Ft. Lauderdale boat show

[Bertramp]

Sadly enough, when I went to the Ferretti display at the Lauderdale show and asked about Bertram, everyone got a blank look on their face and I was informed that they are not at the show and production has ceased.

[williamcash]

Wow, I would have thought that sales would have been pretty good, I guess not.

[Dug]

Last time I was at Lauderdale, I think 2 years ago, they had a good display. Don Jones said most of the business was from international clientelle. Not domestic.

Kind of hard to swallow, though given the challenges that Bertram has faced, and the market does face, though I don't like it, I understand it.

Sucks...

Dug

[Tony Meola]

Funny, I think they started having issues once they tried to appeal to the female crowd. The 30 they built was a bomb for them. After that it was all down hill

[PeterPalmieri]

Thankfully they didn't say they sold the name to some junky company.

[Rawleigh]

The "Bayliner Bertram Edition"!! Oh, God!! Nooooooo!!!

[Tony Meola]

CABO is gone, Bertram is gone, Sea Ray and Bayliner live on. Go figure.

[Bruce]

CABO is gone, Bertram is gone, Sea Ray and Bayliner live on. Go figure.

Everyone can afford a Hyundai and Kia, not everyone can afford a Cadillac. And when that caddy turns out to be a POS with a caddy costume on, your discerning buyers will go elsewhere.

Mass market appeal to low informational humans. Works wonders in everything.

The Bertram name will turn up somewhere down the road after the bean counters get done taking their blood back.

[Navatech]

CABO is gone, Bertram is gone, Sea Ray and Bayliner live on. Go figure.

It's not just the cost of a new Berty... After all, Hatteras, Tiara & Viking still exist and they don't make cheap boats...

[Navatech]

Everyone can afford a Hyundai and Kia

Just about everyone... And, for the price you pay, they're not a bad deal...

not everyone can afford a Cadillac. And when that caddy turns out to be a POS with a caddy costume on, your discerning buyers will go elsewhere.

Everyone can make a mistake once in while... The Caddies that had that all aluminum engine come to mind... After running them a while you could NOT take off the head without stripping the threads of the head bolts...

Mass market appeal to low informational humans. Works wonders in everything.

Speaking for myself, I'd love to see somebody return the Bertram to the smaller end of the market... I.e.. 28' to 46' range... By limiting yourself to the higher end of the market you put yourself in a tough position... I see a lot of fishermen going for the Center Console concept... Mostly with double or triple rice burning outboards hanging of the stern... I've been on some fishing trips on such boats, didn't like the way the engines were in the way... Didn't like the fact that there was no AC cooled house to take a breather in... And the women folk (who do have a say in how we spend our money) don't like the very sparse "facilities"... I suspect that the costs of a "classic" SF are a big part of this trend... BUT, as anybody could see for themselves at the Ft. Lauderdale show, the larger CC's are now being turned into SF's (of sorts)... What with cabins being put under the sole and all that... I believe that a smaller "classic" SF (think FB type) would (still) appeal to many in this market and, if the internals are kept "utilitarian" (i.e. none of that faux luxury BS), it could be priced competitively...

The Bertram name will turn up somewhere down the road after the bean counters get done taking their blood back.

I'm sure it will... Just as many marquees in the automotive world return to life... Sometimes after many decades... E.g. Spyker, Maybach etc... Pontiac, Bertram and other such brands have way too much intrinsic value to remain buried for ever...

[Pete Fallon]

Bruce,
I tried to bring the 31 back before we built the Legend 34 ( 34'x9'11'' with 2 outboards)Center Console in Hobe Sound back in the early 2000's. At that time the big center consoles were going in the 150 to180K range with engines and modest electronics. Couldn't get the money people to go along with me, I had the original 1961 hull and I feel if I had the backing it would have flown even without Bertram's permission. You look back at what boats were being made or just coming onto the market, L&H, Predator(sold to Egg Harbor)and that knock off 31 that was on the board a few months back. UV and I did pricing study and it would have been a 350K boat with diesels, back then that was a lot of money for a 31" boat, I still kick myself for not doing it but I couldn't do it without operating capital. I still feel that the market is there but I have to get my knee back before I even think about doing something that would actually be profitable. As for Hatteras and other big names they are not doing as well as they let on, see trade papers for Cabo being shut down at the N.C. Hatteras plant and Hatteras and Cabo being bought out by an investment group out of Philly. I agree with Bruce that this style is needed on the market, I ran the fishing team boat for Jupiter back in the mid 90's and wished I was fishing my 31 quite a few times, Maybe someday I will get back into the building business but with OSHA, cost of resin and gel coat I don't feel comfortable at this time.
Pete Fallon

[Bertramp]

Hatteras had a 45 express at the show that i would swear was a 45 CABO in disguise, even though the salesman said no.
Hatteras hasn't made a 45' boat in many years .... and "coincidentally" CABO is gone and a 45 pops up.