Bruce-Roberts Yacht Kits

First of all: on such a large project, you should make a cost calculation before. The required kit-price includes Bruce Robert's fee for the building rights.
The costs of the hull are about 10 to 15% of the total pre-calculated costprice, depending also on the quality of the casco.
In this particular case you are talking about a yacht built in Turkey. A few years ago,
they (the Turkish shipyard) outbid me to such extend that even the design-office was quite surprised. about the low price they offered. I must say that the principal had sent to almost any well known shipyard a comprehensive list of items to be quoted on - so he could very well define the profitranges of the yards in question.
However, 3,5 mil us$ for such a project is absolutely a steal - depending of course on the specifications and grade of interior finishing.
I can assure you that even at pre-Euro times a 100 A1 yard in one of the EEC countries could not build a yacht in that size for that prize. At least not the yards I know.

Price of an 85 footer in steel.

Hello Nismo...

In reply to your query I can tell you the price of the 85 foot steel trawler yacht depicted below comes at around US$ 2.3 mill from a well known Brazilian yard.

Regards
ToreC

ATLANTICA 85 TRAWLER YACHT FROM BRAZIL

Hello again Nismo..

An even better offer is available from the renowned builder in Brazil who has
built Amyr Klink´s famous sailing yacht the Paratii, Bentini Metalmar in Santos.
He has also built many steel and aluminium boats designed by local Roberto
Barros as well as Bruce Roberts and others.

They now offer the Atlantica 85 Trawler Yacht at the unbelieveable price of
US$ 1.6 mill. for the basically equipped boat. Have a look below...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The original idea of the kit boat was aimed at the owner / builder I suspect that most of them were never finished. I do not believe that the cost saving of having a builder assemble a kit would make it worthwhile unless you just absolutly loved that hull, deck, superstructure and there was no other way of getting it. If I were to have a yacht built I would go to the builder with a roll of drawings under my arm.

I think you are a little mislead with regards to the way well known designers
offer their plans to the builder. The building plans comes in full detail on paper
and if the builder wants to do it the hard way he can cut the steel shapes himself
manually, which is very time consuming or invest in a costly computer controlled
cutting machine. I think most of them however would accept the cutting files
presented on a CD with pleasure and let their main steel supplier use THEIR
expensive cutting machines for delivery precisely cut and without any ackward
edges to grind before doing the welding job. Nothing inferior at all about this method.

The 85 footer above designed by Bruce Roberts is built in this way and
is nothing like the 'kit boat' you describe. Do you really think any builder would
build the Atlantica 85 above at a price of US$ 1.6 mill from your roll of paper?

You are right of course about the many half finished kit boats lying around
which unskilled amateurs have attempted to build. But that is entirely
another matter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was speaking figuratively. The point being that one would go to the builder with the plans not a pile of steel allready cut up and yes they would probabley go to their steel / metal supplier to process the material.

I am a big fan of CAD CAM design and construction methods, to the point that I have educated myself in the use of AutoCad, Rhino, ProLines. But when you say kit boat I automaticaly think of an oversized model kit, in which the pieces as wel as the materials are supplied. If on the other hand the files to plot and cut all material are on a disc then it is not really a kit but a detailed set of plans ( drawings ) and any designer who goes to such detail should be applauded.

Ciao Yachtmarine!

I am considering having a 485 Bruce Roberts LR trawler (probably aluminum) built vis-a-vis buying a used Nordhavn 46 or 47. Would like some contact info on the yards you referred to in Brazil -- and if you have info on any good yards in Turkey. Many thanks

Yacht designer

Have alook at Dudley Dix vessels
at www.dixdesign.com

He has some interesting designs and gives all cutting lists on CAD disc
It is worth looking at

Clive