bertram31.com

Sorry, the board is kind of quiet this week, so here it goes. Last week, I fished on a 32 fb F and a 33 express. I liked the ride and layout on both, especially on the 33. The 32 had Cummins b300's and the 33 had Cummins c350's. Is the hull the same or there differences? Cosmetically, how do they look? What are their shortcomings? I was super impressed with the 33...extremely clean and well thought out.
Thanks, I'm just curious.
John.

Hi John,

Cosmetically they look very close to a Bertam, I always considered them a Bertram "knock off". They do have more upper station space. Cannot answer on the quality of construction??? dunno. But they are good looking, low, wide hulls....just like yours!

Damn nice boats. Very heavy and need a lot of horse power to get moving. I haven't got a bad thing to say about them (which is a rave coming from me......).

John- I can not speak for the 33, but I know the 32 intimately. My dad bought a 32 FB in 1980. Twin 3208s at 260 hp that are still running strong.

The boat is probably the best head see boat I have ever ridden in, bar none. She punches way above her weight in that category. while laid out like a B31, she has differences. The free board is higher and so are the gunwales in the cockpit. You feel mere secure when bracing against them with a big fish on. She is much wider, and thus has more cockpit and storage than the 31.

The construction on the boat really is top notch. The fit and finish is not up to the standards of todays high end boats, like Cabo or Viking. But then again, the bar has been raised significantly since way back in the 70s and 80s. My dads boat with 3208s is well over 18,000 lbs (I don't remember the exact displacement), has a full tower, carries 375 gallons of diesel, cruises at 18 knots, and burns 16 gallons an hour at cruise.

She is not as wet as a 31. Not so much on the bridge at least, but in the cockpit when running in heavy stuff you will be drenched.

If you have any specific questions let me know. There is also a Blackfin owners website that has quite a bit of information.

John

Like everyone said very similar in looks to the 31 but larger. Great head see boat. The finish on the 31 is much better. I will put the original gel coat on my 75 bert up against any Blackfin. The Gelcoat on the 31 will always outshine the Blackfin.

One caution, they love to drink the fuel. That is all that extra weight.

As for a head sea boat, the 3208s are the key there....I fished a B31 with 3208s - remember, engine & gear weigh close to 2300# each vs. 1300 for a 6BTA Cummins - and it punched head seas like no other. In fact, it was the current "Centurion" that Doc Jordan owns, he bought it from my buddy and repowered her with 3116s.

If we put about 2500# of lead in the bow spaces of our B31s they would be great head sea boats.

UV

Thanks, everyone.
I just wanted a little insight on them..I'm not jumping ship..ha ha. I liked how the fb model's fly bridge extended over the big engine boxes to give you shade and how the side of the cabin extended past half of the boxes to keep you dry. There was alot of room on the bridge with a bench seat in front of the helm area. Anyways, thanks again.
John.

Interesting point. I was on a 31 that the owner had snap on (or slide on) fabric edged eisenglass pieces made to fit over that inside curve of the bridge/cabin/gunnel area. I wasn't crazy about how it looked, but I was amazed at how much of a difference it made deflecting wind and spray into the cockpit and engine box areas.

Vicroy wrote:As for a head sea boat, the 3208s are the key there....I fished a B31 with 3208s - remember, engine & gear weigh close to 2300# each vs. 1300 for a 6BTA Cummins - and it punched head seas like no other. In fact, it was the current "Centurion" that Doc Jordan owns, he bought it from my buddy and repowered her with 3116s.

If we put about 2500# of lead in the bow spaces of our B31s they would be great head sea boats.

UV

So true UV. When the Yanmars were purchased for the 31 there was an offer for a super deal if wwe took two more and repowered the 32BF at the same time. But Dad likes the smooth ride just too much.

The 32 ran super smooth with the b300's. It was a little sporty that day with 4 to 5's and she cut right through it, and everyone stayed dry.

You could put that crew on panga and we would have caught a ton of fish! Plus how the hell would you know you were drunk! My elbow and wrist are still sore from lifting the cooler lid and retrieving cerveza for you all day.

What a day...............

Here is a link to Bloodydecks which shows the 32' Blackfin John Cranston and I fished ahead of the B&G tourney. The stripey action is once again off the hook in Cabo and looks to hold through the new year! Any one got the itch the time would be now.

http://www.bloodydecks.com/forums/baja- ... -real.html

Fished the 32' Blackfin "Bandito" out of Cabo a few years back. Agree with John about the flybridge overhang over the engine boxes, made for a cool, dry spot to partake in some ice cold beverages. When back on the dock, people asked . "Were you on the BandiDo or BandiTo" We said the Bandito what's the difference?" A guy said a BandiTo gots more gold teeth.

Brad