bertram31.com

I just sold my 30' Moppie after having it for 8 years and am looking to buy a 31. I've been a member here for a while but haven't posted much. At the risk of asking a couple of foolish questions, I'll go ahead anyway. I haven't spent a lot of time on 31s but this is the boat I want for all the reasons everyone on this site knows about. I've heard how wet they are and I'm going to use the boat for a fair amount of cruising with my family up and down the LI Sound, back and forth to Block Island from Narragansett Bay, cruising up Buzzards Bay, etc. Are they wet all the time or is it just when running against a quartering sea? As I'm going to do most of my boating in the Northeast, I don't want to be wet and cold all the time (some of the time is ok but not all the time . . .). Also, a few of the boats I'm looking at have the Yanmar 315hp diesels and I'm wondering how efficient they are. Could they get close to 1.5mpg at cruise? And lastly, I know it's blasphemous, but how hard is it to put a smallish, simple windlass on the bow? It's a shame (I know) to not use the bow chock but I need a windlass as we use the hook a lot. Thanks. Greg.

Greg-Yes, wet sometimes but not all the time. If you're in the Northeast, you should have a bridge enclosure anyway. You can cut some of the side spray with snap-on eisenglass pieces in the curved areas where the overhang on the bridge comes down to the engine boxes. I don't like the look too much, but I was surprised at how much spray it took away on windy days. You should get 1.5 mpg at cruise with your Yannies. I get that with my Cummins. If you look under the anchor locker you will see that there's plenty of room for a windlass. You will probably have to drop the starboard bunk header to run some decent gauge wiring to it, though. No big deal but I suggest having someone there to help you. Taking it down is easy, putting it back up is where an extra pair of hands helps. Good luck! Walter

I wouldnt get all uneasy about the wetness of the boat ,,,its in harsh conditions that it is a wet boat,More than likely conditions you shouldnt be out in anyway. Its pretty nasty conditions,,,to make it a"wet boat" Having said that its a great boat and you will enjoy it totally.,.,As U.V. says there are no "dumb" questions on this website,,,everybody here has a contribution to make to every newcomer and everybody else ,,,,,many people on this website have done total rebuilds and years of effort with a truckload of experience and information to share,,,,,so feel free to ask away

Going out with family in 1/2 hour. I LOVE MY BERTRAM 31 !!!!!

The LI Sound basically runs east-west, the current runs east-west, and the wind predominately runs east-west. In twenty years, I've never seen what I would consider to be any more than a 2.5' chop. There are about 4 days a year when you're going to get wet on a 31 in the sound.

Where you're going to get wet.....is the open run from Montauk to Buzzards Bay. The current runs north-south, the wind runs east-west, and there are about 4 days a year when you'll stay dry. It's a mess no matter what boat you're in. Side curtain windows will keep you dry(ish).

For just about everything else that you mention, you can almost always be in the lee of some island or other for much of the trip.

A guy who has owned more boats than anyone I know had an open bridge 80ft sportsyacht and when his captain complained (again) about getting wet he sent him to buy himself the foxiest set of wet weather gear he could find, abt $2k, goretex...super lightweight...comfortable and he was king of the kids at all the dock-side bars...

The next owner spent over $200k putting on an air-conditioned structural enclosed flybridge...ruined the lines.

In my opinion you can trim around most head-sea spray in the 31...she is no better or worse than heaps of lesser boats...if you really want to get wet punch into a big following sea at high speed...spectacular wall of water and then you drive through it...my two girls still laugh fit to burst about the time I did it to them...there are worse things than getting wet.

Enjoy your 31.

Nic

Like this???

Dug Stowe

If it gets too wet, you can always slow down a little.

What Harv said. The reason they are wet boats is that they are so stoutly built no one slows down. You'll find the boat will take more abuse than you care to take.

CaptPatrick wrote:Like this???

Not like that. That's nothing. I know EXACTLY what Nic is talking about. The boat handles so nice in a following sea, you don't realize how dangerous it can really be. The wind is blowing 24 knots, you're making 24 knots, the seas are building, and you feel like you're standing still.

Until you crest the wave that immediately precedes the one you won't be making it over. As you punch through, green water comes over the top of the bridge.

It's really quite an eye opener.....

quote: It's really quite an eye opener.....


Mike

Yes it is Mike. Coming in Barnegat Inlet back in the old days before the made it better. LOL We never realize a wave was building under us and when it broke, the bow just dropped like a rock into the wave in front. Water all over the place, put the bow right under. She popped up and kept plowing forward like nothing ever happened.

We made sure we never did that again.

Wet is a matter of opinion. There are very few boats you could hang your head over and get this shot at 28 kts. I dare you to find a drier ride for its size.
That being said the 30 moppie is a wetter boat than the B31 FBC. There is very little roll back in the pit (ie my gunnels are dry when running even in 15kt cross wind). If it is shitty out you will get wet, normally its not the water from the side as much as its the water coming over the top. The 31 is a much better riding/drier hull than it is given credit for. With the right amount of trim tab and speed she will always get you home (hell we've come home in 30kts SW from the 100 square to Manasquan) not easy in any boat. For its size and speed you cannot beat the B31FBC.
I don't know what you are comparing the ride to but for a twin inboard 30 some foot boat I don't think you can beat a 31.

Thanks a lot for all the replies, guys - I really appreciate it. I've loved these boats since I was 12 years old and I've got a couple in mind that I'm following up on right now. I have a follow-up question for Zero Cavity. First, your boat is spectacular. Second, I see the windlass, and it's a very clean installation, but how do you work the anchor with that and no anchor or guide hanging off the bow?

Greg.

I just bring the anchor up and disconet it as soon as I can reach it, simple.

There are days you will get wet...its a boat.

Many days you can avoid getting wet by choosing a better speed or changing your heading a few degrees, kind of tack your way to your destination. We go out to eat across the bay and seems we always get a slop with a late afternoon breeze, so the bow slices thru and the wind blows the spray right back at you, I'll head 10-15 degree off course and stay dry.
That bow just cuts thru the water, unfortunalty it does not knock it down. Such is life...

mike ohlstein wrote: Not like that. That's nothing. I know EXACTLY what Nic is talking about. The boat handles so nice in a following sea, you don't realize how dangerous it can really be. The wind is blowing 24 knots, you're making 24 knots, the seas are building, and you feel like you're standing still.

Until you crest the wave that immediately precedes the one you won't be making it over. As you punch through, green water comes over the top of the bridge.

It's really quite an eye opener.....

Been there, done that, ripped the canvas off the bridge to prove it. Was at about 22knts on the way home from the ACNJ Rendezvous in a mean following sea. Felt the boat cruising up the back of a wave and next thing I knew water was coming right over the bridge and pinned me back in the helm seat. An eye opener to say the least.

--JK

Maybe more like this?

Gee, doesn't look too wet on the bridge, more like in the cockpit, instead.

Not quite Harv. You really have to bury the nose to get the full effect.

I guarantee that it will make you throttle back.

Harv

Funny thing, from another boat you can't tell how wet the guy on the bridge is getting. Years ago we used to go offshore in pairs. Our friend had an 67, 31 so we would run virtually side by side. Coming home from the Hudson, we were taking water on the bridge every wave. Not a good ride home.

The guy running our friends boat had a cigar in his mouth and took it out from time to time like he was smoking it. He never flinched either, so we could not under stand why he was dry and we weren't. Well when we docked, it turned out he was soaked and so was the cigar. He just kept chewing on it for the 5 hour run home.

I'm happy that this "wet boat" issue has been addressed. Too sick and tried of reading about it on other boat sites.

Going to AC three yrs ago in a following sea with 8 to 10's, the GPS recorded a top speed of 32.5 knts. That's a little better than 37 miles per hour. As we surfed down a wave for the first time, it scared the hell out of me. Looked like I was diving into the back of the next wave.

Hey Dick,
You forgot to mention the one rouge you never saw,
that broke right into the cockpit.

The picture Pat posted is me on Alchemy.

Funny thing is that after I hit that wave, I realized how dumb I was at that moment to have not closed the spray curtain in advance of hitting those seas...

I was drenched.

And laughing.

Dug

Dug,

I'm glad you had someone along side with good camera skills to capture the moment... One of the more spectacular B31 action images I've seen to this day. Explosive might be a good description.

Br,

Patrick

That picture along with a whole bunch of others were part of an actual purposely set up photo shoot.

I have a whole album. It was great!

I also have another album shot after the repower.

Boat runs altogether differently.

I am fortunate to have two great friends who are professional photographers and who happen to love boats.

I am a lucky guy in many ways...

Dug

Hey Dug do you mind posting the album you just mentioned ?

Unfortunately that isn't going to happen. All the pictures are film based and on paper, and that would entail scanning, etc... A long chafe of a process.

And there are many, many shots...

I can always show in person however! And they show up randomly in Soundings without permission once in a while. Like the rough water handling article a couple months ago.

Dug

Dug,

c'mon now, these all sound like excuses to be a primadonna.

Dug, do you have the negatives ?

Maybe.... I am not sure where off the top of the head. Our house is in complete disarray due to what has turned into a major rehab job. We spent a week and a half with no floor (read, just studs, really, no floor!) in the living room, dining room and half the kitchen a couple back. I am not sure where anything is right now but the bare essentials. We are almost at a point where we can put the furniture (or at least some) back. I can share pictures of this project! They are digital. As a matter of fact they are all posted on my Facebook account...

But the boat shots are another story. In fact, I know where the album is, but can't reach it unless I become a gymnast!

Harv, you know better than that. Primadonna is kind of one of those things I am not. That would be pretty clear by now.... Factory work ain't that of a primadonna...even if you are part of ownership.

Speaking of that, it has been fun of late. Two squirrels within 36 hours have killed power to the main plant. 13,500 volts do more than stand up the hair for one of those rat's. Sunday, and Tuesday morning. It is awesome to have 80 plus people standing around unable to do anything due to a squirrel. And National Grid doesn't think we need a solid state, nice green box instead of a 75 year old power transferring jungle gym. And to top it off we were burglerized over the weekend. Alarm system didn't work (or did it...) and we lost a bunch of copper weld fixtures etc, welding cables, quality gaging, all stuff you use to do your job and ship to customers daily. Very helpful. And clearly an inside job. So we found ourselves escorting cops around in the dark. Excellent. Some caught on video, so we have hope of catching the perps. But unlikely...

primadonna...thanks buddy.

C'mon Dug, don't you know when someone's pulling your chain?

Yup, I do... :)