Bertram 35 Flybridge Review, Specs and Ownership Guide

A 31 for the 21st century

When Bertram restarted under new ownership in the mid-2010s, it did not lead with a big convertible. It led with the bertram 35, a flybridge day boat drawn by Michael Peters to recall the classic Bertram 31 that made the brand. The first two hulls were built by Lyman-Morse in Maine, the boat premiered at the 2016 Newport International Boat Show and then Fort Lauderdale, and production moved to Bertram's plant in Tampa, the former Lazzara Yachts facility.

Bertram now sells it as the 35 Flybridge, or 35FB, in its Offshore Series alongside the 50 Sport and 61 Convertible. The company describes it as inspired by the 31 but with a longer, beamier hull and the ability to be fully fish-rigged. Bertram's chief executive at launch framed the goal more simply: the ultimate day boat.

The resemblance is real. A low sheer, a raked bow, a compact flybridge and engines under a cockpit hatch all echo the 31. What changed is everything you cannot see from the dock.

Sixty molds where the 31 needed nine

Bertram's engineering lead on the project, Earl Blackwell, explained that the old 31 was built from eight or nine molds with screws and aluminum trim covering seams everywhere. The 35 uses more than 60 molds and no trim pieces at all. The flybridge alone is five separately tooled parts, through-bolted and bonded so it looks like one molding.

Below the waterline, a resin-infused solid fiberglass bottom with about a 70 to 30 glass-to-resin ratio is bonded to a foam-filled structural grid with Plexus methacrylate adhesive. The hull sides are Divinycell cored, and the keel and strakes are Kevlar reinforced. Extra foam over the grid in the bow reduces noise and vibration when charging into a head sea.

The hull carries 21 degrees of transom deadrise, less than the 31's 24, which buys stability at rest and a flatter trolling platform while keeping a sharp entry for rough water.

Cockpit, livewell and the fishing package

Bertram says the cockpit takes up nearly half the boat's length, and on a 35-footer that is a lot of fishing room. Standard equipment includes a transom door with a separate top gate, two large removable in-sole fishboxes each plumbed with its own macerator, and a transom livewell with an aquarium-style viewing window so the crew can check bait without opening the lid.

The engines live under a one-piece, electro-hydraulic hatch in the cockpit, express style, with cushions that double as seating or a sun pad. Current boats come with dual mezzanine seats as standard, and an upgraded mezzanine tackle center is optional. Rod storage is generous, with overhead rods in the saloon and ten extra rod holders on the aft bridge rail on test boats.

Fishing options include a teak cockpit sole and covering boards, Rupp outriggers, a Palm Beach-style helm with single-lever controls, a Dometic Eskimo ice maker, and a welded aluminum tower and hardtop. A Seakeeper gyro is offered, and on the 2017 test it reduced roll in 4-foot swells to almost nothing, which transforms a narrow deep-V when drifting or slow trolling.

• Transom door with separate top gate
• Transom livewell with aquarium viewing window
• Two removable in-sole fishboxes with individual macerators
• Engine hatch cushions as seating, mezzanine seats standard
• Optional tower or hardtop, Rupp outriggers and ice maker
• Optional Seakeeper gyrostabilizer

Flybridge helm and a cabin for weekends

The flybridge is deliberately uncluttered, with up to three Pompanette or Release helm chairs, a Palm Beach-style console with single-lever controls and bow thruster buttons, a couple of Garmin multifunction displays and a Caterpillar engine readout. An optional varnished teak helm pod is the detail most owners choose. Sightlines aft to the cockpit and forward over the bow are excellent, which helps both on a backdown and in a crowded marina.

Inside the wraparound windshield, a U-shaped dinette converts to a double berth, the galley has a two-burner cooktop, microwave, Sub-Zero refrigeration and a large stainless sink, and a single head has solid-surface counters and a shower. Forward, an en suite stateroom has an offset queen or optional V-berths. Teak-veneered foam panels keep weight down without looking cheap, and Bertram offers Atlantic (cream) and Pacific (dark blue) interior packages.

CAT C7.1 power, speed and handling

Every 35 we know of runs twin Caterpillar C7.1 diesels at about 500 to 507 hp on straight shafts with ZF gears. Power and Motoryacht averaged 36.1 knots at 2,918 rpm on 53 gph, 30.6 knots at 2,500 rpm on 36 gph and 25.8 knots at 2,200 rpm on 28 gph, and Marlin magazine reported a 28-knot cruise at close to one nautical mile per gallon. Bertram's early claims of 40 knots were optimistic.

The first test boat stalled in tight high-speed turns, and Bertram fixed it by toeing in the rudders about half an inch, after which the boat turned hard without complaint. Around the dock the 35 is a pleasure, with a big power-to-weight ratio, good visibility and responsive single-lever controls; a backdown at 5 knots kept the cockpit dry.

Range is the limitation. With 309 to 315 gallons aboard, Power and Motoryacht calculated about 260 nautical miles at 26 knots (28 gph) and under 200 at wide open throttle, so the 35 is a day boat for offshore runs of moderate length, not a long-range tournament traveler. That fits its brief, but canyon fishermen in the Mid-Atlantic should plan fuel carefully.

Tight engine room, modest running costs

The machinery space under the cockpit hatch is solidly engineered, with Delta T demisters, two crash pumps, high-end exhaust risers and Centek mufflers with surge tubes to protect the mains during hard backdowns. It is also tight once a Seakeeper and a generator are installed between the engines, and filter changes take patience.

Annual costs are reasonable for a twin-diesel boat. Budget about $45,000 to $85,000 a year for insurance, a 40-foot slip, fuel, CAT service, Seakeeper maintenance and a yearly haul. Fuel burn near 1 nautical mile per gallon at 28 knots keeps fishing days affordable compared with triple-outboard center consoles running the same speed.

If you meant a classic 1970s Bertram 35

Many people searching for a used bertram 35 for sale are looking for one of the original 35-footers Bertram built decades ago, such as the 35 Moppie express of the early 1970s, a very different boat on the classic Bertram deep-V. Those boats sell for a fraction of a new 35FB and still have a loyal following.

Repowering is the key to a good classic 35. A 1970 35 Moppie repowered with Volvo Penta IPS600 drives and D6 435 diesels went from 24 knots to 34 knots and gained joystick docking, though most owners choose simpler diesel inboard repowers. As with any 40-plus-year-old boat, structure, fuel tanks and wiring decide the value.