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If you are anything of a traditionalist and you ever
get the opportunity to buy one of these, you should not pass it
by. The 26.6 is the only outboard model that Bertram ever
made. The 20 and 25 Bahia Mar and Moppies were either stern drives
or inboards.
Now, why they call this a convertible is a bit
of a mystery, because all other convertibles are flybridge sedans,
but this is a cuddy cabin outboard. Well, it does have a convertible
top. In any case, near as I can tell, they only made this boat for
a couple of years, like around 1981 - 1984, so they are scarce,
very scarce. In fact, the literature I have is contradictory as
to when they were produced, and in all likelihood, it was more or
less on a special order basis. "If you want one, we'll make
it for you, but we don't keep them in stock," sort of thing.
So why would you want to buy one? Big, beamy (ten
feet) and oh, my what a deep vee on this little beauty. And, of
course, it is a Bertram with all that goes with that name. Like
how about 16 years old and not one crack anywhere in hull or decks.
Not one. Now, the protractor I used to measure the bottom angle
isn't all that great, but I can say the deadrise comes in at closer
to 30 degrees than 25. Sort of looks like an upside down Swiss chalet
roof. Not designed to keep the snow off, but to slice through waves
just as nice as can be, and there's not doubt about how well it
does that. This boat is intended to go places fast in rough water
without requiring a trip to the dentist or bone cruncher.
What, you're concerned about fuel ecomomy?
You are on the wrong page, friend. Go look at the sailboats or trawlers.
From the all stainless steel and chomed bronze
hardware, to the sturdy painted aluminum windshield which has the
original paint still holding on after sixteen years, its got quality
written large all over it. Yeah, can you believe it? Painted aluminum
that's not all blistered and corroded. That's because it was prepped
right rather than just shooting paint onto a unprepared surface.
Just one more reason why good boats cost more.
This is probably the first 26.2 II that I've ever
seen, or at least noticed. It really struck me as a rather unusual
boat. Or perhaps I shouldn't say unusual because back in the 60's
and 70's there were a lot of boats like this built. So its unusual
from the stand point that it was built in 1982. Its size is deceiving.
While sitting next to a 27 Tiara, it looks much smaller while in
fact the difference is only one foot. The cockpit is huge, and the
freeboard quite high, though the cockpit at first glance does not
look all that big because of the also very large motor well. Take
a look at the above photo. I mean, is this a motor well or
what? Yeah it is, and that's because this is designed as an ocean
boat. Yes, really, this is what an outboard ocean boat should look
like. Especially when a fisherman is going to put that stern into
the waves.
Well, folks, you gotta have some means of keeping
the water out, and that's the way you do it. Of course its not convenient,
but then neither is it going to the bottom like a stone thrown from
a bridge when that unexpected wave comes along. I'll tell you about
how a friend of mine lost his dog sometime, because it was being
a nuisance so he locked the dog in the cabin. The boat took a wave
over the stern and went down so fast, it took the dog with it.
With that in mind, if you're going out to sea, better do it in a
boat that's designed for it. My friend's wasn't. Another odd thing
is that the motor well is so deep or so high that the engines are
amost hidden. Notice that the owner has dacron covers on each of
them.
She weighs in at 5100 lbs. without engines, overall
at least 6500 with, so she's barely a thousand pounds less than
a 27 Tiara. That's why it isn't falling apart. A pair of 200 HP
Yamahas push her along at a respectable 32 mph, but with that weight
and deep vee, she's no speed demon. A pair of 225's would be a bit
better by giving a lower cruising RPM and better fuel economy.
I especially like the open, uncluttered deck where
there is almost no restriction on your ease of movement. The high
gunwales are a bit problematic for a bill fisherman, but you can
use a net or gaff for anything else. If you are a dedicated diver,
then you are probably not going to like that motor well very much,
as climbing over that in full gear would not be my idea of a fun
thing to do. This boat is definitely not a diver's dream. So what
is it really good for? Well, just fishing and as a basic utility
boat. You will have no trouble with two, even three folding Pompantte
deck chairs for taking friends for a ride. No aluminum beach chairs,
please.
When you look at the size of the cuddy cabin is
when you begin to realize that this boat is nearly 27 feet long.
It is surprisingly large, so if you are young and adventurous, its
not beyond the realm of taking a long trip in a small boat. The
space is plenty large for overnighting, along with plenty of space
for stowing gear. The high gunwales mean that you can enclose this
boat and still have lots of head room without getting claustrophobia,
or reducing visibility. In fact, with that high windshield, visibility
with the top up is great. Drop the top and the cockpit suddenly
seems huge with no motor boxes to get in the way.
You may not be thrilled with the all teak cockpit
ceilings, but you'll notice from the photos that the owner has kept
them up nice, even in the Florida sun and daily rains. You could
just as easily let them turn silver, but that nice accent would
be lost.
As with so many of the small Bertrams, especially
the 31, this is really an enthusiast's boat. If you're just looking
for a good, all purpose boat, you can find a lot more suitable boats
than this. It comes with only two pedastal seats. You buy one of
these because of what it is, like an old sports car. This is the
Corvette of small boats. Its a pride of ownership thing which,
unlike cars, there's a dearth of collectibles, at least in fiberglass
boats. On the other hand, aside from the teak, there's not much
to maintenance since boats of this size don't get much more basic
than this one.
Its not hard to understand why Bertram didn't keep
this one on the market very long. Its not for everybody. But if
it fits your style, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better
unless its custom built.
Other high quality boats in this class:
Blackfin 27 outboard
27 Tiara
Albermarle 26
| These
are "reviews", not surveys, and bear no resemblance
to our survey reports.
We do not publish the results of the surveys that we perform.
Please note that the purpose of these reviews is educational,
to help you discern the differences in quality among boats generally.
They are not offered as a means to help you evaluate any particular
boat builder. We have no other reviews than those posted. |
Posted July 29, 1998
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