![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 |
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NEWSLETTER ON-LINE Page 1. GO TO NEXT PAGE Several pages follow. |
See more photos of this attractive SPRAY 28 ... SEE S28 web page
Wow ! You can see many more
photos of this
magnificent CS 45 on the Study plans on CD
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BUILD YOUR OWN SPRAY HUGE e-BOOK over 500 pages 100 Spray's you can build in Steel, Wood-Epoxy or Fiberglass. 100's of construction photographs. 100's of photos of completed Sprays of all size DETAILS ORDER TODAY us$39.95 - € 29.95 - £22.95 - A$39.95 |
Hi to all Spray owners and friends. These pages will be used to disseminate information about the Spray, the various Spray Societies and generally inform those interested in this wonderful boat and her successors. To all members of the Slocum Spray Society and others interested in the Spray...please email me with your comments, questions and suggestions for this on-line newsletter. There is considerable information including photographs and text, in these pages so please feel free to either down-load or print out what interests you. |
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Ken and Margaret Campbell-Brown have swallowed the hook and their Spray “ID” is for sale. Twice around the world is a good personal achievement in anyone’s estimation. They have a few acres near Mooloolaba and a house full of memorabilia from their extensive travels. |
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Dear Bruce and Hal,
Just an update on my progress. I have just
finished painting the hull and primer under water line. I am very pleased
with the result and I hope you agree.
All the machinery and appliances are installed, wiring 95% plumbing 40%. Interior joinery fore and aft well on the way. Galley and saloon not really started yet. Leaving this until last. I am pleased with the progress as it is 20 months since the first plates were tacked together. Best wishes to all, Bill Wigan Dubai |
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Re: Spray 33 in
Kemer/Turkey mentioned to you by Suat Zeybek
S/Y Blue-Belle, British, Bermudan Cutter, Homeport London, build 4mm steel, owned and sailed by Derek and Hulya Leigh. Dear Bruce, We arrived at Park Kemer Marina/Turkey in July 2004 after our return trip across the Atlantic from Florida/USA. My wife is Turkish, and, being one of the few Turkish girls to sail the Atlantic twice, is attracting a lot of media attention here, needless to say so is the boat. Our Spray was featured on national TV in august and created enough interest to warrant a repeat showing. Since then we have been featured in four Yachting Magazines- the Antalya Regional Magazine- and a video of Blue-Belle crossing the Atlantic was shown at the Antalya Boat Show to a very enthusiastic audience. The Turkish Chamber of Shipping have also conducted an interview to be featured in their commercial publication 'Turkish Shipping World'. We have a constant stream of visitors and Suat Zeybek of the Dive Centre is one of our regulars. He is keen to build a Spray 36 and I believe he has already purchased the plans. Anyway, so much for the present, let me give you a brief history of Blue-Belle to date. In 1987 I was looking for a long distance load carrier, big enough to cross an ocean comfortably, but small enough to be easily maintained. I purchased the plans of your Spray 33 and began building on the south coast of England. Due to working abroad, I didn't launch her until 1992; I would probably estimate that as a full time build project to high standard of finish, she would take 2 to 2, 5 years for one man to complete. She is built in 4 mm steel and is hot metal sprayed with aluminum both inside and out. She is as per your version B plans a part from lengthening her to 34 feet on deck, in order to incorporate a double self stowing anchor roller assembly. Upon completion she was then stored ashore for a further four years while I was away earning the cruising fund.
Her maiden voyage was in the autumn of
1996
London to Antalya/Turkey aprx.
3500 miles single handed. I hadn't fitted any self steering as yet, so this
first long passage was a good test of the Spray's legendary self steering
qualities. If you take care to balance the sails she will steer herself for
amazingly long periods of time.
We spent two full seasons cruising the Med and in September 2000 departed Portugal for the Cape Verde Islands via the Canary Islands. December the 1st found us leaving Mindelo/Cabo Verde and bound for Barbados. We still didn't have any self steering fitted, but then again neither did Slocum. No problem. Blue-Belle took 16 days to make the 2037 mile crossing, that's an average of 127 miles per day. Her best days run being 147 miles. For a heavily laden cruising boat with a 28 ft water line she could certainly turn in a decent passage time. We were delighted with her. We also found that running downwind she didn't roll as much as other boats I'd sailed under similar conditions.
Maybe the chines have
something to do with this. We spent the next 2,5 years cruising the
Caribbean, Bahamas and the US Intracoastal Waterways. The Spray's shoal
draft was paying dividends. June 2003 and we were on our way back across the
Atlantic. We did purchase wind wane steering gear in the states, but were so
busy being tourists, we didn't have time to fit it. I think that only the
crew of a Spray would contemplate carrying their self steering gear as deck
cargo prior to an Atlantic crossing.
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Charlie Jupp's Spray 40 |
As this correspondence refers to the first-ever of the Roberts Sprays I feel that is is appropriate that it heads up our SPRAY Newsletter. I sailed on the first 'Spray' you designed built by Charlie Jupp across the Pacific years ago. I remember Charlie was good friends with Phil and sent him the charts we used as a souvenir of what was an awful trip spending 70 days to reach Brisbane from the Cook Islands.A cyclone done its best to pull the boat apart and loosing the rudder back-sliding down waves didn't help.Still,Spray did get us to land safely in the end for which I hold the boat in high esteem. I have since owned several boats myself and sailed many oceans but never experienced anything such as what Charlie and I went through on that one particular leg.I am now writing about that event and wish to track the original chart down which I think Phil would have. Please can you give me an address or contact for Phil Sheaf if you its something you can help me with.I look forward to hearing from you Kind Regards Rick Ganly |
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LEFT: RIGHT: More about Spray 27's
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SPRAY 27 Builder writes: I am building in plywood/epoxy, and I'm the guy who modified the design for "epoxy chine" construction--no real difference, I just have lots of fillets to make now that the hull is turned over. I live in Montana. I'll get our pictures developed and get them to you. Also, my son will be posting some on our website for us. Is it easier for you to simply adopt them from that? Either way is fine--we'll get all this done, hopefully, within a week. Perhaps you'd pass on the word to others who have bought Spray 27 plans recently that I'd sell them the building jig (very well built, I might add) and all the temporary frames. This would get someone off to a flying start--they'd only have to use their patterns for the stem and the bulkhead at station O--the rest would be ready to go. All are made of pine with glued plywood gussets and, of course, waterline and headstock lines drawn on. I'll send you some pictures once they're developed. Thanks for a fine plan. --Dan Aadland SEE MORE OF THIS BOAT |
Spray 40 - "Festina Lente" From Bruce: About three years ago, I did have the privilege of having dinner aboard this beautiful Spray 40 when she was being cruised in the Med. Where is she now? See Roberts Spray 40 S.F.W. for more news about the various Spray 40's |
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There are many Spray's that have been Junk rigged |
STEEL - Centennial Spray 38 The carpenter we have doing the interior fit out has worked for Alloy
yachts on some of the super yachts and is a real craftsman. To give you some idea of
the type of person I have included a picture of his tool box - a work of art initself.
I'm going to have a plaque made up with the boat name and the builders with a foot
note of "built in New Zealand by craftsmen" |
ABOVE: This steel Centennial Spray 38 was built in Sweden
Wood Epoxy Centennial Spray 38 |
| Hail Bruce from California! I'm a marine surveyor and great fan of your designs - as a Whitbread Vet and childhood dreamer of the original "Spray" - love to get one of your "Spray" books. Just surveyed a reported 1980 40' named "Osprey" with "factory" hull (Pacific Northwest /Canada / USA?) and kit interior - can you pass on any greater detail on where the hull and deck may have been laid up or any other details if "Osprey" rings a bell any where!!! Thanks and happy new year! Best regards, Capt. R. Scott Thomas - 40 Years Delivery IOR Boats - 2302,500 miles. |
| Bruce, I have been a long-time admirer of your design work.
I finally got the chance to board a Spray for the first time yesterday. ( I almost drove
off the road as I craned my neck to get a better look at her.) She is moored
alongside the St. Pete (Florida) Yacht Club Sailing Center Building. Her builder is
an interesting Polish lad by the name of Maciej Rosochowicz, he told me that he is planing
a voyage for disabled sailors in the near future. I can't imagine a more
stable platform. He sang your praises all the while that I spoke with him. He described an early voyage of MACIEJKA in short, irregular, fifteen foot seas as that of a duck climbing up a wall of water and then sliding down the other side. He beamed with delight as he told me how well she steered herself. He is truly happy. You have accomplished a great deal more than just designing a fine vessel. You have made a difference in the human condition. Witness the smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes as he speaks about his floating mistress. Your SPRAY has immeasurably improved his standard of living. I wish you and yours continued success. Sincerely, Nils Klykken |
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