Slightly scorched Bertram - looking for a new home

[Bajansailor]

This poor Bertram (illustrated in the photos below) used to be moored alongside another sports fishing vessel (a 40' Pacemaker) here in Barbados - the Pacemaker apparently sustained an electrical fire on board late one night a few weeks ago, and the fire spread next door to this Bertram.
Prompt action by the Fire Service stopped these two boats from burning to the waterline, and they stopped the blaze from spreading to other nearby boats.
However both the Pacemaker and the Bertram sustained significant fire damages - I think tha damages to the Pacemaker were more extensive (I haven't seen it).

I am just interested in what local forum opinion is re restoring this vessel as a sports fisherman, or perhaps conversion into another use, eg a dive boat?
And if you thought you could do something with it, how much might you realistically offer to buy it for?
Or is it more a case of offering to be paid to tow the boat away?

She has two large GM Detroit 8V lumps down below which were probably protected to a certain extent from the fire by the insulation under the deck house sole - these are probably about the same age as the vessel (perhaps 25 - 30 years old).
There is an awful lot of work required with a chain saw or sawzall to the deck house, although the forward accommodation appears to have mostly sustained just smoke damages.

Here is a view looking forward in the deck saloon

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

wow sad to see
look a Bertram 37
I think it can be done there if the boat is clinched cheap

 

[AndieMac]

You are certainly right about the age estimation, looking at the bow sprit and rail.

Certainly a sad case, but wow, what a sea boat. These old battle wagons are very much a case of, 'they just don't build them like this any more'. If you have a need to flatten big waves, you have found your boat.

One of our local guys has just been through a full renovation job on a similar year model (nowhere as extreme as this burnt example), but is very happy with it.

As PY said, the price would need to be very keen, they don't fetch a lot of money at retail. They are valued on age, not ability at sea.

 

[AndieMac]

About a month or so ago, just north of Sydney Harbour (Pittwater) there was a fire in a marina that caught on to several other berthing neighbours.
The boat that was the source of the fire was released to drift free, and lessen the effect of the spreading the fire.

Unfortunately it drifted over to a neighbouring marina and burnt several more boats.

Total of about seven in all!

 

[Rum_Pirate]

That wouldn't happen to belong to Chris Rogers??

 

[Bajansailor]

PY, yes, I think she is probably a Bertram 38 - she might even have been built in the mid or late 70s.
Here is a link to about 20 of them for sale on Yachtworld - http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...ncyid=100&city=&pbsint=&boatsAddedSelected=-1

And Andie, agreed re the seakeeping abilities of all of these Ray Hunt designed very deep vee Bertrams!

Rum, rest assured that this is not Chris' boat - he has a 42'.

 

[Duster]

Probably the sadest part of this is that the Bertram owner will get a pitance from the insurers as "book value " for a very servicable old friend, then have to add a significant amount to it to buy a replacement which may not be as good.
Regards mikej

 

[AndieMac]

Mike...

The local guy who did the complete refit (engines, genset, complete interior) on the old Bertram, had just bought a new boat, thinking it was time to put the old girl out to pasture, in favour of asthetics and glamour.

After his first sea passage in rough water (500 miles), the new boat was taken back to the broker and put on the market, and work started on the old ship.

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Found out that the Pacemaker was BillFisher II. The Bertram was Gunner Too and belonged to Mr Trayhne.

The fire started on BillFisher ll and spread to Gunner Too.

It would have spread from boat to boat if the fire had not been spotted at the early stage and the fire department did not get there so quickly.

 

[Duster]

Andiemac,
Le t us hope that the insurance goes some way to cover the planned work, but I somehow doubt that it will.
mikej

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Thats if they were insured.

Isn't a boat insured for a specific sum and not subject for ''adjustment'' under marine policies which are different to car type policies?

 

[jfm]

How sad to see. There are many boats you'd just scrap if they were like that, but a Bertram is special and it would be nice if it could be restored. As RumP says, many boats are insured for a specified contractual sum, not market value, so the owner might be ok financially

You say that the lower forward accommodation is only smoke damaged. That's tricky, becuase if you refit the boat and don't rebuild smoke damaged areas you can find that you never get rid of the burnt smell

Sadly the refit cost is probably more than the price of a replacement similar boat, unless skilled labour is very cheap out there, and available

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Sadly the refit cost is probably more than the price of a replacement similar boat, unless skilled labour is very cheap out there, and available

Will not happen unless owner/new owner does the work himself.

 

[AndieMac]

JFM's right, the burnt smell would be a real problem to eliminate.

As an innocent party, I hope the Bertram owner is adequately compensated.

If a project boat was on the agenda, what about buying a cheap petrol version and repowering?

 

[Divemaster1]

Not many petrols available I am afraid ... most delivered with proper machinery (Detroits ) ...

http://www.yachtauctions.com/listing.php?vessel=3137

 

[AndieMac]

Alf.....you're at it again..........never let an opportunity (Detroit, that is) go past

 

[Bajansailor]

I can see in my mind an ideal future career for this vessel as a fast very sea worthy dive boat, capable of going on extended trips (eg around to the east (windward, hence rough) side of the island) safely and in relative comfort (especially when compared to most of the other dive boats here).
Provided of course that she can be re-fitted at a reasonable cost!

I would cut away the superstructure, and build an tubular aluminium framed bimini awning where the deck saloon currently is, all open (but with clear side curtains for when it rains) with a flying bridge on top - ie a sort of large 'tuna tower' but only going up one 'deck' as it were.
After seeing how tightly those GM lumps are squeezed in under the existing sole, I think I would want to raise the sole by perhaps 8" - it all needs replacing anyway.
They have apparently both been recently re-built, and if they have somebody like Alf looking after them, they will be in good hands.

I was thinking I would offer say GBP 2 - 3,000 for the vessel 'as is' if I was going to do a project as described above - fortunately perhaps I havent got the time or the dosh to re-build her, otherwise I might be very tempted!

Re the smoke damaged accommodation - agreed re how it will be difficult to remove the smoky smell. We acquired our Challenger 35 after she had sustained a fire down below, and we had to renew all the furnishings, strip out what was left of the headlinings, and sand and paint / varnish everywhere else - and some places still smell slightly smoky 12 years on.....

 

[AndieMac]

Maybe as a commercial boat a slight smoke smell could be acceptable, especially if the saloon/cabin was removed. The divers only want a platform to swim off, after all.

Convert the side cabin to a galley, the fore cabin to storage and the loo where it is, thats all you need.

The engine room air vents might have to be moved above the weather deck for offshore survey, but it looks fairly easy to seal up the old ones (below gunwhale).

What about prop shaft dia. and water tight bulkheads?

Are they 92 series Detroits?

 

[Bajansailor]

It has taken a long time (two and a half years after the fire occurred), but this fine old Bertram has now been restored and is working as a dive boat with Roger's Scuba Shack in Carlisle Bay.
Some photos of the other two boats in Roger's fleet here - http://www.rogers-scubashack.com.bb/Rogers_Scuba_Shack/photos/Pages/our_photos.html
They have kept / restored the superstructure and flying bridge, but have 'left out' the side windows (otherwise it could get rather hot in there).
Below are a couple of photos I took of the new vessel in December - at her mooring in Carlisle Bay, and underway.

Andie Mac, I am not too sure what type of GM's she has, but they are probably 92 (or 71?) series.

I think she is a Bertram 38 Convertible originally - here is one from 1978 for sale in the USA.
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1978/Bertram-Sport-Fisherman-2423039/Dana-Point/CA/United-States

Roger's new boat has the registration number 123H, which means that she is classed as a 'speed boat' for hire - and this means that her Captain needs to have a speedboat driver's license........ more about local speedboat licenses on the thread started by Caribbean Colin here :
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=284217

 

[AndieMac]

Thanks for the update Martin, I'm glad the 'old girl' has been resurrected, nice job!