bertram31.com

The starter buttons on the flying bridge do not work even when I turn the ignition on from that location. Am just dealing some electrical gremlins or is there something that I am missing? All of the gauges on the flying bridge work.

If I remember correctly, we used to be able to start our friends 68 duel control 31 from either station, upper or lower.

Sounds like you have a wiring issue.

I am not going to be home for a couple of days but when I get a chance, I will look at my files. For some reason I think I have a wiring diagram for a dual station set up. Not positive but I will look around. May not get back to you until Thursday or Friday.

I have a dual and my set up is that the lower helm switches have to be on as well as the switches on the upper helm for me to crank the engines.

Yes, both sets of switches need to be on.

Peter

Send me a PM with your email address and I will send you a copy of the Owners Manual for the Boat. Page 36 has the wiring diagrams for the 31, diesel, gas and dual station.

Will not be able to do it until Wednesday night, as I will be away, but I will send it to you via email.

Tony Meola wrote:Peter

Send me a PM with your email address and I will send you a copy of the Owners Manual for the Boat. Page 36 has the wiring diagrams for the 31, diesel, gas and dual station.

Will not be able to do it until Wednesday night, as I will be away, but I will send it to you via email.

Tony,

I just checked my copy of the manual and the wiring diagram does show the arrangement clearly (page 26 on mine). It also shows switches listed as "on-stop" which, on my boat are toggle switches. I have seen these at my upper and wondered what they were for as they did not seem to do anything. I'll have to check to see if I have them hidden somewhere on my lower station.

Thanks,

For what it's worth, i have a B28, and i don't actually own any keys for the lower helm. I've never used anything but the flybridge keys / controls.

However i've now started rewiring with the anticipation of removing the lower helm entirely.

Rob

Peter

You are vorrevvt it is page 26.

Rob

For some reason Bertram did not have an ignition key on all there models. My 31 only had toggle switches and start buttons. The weak theft prevention was that I could kill the power to the engines through the DC breaker panel. Close the cabin door and lock it with a cheap Perko lock.

I suspect on the sportfish models there are ignition switches since the cabin is wide open, no doors to lock.

Tony,

My sport fisherman does not have an ignition switch either, but the cabin does have a rear bulkhead with a door which locks. (I don't have a key for it at this point, but a visit to a locksmith is on my task list.) Looking at pictures of FBCs, I suspect that my cabin bulkhead may have been added later. In any event, I have been keeping the door open to let the cabin air out.

Tony Meola wrote:Peter

You are vorrevvt it is page 26.

Rob

For some reason Bertram did not have an ignition key on all there models. My 31 only had toggle switches and start buttons. The weak theft prevention was that I could kill the power to the engines through the DC breaker panel. Close the cabin door and lock it with a cheap Perko lock.

I suspect on the sportfish models there are ignition switches since the cabin is wide open, no doors to lock.

Interesting. My B29 FBC still has switches for the lower helm - i just have no keys :D
It's rarely cold enough here so we all drive from the flybridge even in winter.

Rob

I do not have a lower station. I can only run her from the bridge. The lower stations lost favor sometime in the late 60's to early 70's. When we purchased our boat in 1975 getting one with a lower station meant ordering it from the factory.

Mine is a '78 so that probably explains why I have the lower station and the bulkhead.

FWIW, having driven the boat once from each position, I can see why the lower station was not popular. It's really hard to see where you are going from the position inside the cabin.

pschauss wrote:Mine is a '78 so that probably explains why I have the lower station and the bulkhead.

FWIW, having driven the boat once from each position, I can see why the lower station was not popular. It's really hard to see where you are going from the position inside the cabin.

I think with no flybridge, the lower helm would have stood higher by design, like some of the sports cruisers around, but i agree, visibility from the cabin is very limited.

Of all the Bertrams i looked at, it was common to find upgraded gauges and equipment fitted to the flybridge, while nobody ever touched the lower helm - it was clear it was rarely used.

Especially with Australian weather... plus my flybridge is enclosed, so it gets even more use.

As for security, i have never been too worried about the security of the boat - keys or not. They can usually be hotwired without too much struggle from inside the engine compartment anyway, so anyone who knew what they were doing could get the job done anyway. That's what the insurance is for...

Rob

Tony Meola wrote:Rob

I do not have a lower station. I can only run her from the bridge. The lower stations lost favor sometime in the late 60's to early 70's. When we purchased our boat in 1975 getting one with a lower station meant ordering it from the factory.

Very interesting Tony!

Rob