Thank you everyone for your input, I have no doubt what vintage she is now. These US built Bertram's are rare as rocking horse shit is Australia. Most of the Bertram's here in OZ are a Carribean Bertram built locally.

[Tony Meola]

Capt Pat. Thanks, I had to go with downsizing. For some reason when I click on properties I can't highlight the address.

[CaptPatrick]

Tony,

Another way to highlight in the properties window is to place your cursor on the url, hold down the control or command key and click on the url. Also, placing the cursor on the url and quickly clicking 3 times will highlight the complete url. Then right click in the highlight and copy.

[Tony Meola]

Tony,

Another way to highlight in the properties window is to place your cursor on the url, hold down the control or command key and click on the url. Also, placing the cursor on the url and quickly clicking 3 times will highlight the complete url. Then right click in the highlight and copy.

Well my computer is a freak of nature. It does not like that either. Must be something I don't have instlled on my machine. Maybe I need a jave update or something.

[John F.]

My B20 Moppie (same layout as Pete describes) is registered as a 1968. The number is 201-937. I think Pete has it right