bristol 40 sailboat review

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The Bristol 40 Sailboat Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Bristol 40, a masthead sloop, was designed by Ted Hood and built in the USA by Bristol Yachts.

Published Specification for the Bristol 40

Underwater Profile:  Long keel

Hull Material:  GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall:  40'2" (12.2m)

Waterline Length:  27'6" (8.4m)

Beam:  10'9" (3.3m)

Draft:  5'4" (1.6m)

Rig Type:  Masthead sloop (also available as a yawl or cutter)

Displacement:  17,580lb (7,974kg)

Ballast:  6,500lb (2,948kg)

Designer:  Ted Hood

Builder:  Bristol Yachts (USA)

Year First Built:  1970

Year Last Built:  1986

Number Built:  149

Published Design Ratios for the Bristol 40

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio:  16.5

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio:  37.0

3. Displacement/Length Ratio:  376

4. Comfort Ratio:  36.7

5. Capsize Screening Formula:   1.7

read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Bristol 40

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 16.5 suggests that the Bristol 40 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 37.0 means that a sailboat like the Bristol 40, is likely to benefit from being reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 376 tells us the Bristol 40 is firmly in the ultra-heavy displacement category. Load her up as much as you like and her performance will be hardly affected, not that it was ever startling. Few if any sailboats are built to this displacement category these days - but they remain popular with some long-distance sailors.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 36.7 suggests that crew comfort of a Bristol 40 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate bluewater cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.7 indicates that a Bristol 40 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0. 

More about the Bristol 40 sailboat...

The Bristol 40 is a classic American sailboat that was designed by Ted Hood as a racer-cruiser and first built in 1970. It is a beautiful and elegant boat with traditional lines, long overhangs, a lovely sheerline, a low freeboard and a narrow cabin trunk.

The boat has a masthead sloop rig, with an optional cutter or yawl rig, and a modified long keel with a cutaway forefoot and a keel-mounted rudder.

The boat is well-built and solid, with a fiberglass hull and deck and wood trim. The boat is suitable for coastal cruising and offshore passages, as well as club racing. The boat has a loyal following of owners and admirers who appreciate its timeless style and sailing qualities.

Accommodation The Bristol 40 has a spacious and comfortable interior for a boat of its era, with sleeping accommodation for six people.

The layout consists of a double V-berth in the forward cabin, an U-shaped settee and dinette table on the port side of the main cabin that converts to a double berth, a straight settee on the starboard side with a pipe berth above it, and a quarter berth aft of the navigation station on the starboard side.

The boat has one head compartment with a marine toilet and a sink, located on the port side between the forward cabin and the main cabin.

The galley is located on the port side near the companionway, and is equipped with a three-burner alcohol stove, an oven, a sink, and ample storage space. The navigation station is opposite the galley on the starboard side, and has a large chart table and an instrument panel.

The boat has plenty of natural light and ventilation from several opening ports and hatches. The interior is finished in warm teak woodwork and has a traditional charm.

Hull and Deck The Bristol 40 has a fiberglass hull and deck that are strong and durable. The hull is molded in one piece with no core material, while the deck is cored with balsa wood for stiffness and insulation.

The boat has a raised counter reverse transom that provides more buoyancy and space for the rudder. The boat has a spooned raked stem that gives it a graceful profile. The boat has an Edson wheel steering system that is mounted on a pedestal in the spacious and comfortable aft cockpit.

Mast and Rigging The Bristol 40 has a masthead sloop rig, with an optional cutter or yawl rig. The mast and boom are made of aluminum and are painted white. The mast is keel-stepped and has two sets of spreaders. The mast has internal halyards for the main, jib, and spinnaker.

Keel and Rudder The Bristol 40 has a modified long keel that provides stability and directional control. The keel has a cutaway forefoot that reduces wetted surface and improves maneuverability. The keel is made of fiberglass and encapsulates 6,500 lb (2,948 kg) of lead ballast. The keel has a draft of 5.40 ft (1.65 m) with the standard configuration, but a stub keel and centerboard version was also available.

The Bristol 40 has a keel-mounted rudder that is controlled by an Edson wheel steering system.

The rudder is made of fiberglass and has a stainless steel stock and fittings. The rudder has a balanced design that reduces the steering effort and improves the responsiveness. The rudder is protected by a bronze shoe at the bottom of the keel.

Versions and Options The Bristol 40 was produced from 1970 to 1986, with a total of 149 units built. The boat was based on the earlier Bristol 39, which was produced from 1966 to 1970, with 58 units built. The Bristol 39 and 40 are nearly identical in their principle dimensions, but have different lengths overall due to some changes in the hull sections aft and the stemhead fitting. The Bristol 40 was available in different versions and options, such as:

• Keel or keel/centerboard configuration: The standard version had a fixed modified long keel with a draft of 5.40 ft (1.65 m), while the optional version had a stub keel and a centerboard with a draft of 7.8 ft (2.4 m) when extended and 4.0 ft (1.2 m) when retracted.  The centerboard was made of fiberglass and was operated by a pennant line that led to the cockpit.
• Masthead sloop, cutter or yawl rig: The standard version had a masthead sloop rig with a single forestay and a single mainsail, while the optional versions had either a cutter rig with an inner forestay and an inner jib or staysail, or a yawl rig with a mizzen mast and sail aft of the rudder post.
• Gasoline or diesel engine: The standard version had a Universal Atomic 4 30 hp (22 kW) gasoline engine, while the optional version had a Westerbeke diesel engine.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Other sailboats in the Bristol range include:

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Chesapeake Bay Magazine

The Best of the Bay

Boat of the Month | April 2021

1979 Bristol 40 Sloop

Available from curtis stokes & associates.

The Bristol 40 is a high quality, solidly built boat that has withstood the test of time. Designed by Ted Hood and built by Bristol Yachts in Bristol Rhode Island, Cruising World magazine ranked the B40 in its 40 all-time best monohulls saying:

”With her prominent overhangs, sweet sheer line, low freeboard, undistorted hull shape and narrow beam, this iconic 40-footer set high marks for seaworthiness and style.”

Agape is a beautiful example of this classic yacht. The current owners sailed the Chesapeake aboard her for many years, while raising their family. However, if your sights are set across the ocean, the B40 is capable of taking you anywhere in the world. Designed with blue water cruising in mind, the B40 is a stable and well-mannered boat that has completed many ocean crossings.

Contact Jason Hinsch at Curtis Stokes & Associates for more information or to set up a time to come and see her for yourself!

443.808.1657

[email protected]

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Bluewater Sailboat – Bristol 40

A high-quality, well-built yacht that has lasted the test of time is the bluewater sailboat Bristol 40. The B40 is among the top 40 monohulls of all time, according to Cruising World magazine, and was created by Ted Hood and Bristol Yachts in Bristol, Rhode Island.

This legendary 40-footer “established high markers for seaworthiness and style” with her pronounced overhangs, lovely sheer line, low freeboard, undisturbed hull shape, and narrow beam.

The Bristol 40 was built over a considerable amount of time—at least 20 years—but the quality of the building remained constant. The coachroof is balsa cored, the deck has plywood reinforcement where needed, and the hull is made entirely of fibreglass. According to certain reports, the inward flange between the hull and deck has occasionally been reported to leak. Internal lead is used as ballast, and the bulkheads are securely fastened to the hull. Over the years, deck fittings and hardware have been improved.

Looking for a used sailboat for sale? Check out the sailboat data and sailboat specs to make an informed decision. Now you can precisely calculate the expenses related to boat ownership so that you can make smart choices based on your budget and sailing needs. Use this Sailboat Calculator to explore different options and make the best decision.

• LOA 39′ 8.5″
• LWL 27′ 6.5″
• Beam 10′ 9″
• Draft standard 5’4″
• Draft centerboard up 4′
• Draft centerboard down 7’10”
• Sail Area sq. ft. 694
• Displacement lbs. 17,580
• Ballast 6,500 lbs.

Before becoming the 40 in 1970, the 39 was introduced in 1966 with 58 boats built, and it was produced until 1986. The Bristol was elegant, solidly constructed, spacious enough to live aboard in comfort, and relatively inexpensive when compared to more contemporary boats.

With a shallow draught, long keel, centerboard, and attached rudder, the Morgan 34 is often compared to the Bristol 40, which was created by Ted Hood and Dieter Empacher. The styling and pedigree make a difference. It’s safe to argue that Carlton Mitchell’s renowned centerboard yawl Finnisterre served as an inspiration for the Bristol 40, Hinckley B40, Block Island 40, and other boats. Mitchell raced and sailed Finnesterre, a Sparkman & Stephens design, across the Atlantic in the 1950s and early 1960s while penning innumerable articles and several endearing novels. Ironically, this form, which at the time was a little unconventional, is today regarded as classic Down East boatbuilding.

The Bristol 40 features long overhangs and, by today’s standards, a small beam like the other two boats in this column. The 40 was regarded as a wide body in its day and had a massive 10-foot-9-inch beam. Even by today’s standards, the 6,000 pounds of ballast and 17,580 pounds of displacement were hardly excessive in 1966. 

Over the years, Bristol Yachts has undergone a lot of modifications. Clint Pearson, one of the pioneering Pearson brothers—the other, Everett, is now in charge of running Tillotson-Pearson—was the driving force behind Bristol.  Today’s Bristol boats are vastly different from those produced 15 years ago. With excellent final detail and systems, current Bristols are aimed at the middle to upper end of the production and semi-custom sectors. Bristols were originally designed and outfitted with a focus on the mass market.

The Bristol 40 was produced over a 20-year period, so there were a few minor modifications made along the way, but overall, the last boats are very similar to the first ones.

Even by today’s standards, the Bristol 40 is not a particularly light-built yacht, but she is unquestionably not heavy given her overall length. The boat is significantly lighter than the majority of 40-foot long-keel CCA boats. For instance, the Hinckley Bermuda 40 has a standard trim displacement of around 20,000 pounds. The ordinary Bristol 40 weighs right around 17,000 pounds in the same configuration, whereas the Cal 40, which was regarded as a true lightweight in 1966, weighs roughly 16,000 pounds in IMS measuring trim.

None of the Bristol 40 owners that were questioned mention any significant structural issues.  However, they do gripe about inconveniences like leaky ports, deck hardware, and hull/deck joints. The majority of these issues, which often involve assembly and quality control, may be resolved by the owner, albeit with some work. Although a leaking hull/deck junction may be more problematic, this kind of leak should be detectable during a thorough inspection of the boat. Leaks in the joint may be indicated by discoloration, water streaks within lockers and on bulkheads, corrosion and drips on through-fastenings, and enigmatic puddles of water.

The Bristol 40 has two fibreglass water tanks with a combined capacity of 130 gallons, which is a nice feature for cruisers.

Any sailboat hull that is more than eight years old is increasingly a candidate for painting. While the gelcoat on the Bristol 40s we looked at still appears fair, the majority of the pastel-colored hulls from the 1970s are severely faded. It was not colorfast to utilise coloured gelcoat.

It is documented to have various gelcoat faults on the decks, including gaps at sharp corner transitions and cracks around the bases of the stanchion posts. The surveyor should thoroughly sound the whole deck for voids throughout the survey. You might as well find all the issues at once if you’re going to the hassle and expense of painting.

Deck non-skid, which has a molded-in basket weave pattern, is less effective than non-skid patterns with more overt aggression.

With over 7-foot-long seats, the cockpit is enormous. It’s a good feature on any boat, but it’s crucial on a tippy boat since the well is narrow enough to allow you to support your feet against the opposite seat. A mixed blessing is the spacious cockpit. Although it provides plenty of room for daysailing or in-port gatherings, it is also susceptible to filling in highly windy offshore conditions.

The cockpit scuppers are too small. The size of each of the two scuppers is comparable to a bathtub drain. It is crucial that the cockpit drain fast because there isn’t a bridgedeck—only a high companionway sill. This retrofit project is fairly affordable. The bottom dropboard needs to be caulked and firmly fastened in place for offshore sailing.

The boat has a fair amount of outside teak trim, including handrails, cockpit coamings, toerails, and cabin eyebrow decor. An attractive Bristol 40 would have a recently awlgripped hull and varnished teak trim.

Large dock line chocks are located on the port and starboard quarters. Despite their solid appearance, these are merely secured by toe nails and are very prone to tearing out. Chocks, like all other deck hardware, can be highly laden during panic dockings and should always be through-bolted.

Through-hull fittings can be easily faired in to reduce drag in very light air despite not being flush with the hull’s surface. In order for the boat to ground out on the keel rather than the rudder, the Constellation-style rudder is positioned just aft of the aft edge of the keel.

The Bristol 40 has a moulded keel cavity filled with 6,500 pounds of lead rather of an external keel that is bolted on. One of the owners we talked to had increased stability by adding 1,500 pounds of lead pigs to the bilge.

Instead of using fibreglass moulded components with solid wood trim, Bristol has always made substantial use of interiors that are built up from plywood and solid wood. Additionally, the business has built several interior spaces primarily out of mahogany rather than teak.  The Bristol’s interior’s brighter reddish-brown mahogany may or may not appeal to you if you’re used to the dull brown of teak. Mahogany needs to be varnished because an oil finish would not be appropriate for it in a nautical setting. The wood will turn grey if the varnish is allowed to deteriorate, especially after being exposed to water.

At the same time, mahogany is lighter and brighter than teak, and can make an all-wood interior slightly less gloomy. If all else fails, you can always paint out the mahogany bulkheads and leave the mahogany trim varnished. Teak plywood is much harder to paint out, since its waxy surface doesn’t hold paint very well. The built-up interior allowed a number of interior options in the Bristol 40. As originally drawn, the boat had a wide-open offshore racing interior, with a sail locker forward, the head in the area normally reserved for a forward sleeping cabin, and symmetrical pilot berths, settees, and quarterberths in the main cabin. While it provides six sea berths, this interior has little appeal for a cruising family. The built-up interior of the Bristol 39 and 40 allowed for a variety of interior options. With a sail locker forward, the head in the space typically used for a forward sleeping cabin, and symmetrical pilot beds, settees, and quarterberths in the main cabin, the boat’s interior was initially designed with an open, offshore racing feel. Although it has six sea berths, this interior won’t appeal to a family on a cruise.  A variety of more traditional interior designs were used in the majority of boats.

The Vberths don’t need to be crammed into the bow, which is a benefit of long-ended boats. Instead, you have berths that can accommodate people of average size at the foot. The Bristol 40’s front cabin is rather spacious, featuring two sleepers as well as a number of drawers and lockers. The V-berths can be converted into a decent double berth with an insert.

The port side of the front cabin is where the head compartment is located. It has a large, spacious head with some amazing storage, including three lockers and ten little drawers. Every yacht has a hand-held shower attached to the head sink fixture as well as hot and cold pressurized water.  There are the typical hanging lockers opposite the head.  There were a variety of main cabin arrangements available, with something to suit most fairly traditional tastes. A U-shaped dinette, a small pull-out sofa with a pilot berth outboard, or a settee berth with storage can all be found on the port side. Although some boats were built with a normal pilot bunk outboard of the starboard settee, the starboard side often had a settee with a folding pipe sleeper above.  The main cabin table folds up against the port forward bulkhead on boats without a dinette, which is a practical solution for a small boat.

There are several cabinets and closets in the main cabin, which provides good storage capacity. Each interior design has a different actual storage arrangement.  The main cabin and the entire boat have average ventilation. In addition to an overhead cowl vent, there is an opening port in the head. In bad weather, the forward cabin and main cabin can get some air via a cowl vent on the side of the cabin trunk opposite the head. A sizable fibreglass hatch is located over the forward cabin.

Over the main cabin, a fibreglass hatch was offered.  Ports in the main cabin do not open. By placing Dorade boxes directly in front of the dodger barrier at the aft end of the main cabin, ventilation would be much increased. You could quickly improve airflow by adding a small dodger and a reversible aluminum-framed hatch immediately over the centre of the main cabin. This would solve the problem of poor ventilation. On the centerline aft, headroom is approximately 6 feet 4 inches, dropping to 6 feet in the forward cabin.

The Sailboats Galley is located at the rear of the main cabin in all interior designs save for the original ocean racing configuration. Two aft galley configurations are included. The first is large but not extremely effective, whereas the second is constrained. The galley is crammed into the starboard aft corner of boats with a quarterberth and navigation station on the port side, and it is tiny for a 40-footer. On boats without a navigation station, the stove, sink, and a sizable icebox are on the port side. The icebox’s top is then utilized as a navigational table. Both galley designs are inferior to the U-shaped galley found on more contemporary vessels like the Bristol 38.8.

On the layout of the galley, you must decide. If the boat is used for activities other than daysailing, a nav station is highly useful. However, the starboard galley on boats with navigation stations is fairly small and has little storage.  The electrical panel is situated on the starboard side, above the galley and close to the companionway, even on boats with the port nav station, in a fibreglass box that is moulded into the cabin liner.

The interior of the Bristol 40 is properly laid out and not claustrophobic despite its narrowness when compared to newer boats. The headroom is good, and the ventilation may be easily improved. Due to the relatively small, tall cabin trunk, the interior doesn’t appear as large as on many boats. More freeboard in more recent designs enables a lower cabin trunk, giving the inside a sense of greater room.

Performance

The average “contemporary” racer/cruiser loses positive stability at 120° or less, whereas Arcadia’s range of positive stability is about 143°.

Unfortunately, being small and unstable doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be stable in the long run. The absolute least to contemplate for a serious offshore cruiser is 120°, where the keel version of the Bristol 40 loses positive righting moment. For the sole boat assessed using the International Measurement System, the centerboard version’s range of stability is shorter, measuring just about 110°. (IMS).  Centerboarders frequently have very little positive stability, few people would consider the boat unsuited for making passages.

The Bristol 40 is said to be quite sensitive to the quantity of sail carried, according to owners. To minimize the amount of headsail changes necessary when shorthanded cruising, it is advised using a modern headsail reefing/furling system. The Bristol 40, like most CCA boats, is a fine reaching boat and doesn’t have the rounding-up habit of many contemporary boats with full sterns. The boat’s tendency to stoop when running downwind creates a hole that is challenging to escape. The 1983 Marion- Bermuda Race, which was primarily four days of close reaching in light to moderate breezes, was won by a Bristol 40 with a full keel.

There is no need to move the genoa track inboard of the toerail because the boat is so small. Unless there are turning blocks at the aft end of the genoa track, the only major drawback of toerail-mounted genoa track is that you might need to relead the sheet to clear stanchions when changing headsails or lowering sail area using a headsail furler. On the boat, a short traveler across the cockpit directly in front of the steering wheel or a longer traveler over the coachroof directly in front of the companionway are the two most typical mainsheet configurations. While the short traveler in the cockpit is a convenient place for the sheet, it doesn’t actually allow much mainsail control.

The rig is a straightforward masthead sloop or yawl with single spreaders and double lower shrouds on an untapered, keel-stepped anodized mast. Due to the lower shroud chainplates’ imperfect alignment with the pull of the shrouds, there is a greater chance of leaks over time as well as a tendency for the chainplates to become worn out more quickly.

It’s challenging to make generalizations about the sailing equipment you’ll discover because this boat was manufactured for more than 20 years. The factory winches on the Bristol 40s we’ve looked at are typically one or two sizes smaller than what we’d place on the boat today. Self-tailers are probably uncommon on older models.

Many Bristol 40s were constructed as yawls. Even while the yawl rig is attractive and appears to be extremely traditional, the mizzen is typically only helpful for supporting a mizzen staysail when it makes sense to carry one, for balancing the helm, and as a convenient location to put a radar antenna. Upwind sailing is hampered by the mizzen’s increased windage and tippiness of the boat.

Quick Notes

The Bristol 40 is a really attractive boat, and this is one of the reasons it has been produced for such a long time. However, a number of nearly-fanatical owners who are willing to pay quite surprisingly high rates for a design that is now 30 years old have painstakingly improved the Bermuda 40 and fostered its reputation.

The Bristol 40, on the other hand, doesn’t have that standing or fan base. Even though the Bristol 40 was replaced in 1983 by the Bristol 38.8, which is a noticeably more contemporary Hood cruiser/racer and is quicker, roomier, and stiffer, a few Bristol 40s were still constructed for ardent fans.

Although Bristol 40s have certainly done their share of extended offshore cruising, this boat wouldn’t be a good choice because to her huge cockpit, small cockpit drains, slightly exposed companionway, and very low initial stability. The keel-centerboard model would be a good choice for cruising in the Chesapeake, Bahamas, or Gulf of Mexico, and even the deep keel form draws significantly less than most 40-footers.

Our initial preference would be a late-model, sloop-rigged yacht powered by a Perkins or Westerbeke engine. You can also locate a good older boat that has received a lot of attention because there weren’t many changes made to it during the years that it was being built.

The Bristol 40 should appeal to you if you enjoy classic styling and frequently cruise in shoal coastal waters without very strong winds.

You can precisely calculate the expenses related to boat ownership with the sailboat calculator . Using this tool, you can investigate many possibilities and come to wise selections depending on your financial objectives and sailing requirements.

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1969 Bristol 40

• Thread starter bgreen
• Start date Sep 11, 2012
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

I am considering a Bristol 40 full keel and would appreciate any pro's or cons on the boat, quality of construction, what to look for, issues, etc. i owned a Bayfield 40 Ketch previously so am familiar with full keel and their sailability etc.  

bgreen said: I am considering a Bristol 40 full keel and would appreciate any pro's or cons on the boat, quality of construction, what to look for, issues, etc. i owned a Bayfield 40 Ketch previously so am familiar with full keel and their sailability etc. Click to expand

Rick486 said: Had two friends who owned these boats, 1 sloop, 1 yawl. They enjoyed them but both had issues with the stowage and especially with their tenderness under sail. They may be ultimately stable but the easy bilges allow lots of heel. Click to expand

We had friends with a Bristol 40 yawl. (I think he still has it - hasn't been able to sell it.) As above, when his wife came aboard our 36 footer, she exclaimed as to how much room we had compared to her. We also enjoyed passing them in light air, to leeward, despite them having their sails up and engine engaged. A pretty boat, generally soldly put together, but it needs about 15 knots of wind to make it move. As mentioned, it's fairly tender, so you're sailing around on your ear all day if there's any breeze, or motoring upright with your sails slatting if there isn't. The mizzen (if there is one) and its rigging take up a lot of room in the cockpit.  

The Bristol 40 is a derivative of the "Finistere" a S&S / Hoyt design that dominated long distance racing during 60s. Other derivatives / similar boats (hulls) are the Block Island 40 and Bermuda 40. Yes, they are initially tender, need to have FLAT draft forward sails but typically are stable well through the upper 30kts of wind; need taught forestay and well balanced helm (via well 'shaped' sails) or they can easily 'skid off to leeward'. A precise helmsman, quality flat luff entry sails, a good slick bottom and all of these boats 'fly'. You want to keep the ends 'light' in these boats or they tend to 'hobby horse' in a seaway. Heeling is not a big deal, you just reef earlier, and get used to it. If you plan long distance sailing, you dont usually plan to BEAT to windward for days on end, you wait for the correct wind window and reach/run there. The propensity to heel was not an afterthought, it was purposely designed that way as a 'racing rule beater' so that when heeled, the large overhangs added to the waterline length; hence, the boat is faster when heeled. Finistere was a *race* boat, and the derivatives / same hull hull design are not optimized as dockside garages due to the narrow beam (as re-defined by todays standards). These boats area bit more than 'raise the sails and go' ... youll have to learn sail shaping and helm balance on-the-fly; and, you will learn to reef (properly). There still are a lot of well maintained Finistere derivatives found in 'the islands' and in Maine .... most are still 'head turners' - graceful shear and with large overhangs. If set up well, and skippered well ... are a pleasure to sail. All these boats are B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l and take a lot of maintenance to keep them that way.  

Ted Hood may have been influenced by the Finisterre type, but the Bristol 40 is longer, narrower, lighter, and not a centerboarder. Have not heard of any of Bristol 40's winning the Bermuda Race, though another Hood design did (more than 10 years after Finisterre was built).  

scottspowell

Bristol 40 If you are still looking for a Bristol 40, I just lowered my price. Let me know if there is interest. Check this link: wwwbristol40.info  

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The Bristol 40 is a 40.16ft masthead sloop designed by Ted Hood and built in fiberglass by Bristol Yachts between 1970 and 1986.

149 units have been built..

The Bristol 40 is a heavy sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a bluewater cruising boat. The fuel capacity is originally small. There is a good water supply range.

Bristol 40 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Bristol - Bluewater Capable???

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Looking to pick up a boat for upcoming "retirement" (term used loosely). Would like to get a boat in the 32'-37' range, capable of being handled by crew of 2 and one in a pinch. Looking at coastal shake-out cruises over the new few years with some multiple week trips south. Ultimately, will be taking on more offshore sails. Many boat manufacturers "claim" offshore capability. Have looked at Alberg 37, Allied Princess 36, and S2 11. Each has nice open layout but obviously there is a difference in bluewater capability. Question - are Bristol's built to handle these goals? If so, what models within the length constraints would you recommend? Thanx in advance for any advice you can provide - directed at Bristol's or others. Keith  

A good place to start would be "The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat" by John Vigor. The essence of the book is that there are boats such as the Valiant 40 specifically designed for bluewater sailing, but that any boat can be made offshore capable with modifications. Also sailing skills in my view are 75% and the boat is 25%. I sail an S2 11.0A on the Chespapeake and would take it offshore with some modiciations such as storm shutters.  

Recently returned to the US from a three year trip from south carolina to trinidad and back via bahamas, DR, PR, windwards and leewards aboard my Bristol 32. It was a very safe and economical way to cruise and live aboard. I spent much less time and money than other folks on larger boats, but experienced the same harbors, sunsets, thrills and chills. Would go again in a minute on a bristol. Feel free to contact me for any info- [email protected]  

Thanx for the steer on the book, longwaterline. I've reviewed Vigor's "20 small boats" and was looking for a boat a little larger than those boats, thus my original question. And I agree with you on the sailing/boat distribution; I've watched a number of people that are idiotic with their approach to even coastal cruising let alone a crossing of any substance. I will look into that book to further my offshore boat knowledge. I'm looking at a boat to spend the next 3-5 years getting comfortable with and physically prepared for serious sailing. Then, the next stop is smaller SE coastal crossings (Caribbean - I grew up on west coast) before an eventual Atlantic crossing. Those are the long term goals and having spent much time around boats, it takes me something more than a few months to get comfortable with the way one moves and her little idiosyncrasies. As a result, I'd rather invest the time/$$ up front and learn the boat and the Atlantic at the same time. Ken - I appreciate the information. I like what you did and will likely be there on a smaller scale in about 3 years. I'm just looking to reduce the time between that step and my next step (as mentioned above). I will likely touch base with you in a month or so. Good health to each of you and have a SAFE and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Keith  

Give the Bristol 35.5 a look Keith, I cruised a Bristol 35.5 from SF, down the west coast of Mexico and on to the South Pacific returning via Hawaii. IMHO, it is very blue water capable. My wife and I are currently preparing a Bristol 32 for a trip to the Marshall Islands via Hawaii (hope to depart summer 08). Good luck in your search. Regards, Ken  

Thanx for the information, Ken. We'll definitely add Bristol to the short list of boats were considering. Keith  

FWIW, you might consider the CS 36T, a bit more on the performance side than other suggestions. I have been the happy owner of one, which the PO and his wife took on a five year cruise which included several offshore trips from New England to/from Latin America. Here's a sample Sailboats - 1986 36' ft Canadian Sailcraft 36T - Racer/Cruiser, Cruiser (Sail), Racer - Hingham, MA, 02043 - UsedBoats.com  

Friends of mine owned a Bristol 27 which made two circumnavigations. A very strong boat. Smaller than you want obviously, but I was very impressed with the boat.  

Blue water Bristols I think any Bristol from the 27 up is certainly capable for blue water. There have certainly been enough boats proving that. More important than the boat, is your preparation and skill in handling problems as they arise. The benefits of owning a Bristol is that typically, problems may arise less than on less competent boats. Hope this helps. Dr. S. Bristol 32  

I have owned a Bristol 29 for 4 years, and think very highly of the boat. Bristol boats are strong, tight boats. I would have no qualms taking my boat across the ocean, provided I invested in the necessary refit. BTW, mine is for sale! Its too small for your needs, I know. But any other folks looking for a beautifully redone boat, let me know.  

We've sailed our B29.9 from Galveston to Vera Cruz, Galveston to Isla Mujeres (trips of about 650 miles each way), and crossed the Gulf from West to East in all sorts of weather and she holds up very well - we have been weather so bad that we were worried for ourselves, but never worried for the boat.  

Bardo's Bristol 29 for sale Hey Bardo I read that your bristol 29 is for sale. Has it already been sold? If not, can you please send me a detailed list of specs and as many photos of the boat as you have? Thanks. Justin daveyjustin(at)gmail.com  

We have made several offshore trips on our 35.5, but no ocean crossings. I respect the comment that offshore is 75-25 with the boat being less important. However, I worry that my 35.5 cockpit would be very slow to drain in heavy weather and that I cannot close the through hulls for those drains. Also, the anchor well takes on a lot of water, which, with my Hyspeed 510 windlass, drains into the bilge through the hause pipe . Could these be modified? Perhaps. That said, I have been sailing my 35.5 for ten years and more than 15,000 miles. I have 100% faith that she is a better boat than I am a sailor.  

Yes, I have heavy duty seacocks on all my thru hulls. The problem I mentioned has to do with the 35.5 design. The cockpit drains through the engine compartment and the hull, so you cannot close the seacocks when offshore. Otherwise the cockpit would not drain at all. This, I think, is a design flaw. When offshore, I close all the seacocks and only open them when necessary to drain the sinks or flush the head. The next time I have the boat hauled I will try your suggestion for greasing the barrel. Thanks.  

Why would one close the cockpit drains?  

we own two boats, an Apache 37 by Chriscraft and a Bristol 40, both blue water but one has to go. By the way the Bristol won twice the Maine - Bermuda race: blue water or what? And the older Albergs were very seaworthy.  

Bardo's Bristol 29 for sale? Does anyone know if Bardo still has his Bristol for sale? I tried sending him a personal message but as a new member to this group I need to have five postings.  

Summercamp said: Does anyone know if Bardo still has his Bristol for sale? I tried sending him a personal message but as a new member to this group I need to have five postings. Click to expand...

The Bristol is a fine sea going boat. Before we bought the boat our Bristol 40 Yawl had been across the Atlantic & back, over to American samoa & this year will circumnavigate Vancouver Island. The 40 has very large cockpit drains at the aft end & smaller drains to take care of rain water at the forward end.  

I have owned a Bristol 24 and presently have a Bristol 30 (1972). I have nothing but good things to say about them.  

The boatyards in RI definitely make and made some good stuff. Here's a new Bristol Built boat that just made the crossing: EastBayRI.com  

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• Sailboat Reviews

Affordable Cruising Sailboats

Practical sailor reviews nine used boats over 35 feet and under $75,000..

In a search for a budget cruiser, Practical Sailor examined a field of used sailboats costing less than $75K and built between 1978 and 1984. We narrowed the field to boats with sufficient accommodations for four people and a draft of less than 6 feet. One way to approach a used-boat search is to look for sailboats with informed, active owners associations and high resale values. Practical Sailor’s quest for recession-proof cruisers led us to the Allied Princess 36, Bristol 35.5C, Endeavour 37, S2 11.0, Freedom 36, ODay 37, Niagara 35, C&C Landfall 38, and the Tartan 37. The report takes a more in-depth look at the Tartan, C&C Landfall, and Niagara.

Let’s say you’re looking to buy a boat for summer cruising along the coastal U.S. or on the Great Lakes, one that, when the time is right, is also capable of taking you safely and efficiently to Baja or the Bahamas, and perhaps even island-hopping from Miami to the West Indies. Like most of us, your budget is limited, so a new boat is out of the question. Let’s set more specifics:

• Passes a thorough survey by a respected surveyor and has been upgraded to meet current equipment and safety standards. (These are old boats, after all, prone to all sorts of potentially serious problems.)
• Fun to sail inshore (which means not too heavy and not too big).
• Sufficient accommodations and stowage to cruise four people for two weeks.
• Popular model (active owners support group for help and camaraderie) with decent resale value
• Under $75,000.
• Monohull (multihulls violate the price cap, anyway).
• Draft of less than 6 feet (for the islands, mon).

In the February 2008 issue, we examined 30-footers from the 1970s , which is just above the minimum length for the Big Three: standing headroom, enclosed head, and inboard engine. Too small, however, to satisfy our new criteria. So we need to jump up in size. As we culled through the possibilities, we found a fairly narrow range of boat lengths and vintages that satisfy the criteria. Of course, there always are exceptions, but basically it is this: 35- to 38-footers built between 1978 and 1984. Bigger or newer boats that meet our criteria cost more than $75,000.

Heres the list of nine models we came up with: Allied Princess 36, Bristol 35.5C, C&C Landfall 38, Endeavour 37, Freedom 36, Niagara 35, ODay 37, S2 11.0, and the Tartan 37. All were built by reputable companies in the U.S. or Canada, with underwater configurations ranging from full keels with attached rudders to fin keels and spade rudders. Displacements are mostly moderate.

Below we present notes on six of the finalists. Details of our 3 favorites are linked to the right of this page.

ALLIED PRINCESS 36

Allied Yachts developed an excellent line of cruising sailboats in the 1960s, including the first fiberglass boat to circumnavigate, the Seawind 30 ketch, which later was expanded to the 32-foot Seawind II. The handsome Luders 33 was the boat in which teenager Robin Lee Graham completed his historic circumnavigation. Arthur Edmunds designed the full-keel Princess 36 aft-cockpit ketch and the larger Mistress 39 center-cockpit ketch. None of these boats are fancily finished, but the fiberglass work is solid and well executed. They’re ocean-worthy, and affordable. The Princess 36 was in production from roughly 1972 to 1982. Wed look for a later model year; prices are under $50,000.

BRISTOL 35.5C

Bristol Yachts was founded by Clint Pearson, after he left Pearson Yachts in 1964. His early boats were Ford and Chevy quality, good but plainly finished, like the Allieds. Over the years this changed, so that by the late 1970s and early 1980s, his boats were between Buicks and Cadillacs in overall quality. This includes the Ted Hood-designed 35.5C. Its a centerboarder with a draft from 3 feet, 9 inches board up to 9 feet, 6 inches board down; a keel version also was available (named without the “C”).The solid fiberglass hull was laid up in two halves and then joined on centerline. It had an inward-turning flange on the hull, superior to the more common shoebox hull-to-deck joint. The 35.5C is very good in light air, but tender in a breeze. Pick one up for around $60,000.

ENDEAVOUR 37

The Endeavour Yacht Corp. was founded in 1974, and its first model was a 32-footer, built in molds given to it by Ted Irwin. Yup, the Endeavour 32 has the same hull as the Irwin 32. Its second model was the Endeavour 37, based on a smaller, little known Lee Creekmore hull that was cut in half and extended. Its not the prettiest boat in the world, and not very fast, but heavily built. Owners report no structural problems with the single-skin laminate hull. It has a long, shoal-draft keel and spade rudder. What helped popularize the Endeavour 37 was the choice of layouts: an aft cabin with a quarter berth, a V-berth and quarterberth, and a (rare) two aft-cabin model. Production ended after 1983. Prices are around $50,000.

After the Halsey Herreshoff-designed Freedom 40 that reintroduced the idea of unstayed spars, several other designers were commissioned to develop the model line-up. These included David Pedrick and Gary Mull; the latter drew the Freedom 36, in production from about 1986 to 1989. While the early and larger Freedoms were ketch rigged, models like the 36 were sloops, which were less costly to build and easier to handle. To improve upwind performance, a vestigial, self-tacking jib was added. Thats the main appeal of these boats: tacking is as easy as turning the wheel. The 36s hull is balsa-cored, as is the deck. Balsa adds tremendous stiffness, and reduces weight, which improves performance. The downside: Core rot near the partners on this boat could lead to a dismasting and costly hull damage. Interior finishing is above average. These boats sell right at our price break: low to mid-$70s.

This low-profile family sloop was second only to the ODay 40 in size of boats built by ODay under its various owners. Founded by Olympic gold-medalist George ODay to build one-designs and family daysailers, subsequent ownership expanded into trailer sailers and small- to medium-size coastal cruisers. Like the others, the 37 was designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates. The center-cockpit is a bit unusual but some prefer it. The cruising fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder are well suited to shallow-water cruising, and the generous beam provides good form stability. The hull is solid fiberglass, and the deck is cored with balsa. Owners report it is well balanced and forgiving. Early 1980s models are on the market for less than $40,000.

Built in Holland, Mich., the S2 sailboat line emerged in 1973 when owner Leon Slikkers sold his powerboat company, Slickcraft, to AMF and had to sign a no-compete agreement. The 11.0 was the largest model, introduced in 1977. The designer was Arthur Edmunds, who also drew the Allied Princess 36, though the two are very different. Edmunds resisted some of the bumps and bulges indicative of the International Offshore Rule (IOR), but still gave the 11.0 fine ends, and a large foretriangle. Two accommodation plans were offered: an aft cockpit with conventional layout of V-berth, saloon, and quarter berth and galley flanking the companionway; and an unusual center-cockpit layout with V-berth forward immediately followed by opposing settees, and then galley and head more or less under the cockpit. The master suite is in the aft cabin, of course. The hull is solid fiberglass and includes the molded keel cavity for internal ballast; the deck is balsa-cored. Overall construction quality is rated above average. Prices range from about $30,000 to $50,000.

NIAGARA 35: a handsome cruiser with Hinterhoeller quality.

Austria-born George Hinterhoeller emigrated to Canada in the 1950s and began doing what he did all his life: build boats, first out of wood, then fiberglass composites. He was one of four partners who formed C&C Yachts in 1969. He left in 1975 to again form his own company, Hinterhoeller Yachts. The company built two distinct model lines: the better known Nonsuch line of cruising boats with unstayed catboat rigs, and the Niagara line. About 300 Niagara 35s were built between 1978 and 1995.

Canadian naval architect Mark Ellis designed the Niagara 35 as well as all of the Nonsuch models. He gave the 35 a beautiful, classic sheer with generous freeboard in the bow, swooping aft to a low point roughly at the forward end of the cockpit, and then rising slightly to the stern. The classic influence also is seen in the relatively long overhangs; todays trend is to lengthen the waterline as much as possible, with near plumb bows, discounting the old belief that overhangs were necessary for reserve buoyancy. So the Niagara 35 has a somewhat shorter waterline than the others in our group of nine, but as the hull heels, the overhangs immerse and sailing length increases. The short waterline also accounts for the 35s moderately high displacement/length ratio of 329. There is a direct correlation between the D/L and volume in the hull, and for a cruising boat, there must be sufficient space for tanks and provisions. Unfortunately, tankage in the 35 isn’t that much: 80 gallons water, 30 gallons diesel fuel, and 25 gallons holding tank.

The cruising fin keel is long enough for the boat to dry out on its own bottom should the need arise, like drying out against a seawall in Bali to paint the bottom. (Sorry-just dreaming!) The spade rudder seems a little unusual for a cruiser. When asked about it, Ellis said that it provides superior control to a skeg-mounted rudder, and that skegs, which are supposed to protect the rudder, often aren’t built strong enough to do the job. Circumnavigator and designer/builder/developer Steve Dashew agrees that offshore, in nasty conditions, spade rudders are the way to go.

Construction

George Hinterhoeller and his associates at C&C Yachts were early advocates of balsa-cored hull construction, because it reduces weight, increases panel stiffness, and lowers costs. The worry, of course, is delamination of the core to the inner and outer skins should water penetrate through to the core. This is why quality builders remove balsa coring wherever through-hulls or bolts pass through the hull or deck, and fill the area with a mix of resin and reinforcements. Hinterhoeller was such a builder, but core integrity still deserves close inspection during a pre-purchase survey.

All bulkheads are tabbed to the hull and deck with strips of fiberglass, and this is an important detail for an offshore boat. Many mass-produced boats have molded fiberglass headliners that prevent tabbing bulkheads to the deck; rather, the bulkheads simply fit into molded channels in the headliner, which do not prevent them from moving slightly as the boat flexes in waves.

Hardware quality is good. One owner described the chocks and cleats on his Niagara as “massive.” Hatches are Atkins & Hoyle cast aluminum, which are about as good as you can buy. And the original rigging was Navtec rod. Owners report no structural problems.

Performance

With its moderately heavy displacement, conservative sailplan, and relatively large keel, the Niagara 35 is not a speed demon, and does not point as high as a boat with a deep, narrow fin keel. But thats not what were after here. The 35s specs are just about what we want for a versatile cruising boat. Owners say performance picks up quickly as the breeze fills in. If the sailplan were larger, for improved light-air performance, youd have to reef sooner, and reefing is work.

The long keel has another advantage, and that is improved directional stability over shorter keels, which means less effort at the helm. We tend to think that a powerful below-deck autopilot can steer any boat, but autopilots struggle, too. A boat thats easy for the crew to hand steer also is easy for the autopilot to maintain course.

A lot of Niagara 35s were equipped with Volvo saildrives rather than conventional inboard diesel engines. Advantages of the saildrive: improved handling in reverse and lower cost. Disadvantages: potential corrosion of aluminum housing and not as much power. Various inboard diesels were fitted: Westerbeke 27-, 33-, and 40-horsepower models, and a Universal M35D, all with V-drives. Owners rate access somewhat difficult.

Accommodations

Two interior layouts were offered: the Classic, in which the forepeak has a workbench, shelves, seat, and stowage instead of the usual V-berth; and the Encore, which has an offset double berth forward, and quarter berth and U-shaped galley aft. The saloon in the Classic, with settees and dining table, is farther forward than usual; the head and owners stateroom, with single and double berths, is aft. Both plans have their fans.

Headroom is 6 feet, 4 inches in the main cabin and 6 feet, 2 inches in the aft cabin. Berths are 6 feet, 7 inches long; a few owners say berth widths are a bit tight. A couple of thoughts on the double berths offered in these two plans: V-berths are subject to a lot of motion underway and so do not make great sea berths, but at anchor, ventilation via the forward hatch makes them far more comfortable than a stuffy aft cabin, where its much more difficult to introduce air flow. Offset double berths do not waste outboard space like V-berths do, but the person sleeping outboard must crawl over his/her partner to get out of bed.

Thirty-year-old boats should be surveyed thoroughly. Nothing lasts forever, but boats well maintained last a lot longer. Pay particular attention to the balsa-cored hull and deck. If either has large areas of delamination, give the boat a pass, because the cost to repair could exceed the value of the boat.

A few owners expressed concern about the boats handling off the wind, which surprises us somewhat. A test sail in lively conditions should answer that question.

We much prefer the inboard. If you prefer the saildrive, look for signs of corrosion and get a repair estimate.

Niagara 35 Conclusion

The Niagara 35 is a handsome, classically proportioned cruising sloop from one of the best builders of production boats in North America. It is not considered big enough these days to be a circumnavigator, but certainly large enough for a couple to leisurely cruise the Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, and South Pacific. We found asking prices ranging from around $54,000 to $89,000, with most in the $60,000 range.

C&C LANDFALL 38

As noted, George Hinterhoeller was one of four partners who formed C&C Yachts in 1969, at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The others were Belleville Marine, Bruckmann Manufacturing, and the design firm of George Cuthbertson and George Cassian. From the beginning, the emphasis was on performance. Indeed, the 40-foot Red Jacket won the 1968 Southern Ocean Racing Circuit (SORC).

In 1973, Cuthbertson retired to his Ontario farm, citing burn-out. Eight months later, he was back as president of C&C Yachts, telling staff that they ought to pursue more multi-purpose racer/cruiser models. C&C became the dominant boatbuilder in North America, with models ranging from the C&C 24 to the C&C 46, with models just about every 2 feet in between. The Landfall cruiser series was introduced in 1977, with the Landfall 42. It was followed by the Landfall 35, 38, and 48. Production of the 38 ran from 1977 to 1985, with about 180 built.

The C&C Landfall 38 is directly related to the earlier C&C 38. We wrote in our original 1983 review that the older hull design was “…modified with slightly fuller sections forward, a slightly raked transom rather than an IOR reversed transom, a longer, shoaler keel, and a longer deckhouse for increased interior volume.” The spade rudder is not everyones first choice on a serious cruising boat, but it does provide superior control. And the Landfalls have a higher degree of finish inside, along with layouts more suited to family cruising.

The Landfalls perform very well, thanks to lightweight construction and speedy hull forms. The Landfall 38s displacement/length ratio of 272 is the lowest of the three compared in this review.

Notable drawbacks: a V-berth that becomes quite narrow forward, and as noted in the 1983 review, “a hull that rises so quickly aft that C&Cs normal gas bottle stowage at the end of the cockpit is eliminated.” This on a cruising boat no less, where a hot meal is often the highlight.

Like nearly all the C&C designs, the Landfall 38 is attractively proportioned with sleek lines and a modern look, even several decades later. It appears most dated in the raked bow, but this better suits the anchoring duties on a cruising boat anyway.

Materials and building processes used in C&C Yachts are very similar to those of the Niagara 35, namely because of Hinterhoeller. Practices he established at C&C continued after he left, at least for the short-term. So what we said about the Niagara 35s balsa-core construction also applies to the Landfall 38, where it is found in the hull, deck, and cabintop.

The hull-deck joint is through-bolted on 6-inch centers, through the teak toerail, which gaves the Landfall series a more traditional look than the distinctive L-shaped anodized aluminum toerail Cuthbertson designed and employed on the rest of the C&C models. The joint is bedded with a butyl tape, which does a good job of keeping out water, but doesn’t have the adhesive properties of, say, 3M 5200. On the other hand, if you ever had to remove the deck-heaven forbid!-it would be a lot easier.

Deck hardware is through-bolted with backing plates or large washers, although some of the fasteners come through on the underside, where the core transitions into the core-less flange. We also saw this on our old 1975 C&C 33 test boat. It means two things: water migrating down the fastener after the bedding fails can contact a little bit of balsa, and uneven stresses are placed on the fastener, which above deck can cause gelcoat cracks.

Proper bronze seacocks protect the through-hulls, and hoses are double-clamped for added security. The mast butt is not deep in the bilge where it can corrode in bilge water, but rests on two floor timbers in the sump, above any water that would typically collect.

The external lead-ballast keel is bolted through the keel sump in the hull. Its run is flat, and the boat can sit on its keel, allowing it be careened against a seawall for bottom painting, prop repairs, or other work in locales where boatyards are rare.

In our earlier review, we noted that the engine compartment has no sound insulation, despite its proximity to the owners berth, but gluing in some lead-lined foam is within the capability of most owners.

Despite being 2,000 pounds heavier than the C&C 38, the Landfall 38 is still a quick boat. Its old PHRF rating of 120 is just a little higher than the Cal 39 at 114, and less than the Tartan 37 we’ll look at next.

The mast is a little shorter than that of the C&C 38, but as with most boats of the IOR era, the Landfall 38 has a large foretriangle of 385 square feet. A 150-percent genoa measures 580 square feet, which is a handful for older crew. Roller furling with maybe a 135 percent genoa would be a logical way to minimize the effort required to tack this boat.

Strangely, the Landfall 38 did not come standard with self-tailing winches; a highly recommended upgrade. The main halyard, Cunningham, and reefing lines are led aft to the cockpit, while the headsail halyards run to winches on deck near the mast.

The boat is stiff and well balanced. Owners like the way it handles and appreciate its speed.

The standard engine was a 30-hp Yanmar diesel. The early Yanmar Q series had a reputation for being noisy and vibrating a lot. At some point, C&C began installing the Yanmar 3HM which replaced the 3QM. Power is adequate. The standard prop was a solid two-blade. Engine access leaves a lot to be desired.

The interior is pushed well into the ends of the boat to achieve a legitimate three-cabin accommodation plan. The standard layout was a V-berth forward with cedar-lined hanging locker. The berth narrows quickly forward so that tall people might not find enough foot room. Moving aft, there is a dinette and settees in the saloon, U-shaped galley and large head with shower amidships, and a double berth in the port quarter, opposite a navigation station. In rainy or wild weather, youll want to close the companionway hatch and keep weather boards in place so that water doesn’t spill into the nav station. Installing Plexiglas screens on either side of the ladder will help.

Oddly, there is no place to install fixed-mount instruments outboard of the nav table; that space is given to a hanging locker, but could be modified. Other than this, about the only other shortcoming is that the toilet is positioned so far under the side deck that persons of average size cannot sit upright. And, the head door is louvered, which compromises privacy.

There is not a lot to complain about with the Landfall 38 that we havent already said: the V-berth forward is tight, theres no sitting upright on the toilet, theres no place to install electronics at the nav station, and the nav station and aft berth invite a good soaking through the companionway.

Construction is above average, but have a surveyor sound the hull and decks for signs that the fiberglass skins have delaminated from the balsa core. Small areas can be repaired, but our advice is not to buy a boat with widespread delamination.

Landfall 38 Conclusion

The Landfall 38 is an excellent family boat and coastal cruiser. Its popularity in the Great Lakes region is not surprising. Island hopping to the Caribbean is also within reach, but any longer cruises will likely require more tank capacity and stowage. Standard tankage is 104 gallons water and 32 gallons of fuel. Prices range from around $55,000 to $65,000.

TARTAN 37: shoal draft and S&S styling.

In the early years of fiberglass boat construction, the major builders-Columbia, Cal, Morgan, Tartan, and others-commissioned well-known naval architects to design their models. Today, this work is more often done by a no-name in-house team over which the company has more control. Tartan Yachts of Grand River, Ohio, relied almost exclusively on the prestigious New York firm of Sparkman & Stephens; they’d drawn the Tartan 27 for the company’s antecedent, Douglass & McLeod, and were called on again to design the Tartan 37, which had a very successful production run from 1976 to 1988.

The Tartan 37 has the modern, clean, strong lines that typified S&S designs. The bow is raked, and the angle of the reverse transom is in line with the backstay-an easily missed detail that nevertheless affects the viewers impression of the boat. Freeboard is moderate and the sheer is gentle. In an early review, we wrote: “Underwater, the boat has a fairly long, low-aspect ratio fin keel, and a high-aspect ratio rudder faired into the hull with a substantial skeg.” In addition to the deep fin keel, a keel/centerboard also was offered. A distinctive feature is how the cockpit coamings fair into the cabin trunk. Its displacement/length ratio of 299 and sail area/displacement ratio of 16.1 rank it in the middle of the 9-model group (see table, page 9), so while it looks racy, its not going to smoke the other nine.

From its beginning, Tartan Yachts set out to build boats of above average quality, and this can be seen in both the finish and fiberglass work. Some unidirectional rovings were incorporated in the hull laminate to better carry loads; like the vast majority of boats of this era, the resin was polyester. Vinylester skin coats, which better prevent osmotic blistering, had yet to appear. Some printthrough is noticeable, more on dark-color hulls. The hull and deck are cored with end-grain balsa, which brings with it our usual warnings about possible delamination. The hull-deck joint is bolted through the toerail and bedded in butyl and polysulfide. Taping of bulkheads to the hull is neatly executed with no raw fiberglass edges visible anywhere in the interior. Seacocks have proper bronze ball valves. One owner advises checking the complex stainless-steel chainplate/tie rod assembly, especially if its a saltwater boat.

Shortcomings: Pulpit fasteners lack backing plates. Scuppers and bilge pump outlets have no shutoffs.

Under sail, the Tartan 37 balances and tracks well. As noted earlier, its not a fireburner, but not a slug either. Its no longer widely raced, but the few participating in PHRF races around the country have handicaps ranging from 135-177 seconds per mile. The Niagara 35 now rates 150-165, and the C&C 38 126-138.

The deep fin-keel version points a little higher than the keel/centerboard because it has more lift, however, the deep draft of 6 feet, 7 inches is a liability for coastal cruising.

Because of the large foretriangle and relatively small mainsail, tacking a genoa requires larger winches and more muscle than if the relative areas of the two were reversed. For relaxed sailing, jiffy reefing of the main and a roller-furling headsail take the pain out of sail handling.

The 41-horsepower Westerbeke 50 diesel provides ample power. Standard prop was a 16-inch two blade. A folding or feathering propeller reduces drag, thereby improving speed. Access to the front of the engine, behind the companionway ladder, is good. Unfortunately, the oil dipstick is aft, requiring one to climb into the starboard cockpit locker-after you’ve removed all the gear stowed there.

The layout below is straightforward with few innovations: large V-berth forward with hanging locker and drawers; head with sink and shower; saloon with drop-down table, settee, and pilot berth; U-shaped galley to starboard; and to port, a quarterberth that can be set up as a double. To work at the navigation station one sits on the end of the quarterberth. This plan will sleep more crew than most owners will want on board, but its nice to have the option. Pilot berths make good sea berths but often fill with gear that can’t easily be stowed elsewhere.

The fold-down table, like most of its ilk, is flimsy. Underway, tables should be strong enough to grab and hold on to without fear of damaging it or falling-thats not the case here. And the cabin sole is easily marred trying to get the pins in the legs to fit into holes in the sole.

Finish work in teak is excellent, though this traditional choice of wood makes for a somewhat dark interior. Today, builders have worked up the nerve to select lighter species such as ash and maple.

Eight opening portlights, four ventilators, and three hatches provide very good ventilation.

The standard stove was alcohol, which few people want anymore, owing to low BTU content (which means it takes longer to boil water), the difficulty in lighting, and almost invisible flame. Propane is a better choice, but there is no built-in stowage on deck for the tank, which must be in a locker sealed off from the interior and vented overboard. (You could mount the tank exposed on deck, but that would not complement the boats handsome lines.)

Theres not much to pick at here, but we’ll try. Centerboards come with their own peculiar set of problems: slapping in the trunk while at anchor, broken pendants and pivot pins, and fouling in the trunk that inhibits operation.

Often what sets apart higher-quality boats from the rest of the fleet is the cost of materials and labor in making up the wood interior. They look better than bare fiberglass, work better because they have more drawers and stowage options, and are warmer and quieter. The unnoticed flip side is that the joinerwork tends to hide problems, like the source of a leak. When all the fasteners are neatly bunged and varnished, it takes courage to start pulling apart the interior!

Checking engine oil is unnecessarily difficult, and to operate emergency steering gear (a tiller) the lazarette hatch must be held open, which could be dangerous. Lastly, the companionway sill is low for offshore sailing; stronger drop boards would help compensate.

Tartan 37 Conclusion

The enthusiasm for this boat is strong. In fact, theres a whole book written about it, put together with the help of the Tartan 37 Sailing Association (link below). You’ll pay in the mid- to high-$60s, which ranks it with the Niagara 35 and Freedom 36 as the most expensive of our nine. While Tartan 37s have made impressive voyages, and are as capable as the Niagara 35 and C&C Landfall 38, like them, its not really a blue-water design. We view it rather as a smart coastal cruiser and club racer. Good design and above-average construction give it extra long life on the used-boat market.

Classic Cruisers For Less Than $75,000

Niagara 35 Sailnet Forum

C&C Photo Album

Tartan Owners

Tartan 37 Sailing Association

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

27 comments.

Great article, but why did you leave out your namesake build – Camper Nicholsons Nicholson 35. Very similar to the Niagara 35, except that it trades the (less than useful – my opinion) quarter berths for two GIGANTIC cockpit lockers. And I find the transverse head on the Nic a civilized alternative to telephone booth head/shower combinations.

While the Nic claims 6 berths, you’ll never find that many on ours. Cocktails for 6, dinner for 4, sleeps 2 is our mantra

This is great information and a good guideline to go by. Thanks for the heads up on theses vessels.

Every time Practical Sailor does a review of boats in the 35- to 38-footers built between 1978 and 1984, they always leave out the Perry designed Islander Freeport 36 and 38. Many people are still cruising in these great boats, and among Islander Yachts designs this one is a wonderful cruiser.

I was also sad to see that. We sail a ’79 I-36, and it is stiff, fast, forgiving, and a very comfortable cruising platform. While many of the 800+ built are ready for the wrecking ball, there are some excellent, well cared for boats available. They are lovely sailors.

Couldn’t agree more, with Islander Freeport 36 & 38 raised coachroof that opens up all sort of possibilities and transom based swim ladder, her utility is unmatched.

These are all nice boats. I have sailed most of them. I owned a Tartan 37 for 4 yrs. As A US Sailing Cruising instructor, I have sailed and cruised hundreds of boat. This is one of the best balanced and behaved boats that I have sailed. She will sail on jib alone with no lee helm and sail main alone with minimal weather helm. Few boats will do this. She tracks quite well in a seaway. There are only 2 instances that you need to put the centerboard down: clawing off a lee shore or racing upwind. Otherwise she is just fine with board up. I have not had problems with the board slapping in a rolley anchorage. I keep the board up tight all the way and no problem. And my boat a 1983 had a built in propane vented locker. Also my dipstick was forward port and easy to reach, but not so for the filter so I remote mounted it forward. S & S did a great job on this design. And a 4 foot draft is wonderful and special feature for a boat that sails so well.

Surprising that the author did not address the obvious question, “if you had to pick one of these for a bluewater cruise, which one would it be?”

I too would appreciate the author’s response to this question.

Every time I star liking one of these I see the word ‘balsa’

Why did you not look at the Catalina 36. They are sea kindly; easy to repair and get parts; there’s a lot of them; and newer ones are in the price range you are talking about.i.e. my 2002, well fitted, is $72500.

Good article, thanks.

Pearson 365 conspicuously missing from this list.

Excellent article with factors that almost all of us who own vintage older cruising sailboats have considered at one time or another. However, when making my choice and before putting my money down, I also included PHRF as a factor. Without degenerating into a large discussion of pros and cons of PHRF (or any other indexes of performance), I think that you should consider performance in the equation. While livability is important (and I am a comfort creature), the ability to run away from a storm or handle tough conditions, is also important, you don even mention it. Paraphrasing Bill Lee, “faster is fun”. After weighing all of the factors discussed above, and adding considerations for performance, I purchased a 1984 Doug Peterson designed Islander 40 for $65,000 and am still in love with the boat 15 yrs later. It still is a “better boat than I am a sailor” and is also very comfortable. The only drawback is that it draws 7’6″ which in SF Bay, is not a problem. On the “right coast” that might be a problem, but on the “correct coast” it has not been.

Hate to be picky but you left out of this old list a high quality design and blue water capable cruiser designed and made by quality Canadian company–Canadian Sailcraft, namely CS 36 T. A Sailboat 36.5 feet with all the necessary design and sailing numbers needed to be attractive , safe, and fast.

No one likes to see their favorite boat left off a list like this, but it must be done. But my Ericson 38 has almost none of the cons of the boats in this article, and most of the desireable pros. After 13 years of ownership, it hasn’t even hinted at breaking my heart. Great design pedigree, glassed hull/deck joint, ahead of its time structural grid, points high, extremely liveable interior, and the list goes on…so much so that I’m glad I didn’t buy ANY of the boats in the article instead.

Missing are the CSY 37 and 44. Ernest M Kraus sv Magic Kingdom CSY 44 walkover cutter

Very useful article. Thanks! I’d love to see the same framework for a selection of length 40′-50’ft coastal cruisers.

I know that it is hard to include all boats, but you missed a boat that fills all the requirements. I’m speaking about the Bob Perry designed and Mirage built 35. It has all the capabilities and handling characteristics that you would want in a capable cruiser and the speed of a steady over-performing racer-cruiser. It has 6’5″ headroom and all the standard features that are a must in a strong well built beauty with 5 foot draft, light but rigid and strong. Great for the Chesapeake bay or other depth challenging bodies of water.

Great publication through the year’s. Still miss my print version to read on rainy day. Owned a Cal 27 T-2 and Irwin Citation over the years. Sailed on the Chesapeake. The Irwin ended up in Canada. JA

We have a Swallow Craft Swift 33. The boat was made in Pusan Korea in 1980. For a 33′ boat it is cavernous. We live aboard 1/2 the year. I thought it might be a boat you would be interested in looking at. I call it a mini super cruiser.

How about the Pearson 367?

Surely this is a joke. I’ll put the Nonsuch 30 Ultra against anyone.

Good article, but another vote for the CS36T. No better value for an offshore capable, fast cruiser and built to last.

Great article

The list looks familiar to the list I was working with back around 2004. Back then the prices were even higher of course. To fit my budget, I got a great boat… Freedom 32. That is a Hoyt design from TCI. All I really gave up was some waterline. Below deck, the boat is as roomy as many 35-36 footers due to the beam. I find it to be a great boat for me. I do not see a move up to the sizes on this list to improve my lot. I could be tempted by a Freedom sloop over 44′ but that is retirement noise.

which edition of month/year of the PS Magazine is this covered in please, it would be great to know?

A great article, but what about the Young Sun 35 Cutter! a great offshore boat that I have sailed single handed from Canada to Hawaii and back, single handed, in rough conditions, but which was an incredible 30 days each way. Overall 40 ft. and 11 ft. beam. I believe also built by Bob Perry!

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• Sailboat Guide

Bristol 41.1

Bristol 41.1 is a 41 ′ 2 ″ / 12.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Ted Hood and Dieter Empacher and built by Bristol Yachts between 1981 and 1994.

• 8 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 9 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 10 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 11 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 12 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 13 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 14 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 15 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 16 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 17 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 18 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 19 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 20 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 21 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 22 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 23 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 24 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 25 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 26 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 27 / 33 Buford, GA, US 1981 Bristol 41.1 $69,900 USD View
• 28 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 29 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 30 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 31 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 32 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View
• 33 / 33 Aransas Pass, TX, US 1985 Bristol 41.1 $75,000 USD View

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

The Bristol 41.1 is a high performance cruiser with distinctive classical styling from the board of famous naval architect Ted Hood. Launched in early 1981 by Bristol Yachts, the boat was built by some of New England’s finest craftsmen. With that kind of pedigree there is no surprise that among cruisers she has excellent reputation as a blue water boat.

When Clinton Pearson left Pearson Yachts in 1964, industry insiders probably thought his most influential work was done. How could you not considering he and his brother, Everett, had founded what was the first production fiberglass manufacturer ever with their launch of the Pearson Triton 28 . But oh were they wrong. Subsequent to his ousting, Clinton purchased the troubled sailboat-maker, Sailstar and renamed the company Bristol Yachts in 1966 after the production facility’s location on Popasquash Road, in Bristol, Rhode Island. The early Bristols were Carl Alberg designs with full keel-hung rudders, they were stout boats with an easy motion in a seaway.

The Bristol 41.1, belongs to the second generation of yachts produced by the company. Most Bristols of this era were designed by Ted Hood’s office, and the 41.1 is no exception. Dieter Empacher was the primary naval architect of the 41.1 as well as the earlier Bristol 39/40.

In total 104 hulls were built from 1981 until 1994 after which the company concentrated on custom yacht construction until closing shop in 1997. Bristol Yachts of this era are known for high performance and a superb fit and finish details.

Configuration, Layout and Construction

The boat has a simple sloop rig. Below the waterline is a relatively long cruising fin keelwith a skeg hung rudder. As with most Ted Hood designs, there’s a centerboard arrangement, to maximize windward performance (10′ board down) while allowing access to shoal draft areas (4′ 6″ board up). Her bow has a fine entry leading to powerful aft sections.

Both both aft and center cockpit options were available, the center cockpit had the generally preferred full width stateroom aft.

As for construction the Bristol 41.1 was laid up using layers of solid woven roving and polyester resin. The ballast weighting in at 10,500 pounds of lead was encapsulated inside the fiberglass keel section. On deck notable are the copious teak touchings that compose the railing, coamings, and trim and highlight her sweet style. Down below, her joinery work is a mix of teak and Honduras mahogany.

The prime attraction of these yachts are their spectacular sailing capability. These medium displacement cruisers track very well and handle heavy weather with ease. Lowering the centerboard makes a tremendous difference to windward, allowing the boat to point 10 degrees higher.

Buyers Notes

Interior layouts vary. As noted there are aft and center cockpit deck molds. The center cockpit versions have a full width stateroom aft with either split berths or a full width king. In the main saloon is an L-shaped settee opposite either swivel chairs or a straight settee. All come with a V-berth forward. Along with the 41.1, Bristol produced around 26 hulls out of the same 41.1 mold of an alternate version called the 43.3 which had interior modifications – most notably an island queen berth aft. Instead of the walkthrough galley, the 43.3 has a corner galley arrangement like on the Bristol 45.5.

Links, References and Further Reading

» Bristol Owners, Bristol 41.1 » Mitchell, Steve (Good Old Boat), Pearson Yachts History » Wikipedia, Bristol Yachts

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Agape 1979 | 40' Bristol 40 Sailboat for Sale

1979 bristol, 40' (12.19m) 40 - agape, the bristol 40 is a high quality, solidly built boat that has withstood the test of time..

• Annapolis Maryland United States
• Fiberglass Hull

$ 39,500 USD

€ 36,677 euros $ 53,328 cad.

• EMAIL BROKER

Description

The Bristol 40 is a high quality, solidly built boat that has withstood the test of time. Designed by Ted Hood and built by Bristol Yachts in Bristol Rhode Island, Cruising World magazine ranked the B40 in its 40 all-time best monohulls saying: “With her prominent overhangs, sweet sheer line, low freeboard, undistorted hull shape and narrow beam, this iconic 40-footer set high marks for seaworthiness and style,”

Agape is a beautiful example of this classic yacht. The current owners sailed the Chesapeake aboard her for many years, while raising their family. However, if your sights are set across the ocean, the B40 is capable of taking you anywhere in the world. Designed with blue water cruising in mind, the B40 is a stable and well-mannered boat that has completed many ocean crossings. You can even read about one owner’s 13,000 mile Polynesian adventure here www.bit.ly/TRIMBLESWI

Seeing is believing, don’t miss the virtual tour, video tour and slideshow links below, and call for a showing today!

LOA: 40' " (12.19 Meters)

Type: Sail - Used

Beam: 10' 9"

Bridge Clearance: ' "

Draft Max: 5' 5"

Draft Min: ' "

Maximum Speed: Knots

Cruise Speed: Knots

• Fuel Type: Diesel

Hull Material: Fiberglass

Fuel Tank: 30 Gallons (113.56 Liters)

Fresh Water: 130 Gallons (492.1 Liters)

Holding Tank: Gallons ( Liters)

Full Details

Main description, bristol 40 - agape - media.

Walkthrough Video:      www.bit.ly/B40AVID

Virtual Tour:                  www.bit.ly/B40AVT

Slide Show:                 www.bit.ly/B40ASLIDE

Bob Pingle Review:     www.bit.ly/PSREVIEW

Manufacturer’s Brochure: www.bit.ly/B40MB

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - WALKTHROUGH

The cockpit is spacious and provides plenty of room to sail the boat with a full crew, as well as a great space to entertain at anchor or dockside. It features a pedestal helm with a stainless, suede wrapped wheel, binnacle compass, throttle and gear shift, wheel lock, depth and speed instruments, and a stainless steel hand hold. The teak lined coamings feature two cubbies on either side. The engine control panel is found on the starboard forward bulkhead along with a wind instrument. The engine start/stop controls are located on starboard well bulkhead at the helm, along with the 30 amp electrical hookup. A VHF repeater plug is found opposite on the port side.

Seating for 7 is provided by port and starboard benches and a stern bench, which features a raised helmsman’s seat, that doubles as a locker cover. Two additional lockers are found under the port and starboard benches.

Four Lewmar winches are mounted forward on the coaming two port and two starboard for head sail trim. The mainsheet is mounted to an arch just forward of the helm, along with a single speed winch.

The cockpit is protected from the elements by a connected dodger and Bimini

Moving forward the deck surrounded by a teak toe rail and is protected by stainless steel bow and stern railings connected by dual lifelines running the length of the deck port and starboard Gates are found just forward of the Cockpit, port and starboard.

Teak hand holds run along the cabin top, port and starboard, along with two, center mounted opening hatches, one mid-way the other forward. Two dorade boxes are found port and starboard of the mast.

The bow features an roller mounted anchor with a pass through to the chain locker below Cleats are found port and starboard at the bow and stern.

The single spreader, keel stepped rig is supported by wire standing rigging and a roller furler. Two halyard winches are mounted on the mast. Jib tracks run along toe rails on the port and starboard sides decks with four scuppers, two port, two starboard are found just forward of the cockpit.

MAIN CABIN:

With teak joinery and appointments, deep blue cushions and a teak & holy sole, the spacious main cabin is a warm and inviting space. Entering the cabin from the cockpit companionway, the galley is found to starboard and the nav station, with a quarter berth behind, to port. A U shaped settee with seating for five is found forward of the nav station. On the starboard side forward of the galley a settee with seating for three extends the length of the salon. Storage lockers are found behind the settees, with additional storage below. A deck mounted folding dining table is center mounted between the settees, and features two leaves and a bottle well. Shelves and a storage lockers are found above both settees. Stereo speakers are mounted on the forward bullhead, port and starboard. Teak hand holds are overhead mounted above both settees. There are two overhead lights and two reading lamps mounted on the forward bulkheads, port and starboard. Ventilation is provided by an overhead opening hatch, three opening ports, a dorade vent and the companionway. Four fixed port/windows are found in the aft section of the cabin two port, two starboard.

NAV STATION:

Found in the aft port side of the main cabin the forward facing nav station features a teak, lift top nav table, VHF radio, AM/FM radio Cassette player, and lamp. Four drawers are built into the table base and there is a locker above the table on the starboard side. Seating is provided by the end of the quarter berth.

The galley is found in the aft starboard side of the main cabin and features a counter top with a stainless steel sink mounted forward and a top loading ice box aft, separated by a gimballed 4 burner stove/oven under a slide away countertop. Lockers are found above the counter, with an additional lockers found under and behind the sink. The electrical panels are mounted on the aft bulkhead above the icebox, with the battery bank switch and a 120 vac outlet mounted below. Headroom 74 inches.

FORWARD CABIN:

The private forward cabin features teak joinery and appointments and a teak & holy sole. Access to the cabin is found through a companionway formed by a hanging locker with shelf top on the starboard side and a door to the head on the port. There is a second hanging locker and two additional lockers with a shelf atop just inside the door to starboard. Another locker is found on the port side. The v-berth is forward, with drawers and lockers underneath. Additional storage is provided by lockers running the length of the berth port and starboard. A storage rack for the berth cut out is overhead mounted above the berth. There is an additional head door located opposite the birth. There are two opening ports and an overhead hatch. Two lamps are mounted port and starboard at the head of the berth. Headroom: 74 inches.

The head is found on the port side between the salon and forward cabin. There are two doors, one in the companionway, the second in the cabin. The head features a manual marine toilet and a countertop housing a stainless steel sink with hot & cold running water and shower wand. A mirror, soap dish, 120 vac outlet and locker are found above the sink counter, with drawers and a locker underneath. Two additional lockers are found above the head. A full length mirror is mounted on the aft bulkhead along with a towel rack, shower wand mount and lamp. A second lamp is mounted on the forward bulkhead. A 360 degree shower curtain is rail mounted overhead. Ventilation is provided by an opening port and a dorade vent. Headroom 74 inches.

ENGINE COMPARTMENT:

The engine compartment is found under the salon companionway stairs. 

BRISTOL 40 – AGAPE - ACCOMODATIONS

Agape can sleep six people. The port salon settee makes into a double berth, with the starboard serving as a single. The v-berth sleeps 2. The quarter berth sleeps 1

The forward cabin is located in front of the salon and features:

- Teak joinery and appointments

- Teak & Holly sole

- V-berth, w/custom mattress pad (2018), sleeps 2

- Front access storage locker, under berth

- 6 drawers, under berth

- Cabinet with three lockers and top shelf

- Cabinet with single locker and top shelf

- Lockers running the length of the v-berth on the port & starboard sides

- 2 cabinet mounted LED lamps

- Opening overhead hatch w/screen

- 2 opening ports with screens

- Chain locker access

- Door to head

- V-berth insert

- Black water tank beneath the berth

- Headroom: 74 inches

SALON SETTEES:

- Port settee converts to a double berth

- Starboard settee convert to a single berth

QUARTER BERTH:

Located behind the nav station on the port side:

- Single berth

- Lockers running the length of the berth on the port side

BRISTOL 40 – AGAPE - MAIN CABIN

The main cabin is entered from the cockpit, four steps down via a center companionway and features:

- Teak joinery and appointments throughout

- Port settee; seats 5; converts to a double berth

- Starboard settee; seats 3; converts to a single berth

- Deck mounted teak dining table with two folding leaves and bottle well

- Shelving and storage lockers run length of salon, port & starboard sides

- 2 drawers and 3 lockers under port settee

- 3 font access lockers under starboard settee

- 3 front access lockers behind the each settee

- Overhead hand holds over settees, port and starboard

- 4 Fixed port/windows; 2 port, 2 starboard

- 3 opening ports with screens; 1 port, 2 starboard

- Dorade vent

- Overhead opening hatch w/screen, center mounted

- Companionway hatch w/hatch boards

- 2 Overhead lights; 12 vdc

- 2 lamps, forward bulkhead mounted; 12 vdc

- 2 Cybernet stereo speakers, forward bulkhead mounted, port and starboard

- Seth Thomas ships clock

- Seth Thomas barometer

- 2 ships bells

- Reference books

- Headroom 76 inches

BRISTOL 40 – AGAPE - NAV STATION

The Navigation Station is located in the aft port side of the main cabin and features:

- Standard navigation table with lift top with storage underneath; front facing

- 4 Drawers underneath table

- Storage locker above table

- Horizon Intrepid VHS radio; locker mounted, with RAM mic cockpit remote

- Cybernet Marine Stereo FM/AM radio cassette player, mounted; model CMS 3000

- Map light

BRISTOL 40 – AGAPE - GALLEY

The galley is located in the aft starboard side of the main cabin and features:

- Top access ice box

- 4 Burner Gas Systems Regal 2 CNG gimbaled stove/oven with counter top cover

- Stainless steel sink hot/cold pressurized water and manual pump spigot

- Under sink locker

- Under counter locker; top loading

- Over counter lockers

- Over counter light; 12 vdc (inoperable)

- 120 vac outlet

- Battery switch

- Electrical control panel

- Assorted dishes, cookware, flatware and cleaning supplies

BRISTOL 40 – AGAPE - HEAD

The head, which doubles as a shower, is located forward of the main cabin on the port side and includes:

- Companionway and forward cabin access

- Manual marine head

- Toilet paper holder

- Counter with stainless steel sink with hot and cold running water

- Shower wand

- Shower wand mount

- Soap dish

- Towel rack

- 2 Mirrors

- 2 lamp; 12 vdc

- Storage lockers above counter and head

- Storage locker; under sink

- 4 drawers, under sink

- Shower curtain on 360 degree overhead track

- Opening port, with screen

- Various cleaning supplies

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - COCKPIT

The cockpit is in the stern of the boat and features a U layout including:

- Bench seating for 7 passengers; 3 port, 3 starboard, 1 aft

- Bench seat cushions

- Edson wheel pedestal helm

- 3 Lockers under the bench seats

- 4 Cubby lockers

- Companionway to salon; center forward

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - HELM

- Edson pedestal helm with:

  * stainless destroyer wheel, suede wrapped

  * gear shift and throttle

  * Signet depth meter; model MK 17

  * Signet speed meter

  * Ritchie magnetic binnacle compass

  * Stainless steel binnacle hand hold

  * Wheel lock

- Engine instrument panel; mounted on starboard cabin bulkhead

- Engine start/stop controls, well bulkhead starboard side

- Standard VHS remote unit receptacle, well bulkhead port side

- Signet wind instrument; model MK 254, forward bulkhead mounted, starboard

- Emergency tiller

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - ELECTRONICS

- Garman hand held GPS; model 12 XL

- Signet depth meter; model MK 17

- Signet speed meter

- Signet wind instrument; model MK 254

- Horizon Intrepid VHS radio; with RAM mic cockpit remote; model GX1260S

- Cybernet Marine Stereo FM/AM radio cassette player; model CMS 3000

- 2 Cybernet stereo speakers

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - DECK

- Chain locker, forward cabin access

- QCR Anchor, 25#

- Rode (approx. 100 feet), with chain lead (approx 20 feet)

- 2 Lewmar 46, two speed, self-tailing winches, cockpit coaming mounted, port and starboard

- 2 Lewmar 40, two speed winch, coaming mounted, port and starboard

- Lewmar 8, single speed winch, main sheet traveler bridge mounted

- Lewmar 16 two speed, mast mounted port

- Lewmar 8 single speed winch, mast mounted starboard

- 4 Winch handles

- Sailing gloves; 2 pair

- 2 Toe rail mounted genoa tracks and cars, port and starboard

- 4 Masthead halyards

- 4 Dorade vents

- 2 Cabin top hatches

- 6 Opening ports

- 4 Fixed port/windows

- Companionway hatch boards

- 4 Teak hand holds, cabin top mounted, port & starboard

- 2 Ships bells stowed

- 4 Deck cleats; 2 at bow, 2 at stern

- 2 CNG tanks, horizontally mounted in starboard cockpit locker

- 3 Cockpit lockers

- 4 Deck scuppers

- 2 Cockpit scuppers

- Stainless steel bow pulpit and stern rail, connected by double life lines with port & starboard gates at cockpit and quick release fittings at bow

- Navigation, running & anchor lights, LED

- Fuel and water fills

- Waste pumpout

- Tasco Marine grill

- Stowable swim ladder

- Dock lines

- Boat hooks

- Washdown equipment

- Swim mask

- Assorted cleaning supplies

- US Ensign

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - RIG

- Masthead sloop rig

* Aluminum single spreader mast w/internal halyards

* Aluminum boom

- Stainless steel wire standing rigging

- Profurl roller furler

- Lewmar mechanical boom vang

- Headsail sheets

- Main sheet and traveler

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - SAILS & CANVAS

- Main - Hood

- Genoa (140) - Hood

- Storm Jib - Hood

- 110 Jib - Hood

- Reach Away Sail

- Main sail cover - blue

- Dodger w/stainless hand holds - blue

- Bimini w/window – blue

- Dodger/Bimini Connector

- Windscoop

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - MECHANICAL

- Westerbeke diesel engine, model 40, fresh water cooled

- 3 Bladed prop

- Racor 500FG fuel filter/water separator

- Groco Marine Raw water strainer, bronze; model 255-D

- Parmax 4 Automatic Water System Pump; 40 psi; 4.3 gpm; model 31620-0092

- In-line house water strainer

- Rule bilge pump with float switch- Whale Gusher manual bilge pump; model MK II

- Fresh water hand pump galley sink spigot

- Shower sump pump system

- Raritan marine water heater

- Spare Davis Masthead Windex

- Assorted spares and paint & varnish

- Seafit Marine Tool Kit

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - ELECTRICAL

- 12 vdc electrical system with distribution panel

- 120 vac electrical system with distribution panel

- 2 120 vac outlets, GFI protected

- 12 vdc lighting in all cabins

- 3 West Marine deep cycle batteries, MCA 675, RC 120, Ah @ 20HR 65; model 15020183; one uninstalled

- Raritan Crown II Automatic Marine Converter battery charger

- Guest battery master switches

- 30 Amp shore power receptacle; cockpit, starboard aft

- 30 Amp shore power cable

- 2 Shore marine to shore power pigtails

- 120 vac drop line/extension cord

- Guess 6 inch fan; 12 vdc; model 900; not installed

- Vornato 120 vac fan; model EH1-0001 type VR

- Coleman portable lamp; 5357 series

- Eveready portable lamp

- Night Blaster 2,000,000 candlepower rechargeable hand held search light

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - SAFETY

- 12 Type II PFDs (2 child size)

- 1 Type III PFD; child

- 2 Type III inflatable PFDs; adult

- 2 Type IV PFD; throwable

- Lifesling overboard rescue system

- Johnson & Johnson First Aid Kit

- 2 Sound Alert hand held air horns

- Signal horn

- Off Shore 36 Waterproof Binoculars 7X50mm; model OS36

- Orion 12 -Gauge HP Arial Flairs – Sept 2021

- Flair gun kit; flairs expired

- Assorted flares; expired

- Signal whistle

BRISTOL 40 - AGAPE - TENDER

- Apex 5 person inflatable tender, 10 ft 3 in; model A32R

- Johnson outboard engine; 5 HP, gas; model J5REE

- Foot inflation pump

- 2 Gas tanks and hose

- Portable running lights

The company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change or withdrawal without notice.

• Engine Make: Westerbeke
• Engine Model: 40
• Engine Year:
• Engine Type: Inboard
• Drive Type: Direct
• Power HP: 40.00
• Hours: 176.00

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• By Jim Fulton
• Updated: May 1, 2009

After a discouraging day of boat shopping, I was now looking for a drink. But then my wife, Terry, said, “There’s one” and pointed not at a bar but at yet another yacht brokerage. Although the boat behind the office was bigger than what we thought we wanted for daysailing and occasional overnights, Terry beckoned me aboard anyway. So began our love affair with a Bristol 34 that we named Peregrine.

Bristol Yachts produced sailboats from the drawing boards of several well-known designers. Halsey Herreshoff designed the Bristol 34, and between 1971 and 1978, Bristol built 70 of them.

Unfortunately, our boat had received little care for 10 years and could only be described as a project. We did our homework and, with a surveyor, made as complete an inventory as we could of its problems. The tally included most of the failings common to 25-year-old fiberglass boats: soggy deck, questionable rigging, blown-out sails, corroded electrical wiring, inoperative pumps, crazed gelcoat, peeling brightwork, and an overheating engine. On the positive side, the hull had no blisters. We also took the opportunity to sail on a sister ship, and that sold us.

The Bristol 34 has moderate overhangs, flare at the bow, ballast encapsulated in a modified fin keel, and a large skeg supporting the rudder. Like other Bristols, the 34 is of above-average quality with a solid fiberglass hull, balsa-cored decks, and a distinctive stainless-steel stemhead fitting that incorporates the anchor roller, bow chocks, and headstay chainplate. The single-spreader mast is stepped on the keel.

The cockpit seats six comfortably, but the steering pedestal, the wheel, and the traveler do cut off the rear third. The foredeck and side decks are uncluttered.

Below, the layout is conventional. To port of the companionway are a large chart table and a quarter berth. The small galley is opposite to starboard. Peregrine has port and starboard settees in the saloon with lockers above and behind both. (A dinette version was also available.) The port settee pulls out into a narrow double, and there’s provision for a pipe berth over the starboard settee. The dining table folds down from the main bulkhead. Forward, the athwartships head includes a toilet, a basin, a handheld shower, and a hanging locker. In the forward cabin, an insert converts the two berths to a queen-sized V-berth. Ventilation is through two large hatches, two dorade vents, and an opening port in the head.

Removing the companionway steps gives access to the front of the engine, and a panel in the quarter berth exposes its port side as well as the transmission and the stuffing box.

Peregrine handles easily. Somewhat tender initially, she settles down at 15 to 20 degrees of heel with little pressure on the helm. With good sails, she’s surprisingly quick in breezes above 5 knots. Although designed as a moderate-displacement racer/cruiser, the Bristol 34 is very seaworthy when properly equipped. At least one has sailed to Europe, and under previous owners, Peregrine sailed to Bermuda and the Caribbean. We want to take her back someday.

With reasonable care, Bristols age well. As usual, the level of maintenance received is reflected in asking prices, which range from $10,000 to $25,000.

Jim and Terry Fulton bought their Bristol 34, Peregrine, in 1999 and embarked on what became a two-year refit. They sail out of Solomons, Maryland.

LOA 34′ 3″ (10.44 m.) LWL 26′ 0″ (7.92 m.) Beam 10′ 5″ (3.18 m.) Draft 5′ 6″ (1.68 m.) Sail Area (100%) 529 sq. ft. (49.14 sq. m.) Ballast 5,100 lb. (2,313 kg.) Displacement 11,500 lb. (5,215 kg.) Ballast/D .44 D/L 292 SA/D 16.6 Water 40 gal. (151 l.) Fuel 25 gal. (95 l.) Engine Atomic 4 (optional diesel) Designer Halsey C. Herreshoff

• More: 31 - 40 ft , before 2000 , bristol , Coastal Cruising , keelboat , monohull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats , sailboats classic plastic
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