Bristol sail boat

[pjm]

Bristol 45.5 opinions

[tkeithlu]

Welcome to the forum, PJM.

[tkeithlu]

Check this thread from 2012:

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...dog-76492.html

[psk125]

Needs at least 15 knots of wind to move...slowly. Picks up at 20, but heels. Mizzen mast interferes with cockpit. We had owners of one come aboard our boat and express amazement at how much room there was below. Our boat is 10' shorter... They're well-built and pretty, but call for sustained maintenance.

[thomm225]

I guess it all depends on what you are looking for.

The Bristol is a very seaworthy, strong boat..

Capsize screening formula for the Bristol is very good at 1.62 as is the Bal/Disp of 43.28

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/bristol-455

[LLCoolDave]

Originally Posted by psk125

Needs at least 15 knots of wind to move...slowly. Picks up at 20, but heels. Mizzen mast interferes with cockpit. We had owners of one come aboard our boat and express amazement at how much room there was below. Our boat is 10' shorter... They're well-built and pretty, but call for sustained maintenance.

The 41.1 and 45.5 are on my short list if I want to go to a larger boat. They maintain their value. The vast majority are sloop rigged. I've never seen the ketch layout for sale. Most are center cockpit which is the most desirable layout. The SA/D is average for a heavy displacement cruiser. Ted Hood's firm designed the boat so most of them have Hood in-mast furling. The interiors are semi-custom so there are various layouts.

Psk, they expressed amazement at your 36' boat but they left one thing out...for a 36fter. They weren't comparing the two. Both your boat and the Bristol are average beam for their LOA.

[Manateeman]

The Bristol crew knew how to design and build a seaworthy, strong and beautiful vessel. It’s a first class vessel.
Merry Christmas.
Captain Mark and his” proud of RI boatbuilders” manatee gang

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by pjm

Bristol 45.5 opinions

Depends on what your plans are. We circumnavigated with ours and very much enjoyed. This was via Easter Island and South Africa so windier bits than the normal route. The boat is a superb passage maker. Very comfortable and not slow. We had one day over 200 nm and many in the 170-180 range. Furling main is reliable and great for balancing the boat, ie for using vane steering. Aft lowers should be upsized, we had problems with ours that were fixed by going to larger size. Rarely used The centreboard, it also can be used for balancing the boat. On the rare occasions we had to go to windward (gentlemen don't of course), the 12' board was a help.

When we returned to Lake Ontario we ended up selling the Bristol (after one more trip to the Caribbean). With the longish keel to house the board the boat was not well-suited to movement in a smallish marina or YC. You could turn really well in one direction using prop walk, tight turns in the other direction were only a rumour. Tried to fit a Maxprop but the aperture was not big enough. Horses for courses, what do you want to do with the boat?

[psk125]

Originally Posted by LLCoolDave

Psk, they expressed amazement at your 36' boat but they left one thing out...for a 36fter. They weren't comparing the two. Both your boat and the Bristol are average beam for their LOA.

No, she was comparing it to her boat, where the joinery is lovely, but it is snug, below. We've been on their boat, too. It is bigger, but not more spacious.

They have a bow thruster now that enables them to maneuver much more easily in port.