28 Bertram Restoration Boat 2

[Fuzz]

Love that method of demoing things. A few minutes pulling levers and its done

[deuce_454]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Caterpillar-CAT ... mo&vxp=mtr

its even a matched set

i love these builds... (i have a question though, how do you strip the gelcoat without damaging the fibreglass.... i have a large 150 psi pressure washer with a blasting setup... but id be mortified to take it to a boat hull ....

[Mbiggerstaff]

I don't worry about the gel coat. The gel coat in these boats was pretty bad especially on the bottom. Best to get to good glass and go from there.

I have been completing some other projects around the house this summer and waiting for my shop to go up. Framing is starting today so I should soon have a place to work out of the elements. I have decided to go with outboards on this boat and to extend the hull with a euro transom rather than a bracket. From my research on them, some manufactures continue the hull as one continuous running surface while others step up at the transom. The idea behind this is to give clean water at the engines. I would appreciate any thoughts about which would be best and why.

[DAYTRIP]

Hey Mike, I am running mine as you know. I do have a couple things I would modify so I am happy to share as you know. Engines do great on the bracket. That said I would get as much buoyancy back there as possible. My concern with extending is first the hydrodynamics but then the blending of the hull sides in an extension. You look and the hull curves toward the back and has some tumblehome in it.The other item i would incorporate is the ability put water ballast in front of the current front engine bulkhead. Right now I have 45 gallons sitting on the floor of what was the vberth. That helped a lot. I am building a 100 gallon tank in between the stringers from the forward bulkhead to the vberth bulkhead.

It is a total animal with the outboards! I love it.

[Mbiggerstaff]

Thanks Jim. So you are saying that i should stick with a flotation bracket and avoid going all the way to the sides and having to worry about that and put a lot of weight forward.

[DAYTRIP]

Yes that is what I would do differently Mike for sure. If you are leaving a lot of the existing structure forward you may be ok but I would have the ability to add or remove water forward. I would build a tank in that can be empty or full based on the need.

[Mbiggerstaff]

Have been waiting for cooler weather and finishing up some other things but now ready to start on number 2. Here are some pix of the bracket layout. Planning on twin 250s as Daytrip did since he got such great performance. Am I close in what i have drawn?

[Fuzz]

It looks like you have a good plan. One question, will there be room to lower the motor some if needed. I ask because I have found it would have been nice to be able to lower my motor an inch or two. It was installed at the height recommended by the builder and they build the brackets for the factory so I did not question it. Turns out I could use a little more drop.
Is the 25 inch where your lines are drawn or is it 25 inch to the hull bottom? And is this going to be twins or a single? I think you said twins just want to make sure.

[Mbiggerstaff]

It will be twins. I was thinking that if adjustment is needed i will be able to slide the motors either way to get the cavitation plate where it needs to be. Once the holes are drilled it is done unless i drill more holes. is 4" enough above the platform?

[DAYTRIP]

You are making me want to do this again Mike! What length shaft are you planning for the motors? Mine are 30" for no other reason than that is what my neighbor had and I bought his. For yamahas the mounting center was 28.5". I can measure and take pics of anything you want. I think the top of the clamping board is 7" of the platform on mine and they tilt fine. Just tell me what I can measure or tak pics of.

I would go as wide as possible on the tub too. In retrospect I could have gone another 9" on each side and still fit the tabs. Awesome man.