2017 Bruce Roberts 54' Ketch

This 55-foot center cockpit ketch was built from a custom design and launched in 2019. The hull is laid up in C-Flex fiberglass—semi-rigid longitudinal rods held in fiberglass mat—with no coring and 20,000 pounds of encapsulated ballast. A new rig designed by Bob Perry was installed in 2024, featuring a 55-foot keel-stepped main and 35-foot deck-stepped mizzen from Z-Spars, with new sails from C-Sails. The boat carries a complete suite of Harken winches and is rigged with a Yankee on a furler, inner foresail on removable stay with running backstays, fully battened main and mizzen each with multiple reefs, and a storm jib. New navigation electronics linked on NMEA 2000 include a B&G Zeus 3 multifunction display, autopilot, VHF with AIS, and Starlink connectivity.

Below deck, the layout centers on a large saloon with L-shaped dinette to port and navigation station to starboard. Forward is a sea berth with a full head featuring shower stall, electric toilet, and washer-dryer. The forward cabin holds an enormous V-berth (queen to port, full size to starboard) with substantial storage. The galley aft of the saloon includes a three-burner Force Ten gimballed stove with oven, deep stainless-steel sink, and vertical fridge-freezer running on 110 or 12 volts. An aft stateroom with walk-around queen berth, two hanging lockers, and twelve drawers completes the sleeping arrangements. Hot and cold pressure water throughout; cabin heat supplied by a Webasto diesel hydronic system with eight radiators.

Power comes from a 2014 Yanmar 4JH4THE turbocharged diesel producing 110 horsepower, with 180 hours on the engine. Fuel capacity totals 625 gallons across three tanks, with a SolarMaax water maker and 160 gallons of water tankage. The electrical system runs 12DC, 110VAC, and 24VDC for bow thruster and windlass, backed by two 4D AGM house batteries, a 12V starter battery, and two new 8D AGM batteries for 24V loads. Ground tackle includes a Delta #55 primary anchor with 200 feet of half-inch chain and 200 feet of nylon rode, a Bruce secondary, and a Danforth stern anchor. A Maxwell vertical axis windlass, Side Power bow thruster, and 22-inch bronze two-blade propeller complete the propulsion system. Cruising speed is eight knots; maximum speed 10.2 knots. The boat includes a six-man offshore life raft, dinghy with six-horsepower Yamaha outboard, removable Bimini cover, and Kiwi Grip non-skid on all deck surfaces.