Click for JetForums Click for Westport Click for Ocean Alexander Click for Westport Click for Mag Bay

Bertram 38 Express

Discussion in 'Bertram Yacht' started by rjackson, Nov 17, 2011.

You need to be registered and signed in to view this content.
  1. rjackson, Nov 17, 2011
    #1
    rjackson

    rjackson New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2009
    Messages:
    4
    Location:
    Fremantle, Western Australia
    G'day to all,
    I'm new to the forum and need a little advice. I have owned a couple of small Bertrams, and now I'm looking at a restored 1986 38 express. Any info you can give me about this model would be appreciated. My biggest concern is that I read an article by Dave Pascoe that said Bertram experimented with foam core construction in there 38' line of sport fishermen boats during the mid 1980's resulting in failures......Does anyone know if the 38 Express was built using the foam core method ?.....

    Attached Files:

  2. Loren Schweizer, Nov 17, 2011
    #2
    Loren Schweizer

    Loren Schweizer YF Associate Writer

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2004
    Messages:
    1,352
    Location:
    Coral Gables/Ft. Laud., FL
    These boats were built solely with end-grain balsa coring with solid FRP hull bottoms.
  3. rjackson, Nov 17, 2011
    #3
    rjackson

    rjackson New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2009
    Messages:
    4
    Location:
    Fremantle, Western Australia
    Thanks

    Thanks for the info, much appreciated. If anyone has owner one of these boats I would like to hear from you, being an older Bertram I would assume its a very good sea boat....
  4. SHAZAM, Nov 17, 2011
    #4
    SHAZAM

    SHAZAM Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2008
    Messages:
    601
    Location:
    The Ghetto
    That's a great looking boat. It's amazing that by simply removing the old windshield the boat looks completely different. At first glance you wouldn't recognize it as an old 38 special.
  5. Capt J, Nov 17, 2011
    #5
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,434
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale


    I wouldn't touch a balsa cored boat. Every balsa cored boat I've seen had saturated balsa that effected it structurally.
  6. rjackson, Nov 18, 2011
    #6
    rjackson

    rjackson New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2009
    Messages:
    4
    Location:
    Fremantle, Western Australia
    balsa core

    I guess that means that the balsa core becomes saturated with water. Would a normal survey detect this problem?....I am intersted in the boat because it has had a complete refit...from the deck to the tower including new motors and genset....can I post a link to the advertised boat to get feed back from the forum? .....I live in Australia and have nothing to do with the boat....just had to make that clear.
  7. YachtForums, Nov 18, 2011
    #7
    YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2002
    Messages:
    20,375
    Location:
    South Florida
    I have NO problem with a boat using balsa core above the waterline. It's more dense than foam and has greater compression and sheer strength. It also offers excellent sound dampening.

    Obviously balsa will rot if permeated, but foam can turn to powder through pulverization if the skins delaminate from the core; usually at points prone to flexing. Once the skins begin to chafe the core, it deteriorates rapidly.

    I've seen a number of end-grain, balsa-cored boats that have fared elements and time very well, still structurally as sound and solid as the day they were delivered.
  8. Capt J, Nov 18, 2011
    #8
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    14,434
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    My only experiences with it are on two boats. A 2001 37' wellcraft that we had to replace the entire front deck on and parts of the cockpit floor because it was water logged and the deck was totally mushy. And also an older 55' Searay sedan bridge and it had issues on the hull side below the engine room vents. I am not expert on coring materials, but the balsa seems to absorb water like a wick. I imagine that if it's properly sealed and done it should be ok. But, all it takes is one screw in a wet location that's not properly bedded for water to get into any coring.

    I agree that the boat looks really good without that 3' high ugly windshield that they had. A survey should determine the structural integrity of the boat.