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Bertram 57

Discussion in 'Bertram Yacht' started by jimrab48, Apr 13, 2009.

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  1. jimrab48

    jimrab48 New Member

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    Anyone have any thoughts/info regarding the 57 Bertram Convt which began production in 2002 - construction, ride, pros/cons, etc
  2. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I ran a 2005 57' with a hardtop when it was new. I would never EVER want to run another. The center of gravity is too far foward on it. With anything more then half fuel, you end up with the eisinglass getting covered with a 5 gallon bucket of sea water every 2-5 minutes in 3' or larger seas. The only time it ran right was with 1/2 a tank of fuel or less, with full fuel it was horrible and if the holding tank was full even worse. It rode flat, never bow up and every few minutes would bow down in a wave covering the bridge strataglass, and pounded. The particular one I ran had all of the tabbing connecting the bulkheads to the stringers crack and break loose (basically the whole boat was coming apart), it sat at the factory getting repaired for 6 months and all they offered the owner was an additional year of hull warranty.

    They took a 54' hull and stretched it 3' which gave it a flatter running angle and more speed. Where they screwed up is the 54' had 1 fuel tank between the motors in the engine room, and a large fuel tank under the cockpit floor and combined I think the 54' held 1250 gallons. The did away with these and put a 1700 gallon tank IN FRONT OF the engine room bulkhead.

    The bow pulpit was also breaking free from the hull. The largest seas this boat ever saw were about 5'. It also had no decent sized fishbox.

    All of the beds are too short for anyone over 6' to sleep on without their feet hanging off, including the master. The dinette table was mounted so close to the dinette seat that any guy that was not a bean pole, could not get into the dinette seat to eat because there wasn't enough room between the table and seatback. Same with the bridge companion seat. When you'd flush any toilet in the boat, all of the lights would dim as the toilet pump cycled.

    The only pro it had, was that it was fast for the power. The one I ran had the smaller motors, 1300 Mans and burned 100gph at a tad over 30 knots.
  3. shimano

    shimano New Member

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    I have to totally disagree with you on the 57. I have fished on a 07 57 Bertram for the past 2 years in the GOM and love it. Fast and will handle anything we put it threw with ease. I am 6'2 and fit in every bunk/bed they have on that rig. I also have worked on an 05 45 Bertram and like that boat just as much as the 57 just slower and not as much range. Both boats handle everything we put them threw with ease and hardly ever have to throttle down. just my 2 cents
  4. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    What else have you fished on besides a Bertram?
  5. shimano

    shimano New Member

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    60 hatt. 62 weaver 45 cabo worked on 50 G&S in St. Thomas and had the opp. to fish with Jim on his 80 foot merrit reel tight
  6. Manny

    Manny Senior Member

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    Honestly, I think the 57' is a good boat. Some of the things Capt J is true, like water flying up to the flybridge every once in a while in a not-so-rough sea. In my honest opinion, I prefer the 54' Bertram over the 57'. When I was offered the opportunity for a brand new 57', I turned it down because I personally think my 54' is superior when it comes to navigation, and water will never EVER go up to the flybridge, not a single drop, even in 6' seas.

    And just to correct you Cpt J, the 54' has tank front of the engineroom, middle of the engineroom, and under the cockpit. Difference here with the 57' is that the 57' holds most of its fuel in the front of the engineroom, causing what you said of running flat when it's full on fuel. The reason they did this was because 54' Bertram owners began removing the cockpit fuel tank. They did this because that tank was generally used for long range cruising, so most didn't find the need to cruise very long ranges. Also, in removing the fuel tank, the 54' would gain a few more knots, as well as adding more storage space under the cockpit incase it was needed. Problem in removing the cockpit fuel tank was that it made the boat bow down, like with the 57'.

    My 54' is probably the only one that still has a cockpit fuel tank out of the 5 54's in my marina.

    In conclusion, I personally think the 54' is more superior than the 57' when it comes to navigation. After all, the 54' Bertram was the legend that put Bertram on top for a very long time. I noticed how Bertram began losing popularity once they seized production of the original 54'. Hell, would do you think they all of a sudden brought back the 54'? still, the new 54' is definitely not the original legend. It's probably even worst than the 57' when it comes to sea navigation.

    If you by chance change your mind about buying a 57', my 54' is open for purchase :D

    my 2 cents
  7. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    The Only tank on the 57' I was running was 1 tank in front of the engine room. It was wet wet wet and never rode bow up. But you're not even at the liberty of draining one tank instead of the other fuel tank first to change the running attitude of the boat.

    I've only run 1 54' Bertram and it rode nice. Here in the US, I haven't seen or heard of anyone removing the cockpit tank from their 54'. But that's not to say that people don't. I would think that if the cockpit tank was kept empty, it would be the same weight as if it was removed by the time people added all of their "stuff" in that space.
  8. capttommy

    capttommy Guest

    Biased information

    Beware of biased information.

    I would disagree with Capt Jay on a lot of what he said as well. After seeing his posts in various places I have come to the conclusion that he is either a dealer of Cabo and/or Viking or just hates Bertram for some reason or another. The 57' I was involved with, the owner was 6'4"+ and never complained.

    Buying a 57' bertram, I would recommend a survey very strongly. Recent years Bertram has had various problems and often fought warranty. With that in mind, the 57' is a good sea boat. It is not as good as the old 54's, but still a solid running boat, drier and softer than most Vikings, although the 61 would outperform and the 56' was pretty similar, just doesn't carry the weight. The 54' Hatt is a much smaller boat and has some serious flaws of its own and the 60 Hatt handles the sea better but chugs fuel like nobody's business.
  9. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Now why would anyone want to spend a $1 million on a boat built by a company that has had various problems and often fought warranty? The 57' Bertram that I ran was very wet even in very moderate seas and all of the bulkhead tabbing broke free from the stringers and the owner was without use of his sportfish for 6 months while they fixed it, first at Allied for 4 months and then at the factory for another 2 months. Bertram was kind enough to extend his hull warranty 1 year!

    I am not a dealer, nor am I a yacht broker. I am a Captain and have run all of the Cabo's in the lineup, many Vikings, many Hatteras', a few Bertrams, Egg harbor, and a few nice customs. Most of these on long deliveries in a variety of sea conditions. Each builder has one hull size in their lineup that rides considerably better then the rest.

    The 54' Hatteras is a phenominal riding boat. I've run one at 32 knot cruise in 6 foot head seas and never felt a thing. The boat just rode right through it and was pretty dry. The 61' Viking is Nice riding, very stable, but will pound in a head sea. Especially if you have the optional 200 gallon bow tank and it is full. My recommendations are based upon real world experience and are un-biased towards different manufacturers.
  10. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

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    Capttommy,

    I find your accusations absurd, but I don't expect you to stick around long enough to accredit yourself. At last count, Capt J has made over 650 posts. For the most part, they contain good, relevant information. Is he sometimes biased? Sure, but that makes him human. Is he always right? No, and he's been taken to task for it. But... he continues to contribute to YF, adding to the collective knowledge base here and a few of us come to respect the same.

    If Capt J was a dealer, we would have 'outed' him long ago. We're pretty good at that. Then, we would have banned him. You however... are questionable with a whopping 5 posts. Care to redeem yourself?
  11. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    I would echo the YF Admins comments re CAPTJ, he and I have had some disagreements about a few engineering things but overall his input is good, he seems to have a good knowledge of many sportfish type boats and is not afraid to give his opinion as he sees it.
  12. nilo

    nilo Senior Member

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    location fuel tanks on bertram 57

    i believe to have the fuel tank in between the engine room and accomodation is a ferretti thing. the reason is two folds;

    one is to have a level boat at all fuel levels, which is good for a motor boat, but may be not for a sports fisher, which may tackle more high seas and;

    second to use the fuel tank as a sound dampener between the engine room and the accomodation.
  13. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    This is true on both accounts. But on this particular Bertram, it puts the center of gravity too far foward and it runs too level. On a sportfish with a 30 knot cruise, you can always get the boat to run level with the trim tabs because you have so much water running over them ( providing they're properly sized).


    Yachtforums and Kiwi, thank you both for your support.
  14. nilo

    nilo Senior Member

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    bertram fuel tanks location

    Yes, you can use trim tabs for a correction, but this is indeed a correction and not a natural behavior of the hull.

    By the way does applying a lot of trim tabs increase fuel consumption? Anyway, I had this difference in between the Azimut that I had once owned and the Ferreti that I have moved up. In the Azimut even the radar support had to look somewhat downwards to compensate the trim, but ferretti was running so flat that putting the radar dome without any additional support on the radar arch was possible. Of course as you said the downside is a wet run in seas anything but flat.
  15. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Most of the sportfishes tend to run a little bow high, which is great for rough seas. Putting the trim tabs down around 50% is where most sportfish like to run and pick up an additional 1.5-2 knots (if it's a faster one) at the same RPM and fuel consumption in most all cases that I've seen. The trim tabs down make the boat run more flat, but also seem to give the stern more lift and it rides a little less in the water. When you put the tabs down at a given rpm and pickup speed, you're actually increasing your efficiency and decreasing your load......

    I'd prefer to run a vessel with a little bit of a bow high attitude at cruise because you can make it run flat with trim tabs. If a boat runs flat normally, you can't do anything to make it run bow high, except possibly try to transfer weight (in the form of fuel or other).

    I've run a few azimuts a 50, 68plus, 70 seajet and they run fairly well in a sea, but I wouldn't say they're dry. I've run a 59' Feretti in 3-4' seas and it rode pretty good, but was much faster then the azimuts at cruise and seemed to ride pretty good......very stable....it was beamy and had a nice layout.......the engine room was easier to get around in also. But I would rather have something else over an Azimut or Feretti here in the US.
  16. nilo

    nilo Senior Member

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    So do I, and that's why I neither own an Azimut nor a Ferretti any longer:)
  17. capttommy

    capttommy Guest

    Does talking alot make someone right?

    You want to know why I said what i said? Look at any of the posts Capt jay has made recently where people asked about boats - in EVERY ONE he has recommended Cabo (or Viking secondary)! Regardless of what they asked. Including insulting one who asked about Oceans and some other cheaper boats - ("I think he is trying to buy more boat than he can afford"!) How is that helpful?

    I have run most of the boats he has discussed and he has repeatedly stated inaccurate information about ride, amenities, comfort, etc.

    Ask almost anyone in the industry on the east coast about Cabo and they will tell you the same thing - they ride hard and very wet, although I can't speak for the bigger ones I have personal experience on 5 and several close associates who have run those and 2 other models with the same remarks.

    His claims on the 57' Bertram are so far off they are absurd! As proven by everyone else who responded who have actually owned or driven them.

    Just because someone has made a lot of posts on your site doesn't make them anything but willing to spend a lot of time at the computer!!! I just found your site recently and added my input where I felt people needed honest unbiased opinions with first hand knowledge. If you look at my posts you will see that I consider the type of use a person wants, and then offer the plusses and minuses of each vessel I have opined on.

    I stand behind everything I have said and am willing to offer UNBIASED OPINIONS on those things I have knowledge about that others may need.
  18. capttommy

    capttommy Guest

    Alright Mr Capt Jay - here is why you would consider buying a boat for a million dollars whose manufacturer has had their share of problems and fights warranty - ONE the boat is NO LONGER IN WARRANTY! - TWO If you have a survey you will know whether that boat represents a problem - a decent surveyor knows history of manufacturers and where to look for problems and if there were any, whether they have been handled correctly. THREE - it's an excellent boat, probably one of the best in its class (that is mid 2000's 54-60') FOUR can be bought cheaper than some of their competition. So reserve you r smart answers for people who can't see through your biased opinions.

    Show me a boat builder who hasn't periodically had problems . For that matter, very few don't fight warranty issues - especially in hard times.
  19. Manny

    Manny Senior Member

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    I'm just going to point something out to you Tommy. That post you said saying CptJ is working for Cabo and so on and so forth sounded like you were flaming him more than anything else. I personally think Cpt J is an honest commentator and gives very good opinion, most, MOST, are accurate. And Cpt J isn't the only one here who says Cabo's are great boats, because I also think they're great boats with a great ride and very well built. Honestly, don't get so worked up about this.

    my 2 cents