bertram31.com

Ok guys I am under contract on a 1961, B31 Sports Fish! I am going to wait on posting lots of photos and info until after the structural inspection. She is a 61 hull with 1999 220 6bt's (270 hours).

Although I need to verify, all appears to be running fine. The low hours scare me a bit, but I am planning on pulling oil samples and running her up to her paces with an engine inspector onboard. She is getting a structural inspection this week as she is currently on the hard getting new clutch plates installed (original owner burnt them up when the linkage caused a valve to open half way).

She is in NC (you could probably find the boat online), we live full time in Key Largo, FL. I plan on taking her home on her own bottom.

I don't know the transmissions or ratios yet (my brother did the initial look for me), but I do know she has 4 blade props (pic attached). She is a 61 with a hardtop and half tower (probably a heavy boat?). Do you guys think I can plan on 18-20 knots at 2000 RPM? I will post updates after the inspection.

- Tavis

Travis

18 to 20 knots should be about where she should cruise. The old triple nickle Cummins used to do 17 knots at cruise. That is why not many 31s came with diesels. The old technology diesels were heavy and the boat could not get out of its own way.

Plus gas was cheap.

Now the wild card is what type of drag the tower will cause. That could lower your cruise.

Congratulations. I have a 1971 FBC with twin 1998 cummins 6bts 210/220 hp. I cruise 20 -22 knots all day at 2000-2100rpm, WOT 28knts at 2600rpm (she is a very light boat, no tower or additional weight throughout). Great combo, and good luck.
Ron

Thanks guys. The inspection will be this week. Providing she proves to have good bones (that's really all I care about) then I will head up there for a sea trial.

If it all works out, my wife and I plan on passing the kid off to my in-laws and driving her to our home in Key Largo. It should be an adventure... I will keep you all posted.

Congratulations! Oh, and we need pictures of the boat and the trip!

Best of luck with the new to you boat and welcome aboard.

If the deal moves forward it sounds like it will be one heck of a check out cruise to her new home. Remember if we don't see pictures, it never happened. Lol

I am getting excited! The inspector said he would be over to the boat no later then Friday... So hopefully today or tomorrow I will have something so share with you guys.

Yes I will take a ton of pics of evidence of our journey! If the inspection comes up good, I am going to drive up there next week and do a test drive/hopefully close the deal.

I grew up on a B31, can't wait to return to the family!

Update:

I worked with a great Marine Inspector (Mr. Bob Eldridge) out of Wilmington (he lives in Florida now). The boat is sound! Solid stingers and hull. Funny part is that Mr. Eldridge inspected the boat 20 years ago when the last owner (sadly passed 2 years ago) purchased the vessel. His original inspection paperwork was still in the vessel.

I don’t have enough time to to get up to Wilmington for a test run, so I have hired a reputable marine diesel mechanic (Port Diesel) in my stead. The sea trial with Port Diesel is Tuesday. If all goes well I am buying the boat with out every seeing her in person, however my brother crawled over her.

My wife and I plan on giving our 8 year old to her parents for a week and driving her home in December. I will keep you guys updated.

- Tavis

Travis

Congratulations. Good luck with her.

Tavis wrote: ↑Oct 25th, '20, 17:57 The boat is sound! Solid stingers and hull.
- Tavis

59 year old boat...incredible when you hear about fairly new boats with structural issues.

same surveyor gave thumbs up 21 years ago...



I hope the sea trials go just as well for you.

Update...... Engine inspection pushed until Friday!!!!! I will let you guys know if she is the one, or the search continues....

Anything that goes too smooth makes me nervous. Friday is not that far off.

Tavis
I hope you get the boat.
Realize you are going to spend money on it when you get it. Don't let that bother you -and it will cost more than you thought. I have had mine 4 years and spent money but I love the boat and even after the repairs and maintenance expenses i would do it all again. It is great having such an iconic boat to enjoy with your family and friends. You can always buy a new boat like everyone else but there are only so many of these out there. Think about it- these boats are still in demand and still will be in 50 more years. I do not think that will be the situation with new production boats. My boat is a 1970 and 50 years old and going to have issues but it is the best boat and the most fun boat I have ever owned. It is a true classic and will be here in another 50 years. Get it for a reasonable price for its surveyed condition- spend money on it -continue to upgrade it - but above all ENJOY it. We are here only once. You will soon forget what you paid for it. As my father would tell me - son 20 years from now what difference will it make. The price is forgotten but the quality is remembered.

THESALTYSATO wrote: ↑Nov 2nd, '20, 16:28 Tavis
I hope you get the boat.
Realize you are going to spend money on it when you get it. Don't let that bother you -and it will cost more than you thought. I have had mine 4 years and spent money but I love the boat and even after the repairs and maintenance expenses i would do it all again. It is great having such an iconic boat to enjoy with your family and friends. You can always buy a new boat like everyone else but there are only so many of these out there. Think about it- these boats are still in demand and still will be in 50 more years. I do not think that will be the situation with new production boats. My boat is a 1970 and 50 years old and going to have issues but it is the best boat and the most fun boat I have ever owned. It is a true classic and will be here in another 50 years. Get it for a reasonable price for its surveyed condition- spend money on it -continue to upgrade it - but above all ENJOY it. We are here only once. You will soon forget what you paid for it. As my father would tell me - son 20 years from now what difference will it make. The price is forgotten but the quality is remembered.

I agree with Sato. You can count on two things with a classic Bertram 31:

1) When you leave the boat you will always turn around and look back to admire your boat
2) Whenever you idle through a new marina there will always be someone to shout out "Hey, is that a Bertram 31?"!

evan better on Long Island NY we have a inlet like non other actually just a opening from bay to ocean with sand bars building up from month to month and coast guard changing bouys sometimes twice a year and no money to build a real rock wall on both sides so the inlet may have 8' waves in inlet but 3' waves in the ocean. i took my 31 Bertram out the inlet on a very bad day (small craft warnings) along side of a 55' viking the captain get on the vhf and says you realized those are 8 footers out there and i gave acknowledgement.we both go thru the monster waves on too the fire island Head bouy and he gets on radio "damm thats one hell of a boat" i said thank you have a great day. this scenario repeated itself many times over thru the years, especially with outboard center consoles not being able to get on plane between waves. you will get back to the dock someday and look back and under your breath say "thank you" for bring me home.

Guys,

Thanks for all the wonderful encouraging comments... So it is semi official.... I just overnighted the remaining balance.... I should officially own her in the next day or so... I am going to attempt to attach a photo.....

Let me be the first to semi- congratulate you!

Congrats.

Congratulations

Congrats!!

Congratulations and looking forward to the photo.
Stephan

Its no longer semi official . I officially have rejoined the B31 family . I can't even tell you all how excited I am, for my son and I. My best memories are of my dad and I rebuilding our B31 and putting 5k hours on her .

[img][https://imgur.com/AMM37AI]
[img][/https://imgur.com/uk6SOIV]
[img][/https://imgur.com/BKoU3SO]

She looks like she is in pretty good shape.

Sportfish model with the head forward. Lots of luck. Know it is time to make some new memories.

Congratulations! I am sure your family will make just as fond memories as you did with your father's!

Great photos of a great memory... I can imagine the feeling of wonder your son had when he first climbed way up on that flybridge. Must seem like a mile high to him! Enjoy every minute of the adventure!

Thanks guys! She is a 1961, hull number 31-131 . I got a chance to run her last week. Full main tank around 200gal (she has some sort of 3 tank retro system that I will be changing), she did 17.5 knots at 2000 rpm and solid 20-21 knots at 2200 rpm. That is plenty for me as she will live in Key Largo, FL, and we rarely run over 20 miles to wherever we are going.

The hull and stringers are solid, decks are a bit soft. Our plans are to basically gut her a section at a time, and continue to use her in the process... I will have lots of questions for you guys after I get her home.

She has 1999 6bts with 250 original hours! Turns 2650 on the pins (I am going to take about 100 RPM out of the props to make 2750). I had a full mechanical survey done including oil samples of engines and gear, all passed with flying colors!!!!

I depart Southport, NC on Tuesday afternoon (17NOV) for Key Largo. I plan on running around 17 knots for the trip and getting her to Jacksonville, FL by Thursday or Friday. I am going to berth her in Jacksonville over the Thanksgiving week (any recommendations on an economical marina), then continue with my wife to Key Largo the week after Thanksgiving. Please come say hi if you are on my route .

Man, this sounds like fun! Enjoy!

i think 6bts fuel cut at 2650 if you get that rpm under load you are good

Tavis wrote: ↑Nov 12th, '20, 08:33
The hull and stringers are solid, decks are a bit soft. Our plans are to basically gut her a section at a time, and continue to use her in the process... I will have lots of questions for you guys after I get her home.

Tavis--Foredecks on Bertram 31's have a bit of give to them. There is no wood so it's not a soft core problem, they just bounce a bit. And congratulations!

Amberjack is right about the "springy" foredeck, so should not be a problem there.

Dick Bertram's Glass Moppie was the original fiberglass 31, and it was Hull # 101; so you own the 30th B-31 built. Congratulations!

Sounds like you bought a good one, with a good hull and motors the rest is all workable.

Your idea of doing a project between using her is my idea of a great strategy. The hardest part about redoing my deck was getting started.


Gonna be one heck of a shakedown cruise, best of luck on your adventure and your new boat.


250 hours on 20 year old motors...wow!

enjoy the trip
but above all -- ENJOY the best boat

Update....

Work and family schedules got in the way and I could not bring her south this week, so I put her on the hard in Holden Beach. I was considering just wet slipping her for a few weeks, however at some point a previous owner glassed the scuppers closed and built drains directly into bilge.... I am not sure why somebody would do this? I spent almost 20 years in the USCG (still in the reserves), it goes against all my nautical logic.... Do you guys have any insight I am missing? I am going to fix it when we get her home.

We are still going to try and drive her home in early December, if we get too busy again we are going to do it in early January, weather permitting.

Tavis,

The early boats had lower decks, decks closer to the water making the waterline closer to the scuppers.

With 170 gal tank and gas motors I'd have water coming in the scuppers in seas. At times alot of water...at anchor offshore the bow rose, stern dug in, water filled the back scupper area, bow went down, water rushed forward. Bow went up, stern down, water filled the rear scupper area, bow down, water rushed forward...I had myself a little pump action going the wrong way with an inch of water sloshing on my deck. Water pours past the hatches and around the sides I would up cutting and stuffing neoprene knee pads into the outside scuppers to stop water from coming in. After that I changed the materials covering scuppers added a scupper like cover inside the back scupper area to stop water from coming in.

Just this year with a bit larger 220 gal tank and 6BTs the scupper are even closer. Add to that my deck isn't sealed yet as I have to pull to modify exhaust.
Anyway, I almost sank the boat a couple days after I put it in at the dock. I was bow into my slip and an odd stormy day came through blowing at an angle to the stern. I didn;t think much about it till a friend said my pump kept going on. I get there and a small 1' tight chop washed across my stern sliding water under the scupper material filling up that back trough area spilling out on and around the deck, past hatches. It was a constant gallon every few seconds which had my bilge pump working hard. I had rushed to put boat in thinking something wasn't going to be right and I'd be pulling out shortly so things like sealing the back part of the deck were not done. Items like hooking up shore power or the battery charger...nope, not done. So I cranked up the motors, which started right up, thankfully and started charging batteries and thinking how to fix this so I didn't have to stay there overnight. Rags and stuff washed out of the scuppers. I could pull the boat...eh, not a great idea, it was blowing 30+ and water was skinny in the well. I could run to shop and get a battery charger or hook up the one I had...but electrical work in the rain...not a great idea. I could turn the boat around, but not by myself blowing like this. I then heard a thudd and "Carl, lets go for a ride" as a friend and his wife jumped on the boat. Funny you should ask I tell him, explain what was happening and he said lets do it. So turn the boat we did, think it was my 2nd or third time out with new motors and I put them to the test...Boat didn't want to turn at first, but some goose changed things and I was able to spin it tight and get back in. Water stopped coming in stern and that is most likly the reason your prior steward sealed the scuppers. On the old boats, the scupper are low...I am going to have to address this over the winter myself.

Carl,

That is very insightful and makes sense as this boat had 6bt put in a few years back and increased the fuel tankage. Sounds like I am going to need to raise the deck and scuppers when we redo the deck this year! Thanks for all that info. Are you going to raise your deck?

Carl
great information
Do you know what year did they raised the decks on the 31"s?
thanks

No real idea when they changed the height.

I have brought mine up, once when I went to a fiberglass deck which included a new back trough which I raised flush to the scupper. Again this year I raised the deck..this time it was only the deck that went up, I did this by adding a shim between trough ledge and deck. I may cut back trough out and raise scuppers...but that would mean paint and that may be more of a project then I was looking for this year. I am thinking of pulling deck, side panels and seeing how to better seal that back area. Then pitch deck back a bit more, seal deck sides and seal the joints m where deck sits on the ledge and see how it is next year.


To get an idea of actual height difference here's a couple pics...I hope John does not mind me stealing a couple of his pictures of Shambala.








Real nice fiberglass work John.





and mine. Waterline can be seen on both, I installed 5" exhaust, John went with 6",

Carl

I believe they changed the tank size and raised the deck somewhere between 1970 and 1972.

Tony, you’re probably right, however nothing will be set until Tommy issues the decree ! Lol!

According to everything I've seen on the topic of fuel tanks, the changeover year to increase fuel capacity from 170 to 220 gallons (hence elevating the deck a few inches) was 1972. So early '72 boats would have been fitted with the 170s until the inventory ran out, and later '72 boats the 220s.

Dam, I was going to say 1972.

If they tried real hard they could have gotten the 220 gallon tank under the original deck. It's tight, but it fits.

Update....

I just contracted with a shipper and the boat is coming home on a truck January 11th. After planning the trip to drive her home on her own bottom, the costs were close enough to shipping that I could not justify the risks of mechanical failure in what would have essentially have been a 1000 mile shakedown cruise.

I am having the tower cut at the bridge level next week. They are going to cut it in a way I can weld it back together, however I am not sure I want to keep the full tuna tower anyways, so I may not put it back.... We shall see.

I wish I would have come to this conclusion last month, would have saved a few $$... But this is a learning experience, and I am sure I will learn some more lessons . We cant wait to get her home and start using her. The weather just got nice here in the keys .

I think you made the right choice. The boat would probably do the trip with no problem but you just never know. It is piece of mind to not have to worry about it. Too many possibilities with running gear that you just bought and you may or may not be familiar with (engine-wise and trans-wise).

My dad has a 28 Hatteras. He was getting set to retire, bought a house in Florida and was going to run his boat from NY to Stuart. Semi- to save money, semi as a new start with his boat. A trip he had made many times on larger boats...he knew his boat would make it...then came the BUT.
NCost...if All went right he might save a few bucks. BUT a couple lousy days he'd have to stay put wherever has was...that meant Marina fees. A smaller boat cuts down on possible ocean running days. if he had to run the intercoastal...slower longer trip more prone to kissing the bottom. More days, more marina fees, a bump being stuck in a yard that did not allow owners to work on their own boats...being a captive customer, that would really toss the budget out the window. Yes it would have been an experience...but couldn't say for sure if it would be a good or bad one. After finding a transporter and agreeing on a price he was quite happy with the cost and decision.

I agree, 1000 miles is a long shakedown ride, add to that some weather and some horrible inlets with low water intercostals, it can lead to making bad memories.

These haulers, those that haul boats or people, have it figured out. The cost to haul is not that much different than running it on your own. Same with transit systems. When I worked in NY, I figured out the cost to drive daily vs take the train into the city. Based on a monthly discounted train ticket, was not big enough difference to want to make me drive every day.

Gents,

I am reviving this post that Carl responded to showing me some pics of his boat and Shambala. I used the image to estimate scupper height from another known reference point (chine to top of transom). I came up with the bottom of Shambala's scupper at about 12.43 inches. I think my math is wrong as this puts Shambala's scuppers about 5 inches above mine.... Does this look right to any of you guys?

Carl wrote: ↑Nov 18th, '20, 17:54 No real idea when they changed the height.

I have brought mine up, once when I went to a fiberglass deck which included a new back trough which I raised flush to the scupper. Again this year I raised the deck..this time it was only the deck that went up, I did this by adding a shim between trough ledge and deck. I may cut back trough out and raise scuppers...but that would mean paint and that may be more of a project then I was looking for this year. I am thinking of pulling deck, side panels and seeing how to better seal that back area. Then pitch deck back a bit more, seal deck sides and seal the joints m where deck sits on the ledge and see how it is next year.


To get an idea of actual height difference here's a couple pics...I hope John does not mind me stealing a couple of his pictures of Shambala.








Real nice fiberglass work John.





and mine. Waterline can be seen on both, I installed 5" exhaust, John went with 6",

A couple of things account for this. Yours is a 61 so the deck was lower and there was only a 170 gallon tank in her.. When they went to 220 gallons they had to raise the deck.

Also, I never really paid attention to the placement of the scuppers but your are inboard of the stock exhaust, mine are outboard of the stock exhaust. Not sure if Bertram changed the position of them or not over the years, but if they did not then someone redid the ones on your boat.

Not sure if the ones on Shambala were changed or if they are in the same spot as before the exhaust was changed.

Thanks for the reply Tony. I am trying to figure how much the decks/scuppers were raised on a boat with 220 gal vs my boat with the lower decks. I plan on starting glass work in the next few weeks and want a good starting point on where to set the deck height and cut the raised scuppers.