bertram31.com

I'm finally going to haul out my boat and I have a few questions for the faithful:

1) I'm going to buy a name from one of the online boat name operations and install it myself. Any suggestions on letter size that fits the 31 well? Anybody have a good website for boat names? How to remove the old boat name? Heat Gun?

2) I'm going to do the zincs myself. Any trick to getting these off and putting the new ones back on?

I'm planning on addressing a soft rudder shelf and leaky rudder through hull myself as well, but may have to defer to the experts if that gets too involved. I'm planning on letting the yard do the bottom job and exhaust lines.

Thanks

JR

The old zincs shouldn't be hard to remove. Make sure you give the new shaft zincs a good rap with a hammer as you tighten them up. I have been using the Camp Zincs with good success here in Louisiana. Don't buy the crap at West Marine. Are you hauling out at Seabrook Marine?

As for name size, I guess it depends on the name. Mine came painted on so I had to get a sign painter to freshen it up. (kept the original name) Most local sign makers do boat names and can cut your letters for you out of good 3M vinyl. Oven cleaner will get off painted letters and a hair drier will help get the vinyl ones off.

Eddy G.

Capt. - can't help on the letters - the pre cut seem to work fine for me. On the zincs, buff up the shaft and rudder surfaces a little with sandpaper or wire brush before you install the new ones, then whack the zinc a few times with a heavy hammer and tighten again...do this a couple of time to seat them properly. Usually the old ones come right off, just loosen the allen head screws, take them out and they fall off. I've been buying my zincs from Hamilton Marine online and they are first class, with a copper contact built in and inserts for the threads.

UV

Zincs...unscrew and tap them off.

Buy good quality Zincs, better to spends a few extra bucks for a good zinc then a whole lot more for eaten up underwater hardware.

Where you attach the Zincs...make sure your down to clean Shiny Metal and the Zinc makes Good contact with the metal.

Where you attach the Zinc on the Prop Shafts I couldn't care less, I've heard everyplace under the sun for many reasons...however do not install directly in front of the Strut...The Cutless Bearings in the strut are water cooled so you need water to flow threw...give it at least a few inches. For what its worth I install mine closer to the hull.

Make sure they are tight...you don't want them loosening up, losing contact with the metal or sliding down the shaft blocking the Cutless...or falling off and dinging your prop when running.


Do not Paint them, they will last longer but will not offer the protection.


Carl

Removal of the name is a matter of what it's been done with. If it's a vinyl application, gentle use of a heat gun will lift an edge, then heat under it. If it's the original gelcoat, no problem. If it's painted, go easy and don't pull hard. If it;s painted on original gelcoat, spray with oven cleaner and it will bubble up and wipe off.
As far as zincs go-usually 2 shaft zincs and two rudder zincs. Both kinds are usually bolted on with bolt heads that need Allen wrenches to remove. Unthread the bolts completely. If they are frozen, insert the Allen and tap the extending end with a hammer until it moves. On shaft zincs, they will either fall off in two pieces, or will need a sharp rap to make them fall off. Rudder zincs usually have one bolt holding the two pieces sandwiched with the rudder. Same holds true as the shafts. I have found the bolt on rudder zincs need some sharp hammer blows to loosen them.
Replacement is a matter of cleaning down to bare metal the areas where the zincs go. Re bolting on the new ones in the same places and tightening as tight as you can. then inset the Allen wrench in each bolt and hitting the arm with your hammer to tighten further. Once tightened as far as you think it will go hit the zincs hard with your hammer on both sides (on the shaft zincs, there is a place in the middle of each half). After doing that, you will surprisingly find that the bolts can be tightened further. Do that again until you can't tighten any more.The shafts and rudders go through s lot over a season and you don't want to lose a zinc mid-year. Do NOT bottom paint over a zinc or place one on a painted surface or they won't work for you. Hope this helps. Walter

jr
if you google boat names most sites will tell you how to apply the letters useing soap and water in a spray bottle, as for zincs i put 2 on per shaft with appox 6" in between them

if you are in houston, galveston. go check by boat out, its B21 at galveston yacht basin,
And Honestly i would just call kathy blum it was like 200 or 250 buck and she does it all, looks good she did the boat across from me also.
before


after

Wow, as usual, great information guy's. Thanks!

Eddie, I'm going to be hauling out at Seabrook Marine the day after Mardi Gras. When you say Camp Zincs, is that a brand name? UV, I'm going to try to call Hamilton Marine and order from them. Are they one size fits all, or do have to know the diameter of the shaft/rudder thickness? This is my first haul out, and I don't know what the shaft diameter/rudder thickness is.

Coolair, I'm in New Orleans, so I can't call Kathy, but I really like the gold lettering on WILD RICE. Do you know if that is paint, or vinyl lettering?

Thanks again for all of the help,

JR

JR
It was just a gold sticker that kinda was reflective. I think you can buy the stuff already cut at a craft store or something.

jr
the zincs for the shaft, you will have to know the size of your shafts

Capt. Jack - like Charlie says, get the "streamline" zincs to match your shaft diameter - they look like a football sliced in half. 4 or 5" diameter round zincs for the rudders. They come in pairs with one bolt that goes thru them and the rudder - half on each side of the rudder.

Keep your eye on Seabrook and be very careful to specify, in writing, what they gonna do and how much they gonna charge. I've spent a few small fourtunes at the place - AJ was there during Katrina. But they do know 31 Bertrams. One of the two brothers who run the place is better to deal with than the other. The good one's first name starts with Jeff......

UV

Oh and they say its bad luck to change the name, unless you change ports :)

Oh and they say its bad luck to change the name, unless you change ports :)

if thats the case iam screwed, oh maybe not ive change my docking location, does that count

LOL
I dont know
All i kow is I want from massachusetts to texas so i am safe!

UV, Thanks for the heads up on Seabrook and the zinc description. I'll be careful. Coolair- going from Lafayette to New Orleans, so I think I'm good.

JR

JR
I do believe that will work!
also got my westmarine 2010 catalog and it had lettering stuff i think the metalic gold is what was on wild rice. always a option for preorder stuff

I see you also are going to work on your rudder shelfs, have you read Capt pat's explanation on how he does it. I recently did mine with 2 pieces a of 1/2 " coosa board laminated together with 1708 epoxyied in between. I also went to dripless rudder box seals so I don't have to deal with the leaks ever again

Jack: Camp is a brand of zinc. Since you don't know the sizes, I would let the yard provide them. They should have most sizes on hand and a good brand. I've bought them from the yard before and prices weren't out of line. Make note of the sizes for next time.

Eddy G.

If your rudders are bonded ...I dont believe you need zincs.. Correct?
Wayne

Most of us put zincs on the rudders even if they are bonded. Mine are bonded and the rudder zincs eat up at about the same rate as the shaft zincs...in fresh water at my camp dock where there are no other boats around they last about 3 or 4 years.

UV

iron man those are ss rudders , due to the noble factor berween ss and bronze you have to protect those rudders just like the ss shafts.