By Scott Shane
The 35 Convertible was a pioneer for Bertram Yachts; one of the original, early builds. A good argument can be made for it being one of the more popular models due to its size and fish raising capabilities.
Production began in 1970 and the flybridge, mid-size sportfisherman had a respectable 15-year run. Her layout, huge cockpit and the famous Hunt deep-V hull that could bust through just about any sea conditions kept her ahead of most of the competition and still does.
We’ve written about more than a few Bertrams in this column but not so much about Richard Bertram the person.
A New York Times profile in May 2000 described as a champion sailor on powerboats, racing yachts, a leading boat builder and broker. He was born in East Orange, New Jersey, and learned to sail on Barnegat Bay as a child with his parents. He took to competitive sailing and pursued it throughout the world, earning him the designation by Sports Illustrated as “one of the finest ocean racers anywhere.”
In 1947, Bertram moved to Miami, Florida, where he opened Richard Bertram & Company, a successful yacht brokerage firm, with clients that included Aristotle Onassis and King Hussein of Jordan, the New York Times profile said. Bertram continued racing and set standards in the World Offshore Powerboat circuit. Often, he raced in his own 31-foot Bertram, Lucky Moppie.
He founded Bertram Yacht in Miami in 1960 and began the first large production runs of pleasure boats with C. Raymond Hunt’s revolutionary deep-V hull design. In 1963 he licensed International Marine of Scoresby, Victoria, Australia, to manufacture Bertram Yachts.
The 35 received many updates along the way and the 1980s saw the elimination of much of the wood used in construction, as fiberglass became more integral to manufacturing techniques and the building process.
“In 1981 the MK II model was debuted with an updated flybridge layout. The following year the original, vinyl-over-plywood cockpit was replaced with a solid fiberglass sole — a big improvement since the plywood tended to rot. In 1984 teak cabinets and trim replaced the original wood-grain Mica décor,” a report by Powerboat Guide said.
Steve Matthews owns Pepper, a 1976 35-footer, that he’s had since 1995. His boat is not your average older boat with fresh paint.
“In 1995 the boat was rebuilt from the bottom up. We took the flybridge off the boat and trucked it down to our good friend John Meyer, owner of L&H Boats at the time. Refurbished the flybridge with a center pod and two bench seats like the old Merritt boats,” Matthews said.
Two stations were fabricated in the cockpit, and port side is a bait station and cockpit controls, he said.
“The starboard side we added a cooler and freezer box. The front windows were glassed in and the entire boat was repainted with Awlgrip,” Matthews said. “It was designed as a day-boat-style with no aft bulkhead. It shipped back to New Jersey for a full tuna tower on her.”
Boaters in the United States are not the only fans of the 35 Convertible. As previously noted, Bertram licensed a company Down Under to manufacture the brand and their popularity rivaled its fans stateside.
“I was born in Melbourne and 1970 and soon rocketed to stardom in game fishing circles. I was the best performing model in my class and there are more than 300 of me running around Australia today,” a boat review in an Australian publication said. “My first name starts with a ‘B’ and my second name begins with a ‘T.’ It’s the Bertram or more correctly Caribbean 35, the most popular production game boat ever built in Australia – still going strong as an ox after almost 30 years.”
Jim Carton also is a proud 35 owner. His Shady Lady is a 1974 edition. His family has had three generations of fishing aboard; his grandfather originally purchased the boat in 1974 for his 70th birthday. The boat was repowered twice over its lifetime.
“My grandfather chose the Bertram due to its handling. We added a set of chines to cut down on the spray; they work well, though slightly affected her ride in a head sea,” Carton said. “In 1984 we repowered with a set of Volvos and then again in 2004 with a pair of 330-hp Cummins engines.”
Pepper also has been repowered a few times.
“The original engines were a pair of 3116 Caterpillars,” Matthews said. “The second set was a pair of Cummins QSB 420 hp. We just repowered this past winter, after 9000 hours on the Cummins, with a new set of QSB 480 horse. She’ll run 29 knots at 72 percent load with a fuel burn of 30 gallons per hour.”
The Powerboat Guide describes her as a versatile family cruiser, though more at home as a fishing boat. The interior falls under the cozy category with berths for four. The galley is to port in the salon and the head features a separate stall shower. The MK II floor plan, post 1981, has more interior storage with berths to starboard and centerline versus V-berths forward.
The cockpit area is tops in her class thanks to her more than 13-foot beam. Freeboard is ample and the gunnels wide to secure multiple rod holders around the perimeter.
Her profile is all Bertram; a well-balanced picture. The shear forward toward the bow is straight with minimal rise and no interruptions. The house sits equidistant from transom to prow.
“My father chose the 35 due to its handling and Richard Bertram’s reputation. It was one of the best, strongest glass boats back in the early ’70s,” Carlton said.
“My dad loved to fish and he especially loved to catch tuna,” Matthews said. “He loved the Bertram boats so we went for it. She gets us where we need to go, maybe not as fast, but she always gets us home,” Matthews said.
The Richard Bertram name will continue on as long as there are boaters. So, what are you waiting for? Go find one of these tanks and go fishing.
