bertram31.com

As some of you know, I'm originally Dutch… We Dutch have a children's holiday called Sinterklaas (more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). As there is a sizable Dutch expat community in Israel (where I live) the holiday is also done in Israel. Sinterklaas' arrival (customarily by boat) and reception was held in the fishing port of Yaffa (part of Tel Aviv). This year I decided to take the family for the occasion. It was fun even though I'm the only one who speaks Dutch.

Now to the shameful part. Back in the late 60's and very early 70's the Israeli Navy had a few 31 or 33 (I'm not sure which) Bertrams which they used as inshore patrol boats. They had (at the time) a twin 50 cal operated from a position where the bow hatch is on the civilian boats and they had two FN MAG (similar to the M-60) one on each rear corner of the cabin top. The gunners would stand on the engine boxes. Originally they were fitted with DD's and water jets. When the Navy was done with them they sold them to the civilian market as surplus. The pictures show how one of them ended up.

I have absolutely no idea what the new owner had in mind when he basically ruined the boat…





















My apologies if these pictures distress anybody...

cant look any more my eyes are burning,
that boat needs to taken out of the gene pool

Charlie J wrote:cant look any more my eyes are burning,
that boat needs to taken out of the gene pool

It's the owner who needs to be taken out of the gene pool!… The boat most certainly did not ask for this…

looks to far gone, put it out of its misery

Charlie J wrote:looks to far gone, put it out of its misery

I'm not so sure… AFAIK these boats are pure fiberglas & resin… With the exception of the stringers… I.e. not much wood rot to deal with… The thing is that in the eastern Med we don't really get pelagic fish so the most fishing I would be able to do of this boat would be jigging for the likes of grouper… Doesn't seem worth the effort… Nevertheless, I'm trying to locate the owner and see if he wants to get rid of this frankenstein… I might go for it… Maybe sell it in Greece or so… After a good rebuild…

best of luck with her

Navatech:

Dude has too much into it to sell !

I hope Luis see's your post and photos, he has a B31 'Camper' version that he will appreciate even more afterwards!

PS: When you next catch any Grouper I'd sure be interested to see photos of them to see how they compare to species we have here.

Preston Burrows wrote:Dude has too much into it to sell !

Maybe but there's only one way to find out…

Preston Burrows wrote:I hope Luis see's your post and photos, he has a B31 'Camper' version that he will appreciate even more afterwards!

Sorry for the ignorance but what is a "camper version"?!… Any pictures of it?!…

Preston Burrows wrote:When you next catch any Grouper I'd sure be interested to see photos of them to see how they compare to species we have here.

That may actually be some time as I used to spearfish them but now they have made it illegal to spearfish with SCUBA gear (I actually applaud that measure) so only skin diving spearfishing is allowed and I'm not up to that anymore… They look just like the one's in the US… Brown reddish in color… Same huge mouth… Same strong body…

Navatech:

'Camper' type as in what you've seen and posted photos of, with the extended 'house' and 'sky lounge'........!!!

Luis has a far more refined version.

Guys, forget the Hurrican plywood he used, it has outboards. Cut the transome down to boot. What the heck, that boat is not recoverable. I bet the engine box's are gone.

Frank, don't waste the cash, unless you are going to put it out of it's misery and turn it into a reef.

I bet that boat is to ashamed of itself to go out on the open water.

You know what that thee is some hope for the poor thing, it could house some of the homeless.

Navatech,
That has to be the worst conversion I have ever seen, I wouldn't even know where to start surveying that so called vessel. I like the two different vintage model Merc outboards, a late 60's and a early 80's outboards. I will donate a 1/2 block of C4 to dispose of that POS. I like the battery ballast on the forward deck and the transom cut out is real sea worthy. It turns my stomach just looking at it.
Pete Fallon

Tony Meola wrote:I bet the engine box's are gone..

I'm pretty sure everything under that camper top is gone…

Tony Meola wrote:I bet that boat is to ashamed of itself to go out on the open water.

You'll notice that this "vessel" doesn't have a bow number… I'm thinking that our DOT recalled it due to the modifications… Probably the harbor master had a hand in that… Without a bow number it would be illegal for that "vessel" to leave the port…

Tony Meola wrote:You know what that thee is some hope for the poor thing, it could house some of the homeless.

I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is being used for today… Real estate in Tel Aviv is crazy… A studio/efficiency like place will cost you 1,000 - 1,500 (unfurnished and without utilities)… A 2B1B or 2B2B will easily go for about 3,000 - 4,000 (unfurnished and without utilities)…

Pete Fallon wrote:I will donate a 1/2 block of C4 to dispose of that POS.

I agree with your sentiment but I don't want to do the time…

Pete Fallon wrote:It turns my stomach just looking at it.

That makes two of us… In fact, I believe the whole board shares both of the above sentiments…

And you guys thought my cabin looked different..the merc outboards put me over...I'm going to hurl..somebody rescue that poor girl..there is a beautiful ride in there somewhere..BH

I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is being used for today… Real estate in Tel Aviv is crazy… A studio/efficiency like place will cost you 1,000 - 1,500 (unfurnished and without utilities)… A 2B1B or 2B2B will easily go for about 3,000 - 4,000 (unfurnished and without utilities)…

I guess on the bright side you could become a slum lord.

Navatech,

I Maybe sell it in Greece or so… After a good rebuild…

For crying out loud, I will exert everything in my power so that this beauty is NOT sold in Greece !!!
Yannis.

Yannis wrote:For crying out loud, I will exert everything in my power so that this beauty is NOT sold in Greece !!!

Yannis, what would be wrong with it following a proper rebuild?!… Just in case you didn't get the point - she would be brought back to her former glory prior to such a sale… I.e. that monstrosity that the PO added would be removed… The damage he did (e.g. the transom) would be repaired… And so forth…

Navatech,

Nothing is wrong! It was just a manner of expressing what my eyes went through when seeing these pics!!

On the other hand, let's see the numbers: There are a few B 31's that are currently for sale in Greece. Their prices range between, say, the mid € 40K's to maybe up to anything (maybe even nearing the € 120K mark, however this number is JUST the asking price; in reality there is NO sale beyond € 70-80K). The difference is their condition; that of the boat itself as well that of the motors'. Given the price for gas (around € 1.60/liter = around $8/gal) I doubt that there is ANY demand for gas propulsion at all. Therefore, anyone who sincerely hopes to sell such a boat in Greece, it most certainly has to be a diesel.

There is practically no used diesel-motor market either. Which brings us to the conclusion that one has to either buy a motorless (or gassers to dump) hull and put new motors in , or find a reasonably used diesel existing configuration. For the former, if you're very lucky you might at some point find 2 reasonably used diesel motors - but who would buy a hull with the hope to one day find 2 used diesels at the proper power, the proper price etc...? Therefore, you will need two new diesels at roughly € 25Κ/per 240hp Yanmars, or deep in the € 30K's for the 315 or 370 models. If you put the cost of the bare hull, plus the labor and equipment to bring this mess into something OKish, you're way beyond the above figures.
For the latter, you may find a reasonably decent hull (into which you will have to invest heavily) with 2 old diesels that are keepers, but there again you will have to address their increased consumption, servicing costs etc. So, if you buy such a boat for, say, € 50K it will end up costing you almost double with all the improvements.
I also looked in Italy and France where the prices are lower and the supply is wider, but it comes to about the same total cost if you add the transportation, the duties and taxes etc. so it's very seldom worth it. If you need more feel free to send me a mail.
Yannis.

Yannis,

I was thinking of shipping a couple of DD 53 series from the US… They're cheap and reliable… And, they would be "original" for this boat…

Anyway, I just got off the phone with the owner… The guy knows its a Berty, knows its history and thinks he has some kind of "treasure" on his hands… According to him he has the original DD's and jet drives warehoused… However, I needed to clean up my desk (I was sipping coffee) after he told me how much he wants for it (25K)… Good thing I was sitting…

I guess that's the end of that idea… Eventually she will sink… That kind of owner doesn't look after his bilge pumps…

Navatech,

First of all, I take it you're in Israel, not in the US, or you're a night owl !

Then, yes, over here they all think that owning a Bertie is a ticket to ask literally anything. The fact is however that they just sit and watch without ever selling at these prices, unless they HAVE to sell...in which case they become more logical.

Do you, as an older member, think that there are enough owners here in the Eastern Mediterranean to one day hold a "Mediterranean Rendez-vous" ?

Camper boat?? hillbilly distillery at least

Yannis wrote:First of all, I take it you're in Israel

I am currently but I spend at least 4 months in the year in the US…

Yannis wrote:Do you, as an older member, think that there are enough owners here in the Eastern Mediterranean to one day hold a "Mediterranean Rendez-vous" ?

I'd certainly love to go to one but I would be without my boat as that's in the US… It would cost too much to ship her there and back and, at the same time, a 46 is way too big for the local (European like) fuel prices so shipping one way isn't in the cards either… Fuel prices are, IMHO, the main reason why blow boats are by far the most popular in this area...

I gotta ask... and ultimately I think I know the answer. But I gotta ask.

How does he haul to do any bottom maintenance or below the waterline checking (divers can't do it all...) without the whole jalopy crashing down in the travel lift????

Oh, yeah, he never hauls and there is 2-3 feet of growth hanging off the bottom. Right. I forgot. It only adds to the mystique, and provides insulation against the water temp... (insert eye roll here.)

Eeesh. Sink it. Put it out of its misery. And yes I mean it. Because its proverbial balls have been cut off. And I know its a she. But the sex change failed. Badly.

Dug wrote:Sink it. Put it out of its misery.

I'd love to do it but I'm not willing to do the time (as in "don't do the crime if you don't want to do the time")… I have a great family and a good business… Not worth it to me…

I didn't say you should sink it!!!! You never offered!!!! I only said it would be better as a reef!!!!!!

Dug wrote:I gotta ask... and ultimately I think I know the answer. But I gotta ask.

How does he haul to do any bottom maintenance or below the waterline checking (divers can't do it all...) without the whole jalopy crashing down in the travel lift????

Oh, yeah, he never hauls and there is 2-3 feet of growth hanging off the bottom. Right. I forgot. It only adds to the mystique, and provides insulation against the water temp... (insert eye roll here.)

Eeesh. Sink it. Put it out of its misery. And yes I mean it. Because its proverbial balls have been cut off. And I know its a she. But the sex change failed. Badly.

Dug said "Haul" and "Maintenance" Dug - come on, wtf, do you really think the latter is even in the owner's vocabulary? At least the Mercs are the same horsepower (or supposed to be) - remember the post on here where there was a boat is mismatched horsepower outboards?

Tom

Exactly.

Not to change the subject, but this thread set a new record, it got our brothers from outside the US to jump in.

But we should buy it sink it the try the owner for treason.

Hey Joe E, remember when you were afraid to join our group because of your design. Feel better now?

Now this is a "camper style" if you want to add a style name but the pictures I saw is not a camper style.... is more like a nautic "brasilian favela style " ...
Well I can see a huge air conditioner evaporator so ... should be cool for the owner.
All the best

It needs to go really fast under a very low bridge!!

I'm not a fan of the "camper" style shown above but it sure beats the "shanty town" a.k.a. "favela" style any day of the week…

it is very ugly , but still a floating B31 !

Ship it to me and I will make it a proper lady !

Gert

Gert van Leest wrote:Ship it to me and I will make it a proper lady !

$25K to purchase it… Another $6K-$8K to prepare for shipping (taking a chain saw to the additions, disposal of the garbage, manufacture of cradle)… Another $3K-$4K to load it onto a 40' "open top open sides" container (basically just the bottom plate of a container with front and rear walls) and ship it… Another $2K-$3K to offload it in Rotterdam and transport to your boat works… That's $36K-$40K before you even started work on it… I don't think the economics work…

$25k to purchase it? More like $2500.

PeterPalmieri wrote:$25k to purchase it? More like $2500.

$2.5K is a fair assessment but the ass who owns it thinks he owns a gem and wants $25K… I have spoken to him and after he said how much he wanted I needed to clean my computer screen (I was sipping an espresso)…

PeterPalmieri wrote:$25k to purchase it? More like $2500.

Peter, the money is in the Iron as UV used to say. It does have a pair of Semi Matched Outboards...make it 500 with tank topped off.

Still a 31 underneath...it is a shame...but guess it is better then some Bertrams that have become flower pots...at least it is being used to some extent....I don't know...I am grasping.


But then again as Navatech said...to ship in a Hull is not cheap...get the right person who wants a 31 now, it can be a great platform @ 25K. Don't think you need a chainsaw...maybe just a couple good shoves and a dumpster and your back to a bare bones hull with transom cutout.