Not someone's backyard triumph of hope over experience, this Roberts 43 is a proper cruising boat through and through, yard built, thoroughly equipped and continuously upgraded by a very experienced world sailor.
Professionally built in Cape Town, South Africa, and launched in 2000, This steel Roberts 43 is fully equipped and ready to take her new owners anywhere on earth today. She features truly bulletproof construction, lots of sails, 2 methods of self steering (oversized belowdecks pilot and a 2008 Hydrovane which also provides emergency steering), a big watermaker, large battery bank, high-capacity charging, and all of the little bits of expensive gear that make cruising a joy. Launched with basic equipment, the boat was delivered on her own bottom to the Caribbean from Cape Town. She spent three years under her first owners cruising in the Eastern Caribbean.
Purchased in Ft. Lauderdale in 2005, her current owner sailed her back to the Eastern Caribbean, carrying out extensive upgrading in both Lauderdale and Trinidad. The Trinidad stop included a new teak cabin sole, solar panels, electric windlass, watermaker, and new canvas.
After 2 years enjoying the Caribbean, the boat transited the Panama canal, and then spent the next 2 years in Seattle. The owner was always slightly dissatisfied with the boat's light air performance, so the shorter S. African rig was scrapped in favor of a complete re-rig with a much taller, higher performance rig, custom built by Sparcraft. Everything from the deck up was replaced in 2008. Only the highest quality gear was installed. Nordac premium sails, top quality oversized 316 SS rigging, Hi-mod rigging terminals top and bottom, and Hayn turnbuckles were all specified in the rerig. Running rigging was also all new at that time, and the boat received a new, larger dodger as well. New electronics were added in '09, along with a thorough inspection of the engine, new engine mounts, injectors, and a new CuNI heat exchanger though there were only 1400 hours at that time.
She's just received a new coat of Imron paint and 4 coats of bottom paint, and has a 2012 survey with a full audiogauge inspection of the hull plating which is available to qualified buyers.
The owner is moving up in size to a new boat, and this one is now actively for sale. She's been an excellent, trusted companion over many thousands of bluewater miles. She inspires confidence offshore, in the way that only a properly executed steel boat can. Her owner has owned many boats over the years, and reports that this is the only one he truly sleeps soundly aboard while on passage. She's simply overbuilt in every way, and the peace of mind that this affords is invaluable.
