Bertram 28: Opinions

[Hamachi Girl]

Guys,

So the hunt for an additional boat continues. Old Bertram 28's are thick on the ground at the moment and a number of them for short money. Anybody every own or fish one of these things?

It would be used mainly for putt-putt around the bay, weekend sleepovers, and a couple of longer range overnight trips.

Pros:
Not a Clorox bottle
Can play volleyball on the back deck
Built like a tank
Cheap

Cons:
11'+ wide (can't trailer w/o permit)
2X SBC = 1nm/pg
Not a Blackman

[Wa Mei]

Hey Allan,

I did the 2 boat owning thing twice. Did not like it the first time and really hated the second time.

Between maintenance, slip fees etc, etc, etc, you might be better with just upgrading to say a 26' Blackman? It's perfectly fine on a slip or a trailer or both. The Patron or the Honeygirl are for sale and I think there are a couple of older ones out there too.

How about the 26' Skippies..

[Hamachi Girl]

A 26 OB would be nice, but 80 large is a little more than I wanted to spend. Figure a note on $60k + $420 on slip fees + Diver... more than I wanted to commit to. If I wanted to trailer the 26' I'd need to get a bigger truck than my 5.4 F-150.

I could own the B28 for cash, so only $500+ out a pocket p/mo to keep it in the water.

The 23' would continue to live on land, there is very little to maintain on it and what there is to do that keeps my dad busy. Small stuff like making sure the batteries are charged, running the engine every week, changing oil, fixing the VHF antenna, making sure the tires have air, etc.

I will be given a Viking funeral in my 23'. There is just so much that I like about it I could never get rid of it. Only gripe is the cuddy is a little too cozy. I couldn't imagine having to share it with one of you dudes on a trip.:eek:

The B28 seems like a lot of boat for 1/3rd the price of even the cheapest 26' Billfisher or Outerbanks out there right now.

[Endless Summer]

I have a friend who has one I fished a couple of marlin tournaments on it. I thought it was awesome. Plenty of room for over night and it feels like a big boat.

For me the only down side for a older boat is two old engines to take care of. If it has twins taking care of two old engines would be a bummer in my book.

The boat name is little goose over in Avalon. I haven't talked with him in a while not sure if he still owns it.

Marc

[Blackbird]

What about something like this for 38k Allan?

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatMergedDetails.jsp?boat_id=2244624&ybw=&units=Feet&currency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=76990&url=

I think the other 26 with twin diesels went for around 25k or so a couple months back.

Two thumbs up on the single diesel over two thirsty gas gobblers.

[Hamachi Girl]

Thanks for the link Jay. Maybe I can convince that guy the world is ending tomorrow and sell it to me for a dollar. :)

$38k is more than the budget will allow at this time and banks won't do a note on anything older than 2001.

The guy with the B28 was asking $15k. If it's in good condition (run a buffer over the gelcoat and that's it) it will be worth it. I'll sure as hell try to beat him down still.

Totally agree, one 200hp Volvo is better than two 5.7 SBCs and 1mpg. But if I'm just looking for something to cruise to Bali Hai for Mai Tais and act as a floating RV then it wouldn't be that bad.

If I got a 26' Mike would have to kick me off of the Top Secret 23' Fishing Spot list.

[Nomad]

The only thing I've heard is that they can ride a bit wet but other than that it's been pretty positive.

[Hamachi Girl]

Molly and I met up with Bill from the Bertram 31 site. His B28 is over on H-Dock right next to a B31. We were really impressed.

11' wide is wide. Even with a huge bait tank on deck you still had a ton of room. The way you can fold open all the engine hatches was great, you have a lot of room to work on things. Flybridge layout was comfortable for three people and helm setup felt good sitting down or standing up. The v-birth is roomy enough as well as the galley/table. Companionway is wide enough to get my fat butt through.

Bill has been fishing the hell out of his 28 for the past 20 years and replaced the SBCs with Yanmar 4LHAs. He says he's getting 2mpg vs. 1mpg of the SBCs.

I don't know man, if I can get a really good 28 for under $20k that's a lot of boat for the money.

BTW: There was a 29' Blackman on H-Dock.... soooooooo damn nice.

[Knot Now]

BTW: There was a 29' Blackman on H-Dock.... soooooooo damn nice.

If that's Dive Inn, she's only 1-2 years old. There is also another 29' over there, so not sure which one you saw.....both are nice!

[yellowfin1]

My buddy and his dad have rebuilt their Bertram 28 (Audax) and added twin Yanmar's (not sure which model). The boat is fast. Cruises about 26+kts and sips fuel at trolling speed. I've fished on the boat a few times and I really like it. I've always been a Bertram fan. They do ride similiar to the Blackman 26 in that they have a steep deadrise.

[Nomad]

Found this when I was doing some research

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/boatreviews/Bertram28.htm

[Hamachi Girl]

Well I think I found a B28 that I'm willing to pull the trigger on. It's a '86 in decent shape.

However... I'm still got the idea of a 26' kicking around in my head.

This one is for sale:

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/members-boats-sale/423239-26-blackman-billfisher-sale.html

Anybody around J-Dock tomorrow that is willing to take me for a spin in their 26'?

Allan

[Patron]

Well I think I found a B28 that I'm willing to pull the trigger on. It's a '86 in decent shape.

However... I'm still got the idea of a 26' kicking around in my head.

This one is for sale:

http://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/members-boats-sale/423239-26-blackman-billfisher-sale.html

Anybody around J-Dock tomorrow that is willing to take me for a spin in their 26'?

Allan
I looked at this Blackman back in March while I was waiting to meet a buddy. I didn't board her but it looked very well mantained. looked like it had a newer o/d on it. It is priced right.

[Knot Now]

It looks pretty nice to me at a good price.

I have never gotten more than 2.2 nm per gal....and I have more than 1500 hours in the 6 years I have owned Knot Now which has a 97 AD41P with a 1.78 ratio outdrive and A4 props (latest specs) earlier year have 1.98 ratio and A3 or A4 props.....

[Wa Mei]

Hey Allan,
If you are going the 26' route, you may want to check out the "Dive Inn"
I recently saw her listed with a broker at a steal!

[Hamachi Girl]

Allan,

Where was Dive In listed?

Not sure about a 26', I'd like to fish one for a day or take one for a spin before I start buggin' sellers and wasting our time (mine + theirs).

The B28 seems to make more sense to me at the moment. Lot of boat for the money, and costs 1/2 of what the cheapest 26' listed for.