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| The Bertram 28 has a massive cockpit, for a boat of this size range. |
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The Ultimate Cockpit: Bertram 28
If you want to find the 28 foot fishing boat with the ultimate cockpit, look no farther than the Bertram 28. You will, of course, be looking at a used boat – Bertram hasn’t produced this model for years. Luckily, however, they built ‘em so rugged back in the day that the 28 hulls are more or less indestructible (I’ve seen one meet a floating telephone pole at 20-knots, and it did nothing more to the bottom than scratch the paint), so the 28 is an excellent “project” boat for repowering.
We’ve had a Bertram 28 in our family for over 10 years, Captain Dad’s Wildcat, which resides in Bodkin Creek and (boo hoo) is currently for sale; scroll down to see the ad. It’s being sold for personal reasons, not mechanical ones, and running this boat has taught me several key points about the Bertram 28: first off, it’s tough as a bull; second, it runs like a bull – waves get shoved out of the way, and it never slams; third, it sucks down fuel at a rate that will make any Saudi prince smile; and finally, it has the best cockpit of any 28 footer on the water, when it comes to sheer fishing room.
The cabin and flybridge are set pretty far forward on the boat, leaving a 10’ wide two-level cockpit which has few accouterments built-in, but so much room you can have a half-dozen anglers jigging, casting, or drift-fishing to their heart’s delight. With a 128-quart cooler sitting against the transom (sorry, no built-in fishboxes to speak of) there’s still room for a pair of anglers to stand on either side. And the width is such that trolling a 10-plus spread of lines is no problem.
Though these boats retain their value a lot better than most of the same vintage, it’s currently possible to pick one up in poor shape in the $20K range. If you’re looking for one that has solid powerplants and is turn-key, expect to pay between $35,000 and $45,000. If you want one that’s already been refurbished and is in “like new” condition, you’ll see them listed all the way up to $80,000-plus.
Yes, these boats burn a lot of fuel (Wildcat drinks about 20 gallons per hour at cruise), and they’re pretty darn slow (an 18 knot cruise is zippy), but when it comes to finding the ultimate cockpit for the given size range, the Bertram 28 is a sure thing. Just look at one, in all of its glory.
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