Old Bertram

[Conquistador_del_mar]

That 28' Bertram Baron is just unbelievably cool - awesome! Bill

[smidgen too]

I recived a new stack of pictures from my Ohio friends. The stack contains boats that raced in the GLOPRA series in the 70's. In the pack was this pic of BABY a yellow 28' Bertram. I wonder were this one is today ????????

[afd414]

I never knew Bertram made a power boat, I've seen their older cabin cruisers that are built like a brick s##thouse. Nice looking rigs!

[Greg Guimond]

That is a cool picture smidgen too, although it looks like that 28 Baron has stand up bolsters while the owner of the fully restored red 28 has a sit down set up. I wonder what the original seat set-up was from the Bertram factory?

[olredalert]

----Greg,,,The standard and only seat available from Bertram was the sit-down seat. These bolsters were evidently added. I dont think that Dick Bertram ever felt that the 28 would be an effective race boat as he was building the longer, very competitive race boats as well. But, a few enterprising racers saw that the 28 had a chance to be competitive. Thats now two 28s, I believe, that were raced out of a very low number produced!
----Im also guessing that the lifeline that came standard on the 28 was removed due to the rules back in the day, as was the windshield.......Bill S

[Greg Guimond]

Thanks Bill. I happen to really like the sit down concept in that boat. Cuts a very "Bond" like image with that long deck

[Morgan's Cloud]

afd414

I never knew Bertram made a power boat, I've seen their older cabin cruisers that are built like a brick s##thouse. Nice looking rigs!

Are you aware of Bertram's history ? It's a great story and could be considered the cornerstone of the development of the Deep V in the west .

[Greg Guimond]

-Greg,The standard and only seat available from Bertram was the sit-down seat. Thats now two 28s, I believe, that were raced out of a very low number produced!.......Bill S

From what I can figure out, only 50 Baron 28 hulls were ever produced. I wonder how many have survived over the years.

[olredalert]

----The number of 28 Barons produced has been all over the place. Safe to say, though, that there werent as many as 50. I wish that many were built as then maybe I could track one down that I could afford.......Bill S

[Ghost]

Agreed, I like the "sit down" as well. For various reasons. And to a degree, I think it adds control/stability for the people aboard. I also wonder if Bertram squeezed the seats toward the middle for more control, to cut down on effects of roll on the people in the boat. Dunno, but wouldn't surprise me.

[olredalert]

----The Baron I spent so much time on in and around Nantucket Sound was regularly used to head over to either Nantucket, Marthas Vineyard, Hyannis, Yarmouth, or Falmouth.
----The sound is often rough and many, many times we found ourselves standing rather than suffer back jolts, but that not withstanding the sit-down seats fit the boat perfectly. I dont think Barons were ever envisioned as anything more than a day boat back then. All that bow and there was nothing forward of the dash but the fuel tank..
----I know as I spent about 8 hours early one spring sitting "ON" the gas tank, forward of the dash, out of gas, but at least out of the weather, about 2 miles off the Osterville cut because my pal Al (the owner of the boat) swore that the boat was filled with fuel the fall before when the boat was winterized. He was sadly mistaken as we ran out on our way back from a bar in Hyannis. Nothing on board but the anchor, lines, and about 4 gallons of 8 month old very cheap wine. You can imagine what ended up in the bilge that night. We wailed away on the s-to-s all night but didnt realize that the antenna wasnt attached. A confused fisherman found us about 6 in the morning, still drunk and hurling!
----All that and I still love these 28s. They will handle just about any water you can go out in. If its too rough for a 28 Baron you best not make the trip!!!!!!........Bill S

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Great story Bill. Things like that we never forget! I have a few myself - It sure seems like there might be an interest if someone made something similar today, but it is difficult to figure out popularity.

[Greg Guimond]

Now that...........is a great story!

[smidgen too]

Here are two more 28' x 7' beam Bertrams that raced from Lake St Clair back in the day.

[olredalert]

----You are truly unbelieveable, Mark!!! I figure we know each other pretty well and then you surprise us all with pictures that (at least) I have never seen before. Where are these Barons today???........Bill S