Voyager 495 boat steel and aluminum building kits and plans

VOYAGER 495
STEEL KIT or CUTTING FILES & Assembly & Engineering Plans.
Wood / Epoxy OR Fiberglass plans and patterns also available... Email

The Voyager 495 radius chine kit is the latest refinement of this world cruising sailboat and has all the qualities that the Bruce Roberts designs are famous for. This hull has been designed for fast passage making but is equally at home racing around the buoys. Alternate accommodation lay-outs, various cockpit arrangements.

Bruce Roberts SAILBOAT KITS
Pre cut boat kits are all the metal parts required to build a complete boat. These parts are computer generated and NC Plasma cut before they are packed and delivered ready for you to start assembling and welding into the finished boat. We design and nest the package using our specialized computer programs, then cut on a computerized plasma-oxygen cutter. For example, an 13m ( 43' ) yacht would comprise of around 470 parts! These kits are shipped world-wide, each in individual containers.

These cruising sailboats are designed in accordance with Lloyds for category 1 (unrestricted operating / sailing area), which is much better than the EU and other Classification Societies and the CE-A require. Complete stability calculations to USCG offshore requirements are included in the design package. All calculations are also cross referenced against ABS requirements to ensure that the design meets world-wide standards and specifications.

In the case of KITS, all plate parts belonging to the hull, deck and superstructure that are accurately cut to size are included. The parts are marked with the appropriate part number and engraved matching marking lines to assist in the assembly and location of the part in its position. Cutting method is Plasma / Oxygen, ensuring highest accuracy and smooth edges.

Plate parts are cut from Lloyds approved A Grade Shipbuilding quality STEEL that has been coated with factory applied Sigma weld MC welding primer. We use and recommend steel plate that has the official designation ISO standard 10474 or EN 10204 with 3.1.B certificate.

THERE ARE MANY MORE CONSTRUCTION AND OTHER PHOTOS OF THE VOYAGER 495'S IN THE STUDY PLANS ON CD

Voyager 495 built from a KIT in Europe

ANOTHER OF SEVERAL VOYAGER 495'S BEING BUILT WORLD-WIDE:

Norm Facey's Voyager 495 being built in Toronto.
Hi Bruce - yes I sent a greeting card to you the other day - It's just an update shot of the V495 I'm building - got the transom up, and all the aft stringers installed, and was celebrating. In the future I'll e-mail any updates. I am confident I'll be celebrating again (placed the first aft deck plate tonight - everything lined up! It was wonderful! HI Bruce - continuing to do well with kit. The bow was amazing - the center bar came out right on the nose, matching exactly the deck scribe line on both hull side plates. To really concentrate to get it ready for our imminent move (and still not quite there yet). Latest photos attached: - likewise the radius chine plates have started out extremely well too - the upper & lower rolled bow plates fit with very slight edge trimming (just skimming the seam with a very thin blade in a couple of places). Overall, the kit has worked out incredibly well - I would never have had the patience (nor the skill) to put together a boat this well from scratch. Norm Facey

Hello Bruce - Hull plating went incredibly well, including the rolled radius chine plates - now have a crew of professional welders busy finish welding all the seams - being extremely careful to step weld, and very much control how much heat we put into the hull at one shot. Attached is latest photo - note that we've left the forward window out, and are ventilating the hull up through the keel opening, and out through the window - hull looks great! Norm Facey

Designer’s comments:
The Voyager 495 is intended of serious offshore passagemaking and has proven so popular that we decided to re-work the design and make changes that seem so obvious once the first boats are completed. The Voyager 495-2 is a culmination of all we have learnt in the past 33 years of designing similar boats.
The Hull:
The Voyager 495-2 features a “Radius chine” hull for steel or aluminum construction. The pre-cut and pre-bent panels supplied to the builder ensure that the finished hull will have a superior finish offered by the round bilge hull form,
The Keel:
This design is available with either long or short keel / skeg configuration. We favour our version of the long keel as it offers the most security against damage in the event of grounding.
The Sail Plan:
The Voyager 495-2 can be rigged either as a cutter or ketch and the sail plan can easily be handled by a couple of average physical condition.
The Accommodation:
Alternative accommodation plans are available to suit different sized crews. There are plans to suit a couple or to accommodate a family with 2 or 3 children. The layout can be arranged for charter use. To achieve both adequate headroom and good-sized aft cockpit in the aft area we have combined the ‘poop stern’ with flexible placement of the cockpit. The owner can have a roomy cockpit plus a spacious aft stateroom and still maintain over 2 meters headroom.
The Construction:
The Voyager 495-2 is supplied as a pre-cut metal kit for either amateur or professional assembly. Cutting files and assembly plans are also available for having this kit cut locally. Construction calculations are in accordance with prevailing classification society. The kits contain all the Lloyds approved 'A' grade pre-shot blasted and primed steel to build the hull, decks and superstructure. The Voyager 495-2 kit includes 600 plate parts all accurately cut to size and marked with part number and engraved marking lines to assist in the assembly and location of the part in it's position. All framing, stringers, engine beds, 'T' sole bearers, deck beams, deck stringers, exterior plating, plus 3 steel bulkheads and stiffeners is included. Windows and doorways are cut out as required. In the case of radius-chine hulls, the radius plates a rolled to the perfect shape and NO fitting is required. Complete assembly and engineering plans supplied. A building jig is supplied with the kit. Delivery to your building site is included in the price. The cutting method is Plasma / Oxygen, ensuring highest accuracy and smooth edges. Plate parts are cut from Grade A Shipbuilding quality sheets including certificate, coated with factory applied Sigma weld MC welding primer. Openings for windows and doors cut or only marked as per customer's preference. Bulkheads are in accordance with classification rules and safety regulations. Cold forming of plate parts where part of the design. Basic engine bearers are integrated in the construction. Setting up jig with the correct shape of the hull plates that can be used as building jig for the entire hull after reinforcement. Extensive assembly and building plans are supplied with the kit and include detailed drawings, parts list and welding instructions. Engineering drawings include detailed engine installation drawings, exhaust system and fuel and water tank details.

YachtSmiths Inc.
Mail: 119 Avondale Rd; Dartmouth, N.S. CANADA B2V 1H3
Shop: 2 Maitland St; Dartmouth Cove, Dartmouth, N.S. CANADA
Telephone: 902 830-4965 Email: ysi@accesswave.ca

Hi Bruce, glad you liked the photos. We do have more, David will send you some soon. As far as the handling of the boat goes, we found the boat very fast under power, with only a 75hp Yanmar diesel we were doing close to 9knots!

She also handles very nicely in confined spaces under power. We had her out with the new owner on a day with a 20 knot cross wind in the marina, and you could take your time turning her around in her own length.

She has a definite feel of control despite the fact that there is no bow thruster. Under sail she is just as fast.

She handles her rig well and points well. She can handle a bit of a blow also. The day the photos were taken the wind was gusting to 30 k and the boat sailed like a freight train and seemed to be well balanced. Regards Brian.

FROM BUILDER: Hi Bruce, Just received the drawings and we are impressed by the amount of detail on these. We have made copies and are studying them. We find these help to understand the assembly process and things go much quicker. Looking forward to receiving the steel.....Brian
See sailing comments below received a few months later !
FROM CUSTOMER:
Regards V495 being built by our Australian distributor for Paul Grainger...."The assistance, direction and patience given by yourself and the staff has been excellent, especially as this is my first (and only, maybe!) yacht build and I am not familiar with the process. There is a sensible approach to work
methods and safe working environment which compliments the professional approach."

Length - Overall	20.85 m	52’-0”
Length - Hull	14.94 m	49'-1"
Length – Waterline	13.25 m	43'-5"
BEAM	4.47 m	14'-8"
DRAFT	1.98 m	6’-6”
Headroom	2.03 m	6’-8”

	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files FROM: Voyager 495 builder in Australia. Hi Bruce, Paul Grainger brought the inspection report with him from the surveyor. The following is the paragraph from the report relating to our fabrication and the accuracy of your design. Shows you what standard we are building to I have gained permission from Paul Grainger and the Maritime Surveyor to use this report. "The work executed to date is of the highest tradesman like standards of cutting, alignment, mating up, trueness and fabrication to such an extent, that in the opinion of the writer, it could be expressed as far in excess of the acceptable normal standards of ship building practice." Robert Beale Maritime Surveyor
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files This Voyager 495 is now completed ( Next photo ) Built by Bernie Loyer in Chile.
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files Bernie sent me this photo - HIS caption appears below. About the photos Bernie says ..... "Here is one of my favourites" .. Bruce, Sorry I have been hard to get hold of --- new job and not uncommon for me to travel around the world a couple of times a month. Hard to keep up on email. My 495 Voyager 'Pinguino' is currently in the Puerto Lucia Yacht Club in Salinas, Ecuador. She sails like a freight train and turns heads at the same time. Richard, I learned a lot during her construction and if I can be of assistance, please drop me an email. Next sail is from Salinas through the Panama and into Cartagena to wait out the hurricane season. Then on a rhumb line for Miami that will cut between Haiti and eastern shore of Cuba. Best Regards, Bernie Loyer
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files To her sailing, everyone into boating and sailing in the northern half of the country (Chile) knows of "Pinguino". She cuts an impressive figure and when she first crossed the bar, it was an awesome event for me and a whole bunch of friends that have been involved
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files Pilot station on Voyager 495 "Pinguino" built by Bernie Loyer in Chile
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files Aluminum Voyager 495 built in The Czech Republic - Aluminum kits are about twice the price of steel! This is our updated version and is one pretty boat ! Very strong too ! STUDY PLAN PACKAGES ON CD GIVE ACCESS TO MANY step by step BOAT CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS + PHOTOS OF COMPLETED BOATS ETC. S EE DETAILS ORDER STUDY PLANS
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files Voyager 495-2 built in Holland delivered to customer in UK. This V495 is now completed & sailing in UK waters. HI Bruce, She looks a handsome boat and I'm excited to get to work on her in sometime in the new year. I will see her in the flesh so to speak at Christmas but have heard the quality of the welding is excellent. Thank you. She is now well propped up in our garden and covered over. Regards Mark Blackburn
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files Here we see one of the best arrangements where the pilot seat that is adjustable for height is used as part of the regular seating when not being used to pilot the boat. This arrangement can be used in many of our boats that feature pilot or deck house as part of the standard design.
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files Another view of the arrangement shown above.
	VOYAGER 495 Kit or Plans & Cutting Files Note spacious master cabin in Voyager 495