Roberts 50

Description

The Bruce Roberts 50, also known as the Canoe Stern 50, is a timeless bluewater cruising ketch designed by Australian naval architect Bruce Roberts in the 1970s, prized for its seaworthy multi-chine hull and owner-builder appeal, with hundreds constructed worldwide in fiberglass, steel, or aluminum for global voyages and charter operations. Featuring an LOA of 50 feet, LWL of 39 feet 3 inches, beam of 14 feet, draft of 6 feet 3 inches on a long fin keel, and a displacement of 41,000 pounds including substantial external ballast, this cutter-rigged ketch boasts a sail area of 1,077 square feet distributed across mainsail, mizzen, genoa, and staysail for efficient performance in 15-35 knot winds, attaining 8-10 knot hull speeds with balanced helm, augmented by a 60- to 100-horsepower diesel auxiliary like the Perkins or Yanmar series. Its elegant lines include a distinctive canoe stern, moderate clipper bow, and teak-trimmed deckhouse on a robust hand-laid or welded hull with foam core options, offering 6-foot-6-inch headroom in a voluminous interior layout for 6-8 berths, comprising a U-galley, L-settee dinette, double aft owner's cabin, forward guest stateroom, dual heads with showers, and generous tankage of 300 gallons fuel and 400 gallons water for extended self-sufficiency. Endorsed for circumnavigations and heavy-weather passages, as demonstrated by steel-hulled examples like the 2006 Aesclepius and 1989 Henry Morgan, the Roberts 50 exemplifies durable craftsmanship and liveaboard comfort, remaining a staple for adventurous sailors prioritizing safety and style on oceans from the Atlantic to the South Pacific.