Decisions Decisions

Major · Post by **Major** » Jan 15th, '10, 14:34

Well that time may have come where we are going to cut our losses on the 28. My dad and i were talking and neither of us really have time to do the work needed and the engine situation just wasnt what we had hoped.

So now to the questions. We have a trailer for the 28 and planned to use it to put the boat in whenever we needed to. Do any of you trailer your 31's? If so can you give me some details on the ramps you use, the truck and the trailer design? I wouldnt mind another project down the road but just not this involved and the 31 has been appealing to me.

How is the interior sized in the 31? We have new v berth cushions for the 28 and it may be nice to salvage those. Are the extra couple feet in the cockpit or where?

If i get the chance to get another boat i would really prefer a boat like the 28 or 31 over a center console. The 31 seems like what i always wanted to make our 28 though.

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Jan 15th, '10, 16:28

From what I have experienced, the 28 has more interior spaciousness, or else it feels like it. The 31 has more cockpit space and fishability/engine access. I found the 28 a "dryer" boat in terms of cockpit spray. There is no such thing as a perfect boat, but if you have had the "hots" for a 31, nothing else will do. That's what happened to me and I'm not sorry. Good luck!

Hueso · Post by **Hueso** » Jan 15th, '10, 17:19

I almost commit the sin of a lifetime......before buying my 31 I was negotiating a Grady White 28 Sailfish a I made an offer for $32,000. Thank God the owner was a hard headed and wanted $42,000 for it. Two weeks later I found an add in the paper of a 31 for $65,000. Call the owner and offered $45,000....long story short we agreed on $52,000. To this day, (knocking on wood), no problems with the engines and I have only modified the interiors with PVC...(plastic, plastic, plastic).

There is no marina, beach, lagoon, port that I come in that someone says "I love that boat." Not to mention that the boat's paint is faiding. Don't even think about it.....a buck invested in a 31 is a buck you may recover in the future. Not the same story with other boats. In fact, I do not think there is a boat out there that will increase in value as the 31 does when you do the re-fit.

Buy a working 31, and the rest will be history. You should not die without saying "I was the proud owner of the best boat ever build"

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 15th, '10, 19:16

waterk after 11 years of driving my boat and four other 31 bertrams i have yet to understand the significants of that stingma "wet boat" who cares if the spray drops on the transom.i would never let anybody sit on the transom going to the fishing grounds at 30 knots occasionally spray breaks over the gunnel onto the trasom but nobody is there. two people on the bridge and one on either engine cover with back to bulkhead windows .nobody gets wet why even mention a wet transom gunnel as a negative factor in a 31 . i think it is far more important you don`t run out of toilet paper!!

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jan 15th, '10, 21:20

Bob

Maybe it was your change in the shaft angle, but in a quartering sea I always take spray, and sometimes a bath up on the bridge. But then again, its summer, who cares. It's the damn rain that really bothers me. Stuff really hurts when you running.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 15th, '10, 21:29

sorry tony a assumed a 31 with a half tower and front /side curtains.i keep hearing this referance to "wet boat" and i say to myself what are they talking about------the gunnel at the trasom!!! you and the public are refering to the bridge.i always run with the side curtains up but roll up the "U" curtain up front.offshore about 4' and above i drop the u curtain.i guess i am use to the big outboard center consoles now thats wet!!!

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 16th, '10, 09:26

an open bridge can be quite wet in snotty seas. "tell me when we are 15 degrees off so i can reset the GPS...i cant see shit"

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 16th, '10, 10:06

The 31 is all about the hull and the cockpit...at least in my opinion.

The cabin is tight. It's got the business ends covered, a bit of room to sleep, a bit of room for gear, a bit of room for food and beverage, a bit of room to eat, a bit of room for a small head...but thats it. Nobody is really going to be lounging out in there at least not if they can help it.

Now the cockpit, for fishing...lots of room whether trolling, anchoring or drifting. Wanna make it into a Howdy boat for an evening cruise... 4, 5, 6 chairs in the cockpit and you'lll still be able to get around or use the gunnels and motor boxs and get 10 people in there...big cockpit.

Had a bad T-storm heading in this past season, my wife, buds wife and two other friends where out Kayaking and we though it best to go grab them. I had the smallest boat out of everyone but we took mine as it was the only one that would fit 4 kayaks in the cockpit.

The hull, well its a 31 Bertram hull.

Classic lines
It will get you where you need to go.

Down sides-
When drifting in anything but flat seas, she rocks.
Lack of cabin space
Wet

The bow does not knock down the spray, so any breeze will have that spray coming back at you. Now you can change your heading, drive from a lower helm, put windows up, duck when the spray come at you or just get wet. I usually choose the later, cause I usually just don't care.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 16th, '10, 10:07

My B31 FBC is about the driest boat I've ever owned, but like Bob, I've got a half tower and enclosure, plus glassed in front windows and solid side windows...like a submarine. A quartering head sea with about a 20 kt. wind will put a little spray on the enclosure, but that's what its for. If your teeth and kidneys can stand the jolting, increase the speed and you can outrun the spray.

UV

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 16th, '10, 11:35

thank you vic roy and to add to it i drove a 48' egg harbor back from the canyon in nasty seas and after duck diving a few the water rode up the bridge and right thru the gap between the curtain and the dash and all over the electronics we then lost radar. i put a 55' haterass thru the same waves and that was "wet" but the curtains block the spray. in conclusion all boats are wet depending on the sea conditions . you take a 31' bertram with no protection what so ever on the bridge in the atlantic ocean and then say it`s a wet boat -----dumb statement as compare to what a aircraft carrier!!!!!

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 16th, '10, 12:42

I compare the 31 as being a Wet Boat to:
Dads Hatteras
My old 23' Penn Yan
Buddies 32 Luhrs
Friends 29 Luhrs
Friends 29 Blackfin combi
Friends 32 Blackfin SF
Friends 47 Duddy Davis
Friends 40 1969 Chris Craft
Uncles Silvertons from 28-40'
Lots of other boats including bubble boats and other go fasts.

When it's kicking up ya get wet in them all.
If you have an enclosure, that cheating.
If your running ahead of your spray, that not what I'm talking about.

What I am saying is, if you take the 31 and many other boats out in a similar situation, that is a nice chop with a breeze, cruising at the same speeds in the same direction...the 31 will NOT knock down the spray like many others and that spray will come back at the boat. When it does...you get wet, hence the term "Wet Boat".

It's not the end all, it's just what it is.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 16th, '10, 12:44

The biggest scare I ever had on the water was driving a 46 Hatt into Perdido Pass, FL in a following sea and having it broach....impossible to steer with rudders or engines, it went totally out of control. Pure luck I missed the jetty by a few feet. I could drive my B31 thru the same sort of stuff (and have, many times) with my hands off the wheel. That's why we call 'em The Best Boat Ever Built.

UV

randall · Post by **randall** » Jan 16th, '10, 15:17

bob..i agree with you. that was in the gulf and it was like getting fire hosed at times. any boat is wet if you push it hard enough. and have no protection.

ive had green water run up the foredeck hit the bridge and land in the cockpit..............wet boat?

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 16th, '10, 18:10

carl i never though of my 1/2 tower with 3 sided enclosure as cheating. ok if thats what you call it .i have been on all of those boats except the penn yan wow 300 lbs 200mph in 10 seconds i am scare sh-t of tunnel hulls---opps wrong tunnel hull. seriously you have to consider two ray marine c-120,auto pilot, vhf ,smart heading sensor . i doubt you want to surmerge them in salt water .you go 100miles offshore a enclosure is part of the package. funny how you leave (in any 30' boat) the 100 square with nice 2'to 3' waves and then run into the roaring atlantic 10miles further so as the captain you try to get home just as fast and safely as you can but sure enough you will stuff that bow every 20 minutes or so.you might say there was very little spray on the bridge of the 32 silverton but it was also slow boat to china.like vicroy said coming in the fire island inlet with a 12' wall of water i take the 31 bertram who gives a damm if a little spray hit the side curtains . i even have a neopreme seal at the bottom of the front curtain when i really submarine.i catch the 12' in the stern and that bertram acts like it is on railroad tracks and takes right in---------------amen

coolair · Post by **coolair** » Jan 16th, '10, 20:09

ya but would you go offshore in anything other than a 31 when its so bad the outriggers break off before you leave the jettys?

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jan 16th, '10, 21:57

Looks like I started a feud. Ok, look, like I said, summer who care. I've run her home 100 miles from the Hudson, with 6 footers on the beam. Did I get wet, hell ya. Did we have to back off, nope. The only bad part is when she comes down on the chines. Rattles the teeth a little.

Bob Lilco's right, leave the Canyon, no problem, half way home its snotty. Ok fine, so you get wet.

Never ran the Canyon with the curtains because at the time before I repowered I had gassers. The dam curtains created too much resitance and made us burn more fuel.

If it gets bad would I want anything else. Yes, something around 60 foot. But heck only have a 31. Would I rather be in another 30 foot boat when its bad. Nope, I know I am coming home in what I have.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 17th, '10, 09:38

bob lico wrote: if water i take the 31 bertram who gives a damm if a little spray hit the side curtains

Bob, Certainly not me. I usually don't give a dam if a little spray hits the side curtains, or in my case hits me, if I'm in the tower.

But I can tell you it bothers lots of people...do I care, again not really, if you don't like getting hit with spray when sitting in the cockpit...move. All I am saying is the 31 will produce more spray coming back into the boat then lots of other boat desings.

Major · Post by **Major** » Jan 17th, '10, 11:21

A friend of my dads let us use his 31 silverton for a while and that boat felt huge compared to the 28 bertram. If i remember right the hull sits a good bit higher on it than a 31. The flybridge also seemed larger.

I remember we came back one time and the boat was sinking because the shaft seals were leaking and the bilge pumps quit. In the salon area i guess you would call it there was a large access hole and i got down in there and handed bucket after bucket of water to be dumped out. Kind of an odd feeling to step on the carpet and its floating.

All in all it seemed more of a cruising boat than a fishing boat. We never took it really offshore since we didnt know all the problems with it but did make some nice coastline trips.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 17th, '10, 11:41

Silverton is great for running the bay, hangin at the dock, going to the beach, dock and dine, and great for weekends staying on the boat. If you pick your days a little inshore fishing.

Lots of amenities to impress the ladies...

A good fit for some boaters...just not me.

Capt Dick Dean · Post by **Capt Dick Dean** » Jan 17th, '10, 11:42

I've never been wet in my boat ... went to Atlantic City in 8 to 10's in a following sea and then went back home in 6 to 8's. The trip is 110 miles each way.
But some time ago, in the Great South Bay a ferry boat went by and they leave a good wake. My son was on the full tower and he got drenched as we plowed right thru. The Irish Wake slows for no one in the Bay. Well maybe for Randall if he in the kyack.

Ed Curry · Post by **Ed Curry** » Jan 17th, '10, 12:28

The wettest boat I've been on is a 28 Albin. The boat is a submarine and impossible to drive without windshield wipers. A seaworthy ride but if you're not in the pilot house you will be drenched to the bone as your pockets fill with seawater. Compared to that my 28 is fairly dry.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 17th, '10, 12:54

Maybe it's just me and my 31...but I can think of many times I have run from the lower helm of my Express with Wipers on full blast to clear all the spray being blown back at the boat.

I'm not really talking about big seas running...mostly quartering into a steep 2-3' chop. Where you can't run ahead of the bow spray. Add some wind and it's like driving in a car wash.

Brewster Minton · Post by **Brewster Minton** » Jan 17th, '10, 13:13

When it gets snotty mines like driving a washing machine. But Im inside nice and dry.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 17th, '10, 16:24

thats what i am trying to tell you like brewster i am on the bridge nice a dry listening to rock and roll.sim is it possible you are using those tabs?keep that boat bow proud in that water.due to the shaft angle the faster you go the more the bow goes down something you cannot control even with the tabs all the way up the water action on those tabs are a deterant to keeping that bow out of the water . on outboards it is easy enough to trim the engines out.the only other way is to keep the fuel tank full but that puts you deeper in the water so slow down a hare till bow rides over those 4 footers that were you want to be.i wish i could help you i would have to check the center of balance on the fork lift.

In Memory of Vicroy · Post by **In Memory of Vicroy** » Jan 17th, '10, 17:19

Years ago a bunch of us took the ladies to Acapulco.....we decided to go fishing one day while they shopped. Ratty old wooden boat but it was cheap and the fishing ain't too far out. Saw a few sails and after a while I went below for some reason and there was a 10 year old kid pumping furiously on a hand bilge pump.......went looking for the life jackets and the few aboard were rotten to dust. The boat seemed to be floating okay and the beer was cold so we kept on fishing. A couple of hours later the kid runs out of the cabin and up to the bridge and he and the captain have a loud discussion...kid goes back in cabin. I go up to the bridge and inquire in my best Spanish what's wrong...the reply: "Senor, the boat, she is on fire"......we head for the beach with everyone picking out an ice chest or chair for flotation when we have to abandon ship....we are met at the beach by some of his relatives with white buckets, some to bail, some to extinquish the fire. We pay up and are taken ashore. Mas Dos Eques, par favor....Shouda gone shopping.

UV

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Jan 17th, '10, 19:15

UV-- great story.

I agree with Sim---I love my B31, along with the others I fished on, but they are a wet boat. Bob, while you're on the FB dry because of your enclosure, your crew in the pit is getting wet.

I'm a Giants fan, and am sitting here watching the Jets. Never liked the Jets much, but gotta' like this team. Pretty cool.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 17th, '10, 21:39

john look at phonix on the image page and you tell me. that is 3' to 4' i am turning lock to lock turn at 32 knots that is john my witness on the bridge the first 5 to 6' of boat are out of the water. the waves and spray end up on top of the gunnel over the trasom. to be perfectly honest i have never been told about this wet boat bit till now. my boat is dry all the way home from fishing off shore .unless there are 30 knot winds out of the east and i am heading due south (going to homeport) i hate winds out of east .i surmise i have alot more of the bow out of the water and the spray falls behind the boat like i said this is the first i have heard of this.

jspiezio · Post by **jspiezio** » Jan 17th, '10, 22:36

3' to 4' wake?

coolair · Post by **coolair** » Jan 18th, '10, 02:33

and not to be a smart ass, umm but if you are out, you are probably fishing, and if you have a problem getting wet, umm well maybe take up a new sport?
I mean i know its cold up there but down here alittle spray on a hot day is nice. :)
and yes when you go into a pilot boat wake a little to fast, and the bow dives you are gonna get wet.. really wet, but it was funny as hell and totally worth it, cause my old lady wasnt expecting it and i soaked her

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 18th, '10, 07:57

Bob the tabs where a recent addition after 14 years of running without them.

Shaft angle- I have one of the older boats that had 1:1, so my shaft angle is already less then most 31's. I'd either have to check or do a search for the exact shaft angle...but 10 deg's comes to mind.

Bob, if your running 32knots your running characteristics are much different then many 31's. Yes, you are way up on your bow wave so I'm guessing most of the spray never really makes it back to you. But bring the throttles back a bit into the 20knot range, then quarter into the seas and you'll see what I am refering to.

If you can work around it, like you have by outrunning the spray, then great for you. If I run 32 knots...I'll be heading straight from a gas dock to a gas dock only stopping for a quick pit-stop at the bank for a cash infusion.

If it's really bad I'll just drive from the tower, but if it's cold and nasty with a wind blowing and spray coming back at me...I'm driving at the lower helm of my Express. At the lower helm, if I run too fast in a chop...I cannot see into the troughs of the waves and wind up hitting Flotsam/Jetsom all too often, so I have to run in the 17-18knot range. That is a real down side to my Lower NY Harbor/ Raritan Bay boating grounds.

Again for me and my wife, we don't really care if we wind up getting a good soaking every now and then. It's all part of our boating...but if my mother in law comes out...that whole wet boat thing becomes a factor. I'll suggest where not to sit...but she somehow always migrates to the wrong spot anyway...such is life. Sometimes I really like that it's a wet boat...

If asked, I will deny, deny, deny that last statement.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 18th, '10, 09:18

carl is it possible you and john have weight under the v-berth ?do you have a a/c ,water tank, heavy anchor and rode in anchor locker or v-berth? i have nothing but a couple of cushions up foward.i have removed the very heavy windshield,cut out the dashboard,removed hanging locker door ,electrical closet door,changed floorboard to coosa board,remove fiberglass sink and galley frame etc. when i lift the boat from the water i had to change lifting strap location 2' toward stern . to be exact i have very little weight foward i even put waste holding tank in starboard engine compartment this together with big rake in props cause the bow to ride out of water .oncoming waves (up to 4') hit the top strake and the spray gets push sidewards .i did not desigh this factor it just came about after i alter the boat (dry boat).when waves go to 6'to 7' i have to pull back to 17knots and if i must go head seas down to 13knots in a storm.most likely the spray hitting the side curtains prevents it from coming into the cockpit until the water lands on fighting chair/trasom.if you and john could possibly come to greenport it would be my pleasure to let you drive the boat , that is if we can harry barb out from behind the wheel.

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Jan 18th, '10, 09:29

Bob-

Phoenix is beautiful--just a great B31. I love my B31, but she's a gasser, and at 32 knots I'm not sure I'd make it gas dock to gas dock without blowing one of my 33 year old 454s. At 2800 rpms and 20 knots, I'm not outrunning much, including spray, but she sure rides nice. The basically "stock" B31s I've been on--both gasser and diesel, just don't shed spray very well compared to some other boats I've been on. I'm planning on coming up (by car) to Greenport. Looking forward to meeting up with the Faithful--and seeing some nice B31s.

John

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 18th, '10, 10:01

john i went to the canyon and back on almost the same boat as yours 31fbc with mercruiser 350hp FI./bimini kid we had to take two 20 gallon gas containers with us and filled up as soon as we arrived but other then that no problem . yours mine still the same heart and soul ,diesels no big deal only going long distance. we also have a 31fbc no top with mercrusers at the marina .yea it`s wet on the bridge but he doesn`t venture out more then a few miles out the inlet.
one of the best parts of the meet is to sea what others have done to there own boats to make them personal.phoenix is no big deal look at the cockpit sole on walterk and dug`s boat .i love the look of teak.some day jp will show up and show off his covering boards.we are going to have a great time .

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 18th, '10, 11:44

Bob, I defintely have more weight up front then you...but I would not call it alot.

Life preservers, anchor, rode, small block and tackle (just in case I run into Jaws again... this time he's coming home with me) and a few other odds and ends.

I'll agree when scooting along I don't notice the spray as much...but then I really only open her up / run her hard on nice days and then mostly as a shake down, so I'm checking temps, oil pressure, fuel burn, exhaust etc. Or I'm running from a storm and not thinking about a little spray. Or I missed the time I'm suppossed to be home and a little spray isn't something I'm thinking about.

Thinking about it, I pulled out an older picture of us running home from Fire Island. This would be cruising at 2850rpm making about 18 knots. A normal EZ cruise for me. See that bow wave just being directed outward, a little wind and that is right back at the boat. Now look at your pictures of Phoenix, your way up on that bow wave, like Capt Pat in that Buddy Boy photo. Your already past the spray before she leaves the hull.

Anyway that is all I have been saying, running at the cruise I usually do, your gonna take alot of spray when running into a choppy quartering sea. Since you don't really run that speed, its a non issue for you.

Either way....the best boats ever made!!

JohnCranston · Post by **JohnCranston** » Jan 18th, '10, 13:08

sim,
I need to take my mother in law fishing...paybacks are hell.
Bob,
I want to drive Phoenix...hope the insurance is paid up.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 18th, '10, 14:21

JohnCranston wrote:sim,
I need to take my mother in law fishing...paybacks are hell.
Bob,
I want to drive Phoenix...hope the insurance is paid up.

LOL

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jan 18th, '10, 21:01

Bob

God bless you. 32 knots in 3 to 4 and only pull back when they start getting over 6. 17 knots at 6 to 7, I assume they are running spaced out other wise even at 17 knots, I assume you have to remove the old choppers before plowing through that.

JP Dalik · Post by **JP Dalik** » Jan 18th, '10, 21:45

5-10 kts is generally our "get the bow light wet" speed in any kind of med sea

10-19 kts mostly dry save for what the wind is doing

19-24 kts now we're starting to put some spray behind us unless its a quartering sea. Then again the winds got the final say

24- 32 kts Well if we're going that fast its nice enough we probably aren't gonna get wet

The real wet part of the boat is the gigantic cockpit with no overhang to hide under when its raining. Or when it really big out and the waves come over the hardtop and soak the guys hiding under what little overhang is there. But then again its really big when that's happening.

The B31 hull is great I love the fbc for sex appeal and visibility. Think the bahia is the work horse model for a small crew.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 18th, '10, 22:02

tony it is hard to make a flat statement on speed . i was offshore first week in dec. and couldn`t get over 13knots . waves and wind same direction . everything i mean everything has to be put away in the cabin and the refrigerator door will open even with additional ss spring hatch. like jp said rain will run over the bridge overhang and come down on the guys legs sitting with back to bulkhead but this is real nasty rain storm sometimes you just can`t avoid .best operating speed for fuel economy and coftable ride long distance seems to be 2150rpm about 26knots.fuel economy goes down after that.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Jan 18th, '10, 22:49

Bob

I know what you mean about depends on the seas.

In bad weather and I mean a big sea, I always found the best place to be was between the engine box's under the overhang. Just that I find that once you start getting over 4 feet, it is tough to take it head on or on the quarter.

I've run comfortably in 8 at about 16 knots but they were spaced out enough that you weren't pounding at that spead, then sometimes you get 4's that rattle your brains.

You just never know.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 18th, '10, 23:36

the only thing that helps me in 8' waves is those 5 stage shock absorbers under the seats but the interior is wrecked when we get home.when the waves are real close they is not a damm thing i can do but crawl home .then the crew can sit down at the table and take a break.they really can care less about water spray as they wash down the boat on the way back and seperate the fish in the kill box with ice in between each.they are wearing bibs and boots anyhow.sometimes my son even puts the serated cardboard in the kill box voids to prevent fish from getting bruised.

algillen · Post by **algillen** » Jan 19th, '10, 09:42

I love it when this topic comes up. You guys are so defensive (to a point of beyond reasonable) of what is perhaps the one ding on the B31 hull. I have been on on friends' B31s, and put a thousand hours on a Blackfin 29 Combi running offshore.

The B31's ride is great simply because the hull runs very level. A higher bow (eg., more fiberglass) or more flair would help a little, but unless you get that bow elevated up in the air, you're gonna throw spray up onto the boat on a windy day. Period.

By contrast, my Blackfin rode much higher up front, and as a result, took far less spray aboard the front 3/4 of the boat on cross-windy days than a B31 would experience. The dry ride was a compromise, and the pay-back came when you were slicing through big waves up front and the bow had a lot further to go down to find solid water to stop it, which led to a bumpier ride (although still far better than most other boats). I had a 24' Blackfin at one time, and that thing rode plumb level at speed, and it was like a torpedo. Smooth as heck, but you were soaked 30 seconds after leaving the dock.

A level-riding deep V can't be beaten, if you want to be smooth. When Bob Lico's bow gets up in the air at 30+ knots, he's gonna be more dry. The rest of you should keep your Helly Hansens.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 19th, '10, 12:57

you know sim ther is one additional bit of information that bothers me . the enclose picture you say was taken at 18 knots. quite honestly phoenix is on top at 16knots it never rides like that picture .on plane in 5 seconds but engine struggle if i want to go under 15 knots .1366 lbs of torque at 1900rpm (a little less then 4 mercruser engines)like holding back a team of 6 horses .so from 22knots to 32knots boat feel like race boat instant power unbelievable. this gives you the ability to "play" with the ocean a bit ,you could ride in the trough,climb huge waves then back off quickly and go down sidewards into another through. i mention in the above post doing 13knots that was my crew putting me up to catching the striped bass migration 5 miles east of the inlet . weather day before was small craft at night went to gale warnings gust over 45mph and waves 8' with ocasional 10' or more. waves and wind right in your face i held the boat into the wind wild they fished . never saw anything like it 9 bass over 40". my son came up to the bridge and held her into the wind while i got a turn. a 32' regulator (one of the best cc) made a attemp going along side wow the boat came out off the water almost 70 degrees i thought they were going over!! he turn around and went back we were alone out there with a million birds and a thousand bass !!! no water what so ever in cockpit ,felt as calm as a lake at stern of boat.i allways make the run to the inlet at 32 knots for 17 miles the only down side is wearing out the delron washers in the outriggers from slight vibration.the boat just seams to glide along the top of the waves if you take it slow you get pounded.
i also fish a 29' blackfin comb. with 370hp cummins , no comparason to the 32' blackfin with 3126/385hp cats. great boat . when you get the 31bertam out of the water riding on the inner strakes with big rudders you will ride over the top of 4' waves spread out at least the lenth of the boat.anything more you have to back off down to 24 knots on the average seas.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 19th, '10, 14:01

Bob, I think the boat runs normally more like this picture. As I'm in the boat, it's kind of difficult to say...

I choose the other picture as it shows the bow just going into a wave, that would be just before the bow starts to lift. Just look at the spray coming out from the bow, th eboat just slices it outward...not out and down as we really don't have flare up there to speak of...so if the wind catches that water....it's coming back at you.

When your running up on those middle strakes...thats all behind you.

Capt. DQ · Post by **Capt. DQ** » Jan 19th, '10, 14:02

Well depending on spacing & length of the waves and tides and wind in the Alantic is a totally different story compared to the Gulf of Mexico waves.

Two different scenario's of how fast your really going to be riding. But who cares when your on a B31, at least I feel safe that the boat can take much more punishment than I can and get me back to the dock safe.

bob lico · Post by **bob lico** » Jan 19th, '10, 14:31

sim that photo is much better,you had me really thinking what could possibly be wrong. to make the boat the boat "plow" like that on a regular basis would mean your mother in law and her rock garden is stash in the v-berth.ok so that photo was taken the split second a rogue wave hit the bow.the reality of the whole weight balance theory is actually helped with a express because your weight and the passeger next to you along with chairs are aft of the bulkhead in a express as opposed to a fbc.all you need is a pair of diesels to lift that beauty up on her strakes.trust me that would put and end to this wet boat nonsense in reasonable waters with your family.

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Jan 19th, '10, 16:04

Sim-

I have a pic. hanging on my wall of my B31 FBC running at 19 knts or so. She runs just like, and I mean just like yours.

John

Nice boat by the way.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Jan 19th, '10, 16:58

John, Thanks. 16 years of ownership...I think that is the only two shots I have of here running. I sort of rememember the prior owner running her, but then again not really. I bought my wife a camera to take a few pictures of the boat coming out of the harbor, then a video camera and a digital camera...never happened. Buddy took these shots going or coming from vacation with boats. Maybe this season.

Bob, when the cash comes in I'd love to buy and install diesels...untill then it's trying to pry money from my customers and paying for kids, kids school (can't wait till they go to collage ugh) and everything else that comes before boating. I liked it better when the wife worked and I fished...

I don't mind a few splashes here and there...I just admit the down side of the 31, its also got a real small cabin and even less storage for her size too. Wanna get into that one....LOL

Seriously though, thanks for the concern..about the ploughing and all.

Carl

bertram31.com

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