Bertram Insiders

[CaptPatrick]

Happy New Year Bertram Insiders,

I hope your holiday was enjoyable as mine. In between spending time with my family, I also got to spend a lot of time working on my next child: the New Bertram 35 Moppie! As of this writing we’re looking at a late summer launch.

Recently when I was reviewing the 35’s specs, it occurred to me that we’ve really assembled an all star team beyond our in-house team. I’m not one to name drop, but here I go.

Everyone knows by now that we are working with Michael Peters Yacht Design (MPYD) of Sarasota, Fla. and his depth of experience and designing yachts, racing boats and military vessels. In addition, by contracting the artisans of Lyman-Morse, we’re capitalizing on an area deep in boatbuilding tradition, and more importantly, new technology.

But we haven’t stopped there! While the 35’s exterior takes its styling cues from the beloved Bertram 31, its interior will showcase contemporary space planning and design. To that end, we hired industry veteran Marty A. Lowe Interior Design to create Moppie’s interior styling. Marty’s team has designed custom interiors for some of the world’s most beautiful yachts over the last decade.

In order to tap the most advanced composite construction technology on the planet for the Bertram 35 project, we brought in Composites Consulting Group (CCG). This highly regarded group’s engineers, scientists, naval architects and composite technicians offer a combined depth of experience that is unrivaled in the marine industry. As a result, the Bertram 35 has a high-tech infused vinylester, solid fiberglass hull bottom with Kevlar centerline, strake reinforcements and structural grid for superior durability and a stellar ride.

Ok, one more name to show you how serious we are about only using the best…how about Under Armour? We’re teaming up with one of the biggest names in Sports apparel to outfit our team and to soon make available for our Bertram teams all over the world…see we are listening Australia!

It’s overkill to some. Collaborating with these world-class companies represents a major investment for us, but the end result will be well worth it. We know that we only have one chance to get it right. Stay tuned!

Sincerely,
Capt. Tommy Thompson
Product Development Manager
Bertram Yacht

[Tony Meola]

Well the sales talk says they are building what they are considering a boat in a class of its own. The big question is will it live up to expectations and sell.

[Pete Fallon]

Capt Pat,
Did you get the e-mail I sent you last week re: pictures from TThomspon he sent me of mock ups.
Pete Fallon

[Navatech]

Well the sales talk says they are building what they are considering a boat in a class of its own.

That's what I read between the lines of everything they have done and publicized since just before the last Ft. Lauderdale boat show...

The big question is will it live up to expectations and sell.

I really THINK the expectations will be met... As for selling, I'm afraid the cost is going to play a big part here...

I wonder, does anybody have the information which compares the cost of a new Bertram 31 (or 33) back in the 60's-70's to something that's understandable to the average person today?!... Something like say the cost was equivalent to 30 months average income?!... I have a feeling such a comparison to today's price ($600K - $700K IIRC) won't be conductive to market popularity...

[Tony Meola]

Nav

We purchased ours in Aug of 1975. I can not put my hands on the bill of sale right now, but it was just shy of $39,000 and she had pretty much all the options you wanted at that time. Was a gasser big block.

So the question is in 1975 what would $39,000 be worth today.

My dear friend's (god rest his sole) 1967, sold new for $19,000.

[Buju]

So, solid vinylester hull below the chine.
Looks like a corecell cored hull from the chine up to the rail.
I'm glad they brought in the composites guys, got to get the infusion process right off the bat. No room for any more guffaws in the cored hull dept.

The price will reflect the product. It shouldn't be "affordable" if it's going to live up to the... Expectations.

[Navatech]

So the question is in 1975 what would $39,000 be worth today.

According to this calculator $39,000 in 1975 is worth $172,047 in 2015... Seeing as these new Bertrams are going to cost quadruple (or more) then that amount I'd say that the potential market is going to be MUCH smaller...

$600,000 to $700,000 is a LOT of money... Most people don't have that much in their house...

Then consider that a nice 33' CC can be had for about a quarter of that price...

I'm hoping for the best but I'm skeptical...

[Navatech]

It shouldn't be "affordable" if it's going to live up to the... Expectations.

I'd say it simply can NOT be as affordable as the original Bertram 31 if it's going to be anywhere near the expectations...

Sure, I'd get one if I won the lottery but other then that this new Bertram is going to be a dream...

[Yannis]

The 35 is a 35 and not a 31, so by definition it should be more expensive. A 35 is almost 1/3 bigger a boat than a 31...

Then, sure, there will be people who would be able to buy it, and those who will not; it's as simple as that. Who said that a new 35 should be affordable by everyone?

Lastly, consider how many people simply CANNOT even have a 31 and just think how lucky we all are (with our small or bigger boats). We can buy that 35 second hand in a few years. This will give us time to better think of all improvements necessary...

[Navatech]

The 35 is a 35 and not a 31, so by definition it should be more expensive. A 35 is almost 1/3 bigger a boat than a 31...

I have adjusted (and rounded) the numbers by 1/3 more: $52,000 in 1975 is worth $229,000 in 2015

Then, sure, there will be people who would be able to buy it, and those who will not; it's as simple as that. Who said that a new 35 should be affordable by everyone?

IMHO the original 31 was affordable by many middle class Americans at the time... And, if we want to see the revived Bertram succeed in the market they'll have to sell boats... Furthermore, my point was just as much as about comparative affordability as well as affordability of what the competition is offering...

Lastly, consider how many people simply CANNOT even have a 31 and just think how lucky we all are (with our small or bigger boats). We can buy that 35 second hand in a few years. This will give us time to better think of all improvements necessary...

Oh, you're wrong about that... I'm pretty certain everybody around here appreciates the fact that we're lucky enough to have enough disposable income to fool around with boats... Having said that, by the time I'll be able to afford the (depreciated) price of one of these we'll be 2 decades down the road... I'm not sure that at 70+ I'll be in a condition that allows me to fool around with a maintenance intensive 20 year old boat... In fact, considering that I would be 75 at that time I'm pretty certain the only boating I'll be doing is on one of my kids' boats...

[Yannis]

Nav,

If you want peace, start getting used to the idea that you will probably never buy a new or used B 35. I'm working on it !!

Now, what Bertram will do to make money etc, well, they know better... If they can produce 10 -20 boats per year, or even 50, there will always be 50 rich guys to buy them. And at 600 k they'll make some money... They'll have other models too, right?

As for the cost comparison, I'm not sure a simple extrapolation makes sense. What our parents considered a luxury item, we now get it for almost free...yet, some things that our parents had for free we can't even imagine having anymore. I'm afraid the B35 falls in the second category... I wish it didn't, but hell it does...

[Navatech]

If you want peace, start getting used to the idea that you will probably never buy a new or used B 35. I'm working on it !!

I'm sorry but I disagree... In the very early 70's I saw one of the Israeli Navy's Bertram 31's and I researched the boats... I told myself that one day I'd have a Bertram of my own... I eventually made that dream come through... Granted, my Bertram is not a 31 but I had to accommodate an Admiral and 4 mates... And while the 46' isn't as iconic for many years it was the standard against which others were judged...

Now, what Bertram will do to make money etc, well, they know better... If they can produce 10 -20 boats per year, or even 50, there will always be 50 rich guys to buy them. And at 600 k they'll make some money... They'll have other models too, right?

Right now they're only working on the 35'... As for being able to survive commercially on such a low number of sales, I wouldn't know but I doubt it...

As for the cost comparison, I'm not sure a simple extrapolation makes sense. What our parents considered a luxury item, we now get it for almost free...yet, some things that our parents had for free we can't even imagine having anymore. I'm afraid the B35 falls in the second category... I wish it didn't, but hell it does...

I don't disagree that my comparison was/is simplistic... The fact remains that right now it seems to me that the new Bertram is becoming, by necessity or by choice, a Rolls Royce or a Bentley (and I most specifically didn't chose Ferrari or something along those lines as my analogy)... I really hope it works out for them... Apreamare seems to have pulled it off... But then again, I haven't seen a single one of those in the US, Bahamas or the Caribbean...

[Tony Meola]

Yannis and Nav

Remember we are talking Diesels here. The 35 if memory serves me correctly with Diesels was close to $80,000. The 31 with the old Triple Nickle cummins was close to $60,000.

My 31 came with 454 big blocks, no AC, or galley stove a small fridge etc. So you really need to look at the 35 to try and get a closer comparison.

Now you need to factor in that in 1975 the price of oil was $11.75. http://chartsbin.com/view/oau Interesting chart take a look at it. Now crude is down to around $27 today but they are not going to price the boat on that number, since in 5 years it will probably be over $50 again. It would be bad business to jump the price of the boat that much in 5 years. The swing would be too wild. So price it at pre crash prices, then hold the line until every thing stabilizes and you figure out just what is happening.

Trust me, Viking is not going to lower the price on their new boats.

[Yannis]

by the time I'll be able to afford the (depreciated) price of one of these we'll be 2 decades down the road... I'm not sure that at 70+ I'll be in a condition that allows me to fool around with a maintenance intensive 20 year old boat...

You said it! I just agreed with your statement. Also, most probably your priorities (and all of ours too) change with time. Especially now that you already possess a B46.

Right now they're only working on the 35'...

Where did i see that they're also working on a CC too? Or a smaller than the 35 boat anyway?

Apreamare are high quality boats. I met a guy this past summer with a 53 or 54 who was moored right next to me for a few weeks. Lots of teak and amenities. But, I know nothing about their seaworthiness. And to me, after the Menorquin, they are the second ugliest boats there exist ! A reason why they didn't sell in the US may be that they are not viewed as fishing boats, rather they are croisiere type boats... you know, the kind of live-in boats with features that excite the ...Admirals more so than guys like us. Funny that you're saying though that there aren't any in the Caribbean. I wander, do ALL Americans only buy fishing boats? Aren't there any "Med type" customers who don't care about fishing and, instead, care for boat space and other features like sun decks, pillows and galley electronics ? Or is it that Apreamare don't have a distribution network in the US yet?

[Buju]

I've seen a few Apreamare's at various ORC docks. Blah. I do not understand the comparison.
I also do not understand the comparison to Rolls and Bentley. English luxury has it's own boats.
Also, I do not see the reason to go on about how the new Bertram is asking waaaay too much for a boat that hasn't been built yet.
Let them finish the vessel, compare said vessel with similar new vessels from other manufacturers... Instead of expecting a price tag to match the nostalgic feeling the appearance of the boat produces.
Just looking at the photo in the OP, one can see it is a much more technologically involved layup than the ol green solid polyester hulls we all know and love. Corecell is expensive. Vinylester is expensive. Producing a hull utilizing both a solid vinylester bottom and infused, cored hullsides is way more time consuming than laying up a solid hull...

What did a new, fully loaded corvette cost in '69?
What does a new fully loaded corvette cost in '16?
I have no idea of the answers, but I bet the scale is going to be similar to the Bertram.
My point is only that the new vette is not at all the same animal as the old vette. A lot more money goes into it's production, a lot. The new Bertram looks to be similar. It is not going to be a bare bones battle wagon with a thick poly hull.

[CaptPatrick]

Thank you Buju!

[Navatech]

Where did i see that they're also working on a CC too? Or a smaller than the 35 boat anyway?

I haven't seen anything like that...

Apreamare are high quality boats. I met a guy this past summer with a 53 or 54 who was moored right next to me for a few weeks. Lots of teak and amenities. But, I know nothing about their seaworthiness. And to me, after the Menorquin, they are the second ugliest boats there exist ! A reason why they didn't sell in the US may be that they are not viewed as fishing boats, rather they are croisiere type boats... you know, the kind of live-in boats with features that excite the ...Admirals more so than guys like us. Funny that you're saying though that there aren't any in the Caribbean. I wander, do ALL Americans only buy fishing boats? Aren't there any "Med type" customers who don't care about fishing and, instead, care for boat space and other features like sun decks, pillows and galley electronics ? Or is it that Apreamare don't have a distribution network in the US yet?

An uncle of mine in The Netherlands owned an Apreamare... Not the most pretty hull but a very nice ride... Unsurprising as the hull is based on a long time popular Mediterranean design...

Yes, fishing is ONE reason why people buy boats in the US but I very much doubt that it's the main reason for most boat owners... You may have seen references to "chlorox bottles" on this site... Chlorox bottles are floating RV's... The kind of boat you get when the Admiral decides what you get... Or the kind of boat you get when you rarely do any fishing... As for Apreamare in the US, I haven't seen them at boat shows here... They have a dealer in Israel (who hasn't sold 1 boat in over 5 years AFAIK) and a dealer in China... Makes you wonder why they don't have a dealer in the US... One of the largest if not the largest boat market in the world...

[bob lico]

1969 corvette coupe $5400 and 2016 production corvette (not Zo6 or LT3) about $68,000. wow somebody way off 2016 35' Everglades center console cost $457,000 with 3 year warranty on the engines (triple 350hp Yamaha's)they are guarantee to blow a lower unit or powerhead in 1200 hours in at least one engine disabling boat at least three months(ask me how i know) . 35" Bertram with the best produced small diesel in the world (no arguments) caterpillar c-7 will go at least 10,000 hours with proper maintenance.lets forget the ridiculous argument (the everglades does 50knts) yea for 5 seconds any more your looking at 10% of hp. /gallons per hour .triple 350 hp use 100 gallons a hour at wot. after break in about 90 so that wot speed is stupid to bring up in conversation.the 35' Bertram at 40 knots will cruise nicely in most water conditions 30 knots ,thast as fast as you can go 90% of the time offshore. perfect boat with perfect power hope they are successful .

GET A GRIP ON REALITY

[Yannis]

Buju you're right. I agree with your reasoning.

I don't think, though, that Nav or Tony wanted to assess that the new B35 will be expensive for no reason, and, therefore, Bertram will not sell, or they will not make money on it. I believe that they just expressed a theoretical question in writing. The examples they cited was for illustration purposes. They tried to make their question more tangible.

The question remains, however!
It is one thing to say that vinylester and corecell are expensive. It is another, though, to expect that just because a product is good and expensive to manufacture (and sell), that there will be a market for it.
Charles Revson, the founder of Revlon, once said that "in the factory we make cosmetics, in the store we sell hope". Similarly, if the Bertram BRAND (of which "price" is just ONE element among many others) can justify a high price, then, the exercise will be successful. I wish they have already done all preliminary market research for that, and probably they have. Rolls Royce IS a brand that can command a very high price at which they do sell their products. The KIA product, on the other hand, is good, maybe it's even better than many other much more expensive cars that break down more often. However the KIA BRAND is apparently not that strong, hence, they cannot sell at a higher price! It remains to be seen if the Bertram brand is as powerful with new customers, as it is with us. And if the price tag of the new B35 will be relevant to the brand image it conveys. I wish them all the best, anyway.

[Rawleigh]

Remember, people are used to a lot more amenities than they were in the 60's or 70's. Lots more electronics too. All of that plus the other technological upgrades cost money!

[ed c.]

My first Bertram was a 1967 model which sold for 19k with 330 chryslers. The price of a barrel of oil in that year was $3.12. Adjusting for inflation the oil should be $22 a barrel. I could go on about how OPEC and the UAR screwed us and the rest of the world. I hope they will like living in tents again and drinking their own urine.

[Pete Fallon]

Faithful,
When my 31 Express was built in 1961(Hull 85) it sold for $15,900 with FWC 413 Chryslers and direct drive Borg Warners (1:!) It came with a soft top, electric flush Groco head, 18 gallon water tank and helm and companion chairs, an ice box and a 2 burner alcohol stove, a dolphin FRP fish box, gas was 25 cents at the yacht club and that was 93 octane leaded gas.
When I stopped building boats in 2001 a barrel( 455) pounds of the highest quality resin was $1,600.00 and a barrel of Cook's Armor Coat gel coat was $2,100.00. The 34' Legend Center Console with 2- 225hp E-Tech Evinrude's fully equipped with Radar, VHF, GPS Stereo and Color depth and T-top was selling for $145,000. We were getting a 5 cent a pound price increase every month from the resin and gel coat suppliers and the cloth guys were gouging us even more.
Today the highest cost of building boats is still the gel and resin suppliers, composite materials aren't as expensive to build as they are charging. The regulations for emissions into the air are ridiculous, (example it cost Venture $225K just to meet the EPA regulations to get the fumes out of the production floor) in a industrial area of Riviera Beach .
The more boats you build the higher the emissions you produce the more EPA regulations kick in and the EPA costs increase. Half the cost of building a boat is in the regulations, insurance and OSHA and EPA compliance. The best way to make a million dollars in the boating business is to start with 2 million. Just ranting at the cost of everything, I am either getting too old or I've been in the house in New England too long.
Pete Fallon

[Tony Meola]

My first Bertram was a 1967 model which sold for 19k with 330 chryslers. The price of a barrel of oil in that year was $3.12. Adjusting for inflation the oil should be $22 a barrel. I could go on about how OPEC and the UAR screwed us and the rest of the world. I hope they will like living in tents again and drinking their own urine.

Capt. Pat

Sorry if I hijacked your thread.

Ed

Crazy question for you. The 67 I spoke about that my friend owned wound up in Wildwood. I assume you bought yours used. His had the 330 Chryslers with a lower station. He passed away in the early 80's and his wife sold it to a guy in Wildwood who owned a restaurant. He passed away several years later and I heard his son's kept her for a while.

Just wondering, the name on it when I knew the boat was Pussycat.

[Tony Meola]

There is no way you can draw a correlation between the cost of old 31 to the new 35. Labor costs, materials etc have all changed. The only way you could do it is if every thing remained constant. Same size boat, same options, same build techniques etc. Then you could make some type of equivelant correlation.

I was just saying, I hope the end product meets the hype otherwise you can flush this project down the toilet.

I doubt the price of oil had caused a drop in resin prices. No Company in their right mind is going to give up a huge profit which right now is a gift. What will happen is, if the cost of oil never goes up again, and every thing else cost wise stay relative, then they will keep the cost of the boat flat until inflation finally catch's up to them and erodes the profit margin.

The only problem they have right now is, the economy is going in the tank, we will probably see the Dow drop to close to 10,000. That is going to hurt some pocket books.

[Buju]

I think one thing that kept the old classic Bertram's generally affordable was the spartan interiors. There was no finishing work done in them. They fit the definition of an early glass production boat.
All glass edges from the mold were capped with aluminum.
All cabinetry was god awful faux teak Formica over fiberboard.
Could they have offered better? Of course, but these were aspects that required very, very little production time, and thereby kept the boats buyable.
Bertram counted on on their rough water reputation first and foremost, some pretty good marketing, and the overall appearance of the vessels to sell them. They were able to keep them relatively affordable through efficient production, thereby claiming a decent amount of the market share.

New Bertram seems like it may be walking the line between a custom boat and production boat. I mean,they're bringing in an interior design team. Sounds like things are going to get classy in the head... Having spent the last decade of my life doing very hi end finishing work in homes I couldn't afford to pay the electric bill in, has taught me a thing or three about the man hours needed to produce yacht quality interiors.
I obviously do not know what Bertram has planned for the interiors, but if it's going to be nicely finished hardwoods, glass, and upholstery I do know that the potential for the labor hours on the interior can EASILY exceed the labor time needed to lay up the hull. Finish work is incredibly labor intensive.

Question for y'all: what did the Silver Anniversary B31's go for? The only difference on them was a oaked-out interior and teak decks correct? But I still believe the interiors on them are nowhere near as nice as a custom/semi-custom boat is expected to have these days.

It would be very interesting, after they kick a few new 35's out, if they were to offer a "sportsman edition" utilizing the same low production cost interiors. Just a spartan, empty canvas of an interior, with all the same sea keeping amenities as the pretty girl.
Doubt it'll happen, but I would be interested in seeing the price difference..

[Navatech]

I was just saying, I hope the end product meets the hype otherwise you can flush this project down the toilet.

A product, any product, consists of several interconnected factors... You can market the absolute best product but if your price is wrong your company will go down the toilet due to lack of sales...

It is my impression (and I'm willing to be corrected on that) that the original B31 did well because it was technically a great boat and price wise it appealed to a broader market... Yes, boats are a luxury... Very few people NEED a boat... And the majority of us have to take into consideration an Admiral... Hence the many chlorox bottles out there...

I like much of what Bertram done over the years... I'd really hate to see it go down... Again...

And, FWIW, I think this new Bertram is going to be a great boat... I wish I had the $$$...

[STraenkle]

Well I have been reading this thread for a while, I think one thing that has not been mentioned is, not what the "product" sold for new, but what is the "product" worth after life expectancy has long gone by. People bought their new Bertram 31's for 15 to 25 k, 40 to 50 years ago, maybe given the time value of money they are not worth what they were new, but up until a few years ago, a B31 with diesels was 80K and gas 40K in reasonable condition, some were going north of 6 digits. My question is, these are not investments, yet they have held their value pretty darn well. Yes a 67 Vette was 5,900 and new 48 K, but what is a 67 Vette worth today?

How many Sea Rays have held there value? The only thing that holds value is a house, very rarely does a luxury item hold worth. How much is a 1971 Pinto worth or AMC Gremlin , or a Yugo, or a Bayliner? You don't buy a boat as an investment, you buy it to enjoy and if it still has value after 50 years, holy crap you won the lottery.

[captbone]

The products are too different to compare. It is like comparing a DC10 to a 777.

They are a similar products in what they do but that is where the comparison ends. Calculating cost based upon inflation for two items that are very different won't show anything.

[ed c.]

Tony, it was not that boat.

[Bruce]

The only thing that holds value is a house, very rarely does a luxury item hold worth. How much is a 1971 Pinto worth or AMC Gremlin , or a Yugo, or a Bayliner? You don't buy a boat as an investment, you buy it to enjoy and if it still has value after 50 years, holy crap you won the lottery.

The multiple housing bubbles we've seen in the past with up side down mortgages would despute that to a point.

What it actually boils down to is what is someone willing to pay for it. If a manufacturer can't sell their product at a profit, it doesn't get produced. That is unless your GM with Saturn and cover the loss from other avenues of income and then eventually go bankrupt because the board is dumber than a box of rocks.

For a while we saw the 31 being refitted and upwards of 250k being spent. Some sold for over 200k.

A 67 vette came into the shop the other day valued at over 700k. I'm just finishing up a 66 mustang fb new from the ground up with a 5 liter 440hp coyote and 5 speed overdrive gear box that will have 225k invested in it.
There are paintings that sell for hundreds of millions of dollars. Is any of it worth it in terms of dollars and cents?

It is to the people willing to pay what they feel it's worth to them.

Using the term affordable to anything is silly. Because there will always be people who can't afford something.

I thank the people who have the money to be able to afford many things that others find rediculous. I've made a nice living dealing with these people and are grateful everyday for them.

I wish Bertram the best but caution them trying to reach anything but a niche market.

[Craig Mac]

Was just reading a boating magazine and saw a new 36 Everglades with triple 350 yamahas listed for $673K---- a new 35 Bertram with diesels doesn't seem out of line for the current market.

[Navatech]

Was just reading a boating magazine and saw a new 36 Everglades with triple 350 yamahas listed for $673K---- a new 35 Bertram with diesels doesn't seem out of line for the current market.

If you're comparing apples to apples and not to oranges then you're right... Now, you can claim that the comparison between a 36 Everglades with triple 350 Yamahas to a 35 Bertram with twin diesels is inherently comparing apples to oranges and you'd have a point... However, if we view the 36 Everglades with triple 350 Yamahas and the 35 Bertram with twin diesels simply as "boats" then we can start comparing... If the comparison is between two "standard" base configuration then you're comparing apples to apples... However, if one of the two boats is the "standard" base configuration and the other has every conceivable option installed then you're comparing apples to oranges...

I'm not at all conversant with the current market prices but if we're comparing apples to apples (as explained above) then I guess that Bertram's pricing seems to be right...

[CamB25]

This thread would finally be put to rest if one of you guys would simply order the new B35!!! You are trying to compare vapor with granite. Buy the damn boat and schedule all of us for test rides.

[Tony Meola]

This thread would finally be put to rest if one of you guys would simply order the new B35!!! You are trying to compare vapor with granite. Buy the damn boat and schedule all of us for test rides.

Every party has it's pooper.

Cam you aint seen nothing. Do a site search for Rocker stoppers if you want to see a long thread.

[Yannis]

Buy the damn boat and schedule all of us for test rides.

I'll make the trip over if need be !!!

[CamB25]

Seems to me that real world test reports from the true Bertram experts (old salts on this forum) would be consistent with the new Bertram marketing scheme - "It's like your father's Bertram, only better"

Hull #1 run through sea trails by guys that have owned B31s for decades...seems like priceless data to me.

Proposal - Bertram Rendevous 2016 at Bertram Yachts, Ft. Lauderdale.

[Yannis]

Hull #1 run through sea trails by guys that have owned B31s for decades...seems like priceless data to me.

Where is this data?

[CamB25]

Yannis,

I'm proposing that we market the new Bertram company to host a Bertram rendezvous at their facility when the boat is ready. They get data from sea trials from the "old salts" to use for marketing. We get to ride a boat that only a few can afford!

[Yannis]

You let the board call the shots and I'm on the next flight out.

[Navatech]

I'm on for that rendezvous!!!

(and I'd be VERY surprised if the good people at Bertram aren't monitoring this thread so maybe this will happen)

[CamB25]

We need a point person. Not me...I have no sea creds...I have a 25 that hasn't been wet for 25 years and I've never set foot on a B31. Point person drafts a letter to Bertram mgmt. pitching the idea. All of us sign it electronically with pictures of our Bertrams. We'll promise to bring our own Tequila and good attitudes!

[John F.]

Cam-

Next time during boating season that you're out Kent Island way let me know. You can try out a B31 and a B20. You just have to promise me a ride on your B25 when its done.

John

[Hueso]

I'm in for the test.

Lets show the Bertram people our pedigrees.

Mine:
I'm 43 years old and have been in B31's, B42's and B54's since I was 10. Have lived through four B31 rebuilds, three of them from the inside out and one in process. Fished all around Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with gas and diesel ones. I even knee boarded pulled by one in the British Virgin Islands (probably the most expensive knee board ride in the history of the Caribbean). I think I deserve a test run on the new B35 and "have a sayin". Ha!

[Tony Meola]

We should secure a deal that John Brownlee gets to go for the test run with everyone and be the first to report the results.

If she is as good as they say, then what better advertisement but the old die hards raving about her.

[CamB25]

Thanks, John. I'll redeem that chip this year sometime!

Regarding the B35 and rendezvous....can't hurt to ask!