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[Enter
Project Site Directory...Click
Here] The 25 Bertram Project Over View The goal of this Bertram 25 reconfiguration is to produce a solid, in-line, inboard boat that will cruise in the 22-25kt range with a WOT of around 30kts and still be easily transported on a trailer, or kept in the water for the boating season. I'm leaning more and more toward leaving the boat permanently in the water. What's in this web article?
The web documentation of this rebuild will NOT
go into extreme
Onward.... After years of admiring the older Bertrams I finally decided to go bit the bullet and find one. Naturally the Classic 31 Bertram would be the first choice of most but I believe that any Bertram I will own would need capable of following me home...or it would be a BIG negative to my marriage of 24 years. The next logical choice is the 25ft version of the famous Bertram hull. Nearly identical to the 31 Bertram, just a bit smaller the 25 is a very similar Raymond C Hunt first generation design and all I can trailer around on a regular basis. The 31 Bertram debuted in 1962 and the 25 ft version in 1963. They share a common hull design and very common lines. The down side of the 25 Bertram is the power options available at the time of manufacture. The boat's came in 2 basic power configurations; twin engine stern drives, or twin engine V-drive inboards. It has been reported that a few 25 Bertram's were produced in 1963 with in-line inboards, but I have not seen any photos or been able to confirm this. If your going to leave one of these boats in the water the V-drive inboards are the without a doubt the easier to maintain. The down side of the 31 Bertram is that a twin engine 31ft boat is going to cost a bunch more to own and operate than a 25ft single engine boat. Here's a couple of great examples of the 31 & 25 Bertrams, the 31 is on the left. Not a great deal of difference between these two boats. Both shown are the Fly Bridge models. Of the various models of 25's and 31's that Bertram built I like the fly bridge versions, just a personal preference. Both of these boats have been customized to suite the owners needs. 25 Bertram on the right is Kelly Small's "Queen of Hearts". This shot of Kelly's boat really highlights the wide beam of the 25 Bertram.
With a 10ft beam the 25 Bertram is actually not legal to trailer in Texas without a permit. From a length vs width ratio the 25 is the widest of the original Bertrams. I have noticed a lot of the old 25's being pulled around over the years to various boat ramps. The beam width on these boats is just one of the design attributes that makes them unique....it's an inboard, what the heck leave it in the water! All the boat's in the Bertram family have share a cult like following. None more than the 31 with the 25's running a close second. These extremely sea worthy vessels are commonly referred to as "America's Boat". This is a good thing if your going to restore and re-power a boat that has been around for 40 years. There are thousands of loyal owners out there willing to help with the basics and lots of others that have modified and reconfigured these hulls into various forms of boats. Tons of help and good info. One of the reasons that you can still find these older boats in decent condition is because of the quality of their original construction. The Mark II I/O versions of the 25 came from Bertram with fiberglass box stringers. It would take another 25 years before the rest of the boating industry goes this direction. The hull bottom, sides, transom etc. were built extremely well and the quality control used during their construction was better than most builders use today. One of the fallacies of the older Bertrams is that they are heavy boats, they are not. The hulls are not particularly thick. In fact I would say that the 71' SeaRay I rebuild was a heavier built boat, but the Bertram is a better built boat. The key to Bertram's success was the correct amount of glass and the fact that it was entirely hand laid with exception care taken to avoid air pockets, or voids. I have found very little evidence of the use of chopper guns. Only in a few non-critical areas will you find sprayed, chopped glass. Given just a little care and a 40 year old Bertram will still take you out 75 miles, fish all day and bring you home safe and sound. Side note on reconfiguring a classic such as a Bertram; The "all original" craze that has swept the antique car hobbyist doesn't really exist in the boating world (Except for the Chris Craft folks). Most of these boats have been modified in one form or another over their 30-40 year history. Most of the enthusiast that you are going to run across are more interested in what you have done to the boats to make them better than they are in the "all original" concept. I hope this never changes. These boats are still used for fishing and cruising on a regular basis and I would hate for them to become museum pieces that never leave their moorings for fear of damage...as have the older cars, or "trailer queens" as they have become known. Not all Bertrams!
Bertram has a long history of boat building
beginning in the early 60's under various owners and not all Bertrams share the
original quality, ride and durability. The original Bertram hulls were designed by
Raymond Hunt and were produced in 20ft, 25ft and 31ft versions. These 3
variations of Bertrams share the same hull design. I refer to these boats as RHO or
"Ray Hunt Originals". Photo on the right is a beautiful example of a 25 Bertram Mark II, Fly Bridge equipped for some serious fishing;"Razorsharp" I can't say enough about the guys at 25Bertram.com, Bertram31.com and Boatdiesel.com. I found these sites during my search for the boat and they have all been a tremendous help. With a couple of years work ahead of me it's nice to find such a resource and good people with a common interest. These are some great reference sites with lots of guy's willing to help. Without these websites and the guy's that contribute their knowledge I would not be attempting this conversion with this level of confidence. Their inputs on engine weights and boat performance have confirmed that my ideas for the reconfiguration will be compatible with this hull. http://www.25bertram.com/ http://www.bertram31.com/ Why this rebuild is documented I will be chronicling the Bertram's rebuild and re-configuration on line primarily because the internet has been such a valuable resource to me with my hobbies. I always wondered "who's out there publishing all this stuff?" and now I know, guy's like me with a passion for their hobbies. Hopefully a little info will be passed along to someone else that is looking for this type of information about boats and my mistakes can be avoided by others!
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details concerning fiberglass work, props, engines, etc. I will
reference sources. There are plenty of resources for that type information
including numerous books on the subjects, by experts in the field. The
information provided will be more along the lines of a general over view,
reference sources and the drive line installation. I have found little on the
internet, or in print that covers re-configuring fiberglass boats to inboard,
therefore that's the main topic.
These are the boats that produced the now famous
ride and performance. The company was founded and grew based on these legendary
hull designs. I can't speak for other Bertrams produced in later years based on
other designs because I'm simply not that familiar with them. I will say that
90+% of all Bertrams ever produced were and still are excellent boats, some
better than others. But none have achieved the popularity and following of the "RHO"
series of boats.