bertram31.com

interior upgrades for a 31 bertram starting with a sliding door to head to correct design error of OEM cabin door and head door hitting each other. i made a track out of e-pay this wood is spelled 3 different ways but i use this version.a wood from amazon forrest growing in water as hard as steel .i also use this exotic as threshold in head and cabin entrance .the head door slides out of way and stays open when a/c is on because return air is under vanity. i use mahogany frame with teak insert and draws,cabinets have 5/16" border of e-pay on border.i use Anderson sliding door track for sliding door.

door in closed position.

Very nice, Bob; just like everything else you build!

bob lico wrote:i made a track out of e-pay this wood is spelled 3 different ways but i use this version.a wood from amazon forrest growing in water as hard as steel .i also use this exotic as threshold in head and cabin entrance .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handroanthus

wow 30 species of Ipe wood . i know it is so dense it sinks in salt water! i made a cabin door in the same mohogany rails with teak insert.door is 1 1/2" thick so i can use full size hinges (4) with tempered limoseine glass for maximun light but full privacy when docked.
1 1/2" door also allows full recess on both sides of door.

thank you tommy the problem is i am running out of projects on this boat so i go back and change details that i am not happy with.one bit of detail continues to baffle me is i am 70 yo and had 11 corvettes ,snowmobiles and every conceivable toy and other then a 3 cylinder Johnson outboard 55hp i never maintained for a bay boat the twin cummins 330 hp in this boat even surpass a toro lawnmower with a million hours i had.



. basicllay never owned such a dependable mechanical device like these cummins in my life!!!

i could not find flame grain mohogany in 1 1/2" thickness so i resorted to straight grain when building door jam now i cannot live with it so i will remove and find or laminate with flame grain to coincide with the rest of interior.one tip you need a good flat surface to clamp and glue door,panels,draws.

Bob-

Just incredible work.

John

Bob

Great work. I thought you had a curved door on that head before this. Wood work looks great. Listen this is what keeps you young.

Bob:

Given you are running ot of projects, maybe it is time to sell it and start another one!

Mark

exactly mark i want to build a 37 or 38" Bertram but my son (my right hand) is totally against it because it takes soooooooo long to dial a boat in .any body telling me there running 27 in four foot waves along side a 50' Viking i would say bullshit.i did not say you would not be nervous in the cabin as the boat slaps the top of each wave just pay attention for that rogue 8 footer!!!!!!! back to the topic ,for those of you building the interior of your Bertram i want to point out a little tip for counter top and cabinetry by first placing the back of the refrigerator 1" from outside hull and 1/4" under counter top height to take advantage of maximim floor space . you can sneak in a draw with slanted back to match hull .taking refrig to maximim height because of the angle of hull takes advantage of all that empty space in back of counter area (galley). take note of 5/16" ipe surround on raised cabinet doors.

port side hanging locker raised panel door with Ipe trim .

port side salon draws under seat with teak insert and ipe edging.table made of Ipe planks somewhat child proof???

Wow Bob - this is an inspiration!
Stephan

thank you however none of the brothers ask questions so i did not show building any of these interior upgrades.this is what i do winter time when fishing,hunting,holidays are over actually cabin fever i have electric power to the boat for electric heater good enough to make glue,epoxy cure.

You do nice work !!

Bob,

I remember having seen some of these pics in an earlier thread..., nevertheless, very nice indeed !!

Do you have a better pic of those stbd metal steps going up the bridge? I might consider getting rid of the ladder altogether and install a couple of those. Are they any practical? Can you go up while holding something in your one hand (such as a can) or not?
Thanks.

yannis the one step to bridge will only work on 31fbc utilizing engine cover for a step and the gin pole for handle .left hand grabs rail in back of seat or carrying something right hand uses grab of dual rail on radar arch.we pulled 496 pound tuna on board with gin pole,block and tackle. the pole has a elaborate mount under engine cover and mid support with the original Bertram rail aft. of pillar. the Gin pole turns 90 degrees with a set pin in original position.

Beautiful work Bob and it gives me lots to think about as I restore my 31 FBC! Along with that good looking salon teak drawer face I see you painted the rest of that part of the bench white. I'm thinking of the same treatment, did you paint over the old p-lam or did you remove it. If you painted over did you have to do any filling along the seam where the laminate cap meets the face?

to make a long story short my wife and friends are interior decorators so after i spent hours finishing gel -cote on interior .when they saw the finish product they went berserk and would not even step into " the insane asylum" so everywhere i had shiny gel-cote i change to matte oyster white by Endura paint (similar to Awgrip) . i prep. the OEM walnut formica by sanding with 80 grit then fill in seams with epoxy based all-fair . some years back we won a street lighting contract with state on a multi building metal institution .we would take power from nearest building so i personally seen those straight jacket rooms painted white gloss on ceiling and walls .left a terrible impression so much so i would never own a boat with white gel-cote interior finish if given for free. i agreed with the pros.

Thanks Bob. So the 80 grit prep left the surface fair enough that you got a smooth finish coat? Did you use a primer?

every project i have done both inside and out i prime with Algrip 545 primer . the 80 grit paper on formica leaves the perfect surface for the primer to ahere to . every painted surface in the interior was done with a roller to give me the desired matte finish i wanted. the texture blends in perfectly with the oyster white leatherette ceiling in V-berth ,head,main cabin.

Bob

You said we don't ask how you do it but we have. Over time I bet if you go back over posts you will find posts that you explained what you did. In fact, a thought for the good Capt. Maybe he should let members who do certain projects, and are willing to set up the instructions, send them to him to get posted in the building tips section.

Not sure how much work that type of posting is, but since it is his Sandbox, that would be his call.

Tony-X2

tony i get a many PM`s but i rather answer question on forum to give all the brothers a chance to see another prospective on doing a project like the sliding door which took quite a bit of trial and error due to the need of being in the open position with A/C on.there is a ball and catch on bulkhead to hold door in open position for air circulation and A/C to maintain correct humidity. none of these projects are rocket science but it helps to have someone like capt patrick point you in the right direction.

Bob

Just an FYI for you, I always look forward to your posts telling us what you are working on. I marvel at your work. You are not quite up with Gert yet so keep at it.

Tony Meola wrote:Bob

Just an FYI for you, I always look forward to your posts telling us what you are working on. I marvel at your work. You are not quite up with Gert yet so keep at it.

Gert has a team. Bob is the team......

Mike

What happened, are you getting soft and going easy on Bob? You are going to loose your status as the leader of the Mean Team.

tony i work alone unless the job needs physical endurance like sanding bottom then my son jumps in he also helps on wood working projects .the problem is no facility to spray varnish,paint parts in a heated facility.the large garage has corvette in it and basement is not a place to sand ,paint.i used the driveway to lay out interior floorboards i build with layed up coosa board and then apply teak and holly directly over epoxy with ipe mitered.

here is close up as you can see i use matte finish varnish .the ipe border takes the place of alluminum border strip in OEM wooden sole.eight years and the ipe takes a beating dropping sole pieces into place .

Bob, irrelevant, but I will NEVER understand why people in the US buy expensive cars ( Mercs) to cruise with 55 or 60. I'd get a Smart and that would be MORE than enough....there is no point in getting any super car (or any fast car) in the US. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Yannis wrote:Bob, irrelevant, but I will NEVER understand why people in the US buy expensive cars ( Mercs) to cruise with 55 or 60. I'd get a Smart and that would be MORE than enough....there is no point in getting any super car (or any fast car) in the US. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

that mercedes has been sold and replaced with twin turbo BMW sport. i don`t drive 55 or 60 but my wife does. we have parkways on long island and fast 4 lane highways . i travel at 85 to 90 mph unless in the corvette then it is in excess of 120mph in burst. Sheriff is my bro.

520hp on dyno now has drag radial tires and compliment up front.

It's all about the Jones', Yannis. All about the Jones'...

And buying them little doodle bug "smart" pieces of manure... Who'd want to behind the wheel of one of them with our streets infested with full sized cars and pickup trucks. They'd be indistinguishable from the other bug splatters on my front bumper...

nice ride capt. i sold my last pickup ( dodge diesel cummins) recently cause i had nothing to haul anymore! the BMW is a X-5 sport very fast ,full size great handling suv.

Best car ever made ! Can still do 250 kmh in our highways...


https://www.google.gr/search?q=bmw+30+c ... -DT0T-M%3A

Yannis wrote:Best car ever made ! Can still do 250 kmh in our highways...

Didn't you say you live in Greece?!... Isn't the maximum speed limit there 120 kmh?!...

Cap't, nice rig! Yannis, I had a 4 door 3.0 csi in college and a bmw 2002. Loved those old bimmers!

Nav,

In Greece, as in most eu countries, the speed limit is 120 or, sometimes, 130 kmh. Which means that up to 150 you run no serious risk of getting a ...serious fine. Beyond 150 you start pushing your luck. In other words, beyond 100 mph you should know , as Bob says , the sheriff...
Even so, at speeds around 160-170 there is always, or almost always, a way .... you know... the Mr nice guy approach...you will get fined and assuming youre NOT drunk, the officer will fine you for 149 kmh, a speed that doesn't have nasty repercussions, something like a 100 euros fine. Beyond 180 kmh you get nasty fines and you lose your permit temporarily. Therefore, you can ....safely (!) do around 100 mph. Except in Germany, that is, where for the most part there is no limit whatsoever. There, you can do 300 legaly ! In Italy, also, despite the fact that there exists this 130 kmh limit, you can be driving on the left lane doing 150 and you WILL see the light signal of a Ferrari behind you that is usually in a hurry... you literally have NO time to see its number plate as it passes you at the speed of light. If youve ever driven around Milano or Torino ( where almost all Italian cars are produced) you know what I mean by "speed of light".

Yannis wrote:In Greece, as in most eu countries, the speed limit is 120 or, sometimes, 130 kmh. Which means that up to 150 you run no serious risk of getting a ...serious fine. Beyond 150 you start pushing your luck. In other words, beyond 100 mph you should know , as Bob says , the sheriff...
Even so, at speeds around 160-170 there is always, or almost always, a way .... you know... the Mr nice guy approach...you will get fined and assuming youre NOT drunk, the officer will fine you for 149 kmh, a speed that doesn't have nasty repercussions, something like a 100 euros fine. Beyond 180 kmh you get nasty fines and you lose your permit temporarily. Therefore, you can ....safely (!) do around 100 mph. Except in Germany, that is, where for the most part there is no limit whatsoever. There, you can do 300 legaly ! In Italy, also, despite the fact that there exists this 130 kmh limit, you can be driving on the left lane doing 150 and you WILL see the light signal of a Ferrari behind you that is usually in a hurry... you literally have NO time to see its number plate as it passes you at the speed of light. If youve ever driven around Milano or Torino ( where almost all Italian cars are produced) you know what I mean by "speed of light".

Ha!!! That MIGHT be true in Greece or Italy but it doesn't wash in The Netherlands (or Belgium)... Once, when going through immigration at Schiphol (AMS - Amsterdam airport) I was detained because I had an open speeding fine of 49 Euros... I was allegedly flashed on an highway in a rental... I never got the ticket in the mail... While I was paying the fine with my credit card the CC machine's battery died toward's the end of the process... So I went to the ATM and got some cash... I ended up paying the same ticket TWICE!!! Despite multiple attempts I have not been able to get a refund...

Oh, and if you're wondering about the low amount, it was for going something like 2-3 kmh over the limit...

Bob

How do you manage to keep the finish on the teak & Holly from scratching up. In the spring and fall when I am on the hard I am always fighting with sand sticking to my sneakers.

I would think you would scratch the heck out of the floor.

Navatech wrote:Ha!!! That MIGHT be true in Greece or Italy but it doesn't wash in The Netherlands (or Belgium)...

Thats why the south is better ....in any continent LOL !!!
Incidentally, when I was living in Paris I used to travel every other weekend or so to Brussels, a 2 hr drive, where I had a friend. Never went by the limit, never got a ticket BUT, like I said, I respected the 150 kmh rule. Luck ? Maybe. The fact remains tho that you can still derive some driving pleasure in Europe.
Scenes of cars that speed over the limit, chased by police cars and choppers (like you see on youtube) in the highways, is unknown to us. Which brings us back to why you dont need a fast car in some countries, like in the US or the Netherlands, for example. Let alone the gas consumption and pollution associated with their monstrous engines.

Looking good Bob, hope you are getting in the water soon.

peter this year i have to "grab the bull by the horns" let me explain .i purchase boat 1999 and had boat sand blasted so that there would be a thousand 1/16" holes in gel-cote then i let sit on blocks until the moisture meter read 0 in 20 differant test locations (about a year)then the yard painted the bottom with the inter protect paint with out scrubbing bottom with alcohol or actone as years went by i would remove boat every winter and there would be 5" and 6" areas flaked off down to gel-cote meaning the inter protect never adhere to the hull! this goes on every year so i desided to sand bottom to gel-cote and do inter-protect game all over again.yard men will sand i will give watchful eye.
tony i can only guess the reason the floors look good after 8 years or so is because the matte varnish finish does not show the effect of the constant tracking of sand brought in by grandchildren. the youngest is now 10 yo. so i put a water filled basin on dock so they don`t track half the beach into boat!!!

yannis you pointed that out correctly. i cannot get a speeding ticket assuming i don`t have more then"o" percent alcohol in me !!!! no police will cover you DUI. not even even police commissioner son!!!!!!!!!!! on long island they would lock car and take keys ------------you walk and call me tomorrow for keys and don`t even think of moving that car.

Whats120 kph, like 30 mph US?

Just shy of 75mph...

tony this is a older photo but you can see i put a couple of throw mats down on top of teak and holley sole and it helps protect sole however i just want to mention this danish varnish is extremely durable . i have no complains. i have a flat screen tv mounted on a hospital mounting bracket that turns up down ,left,right and also swings out from wall when in use. the boat has blue tooth so the childen go in there and stay occupied with games this causes even more traffic at dock as the kids go back and forth.

The matts are a good idea. For the spring and winter work I guess a clear plastic runner would also work.

CaptPatrick wrote:It's all about the Jones', Yannis. All about the Jones'...

And buying them little doodle bug "smart" pieces of manure... Who'd want to behind the wheel of one of them with our streets infested with full sized cars and pickup trucks. They'd be indistinguishable from the other bug splatters on my front bumper...

Yeah... I always kinda chuckle and think ....
it's a "Smart Car", until that full sized pickup is about to hit you, then it aint so "smart" !!