Hi first post, although i've been lurking the forums for a while.

so my question, is the roberts 25 really that bad a sail boat?

i currently own an endeavour 24, not a bad boat and i enjoy the sailing, but when it comes to interior comforts its seriously lacking.

on the endevour I can cruise at about 4knts average, getting some periods a little over 6knts if things are in favour. it pretty average/poor pointing upwind, although the sails are old.

Can i expect similar performance from the Roberts or is it just a floating slug

i thought about going a more sizeable upgrade to a cavalier, compass or S&S, but my swing mooring has draft limitations (cant afford a cat!) and im sorta happy with pottering about on smaller boats (cost vs fun factor vs skill level).


My intention would be to do morton bay and do some short costal cruises in QLD.


any feedback would be muchley appreciated.

kind regards

DAvid

thanks for the reply..

is that a yes its a caravan and is better suited to having wheels than sails?

or is it

yes it would be similar in performance to the endeavour?

i think you meant the first one.. just wanted to make sure.


edit: ill take look at your other suggestions as well

unfortunately the depth is only about 1.2 meters on low at the mooring .. but as much as this is a problem the mouth of the river at low tide is about 90cm so i'm not keen to get a large draft because of the issues of getting back onto the mooring.

if the performance of the robert 25 was on par with the endeavour i would probably live with this for a few more years knowing that i could now do some overnights in relative comfort.

Dunc 32 that's rare! And expensive!

Top Hat. Full head room and can be had for as little as $5,000 if you want to work on it, or just over $10,000 if you want one ready to go.

Draft is 1.4 metres with a full keel, but I doubt you would get much with a shorter draft without a lifting keel. Some have diesels, some outboards. Outboard is more convenient to service and if hung over the back is easy, quiet and usually faster than a diesel, which can be more convenient to use, but less so to service.

Check out Tophatyachts.com for more info.

The RL 28 was my second choice, but didn't find one at the right price when we were ready.

Have fun in your search!

I personally would avoid trailer sailors.

The shallow draft Adams 10 would suit. Almost as good as a normal Adams 10 for sailing performance but with a shallow keel and a centreboard, I think that version is even called the Moreton Bay special. 95% of yachting is daysailing so aim for a vessel that has a good sailing performance.

thankyou for all the replies guys.. its much appreciated

im going to start looking at the trailer sailors a bit more..

checked out the adams 10, cant seem to see one with a shoal draft. it looks like a racing boat and not really set for cruising, biggest killer would be the cockpit size. its overkill for me as a cruiser.

starting to come more around to the idea of a rl28 or even a rl34 with an inboard

theres also this

http://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/richards-35/77278

again getting a bit rich and also has a broken hydraulic keel that would need to be fixed. but if i got it for a good price i would be willing to spend the extra.

this just poped up on ycht hub

yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/griffin-8-5/126693

pitty its in nrth qld ;(

Hi all

I have a Roberts 25. My first boat but have raced on one in Perth (with a deeper keel and in Div 4) and have also sailed on M27s and Beneteau 40.7s. Yes R25s have head room and therefore more windage given the size but for us as a small family with a 7 year old and one adult with limited experience it has been fantastic. Plenty of room in the cockpit as well as the cabin and stable. We have a shoal draft keel but have no trouble going at 5knots in 12-15 knots wind. Pointing to windward is certainly not great compared to an M27 but not too bad. We have her on a mooring rather than trailer - more expensive but means we use her more often. There are lots about at good prices.

papabear said...
Hi all

I have a Roberts 25. My first boat but have raced on one in Perth (with a deeper keel and in Div 4) and have also sailed on M27s and Beneteau 40.7s. Yes R25s have head room and therefore more windage given the size but for us as a small family with a 7 year old and one adult with limited experience it has been fantastic. Plenty of room in the cockpit as well as the cabin and stable. We have a shoal draft keel but have no trouble going at 5knots in 12-15 knots wind. Pointing to windward is certainly not great compared to an M27 but not too bad. We have her on a mooring rather than trailer - more expensive but means we use her more often. There are lots about at good prices.

The M27 you refer to is a local WA boat not to be confused with a M26. The M27 is a harbour racer, the M26 is an International Folkboat with higher topsides and a longer cabin and allegedly lead instead of cast iron in the enclosed keel.
The Roberts 25 comes in a few versions too. Most seem to have shallow draft keels but there are centreboard versions about. There are even motor sailer versions with raised cabins. Just to confuse matters further there are also Roberts 25's about that look entirely different. These were designed for home construction in strip timber or double diagonal, C-flex or foam glass and even solid glass construction. They are narrower and have lower freeboard and consequently they sail better. There was one locally a few years ago and it seemed to perform ok.
5 Knots in 12 to 15 knots would be impressive for an SS34, I guess your referring to reaching speeds.

thanks for taking the time to post and your offer versa.


have you taken her coastal cruising and if so how confident did you feel going 5 or 10 miles offshore?