My old modified Roberts 24

[Peter T]

Hi all. Found some photos of my old modified Roberts 24 that I finished building quite some years ago and thought you might be interested in it
I bought it as a " hull only " in raw fibreglass which had been built over a male mold. It started out life as a foam sandwitch boat but had been left outside for several years and the foam de laminated from the outside skin before the inside glass had been applied.
I decided to make it a solid fibreglass boat so glassed in sheer timbers bulkheads stringers keel floors etc and laid up heaps more glass on the inside before creating the deck and cabin out of marine ply and glassed that over. The cabin shape was loosely fashioned off a Roberts 25 design. The boat had full head room in main saloon, enclosed toilet, very narrow side deck, double berth forward and side bunks similar to an investigator as well as a gimbled gas stove. Internal fit out was all teak and I fitted a new 16 hp Nanni diesel as well. It was the biggest little boat I had ever encountered with heaps of room inside.
I also bought an old rotten 24ft plywood yacht quite cheap and ended up getting all deck fittings as well as the rudder, keel lead, mast, boom, pushpit. Pulpit, staunchens , winches, sails and many fittings including an 8 hp Renault diesel ( which proved to be too small) from this boat which all helped with the price of my build.
The Roberts was a very comfortable little cruiser.
The original owner modified the keel and its position to give 6 ft draft as well as adding a foot to its length by modifying the stern. Originally they had a square stern. This added a foot to its water line length.
I worked out its true centre of Lateral Resistance as well as its centre of effort of the sail area to work out the exact position for the main bulkhead and therefore the mast position.
It all worked out extremely well as with 10 knots of breeze, you could let the tiller go and it would maintain a true course on its own. Perfect I reckon.
Anyway, see photos below.
I have used some of the ideas that I used on the Roberts to bring to the Investigator that I am restoring now.

You will note that I was a lot younger looking then, Ha ha.
Cheers

[Ozzie]

Nice bit of history Peter and nice boat. Before I bought my Swiftcraft Viscount in the 90s mentioned on forum earlier I considered a Roberts Longboat as I loved the design, there being one in the mooring area I later occupied. They were unfortunately way out of my price range. The Longboat emulated the lines of the yacht fairly close.

I note they are still going for prices in the high 20’s even older ones , no doubt influenced by the motor cost.

….I was a lot younger then too…. still noting now a few new parts wouldn’t hurt…

[Peter T]

Yes Ozzie, I see a lot of simalities of that cabin design to that which I put on mine. It was ideal, you could sit in the cockpit and see straight ahead through the higher part of the cabins front and rear windows, it gave great protection and gave full standing room inside the cabin as well as it was easy to see over the cabin from the cockpit when standing. What more could you want from a 24 ft yacht.
Also, I mounted the traveller on top of the cabin giving completely free access in the cockpit. Very practical.
I have plenty on new parts too mate. Most of which are not as good as the originals though unfortunately. Three spinal fusions, new knee and hip.
Cheers