1985 46´Bertram Sportfish - Electronics/Display Choices

Hi,

These guys have plenty.

Hatteland Display AS - HD 12T21 MMD

A glass bridge is not that unusual on larger vessels, you might have to settle for something hat has a few things displayed on the one screen for a vessel with the space you have.

Keep all of your engine gauges regular gauges. You want engine gauges to work when all else fails and for them to work all of the time. Analog engines gauges are a lot more durable than lcd displays and computers and all of that stuff.

As for the other electronics figure out what you need and don't need. I like to have two nice screens so I can split fishfinder/radar/chartplotter between two screens and at least use the chartplotter or radar on a full screen depending on what I'm doing and the other stuff split on the other screen. I would want all 3- radar, charplotter, fishfinder. Also a standard depth gauge that just displays the depth (non fishfinder) is important as well.

Yes, they do make lcd screens that are just screens VEI monitors are very popular for example. But that also requires going to "black box" units. A little more complicated of a setup IMO.

A glass bridge so to speak works great when your helm is in a glass bridge, not so well in an exposed flybridge on a 46' SF.

Nice units, but not commonly used on the smaller boats I see around, I'd be more inclined to go with Furuno or Garmin. I also don't like touch screens on boats which tend to get bounced around in heavy water.

I think you'll find that recreational marine electronics are not as advanced as those used in general aviation today. Electronic engine, glass screen engine gauges with separate probes for each cylinder and exhaust gas temp, turbine inlet temp etc are common on small airplanes but not so with most boats. I think the new big dollar diesels have some options in this regard but not for my Detroit Diesels.

You might consider bringing all of the navionics down from the old overhead box ... getting rid of that and increasing the panel real estate to the left of the helm. GlassTech in Miami FL GlassTech - Bertram Yachts & Boats - Miami probably has a mold for a lower panel extension for your boat (they did mine). http://www.glass-tech.com/custom-consoles.html They will even cut the different holes if you send them the new Navionics units. Furuno has some wonderful glass ... two of their 12" screens would be lots of capability as they can do split screen.

Look, I've been doing this and running yachts a long time now. When it comes to engine gauges, you want traditional gauges that work when the key switch is turned on. You don't want to have to fumble with a computer and going through menu's to make simple engine gauges work. Every boat I've been on that has gone to computer based engine gauges (non OEM) with an LED monitor, they simply do not last. What is a lifespan of a PC on a boat like yours 2-5 years. What is the lifespan on any LED display on an open FB like yours, 5 years +/-. What is the lifespan on a chartplotter without any issues (5-10 years maybe). What is the lifespan on standard gauges 20 years a lot of times. Not to mention a PC needs AC power, so then you're constantly relying on another variable (a generator or inverter). Not to mention very few people want to buy a 46' Bertram with all of this stuff on it that they need an electronics guy on speed dial. They want to turn the key look at analog engine gauges and go fishing.

But, to answer your question, yes you are crazy. Because none of this stuff will work properly in the long term and isn't really we suited for your size boat. If, you're talking about installing it on a 200' Feadship in a pilothouse, yes. But not on an open flybridge 46' SF that is going to get spray and bounced around.

Also, touch screen is near impossible to operate on a boat like yours. If you're running at cruise it is a total nightmare in any sea over 1' to try to move your finger around a touch screen. That and it gets all covered in sun screen, salt and crap within hours making it harder to see.

As for the black box stuff, you can install that, but it's overcomplicating your install. You need a place to mount the blackbox stuff, all of the extra cables to run, and again overcomplicating it. Also, blackbox systems don't like dirty power (noise) which your size/age vessel is probably going to have.

Put your Raymarine C 140's up there, keep the analog gauges (make sure they work properly) and put your money into repairing all of the other items you mentioned the vessel needs fixed, or use it to convert the vessel to 24 volts. And yes, you definately should have radar and it is very important. Both for nighttime navigating and heavy rain or fog. I would definately like to have radar if I'm running the boat up from the Carribbean to Florida.

I have mixed feelings about a lot of the new stuff. I like the quality, clarity, digital readouts and the amount of info you can put on a screen, but I hate scrolling through menus and auto-tune. I just want to turn a nob or push a button that's right there to adjust my radar or put on an EBL, etc. The smart gauges that give you one or two items of engine info and then you have to scroll for more are ridiculous. I want everything in front of me at all times so I can constantly scan them without having to scroll through screens.

I absolutely concur with Capt. J's statement above. Forget touchscreens on any boat that bounces. You have to brace your forearm and take a fast stab, and all the while your face is close enough to smash on something if you hit a wave. I also like stuff that I can open up and work on if it goes down, but that's pretty much gone today.

Glad to hear you added this. Granted you live in the sunniest part of the Sunshine state, but pop it out to 24 miles and it's great for showing you where the edge of those scattered storms are so you can go around or between them. It's also great for picking up that buoy by the inlet at night when its light is obscured by the light of 100 boats fishing and the lights on land such as you'll find by Lk. Worth, not to mention the idiot that didn't turn his nav lights on.

I have a Furuno Navnet 3 setup on my Bertram 28 and the same on my Bertram 54. Both have been trouble free and are absolutely wonderful chart plotters. Each also has the open array radar and sounder.

On the big Bertram, I have a second 10" screen (a Garmin 3210). I run the XM Radio and XM Weather on it but it doesn't come remotely close to the Furuno for use as a chart plotter. I am hooked on the Furuno Chartplotter as it's like looking at a paper chart with ALL of the same detail.

There are plenty of things on the boats that have given me finicky problems but not the Furuno equipment.

Is anybody running electronic instrument displays from a 2 stroke Detroit Diesel? I have not seen it.

Yes, the Furuno's are my favorite, but if you're not familiar with them, navigating through the menu's to change or find things is more complicated than the VX2's

Yes, I was involved with a Bertram with 12v92's. A guy in Fort Lauderdale came up with well electronic gauges about 10 years ago. Bob Maretron. The problem is it relies on using a PC windows based computer, which you also have to have a mouse to obviously open the program etc, as well as 120 volt a/c power........

If you want all of that. Rather than wasting tons of money on all of this glass bridge stuff that's not going to increase the resale hardly at all. I would highly recommend and consider, saving your money, ripping out the old Detroits, and installing CAT C15's (or C12's) in the boat with the CAT digital displays that display all of this info and the CAT Controls. You'll get a much better resale when you want to sell the boat, much cleaner running engines, better performance, better fuel economy, and all of the gadgets and info that you want. With something that greatly improves the vessel, not to mention the engines will have 24volt alternators, starters, etc.......and you can then convert the boat to 24volts without wasting money swapping Detroit alternators and starters......and have a warranty.....and then you have a few pumps to convert, some may even work on 24Volt, and you're done and have a classic Bertram with modern power, equipment, and performance

I understand that, but you want a boat that you're going to keep for 5 years and enjoy on top of it all. I understand that installing CATS is expensive, but at the same token you mentioned you want all of those engine vitals and you also wanted to convert the boat to 24 volts anyways. So in essence you're going to be spending good money after bad to achieve what you want and essentially buying and changing things that will mostly make your boating experience a hassle instead of an enjoyment.

Spending the money once on modernizing the machinery will achieve all of your wants and in addition to that you will have a turn key boat, without having mechanical issues, that will perform a lot better and save you on both fuel costs, headaches and hassles, and probably would have to do rebuilds on those detroits in that time period anyways. The fuel savings alone over 5 years of usage will take a good chunk out of that $80-100k. You come here and ask for advice and when several people give you solid advice, you argue with them and are going to do what you wanted to do in the first place anyways.

Repowering with new @ $80K - $100K is a pipedream. It is at least a $250K proposition when done by a reputable yard. Gears/Shafts/Props/Paint/Cables the list will go on and on.

You will not recoup your investment and the fuel savings will not make up the difference in 5 or 10 years, as the average boater does about 250 hours per year. Even at 4 x that rate, you are not making a dent on the overall picture, as the added wear and tear on your new equipment has the depreciation clock ticking.

There are a few reasons to repower but recouping your investment is not one of them.