33 bertram

robingb · Post by **robingb** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 10:41 am

i will be looking at a b33 sportfisherman tomorrow and hope i can get some questions answered beforehand: 1. it is powered by twin cat 3208t's with 270hp. apparently boat cruises at 18 knots (which seems slow). is this boat underpowered ? i have been looking a 32 blackfin that is 5000 lbs lighter but has 375hp. 2. i read david pascoe's review and he says the b33 is wet like the b31. is that right? 3. the article also mentions other b33 weaknesses including aft hatches that leak on the generator, hull weakness that causes gel coat stress cracking and gunwales with thin fiberglass leaving the toe rails weak and prone to stress cracking. has this been the experience of owners? thanks, gary

TonyNJ · Post by **TonyNJ** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 1:27 pm

Robingb, The B33 is a HEAVY boat for it's size and (in my opinion) is a bit underpowered with the 270's. The 18kt cruise sounds about right for that power though but if it had the 375 Cat's that the Blackfin has, it would cruise at about 25kts. I have found that the ride of the B33 is not all that wet. But you can and will take some spray on the FB in 4'+ seas just like the B31. One of the main reasons for this is that in either the B33, B31 (or the Blackfin), you will find yourself still crusing at your normal speed. As far as the hatches...yes, they do leak on the GenSet. This is a problem with both the B33 and the B31. On the B33 you can move the Genny under the salon floor with a bit of planning, do a bit of glass work and rework the gutters or just cover it when not in use. The stress cracks in the gelcoat are mainly due to the hardness of the gelcoat itself. It is in no way a structural issue. Hope this helps, Tony 1985 B33 "Wetted Bliss"

skyking · Post by **skyking** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 4:00 pm

Gary (robingb) I think Tony (Tonynj) is right on the money. B33's are very heavy for a 33 ft boat. And I also agree that with a 270hp diesel it is a bit underpowered. My 82 B33FBC has 350hp Crusaders and they are still under powered. The problem is that the boats run alot better at 19-20 knots than they do at 15-16. The problem with my gas engines is that at 19-20 knots I'm at 3300-3400 rpm's (depending on load onboard) and the 4 barrels have opened and my gas consumtion is around 35-40(closer to 40) gals an hour.That works out to 1/2 mile to a gallon. I feel (IMHO) that 33's would do much better with 385hp gassser w/EFI or 330 hp diesels. What do you guys think ???? Happy Holidays to all. Ken L skyking@post.com www.kenliller.com

Post by **Admin** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 6:33 am

Man, we must all be one big happy family here, all on the same page, because I too agree with all that has been said here. Our babies are BIG babies, quite heavy, mostly because of superior construction. My 340hp 454s are very new, and are at the very low end of being enough power. If I could repower, I would do a minimum of the 385hp 454 EFI engine, but would really give it all I could if I could afford it with the 425hp Cats. The lower RPMs you can keep to get you to your cruising speed, the better for your engines. On the issue of being wet, I personally don't see them being anywhere near as wet at the b31, but there is the occassional spray when you get the knots up and the swell is significant. I have a 3/4 FB enclosure, and with the front open, I get only the slightest bit of spray from time to time. David Sumich Bertram33.com Forum Administrator

will newton · Post by **will newton** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 7:18 am

Gary, it appears you have been looking at a few boats (your posts range from fuel capacity to fumes). Let us know what you decide. I think all would agree, it is how you use the boat that decides design and power requirments. Blackfin and Bertram built some of the best all around designs and they were all built well...I doubt you will be disappointed with either manufacture. I'm sure you are aware of this but if you take any 33 foot boat or 43 ft boat for that matter, offshore in sporty seas and winds you are going to catch some spary and be a pushed around at times (enclosures work well here). If you have a problem with the spray you should limit your offshore work to under 3 foot seas. I have found the 33FBC to be dry and quiet hull (if trimed right) and certainly bares little comparison if any to the B31 as it is a 1st generation Hunt hull and not a Napier. Not sure what you have to spend but I would look long and hard and travel to see as many as you can of the newly repowerd Bertram 33 SF's that are on Yacht World. You have a bunch of choices (certainly more than the BF 32) and many have less than 500hrs on modern high hp diesels. Best of luck. Will Newton 1989 B33 FBC Jacksonville, FL

Post by **Admin** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 11:22 am

Good point Will. You can find this same info under the Listings section of the main website. It is basically a little script that finds all Bertram 33s on YachtWorld.com: http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/ ... ce=9999999 David Sumich Bertram33.com Forum Administrator