Opinion of Bruce Roberts 29 Sailing Qualities?

[mischief]

Hi everybody,
I was wondering if anyone has some experience with the Bruce Roberts 29? click here If one one was fitted out in full cruise trim weighing in at 6.2 ton and empty tanks would 2 tons of ballast be enough (seems light to me)? Using the full keel option built in single skin fiberglass with a traditional stern, do you think they would make a good seaworthy vessel? Note the 6.2ton weight is acurately calculated and verified but does not include weight in tanks or stores.

Obgective would be coastal cruising and making shorter passages but in some rough areas.

Opinons greatly apreciated.

BTW I am not interested in debating the pros and cons of building, having built, or how someone else may or may not have buit one. Sorry I just want to make sure that the thread does not degenerate off topic and that the opinions of the design itself are adressed.

[04 Marine]

I have built two of Bruce's plans over the last 30+ years. I've found his drawing to be complete and the designs seaworthy and polite to the user. I would be building a 3rd right now except that I found a project that suited my needs to a Tee and bought it instead. My only advice is don't ask him about changing something in the plans. If you follow that one simple rule, you'll get along much better. If you want a blue water sailors thoughts, contact Phil Hogg at brucerobertsinternational.au. I think these two could stand back to back and watch the sunrise but I think Phil has some good input.

[mischief]

Thanks 04 Marine,
The link to the plan I am talking about is one of Phils and has the option for the full keel etc so it would be nothing out of the ordinary of the plan.
I know everything is a compromise etc but it just seemed to me that even low high density ballast of 2 ton (full keel version ) in a 6.2 ton set up was on the light side.... Draft is 5'..

[04 Marine]

Actually, 4,000 # does not seem that far off. Remember it's a matter of distance and gravity. 5' of keel for a 29 foot boat is a lot of leverage. Talk to Phil and see what his thoughts are. He and Liz have put a lot of miles under their keel (Fine Tolerance) and I value his opinion. When I ditched the plans to build a Roberts 432 in steel, I talked to phil for his advice.

My 38' Ingrid has 10,000# in the keel but she tips the scale at 27,000# and only draws 5' 6".

[mischief]

Okay thanks for that, I talked to someone that built one and had said 2 things that bothered me. One was on passage he could make 100nm/day and 2. once he was in 70 kn winds with only a strom jib up and his yacht was pinned to the water with the spreaders dipping. Got me thinking mmm seems awefully slow and why was it pinned down with such little sail up? would that be normal in winds that high? Another mention of having to reef at 20 kn sort of makes me think too that they are light on ballast?

Am I being too pesimistic? This person has said he may consider selling if Im interested. Price would probably be a mates rate....but would mean thats the yacht I would have and would be hard to change if I wasnt happy with it. (due to finances not offending the current owner)

[04 Marine]

I would talk to Phil and value his input.

Personally, I don't have a problem with putting in the first reef at 20 knts. As for having a spreader in the water at 70 knts.. I would think that point of sail, might have something to do with it. I doubt that I would carry anything but bare poles at 70 knts. and would most likely have an anchor/drouge of some sort out.

For a LWL of 24.5' the hull speed under ideal conditions is roughly 6.5 knts. or 150 nm a day. I would suspect that 100 to say 120 might be an average day with 150 being the ideal day with everything going your way.

I've lived in the US for more that 60 years now but hailed from Paddington, Brisbane while still cargo within my war bride mother. Hope this works out for you, I fresh out of answers.