1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

I can get a 1978 38' Bertram offshore with 3 Axel trailer for 3,000.00 minus the diesels. all else is there except the engine Hatch/cover. I can not find any pictures of this offshore. Owner tells me I have to crawl threw a hole by knees to enter cabin. states it used to go abot 68Mph . What the hell does this thing look like. I will get some pictures next week from owner. Is this thing worth a damn or what. Fresh water hull also. Please any thoughts are welcome.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Call Butch at 415.459.0254 Hi-Tide Marine. He's got the same boat, loves it. He'll tell you all about it and more. It's a classic with 14" tall cable rail down the bow. I'm sure he's got pics of it.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

There is a 1977 38' Bertram on page 100 of this months Powerboat Magazine that says that it was a 3 year Restoration project. It is beautiful in the picture, Paul Smith of Detroit owns it and was a praticipant on the Smoke on the Water Poker Run this year. I'm sure several people on this board have seen it. Hope this helps..
Patrick

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Damn... I remember just seeing a nice red one on one of the sites.
Just looked and I can't find it. :mad:

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Does anyone have a picture they could E-Mail me of this bad boy.
[email protected]

Thanks again

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Hey... just read Spicys thread... and maybe that is where i saw it. hmmmmmmmm.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

That one in Powerboat is rather special.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

I was in the boat with Paul for SOTW. He doesn't have a cabin in his boat. If you want any specifics, send me a PM and I'll get you the info or his number. Will try to post a couple pics.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Heading up the St. Clair River to have lunch at the Voyager.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Some from SOTW

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

holy chit... that is smokin!
That is the nicest bertram i've ever seen... including the sportfishing line. ;)

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

i saw that red & white bertram at smoke on the water this past summersweet ride.i also remember a all black one from southern ohio that raced in the mid to late 80's as mr goodwrench. and i saw one in chicago at a marina one time. very cool / rare boats

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

I saw one a few years back on a canal in Pompano, it did look a little different with regards to the cockpit, but regardless if the hull is there and has a lot of original hardware, it would diffinatley make a good restoration project as they are super rare. I think I still know where to find the one here. Will see and take a pic.

Wont see many of those around.

E.S.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Mike, Wow, thanks for the Pictures. Cool looking boat.
I will take this to the next stage called CASH MONEY :evilb:

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

I have seen Paul 38' Bertram Competition also, Killer Boat!!

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

That boat is Sammy James' old raceboat. He raced it for a few years with the late Gordon Cooper as driver, and Sam on the throttles. Damned nice running boat.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

That is one cool ride and one very good find, good luck and keep us posted on the restoration

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Wow, I am have alot of info about other 28s-38s, not this one as of yet. I know things will not be perfect with it, but I will have fun figureing out its history. :D I just hope it aint all fricken rotten. :eek: I done a few of those and they suck. I hate iching.
Its never the layup, just the grind out. :(

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

This is the boat I learned to throttle in in 1979 from the late Howard Quam. It was #45 called "FlapJack". I replaced the late Keith Hazell in the boat. Howard's 1979 hull was one of the first ones laid-up in Kevlar. This model has great racing heritage.
There was Preston Henn in "Swap Shop", Paul Clauser in "Satisfaction", Vince Fasano in a black one called "Vincentive", etc. The boat that was sponsored by WD-40 was converted to a pleasure boat by a guy here in Ft. Lauderdale about 15 years ago.
Galen at Speedmasters had one he was working on too.

With that pad at the transom and the 18 degree bottom it was a wild ride. "FlapJack" ran 93.8 MPH at Lake X in 1979 with twin 482 inch 650 hp engines and staggered #3 speedmasters and cleaver props.

How's THAT little trip down memory lane?

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Edward,

do you have any idea what became of the WD-40 boat? Who in Ft. Lauderdale did the conversion? This was originally my father's race boat, and I would love to know where it is today.

Andreas

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Edward, thanks for the Input, History makes everything in my eyes.
When all is said and done, I will post Pictures for all. Just need to pick up in
the next week and get familair. Thanks again all. I will be intouch.
Blaster :D

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

To Old, thanks for the Pictures.
Blaster

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

A family friend had one back in 84. (feeling old now) It was a great boat. It would hang with the 38' Cigarette SE we had in the real rough stuff off LI, but once you get inside the that thing was scary fast. First boat I ever drove with crash boxes. It always intereasting bringing that thing back into Freeport.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Blaster,

have you been able to establish which 38 Bertram you are looking at?

Andreas

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Here is one

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Here's a couple of pics of Flap Jack in '79 Benihana. My dad's boat (Top Banana) blew an engine the morning of the race so he flew in the helicopter instead and shot these...

They are good pics but not as good as the one the guy in the little wooden boat is taking!!

Andreas: I didn't realize your dad raced the WD-40 boat - I think I have some pics... Did you get that stuff I mailed to you on Vincentive? Also I looked for you at Key West but everytime I went by you weren't there..

Charlie McCarthy Jr.

PS - Blaster : I'll e-mail these to you too...

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Charlie,

I received the pictures. Thank you very much!

Any info on Miss WD-40 would be gratly appreciated. Too bad we did not meet in Key West...

Andreas

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

It belonged to a guy on Long Island named Sal Modica. It was stolen, stripped and recovered with the transom cut out.
Sal shipped the boat to Ft. Lauderdale where I oversaw the reconstruction for him by a guy named Bob Naidus. Bob converted it to a pleasure boat with a cabin and some nice accommodations.
Unfortunately that's all I know. I haven't heard from Sal or Bob in years. Sorry.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Unless I'm mistaken those pics are Howard and Keith in the 1978 "FlapJack".
The 1979 one had less red, a white transom and red scoops on the hatches.

Or, it could be the other way around. Time has clouded my memory on some of the details. Sorry.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

friend of mine has this 28 barron. all original.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

SO DID YA BUY IT OR ELSE MAY I KOW THE 41 SO I CAN BUY IT ANY CONDITION IT'S IN

DONZ JR MIKE :D

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Yes - you are correct - I had it wrong...these are from '78 not '79.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Ed:

Did all the 38's have the 18 degree deadrise? I tought the Bertrams had the first constant deadrise V hull that was designed by Ray Hunt (24 degrees?), and I was unsure of the angle.

Wannabe

PS Blaster, let me know if you don't buy the Bertram.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

I have Paul Smith's Bertrum in my shop right now and I checked the bottom on his and it is 20 degree's and this was the Natural light race boat.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Wow, I thought these were 24 degree deadrises. That makes them "sporty" in the really rough stuff but faster in lighter conditions. Thanks Tyler.

Wannabe

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

There's no questions that these boats were quick, but at the sacrifice of some safety and predictability. As far as I know Bertram never made a Super Competition 38 with a 24 degree bottom. Howard (Quam) always said it was an 18 and I never questioned it. If Tyler measured it and he says 20, well, I believe him.


Speaking of Tyler Crockett:
About a year ago or so I was doing a survey on a boat he built the engines for. His name and phone number were on the valve covers, so I called him to get some specs on his engines.
WHAT A GENTLEMAN! He took the time to help me even though we had never met and I was not going to put any money in his pocket. Thanks again Tyler, you're a credit to this business.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Paul Smiths Bertram in a former life: The scoops are still the same

Wannabe

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

Nice pic! Too bad it's not in color as I remember that boat to have a great paint job in really nice colors.

Re: 1978 Bertram offshore, good or bad????
 

I just scrolled back and saw Sandy Satullo's Copper Kettle. That boat later was Paul Clauser's Satisfaction and then the 1980 version of FlapJack. It was the boat Smiley lost his life in in the May 1980 Bacardi race out of Miami.
Notice the skegs are cut off from the #3 SSMs. That made the boat lethal in rough water. I guess we just didn't know better back then.