A six-step companionway leads down from the galley area to the accommodations passageway, slightly offset to port-of-centerline. Turn aft, and down three steps is the full-beam master stateroom featuring… windows! On the starboard side, this non-opening curved rectangular aperture stretches from the aft bulkhead to just aft of the head partition. For the worrywarts, tucked behind those twin mullions near the center, are 2 X 6 structural foam supports glassed in to the hullside to keep rogue waves and sea monsters out. Well-muted A/C wafts from valance vents. Headroom is 6’3”. There is ample drawer storage port & starboard and a largish hanging locker to port. Just flew in with suitcases? There is a dedicated space for them as well under the cabin sole at the foot of the berth, and there is underberth storage as well. The light beige wall vinyls & carpeting blend well with the mahogany and it’s liberal use of bull-nosed edges.

Lucky is the owner who finds himself ensconced on the plush, almost king-size, inner spring mattress berth…and who wakes up to a sunshiny view. A pair of nightstands and side mirrors flank the berth’s padded suede headboard and across is the entertainment system with it’s 26” LCD TV + Bose 3.2.1 sound system. Notable in the ensuite head to starboard are the classy side-by-side sinks in the marble vanity, the grande-sized shower stall (equipped with a teak seat), and the high-end Mitsubishi mirrored overheads— expensive polished stainless steel with none of the funhouse-effects that plastic mirrors offer.

Typical throughout the boat, the heads feature teak soles and the aforementioned mirrored overheads which really do make the space seem larger. The Tecma toilets are Italian, utilize freshwater to keep odors to a minimum, and require a two-stage (there are directions) flush which, I was assured, leaves no trace.

Claustrophobes will love these multi-faceted half-inch thick Plexiglas shower stalls. Note the robust Italian hinges; piano hinges are so last decade. The teak grating hides the drain as well as footprints. This VIP head’s light & bright ambiance is augmented by the opening hatch in the overhead.

The Very Important Guests will be properly pampered with a queen-sized pedestal berth that even has hullside steps for the vertically-challenged to climb up onto the comfortable innerspring mattress—a nice touch that is still finding it’s way into sportfishing boats of this size. There are a pair of swing lamps for reading on the forward bulkhead, which notably lacks a door to an anchor rode locker, since this is a watertight bulkhead. Outboard storage lockers complement the nicely-sized & cedar-lined hanging locker; there are drawers under the berth as well. As would be expected, the overhead hatch is the largest one on the foredeck and bug & privacy screens are provided. The TV is a grander 20” LCD version and the entertainment system includes an MP3 player. The ensuite head is offset aft to port and, similar to the master head, the shower stall includes a teak seat.

The starboard cabin is well-suited for those guests who packed too much stuff: there are side-by-side twin berths, each with storage beneath. A nightstand with drawer, upper outboard lockers, a hanging locker, and a four drawer dresser with shelf allow room for it all. They didn’t have to pack sheets & pillowcases, because Bertram supplies those for every stateroom as standard. Lighting is 24VDC or 120VAC, depending on the mood, and there is an overhead opening hatch for added light & fresh air, if desired, and a sliding privacy screen if not. The ensuite head is just aft and, similar to the other guest accommodations, entry is via a pocket door.

The portside stateroom with it’s 6’6” headroom is where the crew or the gangly teenagers will bunk out. As in all the other staterooms, occupants can adjust their own air conditioning, watch TV or DVDs on the flatscreen, listen to CD & AM/FM tunes, and set their own alarm clock for the requisite oh-dark-thirty start for Serious Fishing. Storage is quite adequate in the hanging locker inboard or under the lower berth. No second-class quarters, the size of the ensuite head—just aft—rivals that of the VIP. Across the passageway is the laundry center.

Construction Methods...

The old method of fastening the salon sole to the outboard hull shelves has given way to a salon ‘tub’, the sides of which are laminated to the hullsides and which help form the plenum boxes for the main engine air intakes. Simpler, stronger, and smarter. The method of using sub-panels in the electrical system was retained: not only are there remote (from the main salon panel, that is) breaker panels in various locations throughout, but there are weight savings in wire runs to be realized. If it ain’t broke… don’t fix it! Note the steeply-raked face of the combined house and enclosed flybridge, and how the lines flow aft down the pilaster to the sidedeck.

The Business End...

Two hundred and seventy-five square feet of cockpit might seem excessive, until there’s a multiple bite and all bedlam ensues. Backing plates are in place if one should choose to add a fighting chair and beneath the sole are two huge dunnage boxes which flank a seven-foot removable fishbox. Allegedly, someone in Ferretti management got their feet wet and so took issue with the previous cockpit drain method: now, the excess water collects along the periphery of the cockpit and feeds down into a plenum which then drains out through the transom via triple scuppers. Take that!

At the foot of the mezzanine seating are three gas-hinged hatches which can become freezers or baitwells or whatever you wish. A portion of the step forms a lockable engine room entrance…and that door to the right of the salon entrance is a good-sized all-fiberglass rod locker with it’s own freshwater washdown & drain. All the necessaries such as fresh & saltwater washdowns, freshwater fill, lube oil waste (for an 80 gallon tank), shore power main inlets (both with Glendinnings), and the like, are tucked away near the foot of the pilasters. For the fishing cognoscenti, the height of the coamings are a near-perfect 26 inches and, yes, there is space underneath them to stow a large gaff or two.

Hull Bottom & Running Gear...

The bow of this new 70 has more rake and has a noticeably finer entry when compared to this 57 (which has all the DNA of the venerable 54)—headseas will be met with a scalpel instead of the older steak knife. There are two strakes per side that run run aft about 40% and then cease. Twentyfive years ago, Bertram found that while lifting strakes offer dynamic lift (that old 31 had eight of ‘em), a penalty is paid in drag due to the additional wetted surface. The wide chine flats do the heavy lifting nowadays while the extra strakes add some spray-knocking capability as well as a certain styling element.

Unlike others in the industry (See the review of the 77 Hatteras Convertible in YF), Bertram chose not to go with cavernous propeller pockets but, rather, with ‘scallops’. This helps lessen the draft but not at the extreme expense of large transmission ratios requiring massive umpteen-bladed propellers. The bronze rudder is notable for it’s very deep chord. Together, with the keel that runs all the way back to the transom, this Bertram should be capable of tracking ramrod- straight in the kinds of following seas that would make your socks roll up & down. The strut is the time-tested Bertram hardware and it’s palm (which is bolted through the hull) is fitted flush into a recess...

...and then the whole affair is nicely faired into the scallop resulting in very clean water flow.

Bertram Yacht, going all the way back to it’s 1960 beginnings, was always noted for headsea & following sea capabilities. Indeed, the first advertising had Dick Bertram at the helm of one of the first 31-footers heading into the jaws of ocean inlet that was rougher than a cob and taking his hands off the wheel. That made believers of those who were used to doing it in the old white-knuckle fashion. How does a company improve on that?

The Bertram-Ferretti synergy and collaborative engineering efforts result in a superlative 70-footer whose evolution marks the beginnings of a new empire.

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Review by Loren Schweizer

Specifications:

Length, Overall (w/bow pulpit): 74’2” (22.6 m)
Beam, Max: 18’8” (5.70 m)
Draft: 6’ (1.82 m)
Fuel Capacity: 2,008 (7,600 lt)
Displacement: 116,404 lbs (52.8 ton)
Water Capacity: 350 (1,323 lt)
Engines: MTU 12V, 1825 HP (std) / MTU 16V, 2200 HP (opt)
Engineering: BERTRAM/Ferretti Group
Design of Superstructure and Interior: Zuccon International Project
Interior Décor: Marty A. Lowe, Inc.

For more information contact:

Bertram Yachts
3663 N.W. 21st Street
Miami, FL 33142
www.Bertram.com

Deck Plans: Top to Bottom...

1. Bridge Deck
2. Main Deck
3. Accommodation Deck