Bertram 630 Sportfish Sinks?

Wow!

Hi!

I'm new to this forum, just joined. My interest in boats goes back aways, and has been renewed of late. I do not have a boat currently, but I am starting to kick tires. However, I have been to David Pascoes' site, and although it's been a great source of info and insight, I'm not sure I want to lay out money for some of these vessels!

Seems like the boating industry (at least at the level I can afford) has a complete lack of expertise, knowledge or ethics ( or all three) when it comes to the design, manufacture and service of the products they sell. I do not pretend to be an engineer, but some the problems (catastophic hull failures, delaminations, etc. on brand new high dollar boats) that I have read about are just amazing! I used to fly light airplanes and if 1/10 th of these problems would have been experienced in an aircraft manufacturer, the FAA would have shut them down immediately! Anyway, that's more than my two cents worth for now.

Thanks for the forum.

Hmmm...143 comments in 21 days. I wonder if that's some sort of speculation record?
Peter

Sounds like the evening news or most newspapers today.

I spent seven years transiting that area. It seems to me that the NC/SC coast has a number of yellow markers. Most are marking artificial reefs or fishing areas. Some are marking research areas. They aren't too big and they are easy to miss. I never hit one (knock on wood) but I did miss seeing them until the last minute or looking off the beam and spotting one a few boatlengths away.

Surely someone has dove this site to investigate by now

Well I found out the following facts regarding this boat:
A) It was insured by the owner.
B) The insurance company did have a diver on it within the 2nd week after is sunk.
C) The divers did video tape the dive and the tape is in the possession of the insurance company.
D) The Capt. met with both Bertram & the insurance lawyers (while having a lawyer present for himself) to tell what he remembers happening.

"Dear Bertram Employees, Dealers, and Friends,

I am writing to provide some additional information on the unfortunate November 6th sinking of a Bertram 63 off the coast of South Carolina.

As I indicated earlier, I am committed to providing complete and up-to-date information as the investigation progresses and details emerge. During this time, I am devoting my full attention to this matter.

The key points I want to convey about the incident are:

• Most importantly, the captain and his friend/passenger were safely taken off the boat without injury.

• While tropical storm force currents initially complicated the search, the sunken boat was finally located recently in approximately 80 feet of water a short distance from the rescue point.

• The initial data we received --- from the boat’s captain, from eye-witnesses who arrived on the scene to aid in the rescue, and from analysis of the debris in the water --- clearly indicated that the boat hit something in the water.

• All new information collected since the event, further supports an apparent collision with something in the water.

• There is substantial evidence that the Bill Perry Reef Buoy at the location of the incident was recently struck with significant force.

• An examination of the boat by divers at its resting point reveal that the starboard rudder shaft is bent aft and the starboard propeller exhibits a substantial ding consistent with that propeller hitting something in the water.

• The extensive damage to the bow portion of the craft is also consistent with an impact of significant force that could have breached the hull and created an unrecoverable scenario.

It is important to note that these are only preliminary findings based on a first dive of the craft. Other details may be uncovered as investigators begin the intensive work of piecing back together the events that led to the sinking of this vessel.

We feel that it is important to keep you up to date on the findings and will continue to update you on the facts surrounding this accident as they come available.

Please feel free share this information with all parties you feel may benefit from the information.

And if you have any questions or comments on this matter, please contact me at +1 305 633 - 8011.

Regards,

Michael W. Myers
President
Bertram Yacht Inc.
(305) 633 - 8011"

A big Attaboy for Mike Myers and his Jack Webb "Just the facts, ma'am" posting.
While I feel for that captain who may have some 'splainin' to do regarding that buoy, I'm happy to hear that it appears there was no hull failure caused by fast water.

[full disclosure: I am a friend, former long-time employee (a/k/a SOB--Son of Bertram), and wrote a YF review on their 70EB]

Loren,
I was waiting for someone to say something along those lines! Thank You. Because if it “tilted the slightest” the other way we would be on page 26 for this thread.

jbk4001:

Upon further review, as they say on some Sundays, I'm wondering, did you write the post that was signed by Mike Myers, i.e., are you Mike?
Brielle is a long way from Miami and 'jbk4001' would certainly provide anonmymity for a Mike Myers.

Or, is what you posted something that was gleaned from another source which was not [properly] credited?

Just wondering.

The “letter from Mike” was released (from Bertram) to anyone who inquired about the incident. All one had to do is ask….

At least it was in quotes.

I drove by a car wreck the other day and don't feel the slightest need to do any "splainin" to anyone about it.

Unless there is evidence directly linking the damage to the bouy with the damage to the boat it is simply a coincidence.

Thank You.

And thats all that was needed!

If you've got "substantial evidence that the Bill Perry Reef Buoy at the location of the incident was recently struck with significant force." And "•An examination of the boat by divers at its resting point reveal that the starboard rudder shaft is bent aft and the starboard propeller exhibits a substantial ding consistent with that propeller hitting something in the water.
•The extensive damage to the bow portion of the craft is also consistent with an impact of significant force" in close proximity, that's pretty good circumstantial evidence. I wouldn't want to be that captain. BTW, the quotes in JBK's post were sufficient IMHO.

Keep that in mind next time you hit a container or something that is inconveniently located near a damaged bouy.

I personally will wait for the paint smears, metal transfers, witness marks, or other forensic evidence to connect the two conditions before tsk tsking.

As a captain, your readiness to connect two isolated and possibly unrelated conditions as adequate proof to hang another captain is remarkable.

Most likely none of witch you mention will ever come to fruition.
It appears that the vessel “hit something” bottom line. The insurance Company will pay and it’s over. Going after anyone else is out of the question (unless they could pin it on Bertram, but that’s not the case).

You don’t think a 110,000 lbs, 63’ fiberglass boat going over 30knots could damage a steel buoy?