Greetings from a B32 newb

[MaritimeBristol]

Hello,

After getting a lot of good info from this site I thought it was about time I signed up.

I have been wanting to buy a sailboat and learn to sail for many years but only pulled the trigger a few years ago. It's proving to be a fun hobby for my retirement "daze" and I am looking forward to season 3 this year.

The boat I ended up purchasing was a 1966 Bristol 32 with a 3 cylinder raw water cooled Yanmar. The boat is in quite good shape for the year but requires some updates. The B32 wasn't on my original list but sometimes price, location and timeline rule so I thought just do it. I'm reasonably happy with the way things have worked out.

I've been having lots of fun sailing on inland waters and look forward to a couple more years of that prior to doing any coastal cruising. The boat is getting fixed up in a gradual process. I really don't want to miss a season due to maintenance so the gradual approach seems best.

Cheers.

[Celestialsailor]

Welcome to the forum. That Bristol is a Ted Hood design. I had a Tartan Blackwatch 37 that was also a Hood design. Great boat. You have something that will get you there and back in safety.

[Orion Jim]

Welcome. I have good friends who call Mahone Bay their summer home. They love the region for coastal cruising. The Bristol 32 yawl is one of the boats I dreamed of as a kid. Good luck.

[MaritimeBristol]

Thanks for the comments. My Bristol 32 is a sloop with tiller steering. I find the tiller quite handy when single handing as it offers good cockpit mobility.

It seems strange that Bristol made a yawl rig available for such a small boat but I assume it would give some good options under various wind and sea conditions.

Here is a link to an interesting blog about a B32 yawl doing a long term circumnavigation, started in 2008. Ken and Katie's Voyages Aboard Sand Dollar