Fort Lauderdale-based Bertram Yacht announced it has retained the services of Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding in Thomaston, Maine, to build prototypes of its initial designs.

Bertram said tooling is underway on its first new model, the design of which will be unveiled at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in November. The new model is expected to launch in the late spring of 2016.

“We have partnered with Lyman-Morse to build our first two prototypes,” says Susan Davids, Bertram general manager. “As anxious as we are to reintroduce our new products to the market, we’re equally focused on locating and organizing our own production to meet the highest of standards. Lyman-Morse’s excellent reputation and long history of boatbuilding, along with their willingness to prototype in full partnership with Bertram production personnel, gives us the opportunity to introduce our first product with confidence.”

Bertram Yacht got its start in 1960 when founder Dick Bertram — yacht broker, bluewater sailing-yacht racer and powerboat racer — built the first Bertram, the 31-foot Moppie.

Take a nostalgic look at this newsreel reporting on Dick Bertram winning the 1965 Cowes to Torquay powerboat race in Great Britain aboard Brave Moppie, the first diesel-powered boat to win the race.

In 2015, Bertram was acquired by a group headed by Italian boatbuilding entrepreneur and avid boater Beniamino Gavio, who says he is committed to returning the iconic American brand to its roots.

Today the revived Bertram Yacht is working with Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding to produce initial versions of the highly tooled boats with a design that is focused on an efficient Michael Peters-designed ride, with a projected speed topping 40 knots.

“The most impressive part of what’s going on with Bertram is the team that has been assembled around the resurrection of the brand,” says Drew Lyman, president of Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding. “They are tapping into the existing customer base and are listening to captains and Bertram owners, and getting a lot of feedback. I think we can lend a lot of ideas, and it’s going to be a really fantastic partnership for us to be able to support them and work with a great team.”

As Bertram and Lyman-Morse build the first prototypes in Maine, Bertram will simultaneously continue working toward a state-of-the-art production facility in the southeastern United States to build American boats from the designs of American firm Michael Peters Yacht Design with Caterpillar propulsion.

Stay tuned for more details from Bertram Yacht as they emerge.