bertram31.com

Hey! I just passed Otter! I was heading north on 128 and she was heading south! She looked damned pretty![/code]

Dugg,

Otter left Winter Island Yacht Yard in Salem, MA headed for FL. Owner has moved there and decided to ship her rather than drive her. Yesterday they put a good heavy coat of Dawn dish soap all over to keep the road dirt/bugs from sticking. Good thing you didn't have to touch her.....one sticky boat!

Ken

coat of Dawn dish soap all over to keep the road dirt/bugs from sticking

ROFLMAO...

Based on the current sat image of the east coast, that soap should be making suds along the highway by now.

Patrick,
¿Que es ROFLMAO...?

Mikey: Translation is Rolling On the Floor, Laughing My A@# Off!!

And yes, we have had a LOTof rain!!! Particularly between an hour and an hour and a half after I saw the boat! Dish soap was washed off guaranteed! And a soapy highway was a guarantee!

Dug,

Your comment about the rain is interesting. I asked that question since heavey showers were predicted. The Dawn was applied the afternoon before. I saw it just after application with a heavy knap roller and slathered with a brush were the roller wouldn't go. A real mess. It cooked in the sun the all the next day. They guy who suggested it swore it was impervious to rain and would take a good presure washing to remove it. He is a very capable man and said he has done that a number of times before when boats are going over the road. If I hear the outcome I will post same.

Ken

Dug,
I just drove 1525 miles from Fl to Ma Thursday and Friday, I saw the Otter going south about the same time. I saw the boat when it was repowered at Winter Island Boat Yard, and it was being painted white , it was dark color a few years back, the boat was on a mooring behind my old house in Salem Willows for the past few years after late spring launch. I don't think the dawn will last with the torrential rain were had here yesterday. Took me 2 hours to go from Weston to Salem, 128 was a parking lot, tree branches blowing across 128 in Wakefield, Lynnfield and Peabody, 4500 lb SUV was rocking and rolling in the wind gusts at least 65 mph. That was about the only time of the entire drive that I was below 75 mph in 24 hour trip from Stuart. I'll see you guys at Pt Judith next Sat.

Hi. I'm a newbie to the bertram31.com. I went to northern florida and bought a 31 on monday. I am making arrangements to get her hauled to new jersey. And going home on monday, of all things, what do i see on the opposite side of 95? The Otter at a rest stop. haha. I hope this was a good omen, the only boat I seen and it was a 31. The one I bought has Cats in it, but needs so much TLC. Were the engines so heavy that the exhausts are always underwater when they have Cats in them? Thanks, and I hope to be doing a lot of reading here. Bob

Welcome, my friends to the show that never ends.
What are the Cats(weight)? Don't think they should always be under, but with some fiberglas and time or a bag of $$$ this too shall pass.

Don't sweat it. Surge tubes or high risers and you'll do fine. I have a heavy teak deck that combined a big chair and with a full tank almost submerges mine, but no problems for close to 19 years.

I've got cats in mine and my exhuast are in the stock location and they are under water except for maybe an 1/2" full of fuel. The chime sits under by an inch or two. No big deal. I hope to get my engine back in next week. Good luck being her new steward. Welcome to the family.

Frank

Otter is my B31. Thanks for the updates - I was not on the board during the move, so sorry I did not respond earlier. All is true about the soap - it went on, and as far as I can tell, came off before the boat left Salem (rain started about 3 hours prior to loading). In Miami, it was covered with diesel soot. About a gallon of thinner used to get the grime off - total pain in the a*#. No damage though, and that is what counts. Boat is now sitting comfortably behind my house. Just too darned hot to spend much time on it....

Bill,

I had a major chuckle about the soap application when Ken first posted. Tell the guys at the Salem yard that we think you need a rebate...

Good to hear that your move went well and is over.

Br,

Patrick

Hi, glad your boat made it down ok. Mine is being loaded on a trailer tomorrow morning from Amelia Island and coming to New Jersey. Hope it makes it ok. And maybe somebody will see it going up 95. I'm not putting any soap on it though, i heard it creates drag and the trucker gets less mpg. Only joking of course.
When it gets to Jersey i am going to have to put on the outriggers and radar arch. Plus a ton of other things. I am looking forward getting my hands on her. I had a 40 foot Pacemaker, but always wanted a B31, and finally got it. My retirement gift to myself.
If you see the boat, let me know. Its called the Tuna Magnet
Toying with the idea of changing the name, but not certain. Sorry for such a long rant, but I'm getting anxious, haha.
Thanks, bob

Bill

We all could just picture the trail of bubbles going down 95. Just imagine the guy driving behind the boat as the suds come off of it.

Bob, we welcome another 31 to NJ. Good luck with her. Great boat for out waters.

capt2kids,

Congrats on your purchase. I looked at that boat a couple of years ago. I like the 3208's and looks like whoever did the re power did a very nice job. The guy you bought the boat from gave me a few pictures of the boat when it was much newer. I would be happy to send them to you if I can find them. I'm pretty sure the owner said that he used to have the boat up in Jersey before he moved it to Fla. Good Luck.

JR

Hi, yes, I would appreciate the pictures if you could send them to me. Maybe I can make it look like that again, haha.
I just got bad news from the trucker. They have to take the shafts, props and rudders off to trailer it. Its a case not being there to see whats going on. I ask the trucker was it a case of the wrong trailer, and he said no, he had other trailers and would have the same trouble. So I gave the go ahead to dismantle it.
I bought the boat at a good price, so i guess I shouldn't complain. But is this common practice to trailer these b31's with all this stuff off? I think it has the bigger rudders on it, i'm not sure.
I was hoping for a more quiet homecoming for it, haha.thanks everybody,
bob from nj

Sounds very strange to me.

Capt2kids,
Many years ago I had my B31 transported from Key West to New York by a reputable carrier. To obtain required road clearance, they removed the wheels and flybridge wind screen only. I was able to get a favorable rate using a truck that was deadheading back from the Miami Boat show. They picked-up the boat in early February and lost it on the way up. Almost a month later it turned-up in Maryland in a storage depot. When it finally arrived, the gel coat on one side looked good and the other was black from bow to stern. It seems the truck broke down on the way-up and the load fell off their radar screen. When I sold the boat, they asked me to recommend a carrier. I declined.
Harry

Well, the boat is finally on its way today!!!!! The upshot was, the trucker had to move his bunks around and i only had to take off the props. I was told today it cost me 8 hours labor yesterday and 4 more hours today from the marina. What can you do, i am 1,000 miles away, but i still blame the carrierfor not having the right trailer the first time. I, like you, would not recommend this guy to anyone. I'll be glad to see it on blocks tomorrow. What a nightmare.
bob