The “Old” Bertram is Back with a New 70’ Battlewagon

Ferretti has given that South-Florida, tough-guy offshore boat a touch of class.

Twenty years ago you could wash down the interior of a large Bertram with a garden hose. When the company president was asked when he was going to start building boats with more elegant interiors he answered, “When my customersstop buying.” About five years later they stopped buying.

The company changed hands several times as one group after another thought they could parley the great Bertram brand into a gold mine. What they found instead was that the boating public wasn’t stupid and had long since abandoned the brand.

Ferretti Buys Bertram

Then, in 1998 Ferretti bought the company. The Ferretti brothers were boatbuilders not M&A suits. For the last seven years they have steadily been rebuilding the company by introducing good product, not with smoke and mirrors. Once again Bertram owners can hold their heads high knowing that they have invested in a bullet-proof boat that was built by people who know what they are doing and care.

For World-Wide Fishing

The 700 has a solid fiberglass hull bottom, high-density foam core construction on the hull sides and decks, twin diesel engines, and a boat designed from stem to stern for big game fishing, and comfortable living far from home. Like so many of the big battle wagons built these days, the 700 is intended to fish Costa Rico, Venezuela, Panama and pretty much anywhere else you want to go.

Bertram uses exclusive ARG (Anti-rolling Gyro) technology, which suppresses rolling motion and reduces rolling angle by up to 50 percent, according to the builder. With optional power, the Bertram 700 has projected cruising speeds of 35 knots, according to the company. BoatTEST.com has not tested the boat.

Available as an open flybridge or enclosed bridge convertible, the Seven Hundred’s 270 sq. ft. cockpit – with mezzanine seating -- is big enough for two or three fighting chairs or a square dance, whichever you prefer.




The salon is large and comfortable. A great place to watch ball games on the Sat TV no matter where you are fishing.

The salon is as functional as it was in the good old days, but you wouldn’t want to wash it down with a fire hose. The Italian designers – who certainly think out of the box – have brought some much-needed imagination and refinement to the world of bloody fish guts and chum. The interior is filled with rich African Mahogany cabinetry and carpeting with acoustic padding silences the room and sets the stage for quiet nights spent in front of a Bose® home theater system. Cherry flooring, granite countertops, and frameless windows located port, starboard increase the space’s beauty.

Advancements in technology and out-of-the-box thinking open up the master stateroom without compromising hull integrity. Guess who needs to catch up now?

The highlight of the master stateroom are the large porthole lights on each side of the yacht that provide natural light and spectacular views of the wide open sea. These windows are an advanced product of the design and glass technology from the Advanced Yacht Technology department at Ferretti Group.

The master stateroom is fit for a king, or a successful angler.

The windows aren’t just aesthetically appealing, but also offer the needed strength in a sportfish yacht. Each window is constructed with two layers of 1 and ½” of tempered glass, while the surrounding perimeter is reinforced with a rigid fiberglass casing that creates seamless integration with the hull.




Dinette and galley are large and open and have all the amenities.

The forward stateroom offers a queen berth, a lighted cedar hanging locker, port and starboard hullside storage shelves and upper cabinet storage. The starboard guestroom boasts large twin side-by-side berths with storage beneath, a four-drawer dresser with shelf, a cedar hanging locker, nightstand with drawer, upper hullside cabinet storage and private access to its head.

Stay tuned as Editor Jeff Hammond takes a close look at the 700 on video.