bertram31.com

Sitting on the park bench at the beach Sunday morning with friends and I get introduced to this young, well dressed guy from Greece. The conversation turns to boats within about 20 seconds and he asks me what I think of the 26ft Sea Ray. I say I'm not keen on stern-drive legs, I don't like plastic skin fittings, I do like watertight bulkheads, I don't like hull panels that flex, I do like side decks and he nods along with me and tells me...

...it was his first boat, he was told it was a good, fast sea boat...his father had owned small timber boats so he had an idea how to handle it and where to go in the Greek Islands...so he took his friend to dinner on a neighbouring island somewhere in the Med (I forget) and on the way back, at night, it sank. Slowed down, became hard to steer, engine stopped, lights went out and water came over the gunwhales...he thinks in less than a few minutes. They had been pounding a bit but he didn't hear or feel any collision.

They were four hours in the water before being picked up by one of four RIBs sent out to look for them when they were overdue at home and the restaurant said they'd left hours ago. His companion was nearly dead and he wasn't much better, quite cold water. They were lucky.

The insurance company wants to replace the boat...he has said no. The dealer wants him to take another Sea Ray, telling him, amongst other things "They are the most popular boat in Florida".

I didn't know what to say, though I had a go. I'm seeing him again in a few days time and I thought The Faithful might have some choice words of advice for my new friend.

Let 'er rip!

Nic

The fact that he has to ask after his experience on his first SeaDog makes me doubt his cognitive abilities. However, with that aside, there are many, many boats that lie in the spectrum between SeaDog 26 and Bertram 31. He has asked your opinion because he has doubts and wants some direction. You can quite plainly tell him that you would not own one because of the quality issues, such as he has experienced and you pointed out. You can also offer some suggestions for boats that might serve his purposes, but with higher quality.

He needs, and wants, a general education on and understanding of boats, boat design, and boating. Perhaps you can point him to a site like Pascoe's. He can read the SeaRay reviews for himself, as well as other reviews such as the Blackfin 32. In those pieces a good bit of digital ink is spilled chiding SeaDog and its designs. Jeez, I have raised my kids to be polite boat snobs, so they would never comment to any one out of the family, but even they at 11,10, and 3 know what a SeaDog, and the even worse copies there of, mean on the water.

Then again, those Mediterraneans love them some goofy boats!

You'd have to know why the boat sunk to make an intelligent statement.

If it sunk because lite pounding broke it apart is one thing.

If it sunk because someone left a hose clamp off, thats another.

I've seen all matter of boat brands go down.

The sea ray is not my first choice in boats, or one I would take out in bad weather, but they just don't sink for no reason. They don't break apart easily either.

My guess is his experience is limited.

There would have been a lot of signs an experienced boater would have noticed before it going down. The only way it sank in minutes
would have been if the hull broke apart or the outdrive transom plate came off.
Highly unlikely.

what bruce said.......as a former sea ray owner heres my two cents....not a bertram..but not a complete POS either...mine was 10 years old when i bought her and was in very good shape......i basicly beat the sh!t out of her for a few years and she was in fine shape when i sold her....not the worst boat ever made and handled the constant pounding into 2-3 foot chop with no prob.....thinkin its not the boats fault

I would want to know why boat sank...

Insurance companies and dealers are not KNOWN to be in such a rush to give out payments or new boats. I'm thinking someone KNOWS something.

I'm not a Sea Ray fan either.........but there are thousands and thousands of them around.......and people get a lot of entertainment from them every day.

I'm with the group here..........why did it sink?????

Ya know Bertrams will sink also ! ! ! !


Harry

Im a former owner of a 78.... 24searay also... I basically beat the crap out of it & had few problems at sea.... It almost sank at the mooring one day frombellows leak & fishing line wrapped on the bilge pumps... both my fault
alway throw the tag end overboard(the small piece always finds it way to the bottom of the bilge)

Wayne

Yeah I know of one Bertram 35 that sank when it got hit by a ship.

Mine came real close to sinking three times that I know of by the prior owner, he refused to use automatic bilge pumps. Afraid of fire.

First time- he was drifting in sloppy seas and each wave dumped a bit of water in the boat thru the scupper. Think he figured it out when he saw splashing coming from the hatchs.

Second he was sick and a week or tow of heavy downpours filled up the bilge, my dad (a friend of his) saw the boat real low in the water and hit the pump switch.

Third time he fried his 6" exhaust hose and water started coming in when running home. He heard noise change, felt sluggish, took a peek and oh Sh%t. Plugged hole ran pumps and got home.

Yeah all boats can sink unless they run aground. Usually its a process that takes some time. So I am thinking he may have missed the telltale signs of trouble.

Reminds me, I gotta put a highwater alarm in boat this year.

Funniest thing, I blew one of the end caps on my heat exchanger while running a few years back. I thought my buddies where gonna crap in their pants cause we where all standing at the helm on my express, which is ontop of the engine box's if your not familiar. All of a sudden we have water streaming out from the engine compartment bulkhead. Where taken on water holy crap "head in" my buddy starts yelling. I felt it was warm so knew what it was...fuuny as hell.