bertram31.com

Anyone have any experience with outdrives on a Bertram 31?

Could a set of Bravo 3 drives be put on the back? Would there be any benefit or reason not to do it?

i dont know about the possible benifits but if you want to know some good reasons not to i can give you the short list or the long list

How about the short list to start with.

Know someone who wants to do this and would like to talk them out of it, or prove it not reasonable to do.

I think the "short" list is about 6 pages....

STart by knowing that the transom is only about 1/2 an inch thick tops. That will not support an outdrive.

Why waste the time, effort and money...

What a terrible idea. Rebuild the fuel tank, engine beds, transom, floor, etc. And for what?

Of course it could be done, what really can't be done if you throw enough money at it.

Benefits, well with a pair of stern dives on her, it would become a boat you would keep forever. Mainly cause you'd have a real hard time selling it.

Another benefit would be...would be...well not really sure...Oh!! I got it you won't have to clean the shafts and struts at the end of the season.


Why would you go out of your way to hang big chunks of Aluminum off the back of your boat. Not as reliable, they corrode, have to deal with bellows leaking, ugly, destroy the great lines of the boat, people steal them, expensive, have to worry about lines getting caught on them when fishing, and that just off the top of my head.

JPR,

I have absolutely no doubt that the general consensus of all the members of this group are in agreement that putting outdrives on a B31 is about as dumb as stump...

Nobody really cares to spend time typing out good logical reasons why it's a dumb idea. Tell your "someone" that we think it's dumb & leave it at that. If he's not smart enough to take it on face value & faith from the Faithful, then he's not smart enough to take long winded advice from us either, so let him proceed, & with our blessings.

Br,

Patrick

Thank you very much for your feedback. I am going to manage the repower of a few Bertram 31's and someone turned the owner onto the idea that they have done this on Blackfin's with great success.

I would hate to see something like this done on the classic hull of a B31.

best regards,

Jeff

I ran across a B31 with outdrives and brand new Yanmars, this was a factory boat 1961 or 62. It's been in Man O War Cay for 40+ years. One owner boat. I figure the owner wanted the outdrives due to the shallows out there and that might be an advantage. This was a few years ago. I was nosing around at the dock and an old guy came out, asked me if I wanted to look at it, it was for sale. He was the caretaker for 40+ years, it was owned by an American businessman who had recently passed away. Showed me the new Yanmars under the hood in the stern. I didn't like the cockpit being taken up by that box. And I questioned the weight distribution in my mind, and those outdrives sitting in the water constantly. It did seem to drive like car however, very managable. He would have take 40K. I see it all the time, it's in Marsh Harbor now, it's always parked at Snappas restaurant and has been in their ads. I believe the owner of the place got the boat. You could call Snappas and ask him about the ride or other questions. Heck take a flight out there and check it out in person if you're serious. I wouldn't convert one to I/O's.
Steve