Raising a 28 ft Bertram 28 in Horizon West, FL

Twin engines dead and a cockpit sole gone soft is how the 28 ft Bertram 28 sportfisher was described to us. It had been left at a lake dock, and eventually the cockpit let in enough rain to sink it. Only the cabin roof showed above the surface.

A Bertram is heavy, mostly because of the iron under the floor. The crew set six lift bags, two at the stern where the engines sit, and added a hand winch to the dock pilings so the boat could not swing as it rose. Dock owners are particular about their pilings, so we padded every line.

This sunken boat recovery took most of a day, cabin drained last. A short tow got her to the shore, and we hauled her on a lowboy trailer by way of Apopka to our yard. With engines seized and the soft sole, she went to dismantling and recycling. The engines were the only salvage, pulled first.