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We are looking for the new PRICELESS and are considering a 1970 38 widebody with 430 hp 6c cummins. Does anybody in the sandbox have any experience on one? I know they are built like tanks and have a 20 knot cruise with 735hp 3208 cats. Supposedly a great riding boat. How do they sit on the drift? Do they track like a 31 when running? Any information is appreciated. Thank you.

Oops supposed to read 375 hp cats

fabulous riding boat anything the 31 can do the 38' can do better.you missed a great buy one for sale at 65,000 in FL. with 480hp C cummins electronics. undoubtedly the best under 500 hp diesel in the world.powers 75% of the 18 wheelers in the nation.parts are as expensive as gas car engines and available everywhere. does 24 kt. cruise and 30 wot.i believe just installed engines and driveline 2008.

There is a seriously neglected B38 (I don't think it is a wide body) in a marina here in Wilmington, NC. It hasmoved from it's slip for several years. It probably is a project boat. I have no info on it but if you are interested I will inquire.

IR guy i did not mention on the phone the other day i had a enormous offer on my boat but just cannot pull the trigger.my 31 has a real reputation in the marina and the word was out i was thinking of moving to a 38' Bertram.i have my boat 15 years and the last 9 with the cummins 315hp.thats nine years of offshore running and replaced one raw water pump when engine started to run beyond 190 degrees. fantastic reliability for a cummins / 1971 fbc .i launch her last week and ran offshore at 30 knt. cruise and 34 wot. and thats the slowest top end props i have.engines are as sound as the day i installed them and still do not smoke even a trace.i just don`t have the drive to start all over again with the 38'.

I have been in the market for quite some time and have been in contract on three different occasions and was not happy with either the sea trial or the hull survey for three different boats; 36 runaway, 38 topaz, and a 32 blackfin.My father was not planning on selling his 31 either but he had a very fair offer and he has been drooling over a 38 widebody named Contessa in Delaware for sometime now. That boat has 600hp qsm11 power and is a rocket. Thanks for the replies.

QSM-11 600 hp wow now i am drooling . the boat i looked at had twin 480 C -cummins -at 480 hp electronics and had good performance numbers at 24 knts cruise but this was not a wide body .that extra beam will definitely "tame" the roll while chunking in the canyon or drifting for shark and of course excellent cooking/living conditions in huge cabin.

I think this is the post to ask this question:

Between a 37, a 38, or a 38 wide, what are the major pros and cons?
I'm asking because a friend has the 38 and I've seen pics of Gert's 37, and since they all have more or less the same size, what makes people choose one over the other?
Thanks.

We have two 38' Wide Bodies in the family, one that is stock fly bridge, which we have opened up her saloon, and the other that was made into an express sometime ago.
They are great sea boats, ride better than the 37' ( my cousins just sold one) and just as good if not better in a following sea than the newer 38' (we lost one in a fire). The newer 38' is wetter but a slightly better head sea boat.
They are built strong but as with all Bertrams of that age look for rot around the bulkheads aft of the engines, in fact double check them all.
They roll quite a bit, even though she has allot of beam she has allot of V. They also tend to jerk a bit whilst trolling in a head sea but will always get you home safely.
Both 38' had the 8V53, the express still does and does 24kts when all is well. The Fly bridge has the 420hp Cats and tops out at 29kts and runs so much better when up at speed.
I actually looked at and went aboard that 38' Bob mentioned with the 480C in FL, the boat was beat up and need allot of TLC but the power train and installation were great. I think it went for just over $50 in the end.
We personally prefer the newer 38' its an overall better performer, with a larger cabin layout, but both are amongst the best you will find it that size and better than the 37'.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9sjglv9209d53 ... n.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7vmh8dxdcftsu ... n.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o2x39bayp0lfs ... n.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rkkkgac9gcs6k ... n.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/68fbusq7wd28l ... 0.JPG?dl=0

Thanks Kiffa.

I think my friend has the newer 38, isn't it the one with the concave bathroom door that slides open towards the front cabin?

When you're saying "better than the 37", is it wave handling you're referring to ? Is it a matter of a deeper V ?
Thank you.

Hi Yannis,

With that door I believe your friend may have a 37'.
The 37' though good was not able to stay with either 38' in open waters especially head seas. She was very dry and did well in the following sea.
She fished better than the wide body being more stable and as good as the newer 38'.
The main problem was that she needed power and thus fuel to run! Tabs are a must. She had 450hp 6V92 and needed that power. Maybe with modern lighter 4 strokes she would of been a better performer in decent conditions, but still when things got nasty the others kept going whilst she had to pull back.
The 37' is also quite a bit smaller than the newer 38' in the cabin and bridge areas.
My cousins also own a 43' and 46', its the same thing, the 43' (similar hull to 37') needs the power to run, the 46' which is no light boat an quite bigger runs around the same speed with same hp. We do love that 43' though, she is a great boat.

Kiffa,

Thank you for your explanations.
Interesting to know how these little details affect the behavior of these, otherwise similar, boats.

The early 38's were beasts. Could take almost anything the ocean could throw at them. New a guy who had one down in Stone Harbor. They were slow. He had her pretty much stripped out to keep the weight down so he could get an extra knot or two out of her. He would remove all the furniture when he had it up in NJ for the summer.

Many years ago (early 80's) we had a real bad storm come up and bunch of boats got caught offshore. A guy in a 38 Bertram slugged it in 20 foot seas for several hours. When the storm passed he was almost in the same spot when the storm hit. He made no headway but the boat held strong.

They just don't build them that way anymore.

Tony,

Do you know which years was the early 38 made and which the later 38 ?

The "widebody" 38 (37'8" LOA X 14'5" beam) was built by Bertram from 1970-1976. The Bertram 38 III (38'5" LOA X 13'3" beam) was built from 1978-1986.

Thank you for all of your replies. The one that I was planning on looking at has sold. There are 2 more that I am interested in but one has 3208 cats and I would much rather have the 6C cummins for power. I am not surprised that they rock but I am very surprised that the newer 38 is considered to be a better sea boat. I was hoping this boat would be phenomenal in any type of sea. I am looking for a canyon capable boat that can also cruise comfortably with the family. I have been fishing a 44 Henriques for several years now and I think I am getting spoiled.

I thought the B38 in Va was the one you were referring to. Just saw that it sold. I was hoping you bought her.

Thanks Tommy.

79 mk11 38. 450 c cummins. Motors were made for that boat. A dream.

hi ,I know its off topic but have you considered a B42? i have one and I just love it!!others here will be able to tell you more than i,but my homework pre-purchase lead me to believe that its fuel burn and roll factors were very good and similar to that of the 37-38, i ve just returned from a week away on the boat with a mix of conditions from great to down right awful and the boat was awesome! built like a tank and fast for the HP, we cruise a very comfortable 20 knots on re-man 6v92s with 27 knots top ,i just cant speak highly enough of her as an all round boat,and they are quite cheap,probably no more than a 38, and they are very roomy , id go on and on about her given half a chance but for fear of boring everyone to death, if you've got the room at your dock then add the B42 to your list,
TP
New Zealand

[quote]They are built strong but as with all Bertrams of that age look for rot around the bulkheads aft of the engines,/quote]

I have a 1983 38III and have that exact problem.
First found the problem when I found termites inside the house.

Termites are gone now, but what should I look for as far as damage, and what kind of job is it going to be to fix?

When I remove the cap over the bulkhead outside the door under the starboard window, that shows the most damage underneath.

[quote]They are built strong but as with all Bertrams of that age look for rot around the bulkheads aft of the engines,/quote]

I have a 1983 38III and have that exact problem.
First found the problem when I found termites inside the house.

Termites are gone now, but what should I look for as far as damage, and what kind of job is it going to be to fix?

When I remove the cap over the bulkhead outside the door under the starboard back window, that shows the most damage underneath.