Raising a 28 ft Bertram 28 in Immokalee, FL

You could see the transom of the 28 ft Bertram 28 sportfisher but not much else. Twin engines were dead and the cockpit sole had gone soft, and the boat sat settled by the stern, bow pointing up, tied to a mooring ball.

The weight was behind the middle, so that is where the lift bags went. The crew set two at the stern and one under each side of the bow, then brought her up slowly so she would not roll. The mooring chain had wrapped the rudder post, which took a diver most of an hour to clear.

This sunken boat removal needed about four hours on site. The Bertram floated clean, and we held her against the skiff for the tow to the ramp. A shop near Naples had a repower job waiting, and the owner decided to keep the hull. Salvage, trailer, and gone before dark.