Among several outstanding cruisers under 30 feet built over the years, the Bertram 28 Flybridge Cruiser (1971-94) ranks among the best for its timeless styling, versatile layout, and consistent owner satisfaction. Over 2,800 Bertram 28s were built in various configurations making her the company's all-time best-selling model. Designed along the lines of the classic Bertram 31, the 28 quickly established her reputation with offshore anglers as a durable fishing platform with comfortable cabin accommodations and excellent range.
Like all Bertrams of her era, the 28 rides on a solid fiberglass deep-V hull; her broad 11-foot beam, however, is unusually wide for a 28-footer. Belowdecks, a space-efficient interior includes a convertible dinette, efficient galley with sink and refrigerator, standup head with shower, and adequate, if not copious, of storage. (Note that the original mica interior was dropped in 1983 and replaced with light oak trim.) In 1982, the Bertram 28 Mark II came out featuring a slightly extended cabin bulkhead, and in 1994 the fuel capacity was increased to 240 gallons. With the 28 III model (1990-94), the cabin was slightly revised, and the bench seat on the flybridge was replaced with a pedestal helm seat. Superior workmanship and constant refinements kept the Bertram 28 in the forefront of small fishing boat designs during her long production run. Twin 230hp gas inboards (19 knots cruise/27 knots top) were standard until 1985 when they were replaced with larger 260hp MerCruisers (21 cruise/30 top). In 1992 optional 230hp Volvo diesels (27 knots cruise/30 knots wide open) became available. While fuel efficiency wasn't a huge factor during her production years, it's worth pointing out that most gas-powered Bertram 28s will get close to one mile per gallon at her 30-knot cruising speed -- not bad for a heavy, deep-V boat.
Given all of her assets, it should be noted that the 28 is a seriously wet boat in even a modest headsea so be prepared to get drenched on the bridge. More importantly, however, the fiberglass fuel tanks used in all Bertrams of that era are not fond of today's ethanol-blended gas. Fiberglass tanks will deteriorate quickly when exposed to E10 (a solvent) causing the fuel system to gum up and the engine to quit. Short of finding a source on non-ethanol gas, the options here are changing out the original tank or keeping it and repowering with diesels. Replacing the tank will run $3,000 to $5,000, and repowering with diesels will cost many thousands more. All of which makes the purchase of a used Bertram 28 (or any gas-powered Bertram with fiberglass tanks) somewhat problematic. At the time of this writing (winter, 2013) there continue to be a good supply of used Bertram 28s listed at various online classified sites, most all with the original fiberglass fuel tanks. Still, the cost of replacing the tank can be justified when one considers the many assets of this popular model. For those willing to go through the time and effort required to get the tank replaced, the pride and enjoyment that come with owning a well-maintained Bertram 28 would be hard to overestimate.
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