Is Copper Kettle a Sutphin?....................What a Wealth of old skool!!!

Pete this Copper Kettle is a Bertram 38' as they were very popular back then.

I bought the Hull and Deck from Bertram Yacht, in 1975, we put the TRS drives on the 38 Bertram, they were previously used on my 36 ft. Bertram (prototype hull - think it was a Memco 40 cut down, and the strakes were
bolted on, so the width could be changed or tested. - We could never keep the strakes on the boat, - it was sold and went to Southern NJ - to a barn eventually to be made into a pleasure boat) We put the TRS drives on, as it was a matter of Dollars - a whole drive package from Mercury 454's, TRS drives, Borg. 72C transmissions, inner and outer transom plates and drives was a little over Five Thousand dollars for the pair of engines and drives. The Hull and Deck and Hatch cover, as well as the Instrument panel from Bertram was
12,500 back in the day ! That was a race layup too. We never really got to race the boat, The 1976 Hennesy GP in Point Pleasant NJ was to be its first race - we knew we were not the fastest, but the fast ones usually broke down, our thoughts were to compete, and finish, and Money was a major thought in
what we could do. The Boat did start the race, previously to the start the new owner would let young kids
up in the boat to clean etc. - and some one must have stepped on a harness - to make it lose - as during the race the harnes came lose and the engine stopped - Upon the return to the pits after the race - I saw the boat, and its engines being serviced - I asked the Mercury People what happend - they said the engines were fine - Those engines when I sold the boat were 496 - engines built by Roger Munn, great engine builder too !

The trailer you see in the photos was built by my twin brother Peter, two 40 ft. 8 inch I beams were given to us by a close friend, and Peter cut and welded up that trailer - all we had to do was buy the hitch, and the 3 axels and tires - the work was done by my brother - Not bad for a guy that never was a professional welder! That trailer is still around - although the last 6 - 8 feet were removed so the boat could be launched from a
ramp - our thoughts were to have the protection of the steel beams to protect the drives while being trailered.

Many Memories - but this was the end of my racing, and the following year was the beginning of NNRT Productions - which now is BIG SEAS Productions - with Darren and Rich Luhrs.

Phil

To this day my father holds the opinion that the Bertram 38 Competition is the best handling vee bottom every built. He spent a lot of time re-rigging and running Vincentive after its roll over. Fell in love with it working for Keith.

Because your Dad spent that time in the 38' Bertram that got him prepared to race with Bobby Sheer in the Flight Cat.

And many other of his wild florida rides
Chase, The Hustler, etc

Hi phil. All is well with B38.

Johnny-thats almost an oxy-moron: the best handling boat....after rolling over??

lol...yup!

Hello Kurt - did you ever open up the cockpit ? any photos if you did ?

Phil