[SharkyFHB]

Loren,

Great review on the new Bertram 70. You certainly have the proper background to write it and it is really great the way you tie the design and history of the still famous and still heavily fished 54 into the newest Bertram battlewagon.

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/be...sportfish.html

JH

[YachtForums]

Hear, hear... I concur sir! Loren did a great job on the Bertram review. We all appreciate Loren's brand of insight, but few people have better insight into the brand. Loren's experience in the industry is extensive, but more importantly he HAS experience. There are far too many literary degrees preaching to the choir and sadly... most of them have never been onboard a boat.

On a side note John, I hope you are well your last meal wasn't served by an air waitress.

[Loren Schweizer]

Thanks. I had a lot of fun doing that piece.

[Bertram4Ever]

Hi Loren,

I was wondering how you personally feel the 700EB stacks up against the Hatteras 68EB and 77? (I kind of think the latter is a different class of vessel, but it certainly seems commensurate...)

Any particular strengths or weaknesses you were able to determine during your reviews, or are they pretty much the same in the final analysis?

Thanks,

Steve

[Loren Schweizer]

Hi Steve:

You have a very good question and I hope my answer does it justice. First of all, you may be pleased to know that none of these boats--the 68 & 77 Hat and 70 Bertram--have any 'fatal flaws'.
A few nits, though: the 77's entrance door from engine room to the crew cabin provides a ridiculously skinny opening--Cap'n Beerbelly's gonna have a hell of a time going to and fro. Also, the aft F/B station offers poor aft visibility, especially looking over to the port transom corner. Transom gate weighs a ton. That's about it. (How weird is it that the 68 doesn't come with a gate?).

Yeah, you'd think that the 70 should be more fairly compared to the 68, but--hold the phone--the 68 is just under three feet (and the 77 is just over three feet) beamier than the 70, plus both boats outweigh the 70. From what I learned at the factory, Bertram has cut out any unnecessary fat in the FRP layup.

The most immediate difference is in their interior sizes. The EB on the 70 is noticeably smaller than the other two boats and that comes from the styling.

The Hats are BMWs to Bertram's Porsche. And, to take that analogy further, Hatteras is a 'busier' design, what with the aerated prop pockets/nineteen-bladed wheels, five fuel tanks...
Bertram did simplify the design but did not ignore the details... you can tell immediately after you hop onboard, especially if it was the Euro salon & galley with its sexy angles in the Plan 'A' version.

To me, personally, after looking at both builders for almost thirty years, as well as listening to owners of each (particularly at B-H Shootouts), The Hat appeals to the Hat guy, and...well, you know. Ford & Chevy.

They are both great marques and all three are boats to fall in love with.
And, IMHO, they all are better-looking than the boxy Brand V in similar sizes.

Hope this was helpful. And, welcome to YF, BTW.

[Bertram4Ever]

Loren,

Many thanks for your response--I was worried it might have been brushed off as a n00b question! I actually think Hatteras puts out some might fine vessels, and both the 68 and 77 are boats that would do anyone proud, I'm sure. Sounds like the new 700 fits right in with that crowd.

And thanks for the welcome...I've been lurking here for two years, but finally got up the guts to ask a question!

Steve