2008 Bertram 700 Enclosed review

You really need to experience 38.3 knots to appreciate what Bertram is all about. And thanks to the continuously rated MTU engines, you can sit on top speed all day and in so doing, access new destinations in the blink of an eye.

But it's not just how fast the 52-tonne Bertram 700 Enclosed travels that leaves you speechless. It's the motion through the water. Fast, relatively heavy, and with plenty of deep-vee, the big Bertram cleaves the waves and throws the spray away with a degree of arrogance and disdain.

Given the rather lumpy conditions during boatsales.colm.au's sea trials, we assumed our rightful position in the protected enclosed flybridge and powered into the teeth of the weather at a relatively meek 32kt. Even at this cruise speed, in the enclosed air-conditioned flybridge, the meaning of Bertram smacks you in the face.

Betram is all about reeling in the sea miles in great comfort and as little time as possible, which gets back to speed and hull shape. And the only way you can reduce the tyranny of distance is to have a boat built for the job. The re-entry on the Bertram 700 Enclosed is accompanied by a sumptuous swoosh rather than a cattle-class crash.

A heavyweight that punches well above its weight, the Bertram leaves you redefining your notions about offshore travel. The boat we drove is the first Bertram 700 Enclosed from the Ferretti Group, the Italian yard that now owns Bertram. Yet the eagle badge still flies proudly on the superstructure and Betram's reputation for building and designing top-performing high-speed boats remains undiminished.

In fact, my critical eye reveals this Bertram 700 Enclosed to boast better attention to detail than when the Americans owned the yard. The boat we drove had a five-star finish thanks to, I'm told, new quality control measures at factory level. Such are the improvements that an existing Bertram owner bought this Bertram 700 Enclosed soon after it made its debut at the Sydney International Boat Show.

The boat has now been shipped to the West Coast where, interestingly, local boaters just love their big flybridge boats. The rough West Coast, what with constant wind and swell rolling in from afar, is a perfect home for the bertram 700 Enclosed, a boat set up more for coastal cruising and liveaboard boating, as well as reeling in fish and diving.

Hull construction on the Bertram 700 Enclosed remains time-proven solid fibreglass below the waterline, with vacuum-bagged cored sides, deck, bulkheads and grid matrix. No rattles or creaks, just a monocoque or one-piece boat bounding east or west. The ship-like systems and over-specced engine room are impressive. The Bertrams are engineered to blast out to sea without worrying about breaking things.

Typically, Bertram packs a lot of gear aboard its boats and this contributes to the bottom line. Do take that into account when comparing apples with oranges.

Our test Bertram 700 Enclosed has twin Kohler 23kW generators and a decent inverter that runs the fridges and AV systems overnight. The raw-water engine plumbing including sea strainers and emergency engine-driven bilge pump is impressive, as is the fuel system with dual Racor fuel filters per engine, fuel polishing system and, a nice detail, a fuel filler alarm.

There is a Delta-T fan-forced ventilation system with washable membranes, a metered oil-change system, heavy-duty manganese bronze seacocks, and an impressive fire-fighting system. A computerised tank-watch system feeds back through the twin Simrad 19-inch and 15-inch "glass bridge" electronic screens. The supplied 10hp bowthruster might come in handy when decamping from the fuel wharf.

Among the upgrades are a 24-volt saltwater washdown pump, 24-volt freshwater pump to complement the supplied 240-volt number, 3800 litres a day desalinator, underwater lights, and washer/dryer. With that, you are set for serious liveaboard boating.

Importantly, none of the accoutrements come at the expense of utility. Should the worst eventuate, you can crane an engine out through the saloon floor and removable aft window. Another nice thing is the box-type single-point drainage system that minimises the number of through-hull fittings in the hull sides.

Of course, $5 million tends to buy a semi-custom craft these days. Big game fishers can head to the options list and can tick the boxes for things like hydraulic outriggers, a gamechair, tackle centre, bigger bait freezer, Eskimo underfloor ice chipper, tuna tubes and factory-fitted internal rod lockers.

You can add a Pipe Welders or Black Marlin tower, though the second fish-fighting helm station on the aft deck offers perfect views back into the cockpit when chasing fish or docking. A second set of controls on the mezzanine level below is another consideration.

But the option worth investigating if long-range cruising is your bent is the unique anti-rolling gyro or ARG built by Mitsubishi. The size of a generator, the ARG comprises a large spinning disc that at 20,0000rpm somehow suppresses rolling motion and reduces the angle of heel by up to 50 per cent when travelling at up to 10kt. No spilt drinks en route to Noumea.

Which brings us to the local Bertram agents, Eagle Yachts. With two ex-NSW Water Police, Brad Rogers and John Whitehead (Masterclass IV and Med 1) among the crew, Bertram buyers are in good hands. The Eagle team delivers these boats around the Australian coast with glee and Whitehead has a long association with the badge. His dad was one of the first Bertram dealers in Australia, running a 35 called Splashdown and built under licence here in the 1970s. Of course, the Bertram 700 Enclosed is in a different league and, interior wise, there's scope for your own personal finishes.

A replacement for the Bertram 670 Enclosed that boatsales.com.au drove off Fremantle some years ago, the new Bertram 700 Enclosed has the same beam but has been stretched by 1.20m in the cockpit. Vast it is, measuring 25.1m². You could fit twin game chairs or a teak table for 12 if you wanted. Otherwise, a Release chair with offset pedestal will let you clear your rod tip over the cockpit corners.

Our test boat has a marlin board that increases its real estate, an expectedly big outward opening marlin door, heavy-duty through-bolted deck gear, padded coamings, below-deck cleats, a mid-transom livebait tank, and subfloor fish or storage boxes. The new mezzanine level seating behind the saloon affords the crew perfect views astern and weather and spray protection when blasting seawards or partaking in a champagne cruise. Air-conditioning outlets are alongside and there are options for an overhead freshwater mister if you plan on boating in the tropics.

Cockpit refrigeration runs the length of the mezzanine seating and you can join the insulated boxes to create a bigger fish freezer. Brine tanks, custom tackle lockers and bait-rigging centres are easy enough to create locally, but the washdown rod locker and gaff storage come standard. With the tackle tucked away, the boat is ready to cruise with family and friends.

Two-pack painted handrails and an anodised aluminium bowrail help access around the sidedecks. The demonstrator was fitted with a 450kg Opacmare crane for lifting a 4.5m tender with 40hp outboard – perfect for the morning dive on the reef, checking the crab traps or running into a waterfront restaurant or cafe.

There's an internal stairway to the bridge that's tight but, as such, provides support in a seaway. Skippers will welcome the pullout bed in their bridge, the fridge with icemaker, the sink, and flip-down 37cm flatscreen TV.

Seating comes by way of an L-shaped settee and twin helm seats before the full-width dash with the spread of Simrad gear including keyboard and remote operation, forward-facing interfaced Interphase sonar and loud hailer to the foredeck.

The electronic ZF engine controls are nice to use, with an easy-dock function to reduce idle from eight knots to four or so. The anchoring gear is heavy duty for peace of mind while swinging on the pick in some far-away paradise at night.

Indoors is another world again, with designer interior and décor on our Bertram 700 Enclosed featuring mahogany joinery, upgraded cream carpet, wood blinds and granite counters. A long leather sofa flanked by armchairs sits opposite a wetbar with icemaker and bottle storage.

Big picture windows remind you that you are afloat, not in a hotel lobby, while a step leads up to the dedicated dinette opposite the galley with, among other things, side-by-side upright fridge/freezer, combination oven and microwave, dishwasher and wine fridge. The home away from home.

Accommodation ranges through four cabins, each with an impressive en suite, and a central vacuuming system has outlets or inlets throughout. The VIP guest's cabin in the bow features an island berth, there is an amidship's cabin with twin single beds and another opposite with bunks.

The owners get a full-beam aft stateroom with king-sized bed on the centreline and fixed panorama windows. A real liveaboard.

The potential fuel load on the Bertram 700 Enclosed contributes in no small way to the boat's range. There are 7600 litres as standard, with scope to fit more, allowing you to reel in 360nm at 23.5kt, which is Sydney to the Gold Coast without refilling, and 320nm at 30kt cruise.

Fuel is carried amidships at the equilibrium in the boat, thereby having no bearing on running angle or trim whether full or empty. There is the added bonus of the tank acting as a baffle between engine room and stateroom and, with aft-mounted gennies, you should be able to sleep with the air-con running.

Even though it had trim tabs, they weren't needed during our sea trail of the Bertram 700 Enclosed, which ran in fine fettle and perfect natural trim. Prop pockets reduce the angles of the shafts and maximise power transfer to the five-blade Rolla props.

Compared with the traditional Raymond C. Hunt deep-vee hulls used by Bertram in the past, the Ferretti 700 hull has a moderate 12.5° of deadrise. This assists with getting the big boat out of the water, yet it's so well designed that the bow appears only too willing to cleave the water.

There are new soft chines to quieten the ride and, compared with past Bertrams, you might notice the step has been removed from the sheerline. It's also by good design that there's a complete absence of spray on the rear windows.

The point of entry and exit for spray is well aft of the flybridge, so the Bertram 700 Enclosed is an especially dry boat. The ride from the mezzanine seats at top speed was nothing short of electrifying, with this boat feeling like a real rocket ship.

At 1700rpm, the first turbo kicks in with a whistle, at 2000rpm the next turbo announces its presence with a roar, and at 2100rpm we are hurtling along at 30-something knots. I put my feet on the dash, press back into the plush helm seat, and imagine the coastal towns flashing past.

You pay for the privilege of a ride like this. The new Bertram 700 Enclosed will set you back $5.9 million. But if you want to break the time, distance and speed barriers, here's the badge. We now have word that an 80-footer is in the pipeline and five have been sold before its 2010 launch. Now I'd like to see that.

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