Thoughts on Bristol 32?

[Zach]

Hi guys,

What are your thoughts on the Bristol 32 as a long distance blue water cruiser? What are the sailing characteristics? Sea kindly?

Thanks,

Zach

[mike d.]

go to bristol 32 owners site they will give all the pros and cons for the boat. my brother just bought the 28 (old boat 66 i think) but ruggedly built. good luck mike

[GordMay]

Bristol 32 Owners have a fairly* objective writeup on this old-fashioned boat, including some of it's deficiencies: Bristol32

* Everyone (including me) recommends “owner’s” sites; but we must also remember that they wouldn’t be owners, if they thought the boats were seriously unsuitable or flawed (for their purposes). Owners aren’t generally “impartial” observers.

[Zach]

32 foot boat with a 22 foot water line? Hull speed works out to be 6.2 knots (I think I did that right.. )

11,300 lbs total weight. 4,000 in the keel. 35% ballast ratio.

Would this boat have trouble righting its self?

Is it is odd that it has a spray hood, yet the companionway is flush with the bottom of the cockpit?

I havent found record of one circumnavigating... nor much about them cruising. There are a few in far away places available for chartering, so I assume they sailed there.

Other than a crappy hull to deck joint, and bulkheads/water tanks that are poorly tabbed in... I havent been able to find many thoughts about its weak points.

Thanks guys... that website is a good spring board.

[ssullivan]

I should point out you won't get 6.2 out of a Bristol 32 very often at all. Don't assume theoretical hull speed is going to be your average speed making passages. I'd assume 4-5kts on that one.

[David_Old_Jersey]

the companionway is flush with the bottom of the cockpit?

Note that I had never even heard of these before this thread (wrong side of the world) - but I was surprised at the comments on the companionway, as I had never heard of such a thing on a Sailing Boat, so I went Googling. Unfortunately nothing definative, but this appears not to be the case.

[Zach]

Good catch, no wonder I was puzzled...

[roverhi]

FWIW, one just made a passage from the East Coast to Ireland via the Azores. Seem to remember it was an uneventful passage. Don't remember if they saw any bad weather, just that they didn't have any serious issues.

Aloha
Peter O.

[Capn Jimbo]

Originally Posted by ssullivan

I should point out you won't get 6.2 out of a Bristol 32 very often at all. Don't assume theoretical hull speed is going to be your average speed making passages. I'd assume 4-5kts on that one.

I think it's fair to say that "theoretical" is exactly that. Nonetheless, the 22' LWL understates actual performance, as these old CCA boats - whose wineglass hull makes them initially tender - these were designed to increase the waterline as they heeled. I don't know what the heeled waterline is, but the theoretical - and actual/average - should be notably better than expected.

[Pete7]

Wow, an 11 year old thread and even pre-credit crunch, were did that time go?
Pete

[Don C L]

I guess this popped up because of that unusually beautiful one that came up for sale in some other thread. Among many rather nice attributes of the design IMO is that you don't have to force your friends to hang on the wet windward rail, she'll sail better on her side. Just relax in the cockpit enjoying the boat drinks at about 25 degrees of heel or so....