New member a few questions

John C · Post by **John C** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:04 am

Hello to everyone on the board. I own a 31 tiara open (1988) that I repowered with diesels over the winter of 05/06. I love the boat but I have a friend who wants to buy it. A 33 sportfish is on my short list of boats to move up to. Can the board give some advice on what to look for in this model? Any problem areas? Has anyone seen any clean ones for sale? Would perfer diesel ( I did the repower on my tiara and while rewarding took about 12 weeks of my life I mean every spare min. to get it done) Thank You, John

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:56 am

John, You won't be sorry with a 33 SF. Not sure if you realize the differences in the model years but in mid '86 they moved the rear bulkhead forward by about a foot and changed the layout of the cabin also used oak for the interior VS formica of the early ones. There is one of these later ones on yachtworld with yanmars in North Carolina for a decent asking price. One of our own, Frank Bryson, lives down there and would be happy to look it over , I know since he's offered before . Yachtworld does seem to be the best resource to look. As far as problem areas, look for leaky windows , saturated coring in places, mostly the cockpit deck and hatches, rot around the edges of the carpet in the saloon , somehow this area gets wet and holds water. Otherwise pretty much a rock of a boat.

John C · Post by **John C** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:09 am

Yes Frank I have been on a few and like the later model better. A family member bought one of the first sf hulls back in 78 or 79 and I spent some time on that boat as a kid. He then bought a 35 with diesels and remember him saying he liked the 33 better. I would look at a clean older one if the price was right. Nothing is selling here in NJ, gas engine boats are being given away, diesel not much better. Have been around boats for over 20 years, owned my own six pack charter boat for more than ten years and never seen less people on the water here in Manasquan NJ.

schultz · Post by **schultz** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:13 am

John, I recently went through this process. I searched the yachtworld site everyday (sometimes more) for almost 2 years. As a corporate pilot while out on business trips I was able to check out boats from San Diago to Santa Barbara. Miami to Atlantic City. Houston to Detroit. Made offers on several boats that in the end did not pass the due dilegance process for a varity of reasons. Even though I have been a boat owner for over 40 years and have a 100 ton CC license I found lots of good information and remained focussed by using "Mid Size Power Boats, by David Pascoe". I am sure you will end up with a Marine Survey and a Diesel Inspection when you find the boat you want but you can save yourself a lot of money by performing as much of both yourself in advance. On many occasion I would have the broker of a boat I was looking at comment that know one had ever taken such a close look at the boat. One boat I looked at had been out of the water for 8 months but from the waterline down, bow to transom the moisture meter was in the red or completly maxed out. By using a small hand held mirror I had discovered a rear seal leaking on a 1987 3208 Cat. Check all the systems out and add up what it will take to replace each one. It's easy to end upside down in the value of the boat before you ever take delivery. You are already headed in the right direction by viewing this site. Prior to a deal going through I think I have read trough the entire history of this site and came away with an understanding of the the 33' SF possibly equal to having owned one already. You may want to download the manuals available on this site as well to have with you when you start looking at boats. Arm yourself with as much information as possible and look at as many boat as you can for comparision . Buy the best example that you can afford and then be prepaired to give it the best maintenance you can provide. Good Luck with the search. Cliff Schultz 1983 SF "Final Approach"

Capt. Ed · Post by **Capt. Ed** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:50 pm

That's good advice Cliff. Inspect it like pre-flighting and you won't miss much.

schultz · Post by **schultz** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:51 am

Amen Brother.

CB35 · Post by **CB35** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:48 am

Hello John, I fish out of Manasquan and keep the boat behind my house. It is a 35B with 3208 Cats. Don't know why your friend liked the 33B better then the 35B? If I spent lots of time fishing, the 35B is a more stable platform and therefore a better choice. Some of the 33B's have nice salons; but at cost of cockpit space. Go to www.bertramrendezvous.com I think 2005 shows my 35B next to a 33B. Charlie

photo finish · Post by **photo finish** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:18 am

Better choice for Who!

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:21 am

Now now guys, let's not start a pissing match. They all have their charms Sean Burlingham "Island Time" 1987 Bertram 33 SF Melbourne, FL SBurlingham@cfl.rr.com [img]http://www.bertram33.com/photogallery/p ... d_Time.jpg[/img]

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 8:30 am

Charlie, If I needed a bigger salon I would consider a B35 if it weren't such a dated design with such a plain interior, otherwise I would have to argue with you whether the 35 is a more stable platform than a 33 sportfish and the sportfish is in a different league as far as cockpit space goes compred to most boats, including the B35. The B 35 is a wonderful boat but when someone wants to move into a slightly more modern interior I'm afraid the later 33's leave the 35 in the dust, unless you do a total upgrade inside the boat. I don't believe that you can compare a 33 sportfish to a 35 and if you did it would be silly to say the 35 is superior for fishing.

sbeer · Post by **sbeer** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:22 am

Thats my 33 next to charlies in at the bertram site. Its an 81 sf. Kick ass little 33 huh. Mike

CB35 · Post by **CB35** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:33 pm

Frank I guess you have never seen the interior of a 1984 or later 35B. Al teak and very well laid out. The interior of the non-sportfish 33B's are as large or larger than a 35B! As far as ride goes there is no comparision. The 35B with it's keel, 19 degree V and weight of Cats deep in the belly beats the 33B on all counts. Headsea, following sea, trolling and most of all at rest. You will find no flexing of the hull or stress cracks. Sorry 33B's are nice boats; but a 35B is a 31B on steroids; and in many ways built much better. Look at the difference in the hull height above the water in the pic (#170) and the bow flare on the 35B. But if I had the coin I would get a 38B and refit like Tom did. The 38B is a much bigger boat then the 37B and 35B. Lots more internal volume. Yes Mike that is a kick a$$ 33B and you do it proud. Charlie

Post by **dougl33** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:43 pm

CB, You're thinking of the 33 FBC, not the 33 SF. The 33 SF is much lower (11'6") than both the 33 FBC (12'6")and the 35's (12'2"). Since the 33 SF has slightly less V (17.5 vs 18 per my 1984 Bertram spec sheet) and has a lower center of gravity (especially with the same Cats in your 35) I'll bet it rolls less than your 35. Even with the keel your boat only draws 2" more than the 33's (3'2" for diesel 35's and 3' for all 33's). I'll give you the following sea as I'm sure the keel helps tremendously, but I doubt that the 35's are measurably better in a head sea than either 33 as the weights are pretty similar (24.5K lbs for the Cat 35's and 22.3K for the Cat FBC and 21.8K for the Cat SF). I mean c'mon, both boats are Napier hulls so how different cound they be? Given the similarities in the hull specs, I'd argue that the 35's are closer to 33's than they are to a 31. You're also questioning the opinion of a guy who's owned both boats. Whether he's right or wrong, he liked the 33 better. As far as the 35's being better built, I'm assuming you mean better built than the 31's. Regardless, I don't think you can go wrong with either the 33 or the 35. Regards, Doug L. 1986 33 Bertram FBC Queen Elizabeth Marblehead, MA [img]http://www.bertram33.com/photogallery/p ... sabeth.jpg[/img]

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:30 pm

quote:Originally posted by Sean Burlingham Now now guys, let's not start a pissing match. They all have their charms Sean Burlingham "Island Time" 1987 Bertram 33 SF Melbourne, FL SBurlingham@cfl.rr.com [img]http://www.bertram33.com/photogallery/p ... d_Time.jpg[/img]

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:53 am

Charlie, I think you can make the argument that any Bertram larger than 31' is like the B31 on steroids, in fact if you had to compare similarities, the B33 SF is much more like a 31 in layout and fishability than just about any boat made by Bertram since the 31. I have looked at the pictures of your boat next to a 33SF and can see a slightly more pronounced flair and I'm sure there is more height at the bow than the 33 but it's not super obvious in the pic. Now when you say the 35 doesn't flex, are you implying that the 33's do flex? I admit to never having been inside a 35 , much less for a ride on one but I can't imagine that it could be any more solid feeling than a 33 or most other Berts for that matter. As Sean keeps saying, they all have their charms and they do, I have to always think of some advice a very smart owner of a 90' Swan told me. He said never buy a bigger boat than you need. With that advice in mind, the 33 was my pick for a boat. The 33 does what I need with what I want in, fishability ,allows me and a companion to spend a week in comfort if necessary , will last virtually forever , looks like I would expect it to , is built like I would like it to be built and has a reputation that most builders envy. Now that would describe most Bertrams and I am sure that all of us here feel that way about any version of the 33 and we're all enough of Bertram fanatics that we would probably move up to another bertram if we were moving up in size but the fact is the reason this website says Bertam 33 and not Bertram 35 or Bertam 37, is that we love our boats and boats , all being the compromises that they are, are just right for us now. Of course after saying all that, I might add that the 35's and the 38's are some of the prettiest Bertams ever and I'm tempted sometimes to find one and do what Tom did to his 38 but I keep looking at what I have and being pretty thankful for that.[8D]