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Top notch, but what
grabbed me most was the 390’s stringer system. The transverse members
of the foam-cored fiberglass grid don’t end at the hull sides, as
most do, but continue 18 inches or so up the hull, increasing strength
and stiffness. Expensive and labor-intensive? Sure, but you’ll feel
a lot more confident when you’re trying to sleep as your partner
is piloting this boat through a tumultuous sea.
Sleeping easy below
underway? Any veteran of an overnight canyon run knows that statement
is an oxymoron. Well, think again. Remember that athwartships-mounted
fuel tank? It, and the other silence-inducing factors Bertram engineered
into the 390 (an acoustically enclosed genset, that Divinycell coring,
and plenty of engine room insulation), contributed to a steady 74
dB-A reading throughout
her interior while our test boat was ripping along at a full-bore 2690
rpm. That’s well within range of normal conversation (65 dB-A).
Of course you need more
than silence to sleep well. While the 390’s at the dock, the forward,
pedestal-mounted, foam-mattressed double berth will do the trick (you
won’t lack for additional changing room and locker space, either),
but underway, I suggest the starboard guest cabin. There, two single berths
are arranged side by side instead of the more popular, and less comfortable,
upper/lower arrangement. The 390’s single stall-shower-equipped head
is a quick step across the companionway from the guest cabin and has a
separate entrance to the master, via a solid cherry door. In fact, all
of the 390’s interior wood trim is solid, hand-varnished cherry,
which goes well with the liberal use of Corian countertops. Flush latches
in the high-quality vinyl overhead provide access to concealed rod-stowage
compartments. Also up here is a sturdy searail, an item conspicuously
absent on many offshore fishing boats. Echoing that concern for safety
at sea, the U-shape galley, two steps down, nestles in the port corner
forward of the saloon, designed so the cook can go about his or her other
business without fear of ping-ponging every time the boat comes off a
wave.
There wasn’t much
of a sea running when we raced out of Miami’s Government Cut (memories
of Moppie) to put the 390 through her paces, but a few hard turns,
made a lot easier thanks to well-installed, easy-to-work, Hynautic hydraulic
steering, generated enough wake to hint at seakindliness. Another sure-fire
indicator of a well-designed boat was that the climb onto plane (at about
1800 rpm) was so effortless that I had to glance aft from the flying bridge
to determine when she was totally out of the hole. Her bow stayed level
at all times; the 390 doesn’t ride with the bow-high attitude commonly
found with many sportfishermen.
There are more touches
that set the 390 Convertible apart from most of the pack. Both engines
are configured to allow them to power the boat’s emergency bilge
pumps with a yank on a valve. Access to those engines is from the aft
deck, so you won’t have to endure greasy stains defacing your carpeting
after you or a technician perform regular maintenance tasks. However,
if you need to pull an engine or the genset, both the 390’s saloon
sole and the aft deck can be removed by backing out a few bolts. The same
is true of the forward bulkhead, which allows access to the chain locker,
although there’s a small hatch located topside, too. That could come
in handy when you have a snarled anchor line or ned to unkink a chain.
However, here’s
something else to consider: If you’re the kind of fisherman who likes
to anchor out in deep water, the standard vertical Simpson-Lawrence Sprint
1000 windlass might be a bit on the light side. You therefore may want
to consider installing a more powerful windlass in its place.
Good engineering and
good performance have always been the hallmarks of the Bertram name, and
the 390 Convertible is certainly no exception to the rule. The fact that
this boat also offers a new level of style and luxury makes her one heck
of an anniversary present for serious fishermen.
Bertram Yachts
Phone: (305) 633-8011. Fax: (305) 635-1388. www.richardbertram.com.
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