bertram31.com

Harv thanks for your help.

I am posting a few pictures to Start with. Make note of the rub rail corner on the Starboard back. Also, the Exhaust that is all fiberglass. I am sure that John will go into all the details later.

Look at the corner rub rail.


Inside Engine Box

Bulkhead

Cabin

Inside Cabin

Inside Cabin

Cabin

Fish Box

Fish box

Front Deck over water tank

Water Tank - 50 gallons & Vacu Flush System

Engine Vent

Engine Box

Bertram 31

Engine Box

Exhaust All Fiberglass

Starboard

Starboard

Fantastic job, an absolute gem you have created there. Keep the pics coming please

Nic

john
looks great, i see you went with the fighting yellow lady, i like the inside configureation, question i notced you took the head out, was this boat originaly a bahia mar , what year is she, the out side chimes look bigger or is it just me. best of luck with her she looks fantastic

That's one hell of a howdy crapper system you have on there.

Fantastic. You will enjoy every single moment with her, wether on board or just looking at her.

Is that a painted zinc in pic #1?

John,

Pam did a great job taking and posting the pictures. The boat looks absolutely gorgeous.

Charlie,

It looks like smart rails are making the chines look bigger.

As Mean Team leader, I can only comment on the painted zinc.....

Nicely formed rub rail! I know from experience that is very difficult to do.

one more question- are those smart rails or did you build those? Should make a nice dry boat either way.

beautiful boat John...
The exhausts are very cool, I really like how the spray rails were cleverly made to look more "oem like" by adding them into the bootstripe. The bow pulpit even looks good, and not out of place like they often do on a 31.

You've (re)created a thing of beauty sir.

thanks buju, now i know what iam looking at

John that's one extremely beautiful 31. Great job. I have so many questions and comments I think I may need to take a ride down the coast and get a first hand look sometime this summer!

Again, really nice.

John,
She looks great. Very innovative. A closer in person inspection would be even better. Hope to see you and Reel Cowboy soon. Be sure and thank Pam.
Andre

John and Pam,

Nice....

Really nice.

You should be proud, though I know you are!

Dug

Well done.
Enjoy

Yo, Dog, check it out! A little pitchy on the painted zincs.
Attention to detail is unbelievable. Love Pat's intakes and Cabrera's decks etc. Giving me courage and high anxiety. Got to get to the yard, daylight is wasting. This is the reason we all slave over these critters. Not a contemporary boat extant that can out-shine your beauty.
When do you launch? Got to see pix of Reel Cowboy doing it's thing in big water.

Guys,
Those spray rails were glassed and lag bolted to the hull years ago. I'm probably not going to include a enclosure this time around, because the rails knock down 95percent of the spray. I'll be putting a new zinc on the back of her as I didn't know that it was painted. I don't know if Pam took pics of the bottom, but it came out real flawless, as we used the new VC performance epoxy That came out as smooth as the hull sides. It doesn't have any anti fouling properties, but she'll be sitting on a cradle lift or on the new trailer. I don't know if she took pics of the engine room, but the motor mounts are complete and very beefed up, and then finished in Alwgrip. I don't know if you saw that front hatch was glassed over, along with the side windows. Salvador spent alot of time glassing and faring out the cabin...nothing but smooth fiberglass...no vinyl or cloth coverings were used at all. rub rail came out fantastic with no gaps what so ever. Thanks for all of the kind responses, and if there's something that one of you might want to see, we can take some more pics or measurements next time we see her.

Thanks again, John.

One more thing. the holes on both sides look like where thru hole fittings would go, but, what we did, was to glass fiberglass tubes to the hull from the inside where the bilge hoses will be slid on and clamped. Was going for that clean look without a bunch of mis colored thru hole fittings taking away from the look that I was striving for.

You did great for a blind man, John, hell, you did great for someone with 20/20!
There were no pics of the engines.

First class work......Yellow hull is sweet......Working in footies...Priceless

There were no pics of the engines.

With fuel prices as they are, he's no fool. He's joined the Jackie Mason Jewish fleet.

Good one!, Bruce. She's at the shop waiting for the Yanmar 315's with ZF 220a's to be dropped in. The mechanic worked directly with the glass man to build the beds. Looks like I'll have 2"'s of space between the bottom of the gears and the bottom of the boat. I'll have about 7"'s from front of engines and the front bulkhead wall. About 3"'s from top of engines to the bottom side of engine boxes.
gonna fit like a glove. I wanted you guys to see engine rooms before the install. More pics will come in a couple of weeks, and then some more as progress proceeds.
Thanks for the responses.

Real sweet, John! Your glass and paint crew are good...

Br,

Patrick

John, I'm even going to go as far as to by pass the " for a Bertram" comment. Looks nice. Good enough job that it could have been done on a Hatt. congrats.
Tim

John

Wow. best of luck with her. She is a thing of beauty.

Beautiful job John........Its obvious that someone rubbed on "Reel Cowboy" for a long long time.......and it paid off big time

Harry

Pam here

Just want to thank Captian Pat and Harv for their assistance in getting the pictures posted and now that I know what to do I will be sure to help John out and keep the pics coming.

Thanks to all of you for your commments. The project is "A labor of Love" for John; though he is blind he had sight at one time and is very knowledgeable and wants perfection. I am very proud of what he has accomplished with the "Reel Cowboy" and was totally taken back by the work that Salvador did on the boat.

I know that all of you on the board are instrumental in helping him in one way or another to give this particular Bertram life again.

But to Mike O - I am sorry that I did not realize that painting the zinc would be an issue and failed to communicate it when taking the pic...no worries...already replaced and will make sure I send you a new picture. Unfortunately I am a "bean counter" not a zinc inspecter. I will try harder next time - I guess you did not see anything positive worth mentioning? So sorry!!

Again to all the Faithful thanks for your praise and keep fishing on those spectacular boats the "Bertram 31"!! As always, a pleasure talking with you.


God Bless,

Pam

John, beautiful clean look.

Pam, thanks for the pictures.

DanielM

John,
That's one sweet looking 31, GREAT JOB!

R,
DQ

JohnCranston wrote:Pam here

But to Mike O - I am sorry that I did not realize that painting the zinc would be an issue and failed to communicate it when taking the pic...no worries...already replaced and will make sure I send you a new picture. Unfortunately I am a "bean counter" not a zinc inspecter. I will try harder next time - I guess you did not see anything positive worth mentioning? So sorry!!

Pam

Pam,

While I have been known to occasionally do a good deed or two, I try to keep that stuff on the down-low. I find that it interferes with my e-persona as a vile, meddling, curmudgeon. Besides......if I was to start saying nice things about Johns boat, it would surely come back to haunt me. You see......it's all about expectation theory, and I'm just trying to live up to the image that people have come to take comfort in when they hear from me. I don't want to upset the apple cart.....

And John....... even though no one has mentioned it above, I think that it's a totally bold move on your part to have gone with that lavender colored hull. I'm not crazy about the puce boot stripe, but hell.....you have to live with it, not me.

OK, OK.......I will say this.......

Must be nice, having a trailer that sweet.......and not needing any cleats....

that mike...what a meanie!!!

Pam wrote:I am a "bean counter" not a zinc inspecter

Well done Pam, still laughing at that one. Don't worry about him, on another site someone once said..."I'd ask the guys on Bertram31.com but they are real mean" or something like that..ever since he's carried the mean-flag for all of us....which we all seem to appreciate, I know I do.

Keep the pics, and the comments, coming please.

Nic

GREAT JOB !!!! Keep the photos coming.
BTW, are the fish boxes from Cabrera ??

John--

She is beautiful, where is she? I pass through your area all the time, and would like to see her in person and drool.

Andre you can learn some things here, maybe.

Da Judge

I come through your area all the time, and would like to stop in person and drool.

Andre you can learn some things here, maybe.

Da Judge

Beautiful! Walter

nice work i like the innovation recess in all the hatches,doing away with all those ss. lathes also saves a bit of money.i had to look all over to get 316 ss with a square recess design i wish i would have seen these pictures prior i would have went this route.

Mike O.,
I figured that the lavender would go best with your wardrobe in case you might want to go fishing with us. I could have gone with something else, like fighting lady yellow, but, I didn't want to be like everyone else.

Dr. Santiago,
Yes, those are Cabrera fish boxes, along with the sportfish engine boxes, v-berth kit, pulpit, and swim platform that will be installed once we see how she's going to sit in the water. My trailer is exactly like yours.

Trey,
She's sitting over at Progressive Diesel in Pearland. They're on Industrial blvd which is just off of 35. Go by anytime, except for weekends. Their # is 281-993-0099.
Thanks again for the positive comments, everyone.

When I 1st saw pictures of Reel Cowboy earlier this week I choose not to say anything cause other then top notch workmanship I really didn't care for the overall look. I did think to comment on the Zinc too...

Several days have past and I have to say each day I find myself drawn to take another peek at the Reel Cowboy pictures and you know I really really like it more and more each time I see it. I guess it is like Good Art, you experience a piece for the first time and say nice, but for some reason you always feel compelled to take another look.

Now I look at the pictures and see what reminds me of a Retro Car. It has the classic lines and features of the old 31 but has todays sleek styling and modern flare.

Very well done, thanks for the pictures.

Carl

John, looks VERY nice! Almost looks like you had hired Paul to do it again!

John,

She is looking GREAT!! If you need a hand or two when you are ready to go fishing for a day or two let me know. Have Capt, Beer, and money will travel. With her speed and range we need to head to Ceversa and beat the shit out of it, then over to East Breaks for the Sword fish Happy Hour. Then cruse back the next afternoon. Congrats!!



Rob C



PS If you need crew for the UVIIIII we are definitely willing and might be able.

I want to apologize to Mike O before posting this, it is definitely not "Mean Team" material.

John C- My 13 yo daughter and 12 yo son make fun of the time I spend on B31. They saw me drooling over your pics and started asking me about the boat. As we talked about the boat and how she is a labor of love for you and the fact that you are blind, they thought it was possibly the best and coolest thing that they had seen on the internet.

They were incredibly impressed by and happy for you. Now they always ask me if there are more pics of reel cowboy up whenever I am on the computer. Thanks for showing them (my kids) that a person sets his (or her, sorry Pam) own limits. They really got something from your efforts. I doubt that was your intention, but I would like to thank you anyway.

jspiezio wrote:I want to apologize to Mike O before posting this, it is definitely not "Mean Team" material.

John C- My 13 yo daughter and 12 yo son make fun of the time I spend on B31. They saw me drooling over your pics and started asking me about the boat. As we talked about the boat and how she is a labor of love for you and the fact that you are blind, they thought it was possibly the best and coolest thing that they had seen on the internet.

They were incredibly impressed by and happy for you. Now they always ask me if there are more pics of reel cowboy up whenever I am on the computer. Thanks for showing them (my kids) that a person sets his (or her, sorry Pam) own limits. They really got something from your efforts. I doubt that was your intention, but I would like to thank you anyway.

My name is Mike, and I approve this post.

Hell yeah! That's not all bad for a blind guy from Texas.

I particularly like the engine boxes and fish box with recesses under for your wireman's toes! Hope to see you at the UV#?1/2 later this year. You're still welcome to my tower for cell access anytime.

wouldnt it be fair to say, they look better re-conditioned, thirty years later than they did new? does anyone remember a new one? dumb question i bet.

No such thing as a dumb question here. In the late 70s me & the Bride got stuck at the Miami airport for 7 hours so we took a taxi the half mile to the Bertram plant.....I owned a B25 at the time, and they had B31s lined up in the parking lot, brand new. I left a trail of drool behind me.

Many of the restores seen here are much better than the original boats....the two part paints in my view look better than the original gelcoat, and like anything custom, as long as you start with a solid foundation, the sky's the limit. Plus the modern diesel powerplants make the B31 perform like no original ever came close to, except maybe the 3208 Cats and the very few 6v53s.

Anyway, most of us think about 1860 B31s were made over the years and there still are a ton of them out there, not just looking pretty (which they are) but pounding the seas of the world every day, day in and day out. In 2061 there will still be 100 year old Bertram 31s fishing the oceans, anybody want to argue with that?

UV

yea, isnt that amazing? 100 years, thanks for the story, i enjoyed it. i wish i would have seen one in the 70,s. or even the eighty's i think. early....... everytime i walk down the dock, you stop and pay respect at the 31. and if the guy's not taking care of it, yikes! but if he is, its like meeting a girl you used to know. and you remember her name........no wink, ive been warned.

uv
cant argue with the 31s running a hundred years from now, but the way things are going with the tree huggers, in 2061 we will not be able to fish for crap. every year tighter regulations and shorter bag limits, hope iam wrong

not to mention the price of fuel

Hi John,
New to the 31 world. I was wondering about your trailer and the possibility of trailering these boats. I don't think it's legal without an oversize permit but, if no one stops you then you don't need to worry about it. Unless the trailer is just to move it around to different shops while work is being done. Just wondering if you or anyone else has tried to pull one of renovated/lightened up 31's. Looks like there might be prop/rudder clearance issues on some roads. Can't wait to read the 100 replies. Thanks for the 31 education you guys.

I've been out of town all week, just want to thank everyone for the comments. I'll keep the pics coming...Motors should be installed by now, and I'll have some detailed pics in a couple of weeks.
Kurt, the trailer was built by High Tech Trailers in Tampa Bay...18,000 lbs, triple axle with disc brakes and torsion bar suspention. Texas requires a permit for anything over 9', I think. I'm winging it...no permit for the time being...I want to be able to move her in case of a hurricane, and within the local area.
Thanks again, John.