bertram31.com

This month's (November) issue of Soundings has a two page article (pgs 58 and 59) on a guy who rebuilt a Bertram 31.. his name is Bob Levesque, out of Madeira Beach, FL. The boat was originally a Virginia Beach patrol boat he bought in 2003 for $30,000. He says he probably has $250,000 in it now. The boat is highly customized and has 454s for power.

He's got $280,000 spent and he has 454 gassers in them? Is he on Obama's financial planning team?

the owner was in the florida sun to long and burned his brain. he tells sounding "you can`t fit a generator on a 31 bertram"-------- duh! i have a nice bridge to sell you!!!!

Im with you Walter... $250k? gas? wow.

Ive had a couple conversations with him. He's a nice guy! He had Carl from Elite Marine do most of the work. Totally hands off, but that is how some do it.

Carl did a beautiful job on her. Bob was kind enough to send me some pictures. Much of the work was re-doing the entire interior layout. Its pretty nice. Very much updated.

I also sent him a few copies of the article yesterday as he could not find Soundings in FL.

He is really happy with his boat, and has every right to be proud of her. One interesting thing that he did differently than I would have, but he swears by it, is that he powder coated all of his cleats, bow chock etc. He said his chrome just didn't hold up, and this is going strong 8 years later.

Anyway, it was a fun read!!!

Dug

Chrome didn't hold up, but powder coating did? Wow, I want a hit of whatever he is smoking! I have a lot of powder coated accessories -- I'm not buying that cleats hold up better powder coated.

Powder coat will hold up until compromised, then all bets are off.

Gas does have advantages over Diesel.

First complaint I always hear is about the fumes. They have gotten much better over the years...but they still produce more diesel fumes then any gasoline engine will.

Gas engines run smoother and quieter then Diesels. Again diesel have come a long way but everything being equal, gas is quiet and smooth in comparison.

Gasoline you don't have to polish, stabilize and worry about Algae growth the same way as diesel...although Gasoline has gotten worse with the addition of Ethanol..but still not usually an issue.


I'd say Gas engines are cheaper to buy, but I am keeping cost out of the equation since he spent a wad for the build and does not seem to be a large factor in his equation.


As long as he is happy with the end product...its all good. Not what I would have done, diesels in and gassers go into the dumpster, anything left over goes to upgrades then cosmetics but that is me.

Dug,

Can you share the photos with us? I'd love to see them since I don't get the magazine.

Knowing a big piece of that budget didn't go to a diesel conversion or generator there must be some serious upgrades in her.

I can email them, but not post. Long story. Has to do with firewalls...

Ha! I knew the Diesel fad couldn't last!


http://www.art.com/products/p14047147-s ... y-sign.htm

When you're so far behind occasionally you can start to think your winning...

Great to see Bertram are still the so well honored even 50 years later.

As Sim stated sometimes gasoline does have its advantages, it all just depends on the owner. I think the owner had a reason for everything and to each their own. Even if I had that type of coin, my needs for boating are so much different that diesel inboards would not even make the list for consideration.

It all depends on the owner and how he uses the boat.

My wife and most ladies on board prefer gas over diesel in my experience. Unless they are breathing two stroke smoke at the dock, but that is for another post.

carl i will see next year at greenport . we will have a nice hands on demo of diesels with absolutely 0 fumes and less smoke then a candle. we will let your wife be the judge . loser take the lunch tab in town!

Carl

My 270 Cummins remans have very little smell or smoke. Mechanical engines not the new ones. My wife was dead set against diesels because of the smell. I still did it. Even she admits that there are no issues except on the first start up at the dock and that does not last long. Even funning down wind no issue. I basically have to hang off the trnasome to smell anything.

tony the block heaters will even eliminate the first start up smoke i run mine 24/7 , instant start up in late december weather.

Startup smoke is sexy.

Bob,

I only get a slight puff of Blue. I have nto run the heaters in the summer. I think you are running the wolverine pan heaters. I have the screw in block heaters, which from what I am told will kill you if you run them 24/7. The Cummins dealer said, kick them in the night before in cold weather.

Question about block heaters...

As part of some overall engine/running gear work I had done when I first bought "Phoenix" I had the diesel shop install block heaters in my 315 HP 6Bs. I left the decision about thyeir ratings up to them, and they installed 1,000 watt in each engine. I have not yet used them, but plan to start this winter.. even though in coastal NC it doesn't get as cold as it does for you guys in the north. The main reason I wanted them is my slip is in a basin in our subdivision, about 50 feet from a neighbor's screened in porch, and whenever I start the engines the initial smoke drifts up and bothers them.

My concern is that 1,000 watts seems like a lot of heat to be putting into each engine, and I might be wasting power and overdoing the engine heating.

So, my question is 1,000 watts per engine too much? And, what power are your heaters, and what is your on/off cycle?

I am looking at a couple of things that would reduce the wattage, but I don't know if I am needlessly concerned... so I would appreciate your comments.

i have 750watt block heaters rated at 240 volt they are connected to two individual 120volt outlets . they have been on for 4 years straight winter and summer. honest not a trace of smoke or fumes. there are at least ten people on this board whom witness them start.i took vic roy`s advise ten years ago with the algee x in line fuel conditioners( 500 series) in addition to the block heaters running thru racor 900ma with the same tank since 1973 however the boat was always diesel.

Read the article last night. Sounds beautiful, but there are no interior shots-which is where all the money went. I would like to see the interior it sounded nice.

No enclosed head- kept under a fold up cushion

Engines are rebuilt 454s. The numbers they are quoting on speed seemed a little off, too high for those engines.

bob lico wrote:carl i will see next year at greenport . we will have a nice hands on demo of diesels with absolutely 0 fumes and less smoke then a candle. we will let your wife be the judge . loser take the lunch tab in town!

Your on Bob...although I have to believe you will still have more diesel fumes with diesel then in gas boat. They are still burning diesel and something has to come out the exhaust.

Diesel doesn't bother me, I get used to it in a couple minutes unless it's obnoxious, then after being on and around diesels for awhile I hardly notice the fumes and orders. Fumes are not a deal breaker or concern for me...or the wife...but I know plenty of people where it is is a complete turn off and a huge factor in the decision to move into a diesel boat.

But either way I'd be glad to pick up the tab for a hands on demo.

Carl

what if the owner of the Cummins diesel set up was a complete nut job with hours to spend in the interest of diesels with much more then ample supply of air and perfectly timed fuel injection pump, every specification nats ass perfect. i defied your wife to detect that the boat is diesel powered! all you need is patients and determination it also help to have a perfectionist wife with the smelling ability of a bloodhound and a daughter to team up with mother to both become critics but i beat them both!!!

Bob,
You have pulled off what most, including myself thought could not be done...so I will not rule out the possibility of Zero fumes to detect on your boat. Still skeptical, but I will not say impossible when your involved.

carl thank you for the atta boy but my friendship with east end diesel introduced me to bosch fuel injection corp. i could deal with them on a commercial bases after senting them the two pumps from the 1100hp mann diesel and a fistful of dollars, it establish a rapport and i take intelligent improvements from those who really know there stuff.

Bob

How often do you have to clean the diesel soot off the transom. I wash mine after each trip, but after 30 hours of running she is starts showing diesel soot.

never! just a little soot on edge off exhaust tip because of the light blue paint over bronze.

bob lico wrote:never! just a little soot on edge off exhaust tip because of the light blue paint over bronze.

Might be something to those Algea X's. I always thought of them as smoke and mirrors.

i went into the whole idea of algae x with a open mind and vic roy convince me they were a plus and worth the expense and labor. for my installation it would be a substantial amount of increase labor due to the location of the algae x on top of tank in line with racors .i had to measure coast guard blue fuel hose to and from ,then make up hoses with brass ends and thread every thing together. the hoses fit exactly so you had to do some planning.i feel the use of the algae x has contributed to the amazing clean burning of these engines plus the fact that the racor filters are in there two years and still ruby red fuel with 0 amount of particles in bottom of type ma 900 filters of which i drain every two months or so.