1976 Bertram 28 Flybridge Cruiser Boat in Port O Connor, TX 77982 US

For your consideration, we are selling our 1976 Bertram 28 Flybridge Cruiser. Approximately 9 years ago we purchased her and had her transported from Florida to Texas. We spend 2 years completely going through everything, upgrading, and making repairs. We moored her in Rockport for a year, then moved her to Port O'Connor and stored her on a trailer in dry storage. She has been a reliable, and fun boat. We have purchased a bigger boat, and we have decided it is time for someone else to enjoy her as we have.

In the beginning of our ownership the repairs and upgrades include:

Installation of all Garmin electronics: 2) GPSMAP 8610XSV's, GXM 54 Sirius XM antenna, VHF 220, and backup 210 AIS radios, Panoptix livescope transducer, GLS transducer.

We fared the transom of the boat to properly fit trim tabs, and replaced the hydraulic actuators for Lenco electric actuators.

We removed all the brass hardware, cleaned up what was reusable, and replaced what was not. We removed all wood backing boards for the hardware, and replaced that wood with Coosa.

We installed new strut bushings, and replaced both shafts, we properly aligned the new struts to the shaft log, and to the engine, and new propellers that have been resized to reach the right RPM ranges without the risk of running to high exhaust gas temperatures.

We replaced the original rudders with oversized rudders so she can be steered under the power of one engine. We rebuilt the rudder shelfs with coosa. Installed a new hydraulic steering ram, pillow bearings, and steering linkages

We installed a stereo system, charging ports for devices, and a TV that is linked to the chart plotters so you can be aware of what the captain is seeing on the chart plotters.

All new bilge pumps, float switches, early warning float switches, and hoses replaced. ALL NEW HOSES, including bilge hoses, fuel fill hose, fuel vent hose, engine hose, wash down hoses, exhaust hoses, elbows, mufflers, and clamps.

All new gauges, and boost gauges added, along with EGT gauges.

Windlass installed, with new wiring, chain, rope, and anchor.

New nav lights, anchor and anchor light.

New flybridge bimini, new bimini hardware, and an enclosure was made for the bimini (Enclosure was only used a few times, and may be in poor shape)

Transmissions were gone through, and resealed.

New head installed, with hoses, filtration, and wiring.

If it was in poor shape, or questionable, it was replaced, or repaired..

A few years later, we installed a Garmin GPSMAP 8616 XSV. We installed new raw pump for the washdown, and new fresh pump for the fresh water side of the circuit.

We completely re-worked the engine cooling system, with all new oversized expansion tanks, new heat exchangers, new circulating pumps, new hoses and cooling lines, rebuilt raw water pumps, and we made the motorbox covers to allow for these upgrades. The point was to allow a large enough cooling system to run her at WOT for extended periods of time.

We also installed a PCV system to keep the engines from puking oil from not having a PCV system. In this, the engine got upgraded air filters.

We installed new high pressure fuel lines, had the injectors rebuilt, did overhead valve lash.

A few years later, an idler pully failed on the Starboard engine, and destroyed the engine. We had the engine completely overhauled, new crank, cam, pistons, connecting rods, and had the head rebuilt. At this, we installed new tensioners, idler pulleys, alternators, and belts on both engines.

I am a marine mechanic, I over maintain these engines, if one thing fails on one engine, that gets replaced on both engines. She shows to have 1325 hours on the starboard engine, and 1995 hours on the port. I believe these hour meters to be original to the boat, and I do not know if they even work. Engine hours were never a concern of mine, as I know these engines if well maintained will last for a very long time. I know we use the boat for 12 hours every trip, so every 5 trips we did oil changes, and impellers, and every season all fluids changed regardless of hours. Also after every trip, the engines get flushed, and the boat gets rinsed down with salt a way.

She does have A/C that we use a small generator for, she does not have an onboard generator.

The trailer is included as well. I never had a title transfer done after purchasing it. In the winter of 2024 the trailer received all new tires, bearings, brakes rotors calipers and pads.

Things I would consider doing if I were to keep the boat. I would build a new exhaust system from the turbos to the exhaust hose (some form of riser) a lot of these boats were designed with a poor exhaust system and turbos get ruined because of it. These turbos are not ruined yet, and probably have plenty of life in them, but if the turbos do fail, then I would redesign this exhaust system, as there is plenty of room with the new motor boxes.

In regards to the motor boxes, I made them myself out of coosa. I had a vinyl shop do the vinyl work, and against my request, they used regular steel staples. I would replace the staples with stainless.

It is time to replace the shaft packing, my last (and only) trip out this year, I noticed they were leaking excessively. I would have replaced the packing if I would have had packing available. When putting the boat back in my storage building this year, I did not have the garage door open enough, and broke the eyebrow, you can see where we glued it back together in the pictures. I also hit the chartplotters. the smaller chartplotter still has a full screen display, but only half of that screen works under touch. The bigger plotter popped some screws loose, but I re-screwed it back together, and sealed the seam where the screws go.

We store the boat in Port O'Connor Texas, and live in Tyler Texas. It is at the moment winterized. If you a serious about the boat, I would happily meet you down there for a test run, or can get someone to meet you to view the boat in storage.