![Bruce[2].jpg (4158 bytes)](../images/Bruce[2].jpg) Bruce Roberts-Goodson CONTACT BRUCE BY |
Bruce Roberts Yacht Design Official BRUCE ROBERTS WEB SITE - DESIGN OFFICE FOUNDED 1966
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 Gwenda Roberts-Goodson HOME PAGE |
CONSTRUCTION & COMPLETED BOAT PHOTOS ARE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY PLANS ON CD |
ROBERTS 434
A
This design has appealed to many serious cruising sailors, and is another in our range of medium displacement, fast performance cruisers which can be built in either multi chine or radius chine STEEL or ALUMINUM, in round bilge FIBREGLASS or in round bilge WOOD EPOXY. Full size frame patterns as well as cut to size steel kits are also available for this design. The Roberts 434 can be rigged as either a Cutter, Sloop or Ketch and the many different versions give you the choice of either a low profile aft cockpit, a center cockpit version and also a pilot house version. Already several versions of this design have made complete circumnavigation's - one was sailed single handed around the world in only 218 days. (Article printed below) Several others have taken part in round the world rallies. Many are being constructed in yards around the world with the pilot house version currently being one of our most popular designs. You can purchase Study Plans, Complete Plans and Patterns, Pre-cut steel kits, Hull and Deck packages or complete boats built to this design. Please email for additional information |
| L.O.D. | 13.20 m | 43' 4" | |
| L.W.L. | 11.18 m | 36' 8" | |
| BEAM | 4.10 m | 13' 6" | |
| DRAFT | (Deep) | 1.83 m | 6' 0" |
| (Shoal) | 1.50 m | 5' 0" | |
| DlSPL. | (FG or Alu or W/E) | 11,567 kg | 25,911 lb |
| (Steel or Copper-Nickel) | 13,330 kg | 29,859 lb | |
| BALLAST | 3,996 Kg | 8,809 lb | |
| AUX.PWR | 33 - 60 hp | ||
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ROBERTS 434 Version A The Roberts 434 plans come with a variety of sail plans including sloop (shown) cutter and ketch. Other rigs are possible to suit your personal preference. |
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ROBERTS 434 Version A The Roberts 434 plans and full size frame patterns package includes alternative keels and accomodation options. All these options are also shown on the study plans on CD
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ROBERTS 434 Dear Mr Roberts, A quick note to let you know that I have finished my circumnavigation in the Roberts 434. She took 218 days and 8 hours sailing time to cover the 27,000 miles, In terms of elapsed time this is the fastest E-W ever by any kind of sailing vessel, but of course we do not get the world record as Guinness work on average speed and she was half a knot slower than the "Ocean Bound" (David Scott Cowper) nevertheless not bad for a backyard building job. She is in excellent condition and could go around again given a bit of sail repair. She is very fast for a heavy boat (3 tons of stores). She often reached 10 knots and could sustain 9 knots for hours on end. Her best day's run was 210 miles without current assistance. Her directional stability is excellent and in good conditions to windward she can hold her heading unaided for up to 20 minutes. I had one knockdown to 90 degrees and a few bad broaches but she picked herself up without difficulty. She is a superb boat, indeed she has to be to bring an incompetent single handler like me home safely. Best wishes to you and many thanks for a fine design. I am starting to think about something in the 60-65' range. Yours, Signed, Pat Garnett.
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Roberts 434 Radius Chine Steel built in Riga, Latvia
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ROBERTS 434 FROM ROBERTS 434 OWNER: Bob Isaacson writes:
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ROBERTS 434 Wood Epoxy under construction ... This boat has now been completed and and is used in the charter business in Europe .. the owners are delighted with the boat which is fitted with special shoal keel that we designed for this particular boat.
ROBERTS 434 WOOD
EPOXY
Hi Bruce, I have recently received your e-book BUILD YOUR OWN SAILBOAT and it looks great! I have had a chance to read through much of it and have found it to be of additional help. Some of the questions I had lingering in my mind have been answered by tour book. I wish to thank you for sending your book to me, I very much appreciate it. I have completed the deck and am now building the transom. I am building the sugar scoop type with a small swim platform and steps. I want 3 access doors to store two 30# lpg tanks, life raft, 2.5 gal gasoline container and 4hp outboard, 2 scuba tanks. The doors need to be flat to use piano hinges and be water proof so I am building a flat stern. I am trying to incorporate as many bulkheads and corners to add strength in case the boat gets pooped by a wave. I prefer to have a curved transom for the strength that it gives but find it too difficult to build with all the features I want. I have anchored the staircase solidly to the bottom hull and the deck so as to act like a bulkhead. Also the stair sides are built like a laminated beam 16" thick. I am also building my own dingy davits out of wood formed into an arch. I will send photos when I have them.
Have a Great Day ! Earl
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| Bruce:
We have built your Offshore 44 design in steel are very happy with her.
She is a wonderful, comfortable and well sailing boat. We want to enter a
couple of low key races this year with her before we go off cruising. One
of the questions on the handicap form is the year that she was designed.
What year was she designed anyway? We started construction in 1985,
launched in 2002 and have been enjoying her ever since. For your enjoyment I have attached a photo of her taken last September in Tamales Bay, about 50 miles north of San Francisco. Thanks for such a great boat. David and Rose Eberhard s/v Valkyrie |
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A perfect finish on a Roberts 434 Radius
Chine
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Many of our boats are built to various commercial regulations, all are designed to meet most Classification Society rules ... the Roberts 434 shown meets all these rules and operates as world wide charter boat. If you would like to charter BOLD EXPLORER you can contact the owners at www.boldexplorer.com Built to Codes of
Practice for the Safety of Small Commercial Sailing Vessels. She was designed by Bruce
Roberts-Goodson. |
| ROBERTS 434 TO ICELAND: Hello Bruce Just thought you might be interested to know we were paying customers on a Roberts 434 sailboat in Iceland this year. Our skipper Ashley Woods had built the boat, 'Bold Explorer' himself. Bold Explorer felt extremely sea kindly and safe, and was simple but fun to sail. She has a large deck saloon which allows you to see the horizon from inside the boat, a great boon on the colder days. We felt confident sailing her around the wild and beautiful North West coast of Iceland up to the Drangajokull glacier. I think Ash is intending to go back to Iceland this year, and also to Norway, perhaps to the Lofoten Islands. (We have no financial arrangement with Ashley, we were just happy with the trip). Yours Lesley Whitfield and Paul Brittain Ashley's website is: www.boldexplorer.com |
ROBERTS 44 OWNER: Bruce I have owned a Roberts 44 for
over 10 years. The boat was built in Hong Kong, the original owner was Halsey.
"Andale" is her name, when I bought her she was suffering form a bad case of
neglect. I repaired and refitted her over a period of 5 years. We lived in Sausalito
aboard her for 6 years, then sailed her to Mexico, where we have sailed her in
Mexican waters for the past few years. We have sailed her in all kinds of conditions, some
a little rougher than we like, but she has always come through. I want to thank you for
designing a boat such as her. In most all the anchorage's, she is always the most
beautiful. We get a lot of compliments, she makes you feel good just looking at her. Any
information you might have it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you again for designing
a boat such as Andale' |
| RAPID RESPONSE: CHEERS BRUCE, I Received your study plans some time ago, But I haven't had time to Thank you for your rapid response. So thanks Bruce, the plans are a good carrot for me to chew on while I start to save for Boat Building . My choice of boat would be the Steel hulled 434,There's a couple of my Diving Buddy's at work on their 434's as I write this E-mail Today. Both boats look pretty impressive, I can't wait to start on my baby. Thanks S.J.Robinson. |
| MOVING BULKHEADS: Good-Day BRUCE On the Radius chine 434 version C that I am building I noticed that there are a number of bulkheads that need to be fitted. Are all of them required as I would like to have a more of an open plan interior. At present I have completed the frames and fitted them to the strong-back and should have the stringers fitted by end of May. I did not realize that boat building could be so simple. Lastly I must congratulate you on the quality a simplicity of the plans they are easy to read. Regards, Johan Boes |
ROBERTS 44 built in Poland: We recently had a letter from Andrzej Povsko who built a Roberts 44 in Poland.... Andrzej writes: In 1985 I built a boat in Poland, the plan was a Roberts 44 (your design). I sailed a few seasons in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. In 1989 I sailed from Europe to the USA. The yacht is absolutely perfect, strong, fast, seaworthy and very dependable. I felt very secure in the boat and very satisfied. Sincerely, Andrzej Povsko |
ANOTHER ROBERTS 434: Dear Sir, A customer of yours named Lou Hunter built a 434 in Alameda, CA and they left for Mexico and points south in Nov. 1998.You'll be glad to know that Lou did a beautiful job, the boat was comparable to what very top quality professional yard would do. I haven't heard from him since he left, but he was an experienced cruiser and no doubt he and his wife, a very nice lady (whose patience I have great admiration for), are enjoying themselves greatly. He said the boat was very fast but was very comfortable and felt very secure. The name of the boat is "Tin Can", if you hear anything about a boat by that name you can bet it's Lou's 434 because I don't there's anyone else in the world who'd give their boat a name like that!!! Some day I'm follow Lou's example, although I may opt for a larger boat. Regards, Paul Braga Note from Bruce.....If you see this boat or any other Roberts 434.....let us know....we would like to hear from you. |
| OWNER / BUILDERS COMMENTS: Dear Bruce I have owned a Roberts 44 offshore for the last few years and its has proved itself to be a great boat. This year it gets a new set of sails however I do not have a set of sail plans for it and I am wondering if they are still available. The boat is cutter rigged but sailed mostly as a sloop. Any information on any upgrades to the sail plan to improve performance would be appreciated as well. Great web site. Keep up the good work. Bruce Winpenny |
COMMENT ON R434 PLANS: Dear Bruce, I received the Roberts 434 plans and reviewed them thoroughly. They are very detailed and I am very pleased with them. I'm sorry I haven't e-mailed sooner; my computer has been down for two weeks. Meanwhile, I have been constructing a shed and a gantry for the project. I hope to progress quickly with the beginning phases of construction. I have finally found a steel supplier that has low-carbon steel. They are Toll Metals in Atlanta, Georgia. In your book, you recommend sticking to one paint manufacturer through all of the finish. Can you recommend any paint manufacturer who supplies primer like Sigma-weld), as well as finish paint? I plan to blast and pre-prime the steel as you suggest, so I need to think about a primer that will be compatible with the final finish. Thanks again for the awesome plans. I'm sure I will have more questions in the future Thanks again, Andrew Flips |
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