Bertram Sportfish Yachts Coming Back???

Yes, Bertram didn't market it to compete in the SF market with all the other brands. It's not being purchased because it's a better SF. It's being purchased because it's a Bertram and reminds people of Bertrams of yesteryear. I just went to the main page of the website with the Bertram 35 on it. Not one use of the term sport fishing. They do say it can be customized to be fully fish-rigged. Same on Bertram's main page. Photos of it don't show fishing or it rigged as an SF. They do talk fishing at the bottom of the 35 page below all the 35 discussion under news and events. It's no more sold as an SF than Hinckley is sold as a lobster boat.

That's where I and many others under-estimated things. I thought the brand name had been damaged beyond repair. It clearly had not been. I thought also that no one would buy it when so many better SF's. Turns out to be irrelevant. They're buying it clearly on it's own merit as an attractive, nostalgic boat. It's not trying to be a great SF boat, it's trying to be a Bertram. Now, the other models they bring out might be different. But the 35 sold because of how it looked and the label it carried.

It reminds me a little of the Classic Donzi. They're not great boats. They were very nice boats in 1964. Even 15 years later when I was a kid I thought they were hot. Now, they're purchased as tender's or nostalgic reminders for coastal and lake usage.

Understand 10 people or more purchased the Bertram 35 having no idea how it would ride of perform and knowing absolutely nothing about the builder. That is superior marketing of perception and memory.

Half of Sportfish owners I have worked for never fished. They bought a Sportfish because it was sexier looking than a motoryacht, fast, and rode great compared to a motoryacht and had much better seakeeping abilities. There's something to be said for a 70' or 80' yacht that cruises at almost 40 knots......with PLENTY of range. You look at a lot of the fast motoryachts and they only have a 240NM or 8 hour or less range at speed compared to a SF that can run 12-14 hours at cruise.

Well, you can dress up a 35 to kinda look like a picnic boat or lesser SF, but there really is no gender confusion with that large fishing cockpit, pretty much screams SF.

There are very few true SF anymore, they are more correctly Convertibles anyways.

There are also plenty of Flybridge Convertibles in SoCal that never get a pair of outriggers or anything else that makes them look "fishy".

Yes that is also true and I agree with you. But it kinda kills the purpose of a SF, does it not.

ps. Your nos are about 20% off the mark for most MY I know in that size bracket. Still a SF usually does 20-30% more then a standard MY.

I dare say everyone that owns a production sportfisher looks at a custom build of a Spencer or Jarrett Bay etc etc etc and dreams on... I do . Viking are seeing this and are trying to close the gap between there signature look and a custom style look.
Bertram are not only sticking with there look, but stepping back a few decades - they will sell boats, I dare say more so to the cruising type though IMO. Cheers

Far

To be honest I think the Hatteras GT is closer to a custom then a Viking.

In my book Viking looks more then a production boat with steroids, then a custom.
I think its cool that Bertram got the signature step sheer line, it was part of the identity for its bigger older boats (40 upwards) which where so successful in the seventies and eighties.
If I remember well some people here criticized Zuccon when he abandoned the step sheer line the 540.

Hi Liam, I would have to respectfully disagree with that statement - the Hatteras has always run with the "different" side window profile... looks upside down in simple terms. The Viking seem to be changing there window profile and adding more curve and thus becoming a "closer" look to a Custom SF. A sportsfisher window profile is really where the changers are - where one builder is different from the other. Both designs run aggressive sheerlines (personal opinion).

I agree in regards to Zuccon, they made the Bertram more of a pleasure boat than a sportsfisher, which I think was brought on by the Ferretti takeover... Cheers

Far

Just noticed in the June Yachting magazine had a brief piece on the new Bertram 35. No speed graph but stated that it topped out at 36 knots and change with the CAT C7.1 diesels. Confirms this won't be a 40 knot SF with that package although the marketing arm was sure trying to sell it at that magic number.

No, I don't think 36 knots is going to cut it in todays market. Have they built it heavy for a smooth ride?

I just ignore it until there's one on the water being tested and a full performance graph.

When is the 35 going to be sold? I would think it should be hitting the market by now, no?

They've had them at the boat shows for about 2 years now and have sold over a dozen I think.

There are many articles about them but I still haven't found an actual test. i know there is one on YW for sale in Puerto Rico for immediate delivery. I found one video with one being run.



I find it strange that no one has been allowed to test and review one. I'd love to see if the 40+ knots is real. There is now a 60 being built.

As of June 26, they had finished four 35's. #1 was at the Versilia Rendezvous, #2 and #3 are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. #4 they say left the dock about two weeks ago but don't say where it went. #5 will come to SE Florida in another week or two. #6 is going to San Diego. Apparently 16 are sold or accounted for, but then between now and delivery there's always a chance some of those sales go by the wayside. I don't know the speed they will be able to build. However, it seems #4 was delivered around June 20, #5 is anticipated around July 15 and #6 around the end of July so it sounds like production is 1 to 2 boats a month.

It will not see 40 or 40+ knots with that power package as advertised.
I am still unaware of any 35/36 production Flybridge SF that has hit that mark with factory installed power.

Micheal Peters hulls 10 years ago have come very close to that number. I've seen 36' Cabo's do 38 knots WOT. The cabo's have a beafier superstructure/interior. I don't think 40 knots is un-achievable. But really, whether they hit 38 or 40 knots, what really is the difference, and honestly how often is it going to be calm enough to do that speed.

Close but no cigar. The difference is 2 knots as you stated.

True. I find it odd that there hasn't been one single magazine test of the 35' Bertram with speeds after all this time. I saw one running in Tampa Bay, and it was up on top of the water at cruise in 2-3' seas and was moving right along and very dry, but who knows what speed it was doing......it was a white one with black striping a fiberglass Hard Top.

If any of the custom SF builders built that 35' Bertram with the same power, they'd easily exceed 40 knots with that power, probably knocking on the 45 knot door. Weight is the major issue not the power. All of the production SF builders seem to just throw tons of HP and Fuel at a hull to get more speed than focusing on building a lighter boat that is just as strong that rides better.