Upgrading my recently acquired B28

[Pierre G. Villere]

I am a new Bertram 28 owner, and have been scouring the Internet for resources and found this terrific site. I am heading to the Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show on Thursday to look for parts, contacts, and people who have been up the learning curve on updating this particular boat.

My boat is a 1989, and I bought it in Stuart, Florida a couple of months ago. It is gas-powered, bought specifically for tarpon fishing in the Gulf waters off the coast of Louisana (West Delta, Southwest Pass, etc.) where the quiet of gas engines at dead-slow trolling speeds is a must. The gas-powered 28s are one of the most popular tarpon boats in our part of the Gulf, making up about 15-20% of the active tarpon fleet. Two of the most famous tarpon captains in the Gulf, brothers Chris and Coon Schouest from the tarpon town of Houma, Louisiana lost their boats in Katrina, and I really bought the boat to be able to fish with them during our July-October tarpon season.

The engines are tight, and the boat runs like a top. It is in very nice conditon and couldn't really be considered a "project" boat, but it does need a lot of TLC and cosmetic work, which I plan to have done this winter.

Three things are at the forefront in terms of starting this project:

1) Where can I find the hardware that has turned green and pitted, everything from hatch hinges to hawse pipes and all the other OEM stuff all over the boat that has never been re-plated or replaced. Is there a good distributor for this type of hardware? If not, does a list of OEM hardware exist anywhere?

2) One of my most immediate needs is the replacement of the salon bulkheads (both sides of the companionway door bulkead are rotten at the deck line). Does anyone make a kit for this? It seems to be a common problem on all of the 28s, as every one I looked at had the same problem. Captain Patrick posted an article on the use of PVC foam board as an alternative to plywood - if I'm going to the expense and effort to replace the bulkhead, I really don't want to go back with plywood, but the article does mention a concern regarding rigidity for the PCV alternative. I hear there is a rigid honeyomb material the South Florida boatbuilders are using. Does anybody have any guidance on how to make this repair?

3) The engines are 5.7 Liter MerCruisers. I really want to install a generator (the boat already has CruiseAir a/c), and it looks like there is a place for one on the port side of the port engine. Has anybody had any experience with installing gas generators in a 28?

Any help this group can give me, or any direction you can steer me in, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Pierre G. Villere
Mandeville, LA

[Brewster Minton]

Does your boat have a glass tank or metal?

[Pierre G. Villere]

The tank is fiberglass, and I made at a particular point to ask the surveyor to pay particular attention to it. He reported that it appears to be in pretty good shape, and there is no ethanol being sold down in this neck of the woods yet.

[Bruce]

Pierre,
Welcome. I have not seen any kits for your bulhead.
Making bulheads can be found under Pat tips section using composites.

The chrome pieces can be rechromed.

I've installed the Kohler gas gen on a few 28's and its worked well.
See them at the show.

Stop by the flop house and meet the gang. Address is under Rics post Ft Lauderdale.

[Pierre G. Villere]

Thank you, Bruce... I have the information and I'll try to get by. Vic also provided me with his cell phone number.

Thanks,
Pierre

[scot]

Good to get another Gulf Coast fisherman...hope to get some fishing reports out of Venice from you in the future. I would like to make a few trips down your way in the coming years (when I finish my current PROJECT boat)

How's Venice doing by the way?...you know, the Katrina thing. Rita was hell on us with wind damage but thank God no water here where the eye came ashore.

Welcome,
Scot

[RAWicklund]

Pierre,
Where you gonna keep the boat? If you stop by Coon's house, feel free to check out my generator installation (in progress) down the bayou.
I've got the B28 and B31 docked 200' from the "Mr. Todd"

I've got diesels in the B28 and I'm putting the genset between the engines.

I was up in your area yesterday for the "Wooden Boat Festival" Good times and beautiful weather.
Ray

[Pierre G. Villere]

The boat will be kept at Grand Isle during the summer months, and in Mandeville in the winter (Marina Beau Chene). Chris Schouest had a B28, the "Crawdaddy", and had a diesel generator installed next to gas engines. He had the saddle tanks which allowed him to store diesel separately, but I don't have that option on my later model boat. I will be looking for a gas genset.

We went to the Wooden Boat Festival as well; we live just to a couple of miles up the Tchefuncte River in Beau Chene, and it really was a great time. My neighbor won Best of Show for his 21-foot Jeffrey runabout, which is immaculately restored.

All the best,
Pierre

[Pierre G. Villere]

Hi Scot:

Things in Venice are really, really tough, and it is coming back very slowly. The marinas there are under construction, and I believe Venice Marina is back in operation. As you know, ground zero for Katrina was Buras, just up the road from Venice, and everything there was literally flattened.

Having said that, the fishing has been very good there in the last year. Mother Nature has a strange way about her; the guides are back in business, as are the charter boat operators, and the fishing reports have been excellent.

All the best,
Pierre

[Pierre G. Villere]

Bruce:

In your prior reply, you said you had installed a number of Kohler gensets in B28s. Equipped with CruiseAir, what size Kw do I need to specify to run everything?

Thanks,
Pierre