Opinions on Bruce Roberts designs

[minisailor]

Hello
There are several very good designers who design in steel. Look at Dudley Dix web site and Graham Radford site it think you will like what you see. Radford calls his boats kits which is not exactly correct but very well done. Radford sends you a computer disc which you give to a plasma cutter along with the necessary steel, all the parts are cut to shape and ready to assemble. The exterior plating can be sent to a commercial bender along with the computer disc and the bending is done, so I guess it is a kit. I sail a Radford 450 in steel that has all the proper coatings protecting the metal from rusting at it is working fine. Maintenance is on a par with fiberglass. Oh, Dix and Radford boats are all round bildge boats and perform right up with their fiberglass counterparts are looking at them its hard to tell they are not fiberglass. When sailing along with other 45ft cruising boats we haven't been passed regardless of hull material.
The hull on build was sand blasted to white metal and sprayed with Amerion zink saturated expoxy and then coated with Bar Rust epoxy with 2 inchs of closed cell foam insulation on the interior making the boat absolutely dry and very quite.

[mike d.]

i have the plans for the 53. when i got them fro the design office it included both aft and center cockpit and the scantlings for steel c-flex fibre-glass and wood constuction. very complete drawings. also came with list of some suppliers for mat. and parts etc.
this was back in the early mid 80s.
still have them somwhere never got the chance to go ahead with the project 9time constraints and fam. obligations
definnately robust designs. very well thought out for live aboard and machinery access.

[rexposeidon]

Great information! My thanks to all. I have found a Robert's 44 flush-deck (teak), ketch rig, fg hull. The price is too sweet to ignore, $25k, but now I'm hedging on the fg hull. Does anyone know if the origional plans were for a fully layered fg or for balsa or styrofoam core?

[Boracay]

The Bruce Roberts Australia site lists four main methods - balsa, foam, C-flex and single skin.

[mike d.]

Robert's had an office in Severna park Md. that's where my plans came from don't know if it's still there. as to the coring issue don't know he designed for many mediums of construction for that price i would be very suspect of decks let alone hull coring.?

[richink]

making some enquiries about a Roberts 39'10" built by Bentex engineering UK in 1984
(steel)....anybody know anything about this crowd or boat?? seems fitout & even length gets to be a lottery....thanks newboy Rich

[Boracay]

In the days before the current economic boom building a steel hull/deck/rudder/etc. was considered a way for welders to make some cash when times were slow.

It was not uncommon for boats to be lengthened or even shortened if a customer wanted it.

It was much harder to change the beam, so if you want to know what plans it was built to measure and check on the Bruce Roberts and Fine Lines websites.

If you have not already done so check along frames, stringers and where bulkheads join to the hull plate for signs of corrosion with a torch and small mirror.

[richink]

thanks for your reply Boracay.....am quite enjoying all this boat stuff we're immersing ourselves in prior to purchase(given ourselves a year). all materials have their pluses & minus'(steel probably favoured). considering who designed the thing is also right up there...gets a bit hard looking into the past & the motivations & skills of those who constructed the boat. appreciate your tips

[Arch Stanton]

Saw this in a local yacht club classified:

http://www.robertsforsale.com/

[MidLandOne]

Originally Posted by richink

making some enquiries about a Roberts 39'10" built by Bentex engineering UK in 1984
(steel)....anybody know anything about this crowd or boat?? seems fitout & even length gets to be a lottery....thanks newboy Rich

Don't know if there were a number of these built by Bentex or if we are perhaps referring to the very same one of the exact same length and builder?

I have never been on board the one I am familiar with but the hull build looks quite rough to me from the exterior (I am very familiar with steel boat builds) having some "hungry horse" looks in way of the plating over the frames and also the chines are not clean fair curves. It would need a lot of fairing if asthetics were important to one. I would compare it to a below average amateur build in that department which I found surprising seeing as it was apparantly built by an engineering company.

The deck hardware, etc looks reasonably well thought out for a boat of its age but again gives the appearance of being by a slightly better than average rank amateur rather than a professional and experienced sail boat builder. One example, the traveller is right across the middle of the cockpit and mounted so high that it would be a toss up as to whether it would be easier to climb under it or over it. Not so good for a cruising boat but I don't know if others were built the same (should there be others from the same builder).

Have only seen photos of the interior and based on that very limited exposure looks ok for a boat of its vintage (but photos often look better than reality). It may have been done by others.

Overall, the boat gives me the impression of being built by an engineering firm as a sideline or something new to try. But that is just an impression, I don't know that. It also does not, of course, mean that it is not seaworthy or not good value for the money. It is very difficult to build a steel boat that is not strong - something to look out for is that the plating thicknesses are as the designer specified, as is common practice by inexperienced builders to add another mm to the plating thickness for no use whatsoever but at an enormous weight penalty.

[knottybuoyz]

This is an interesting read if you've got a couple of days.

Sandy & Gina's Big Sailboat Project. A Bruce Roberts 43 MKII Long Keel Cutter.

THE BIG SAILBOAT PROJECT

I've also got a site bookmarked somewhere on the BR one-off fiberglass fabrication method. When I find it I'll post that too.

[James174]

I have a Roberts 38 sloop, aft cockpit and have had for the past 20+ years. She's now on her 3rd refit. Years ago I lost the plans and am struggling to find original sail areas. I've had an MPS made but I'm contemplating twin genoas as I've just fitted a Fleming wind vane. Can anyone help with original sail areas.

I've added 500k to the keel in a sort of shoe arrangement to stiffen her up and would be interested to hear from any other owners who may have found them tender.

[Boracay]

If it is you can get some information from Fineline.

[James174]

Thanks for that Boracay. We are an Offshore 38. I suspect the little sister of your 44. Fineline takes me to the Perry review which doesn't contain sail areas. I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and purchase the study plans.

Years ago I replaced the what looks like 100% genoa and self tacking yankee. The genoa I replaced, the 100% with was a 150% and I suspect that has had a lot to do with the tenderness. However, it does give great downwind performance, which is what I'm looking for. So what I'm trying to do is use twin jibs close to original specs to cure the tenderness upwind and yet keep the benefit of the sail area by using twin jibs downwind. The other factor is that we do a lot of short handed or single handed work and want the boat to be balanced for the auto pilot. Have used an autohelm 4000 for quite a few years and found it hard work to balance the boat. The Fleming is newly installed and yet to be trialled.

[Boracay]

Probably wise to check that the sail plan is in the study plans before ordering.

Please let us know how the Flemming goes as it is on my wish list.