My wife and I own a Bristol 35.5 built in 1976. It is a beautiful boat inside and out. All my friends and family are so impressed with the luxurious woodwork inside the cabin. It is a tough durable boat that handles well and sails surprisingly fast. It has been modified so that it can be sailed entirely from the cockpit. I feel lucky to have such a lovely boat for my wife and I to enjoy. We waited a long time to realize our sailing dreams and we couldn't be happier.
Funny that you brought up the 45.5 Bristol. My father sailed the 45.5. He boat his first 45.5 Ketch in 1979, I believe that was the 1st year they were built. He bought his last 45.5 AC Sloop in 1990. I grew up sailing on this boat and we sailed all over on it. From Great Lakes all the way to Australia. We did a completed retro on the boat 5 years ago. New tanks, new engine, removed copper for pex. You name it we did it. Unfortunately my father past away this past year. I currently sail a Passport 585 and don't have the need for the Bristol. Most likely I will sell because it deserves to be sailed and not sit on stands. The memories of sailing with my Dad on that boat will live with me forever, and trust me when I say, the boat is built to sail forever because it is well built and well conceived from one of the great boat designers - Ted Hood. I plan to splash it in the next month and run it through paces and do a full survey / evaluation for listing. As my Dad said many times, "Son, if you take care of the boat the boat will take care of you, and always remember a great boat makes good sailors." Love your series and really appreciated this one in particular.
@Droptopbelair Yes. I sold the boat to a family friend who is currently sailing it. They are prepping for cruising the Bahamas this season. I even got rid of my Passport for a new Oyster.
My second boat was ‘73 B34. Just bought ‘85 B38.8. Going thru refit now. Adding solar, lithium, redo plumbing, fixtures. Going south Oct 2025 as my retirement trip. ICW for shakedown then Keys and maybe Bahamas. Thanks for all you have taught me!
Hey Tim, The last time we chatted we were behind you on the Chesapeake. I think you were just heading out of Delaware City and had a run in with a crab pot. We had just bought our Bristol and were heading home to Canada to sell our Aloha 32. A subscriber bought it over the phone so we doubled back to Rock Hall and sailed the new boat home. She is a 41.1 sloop. The 44.5, 43.3 and the 41.1 are all basically the same boat but with different transoms. We love our 41.1 centre cockpit. She is so super stable and sails like a dream. Never thought I would like a centre board but so far it has been only positive. We opted for the centre cockpit because of the better motion at sea. This has proven to be a good call as I am pretty sensitive to motion. The more we have dug into this boat, the more confident we are that we made a great choice. You have good taste in boats for sure. Let me know if you want to go out for a sail in one. We can have that rendezvous we talked about back in 2019. We are in Belleville. You can see the discovery and refit of our 41.1 at ua-cam.com/users/windoverwater. Great informative videos. Keep up the good work. C
We have a Bristol 45.5 . I have been sailing for over 40 years and had many boats , by far this Bristol 45.5 is the best boat I have ever owned. The yard up here in Canada are not all that familiar with the brand but they are very impressed with the build quality. They are a custom boat builder here and used to build the Nonsuch's so they are a good judge.
@@LadyKSailing Will do , she is almost done a complete refit . Not really a refit more like system upgrades . She has new tanks , they were done before we bought her and she was already repowered with a nice new yanmar I carried on from there . Love your channel ! Keep up the great work
Any time you want to do a walk through video and dig into all my upgraded systems . (Lithium, induction cooking , hydraulics, solar,) just let me . She will be coming out of the building in the this spring .
Hi Tim, I've been following you since the beginning and have appreciated most of you reviews (there were a few I didn't agree with but every has their opinions). The thumbnail on this video caught my eye as I have sailed many miles on the very Bristol 57. What a fantastic boat. We own a Bristol 43.3 CC which is the same layout as the 45.5 CC. The 43.3 carries 160 gals H2O and 110 gals diesel and has a tone of storage. The 43.3 is the first CC boat I have owned and was reluctant to do so but the Admiral fell in love with the interior. I can appreciate the aesthetic appeal of the aft cockpit version of the 45.5 but after having the CC for 9 years will point out some of the things about them that I have come to appreciate and wouldn't want to do without, especially when cruising for extended periods. First is engine access, we have 360 degree access to the engine without having to crawl in a locker as well have access to the stuffing box pulling up a floor panel and the quadrant by lifting our mattress. In addition we have the patio (aft deck). We keep bikes, an 80 quart ice chest, the generator, grill, etc. back there. Don't know where I would put them in a aft cockpit boat. Those are the real perks I have found besides having a private stateroom with queen walk-around bed. As far as sailing ability you were correct in that they are solid and comfortable. I have been on production boats in rough conditions that slam and shudder. It's even scary to go down below because of the creaking and groaning going on. The Bristols and Little Harbors I have sailed are quite and comfortable even in rough seas. One last thing to consider is that boats of this kind are continually being upgraded so it is possible to find them ready to go without a major refit. Keep upi the great videos and hope you can get back to cruising soon.
Each week, I wind down and get happy with my Catalina 22 sitting behind the house, counting the days until my new sails get here. Content with shallow draft and capabilities including getting under the bridges north and south of me on the Banana river. Then another great video comes out from Lady K and I’m hitting al the online brokers, checking out marinas and all that because I’ve either been reminded of a boat I love, or have been shown a new one to check out. Thanks!
Thanks for your excellent, well-researched review of Bristol Yachts, agreeing with you, because we own a Bristol 35.5 by Hood with an electric drive for our second circumnavigation.
I genuinely enjoy your videos. I have been looking at different boats for a while and I came across a Bristol on YachtWorld so I typed it into youtube and your review popped up and I was so glad to hear what you had to say about it
Hey Tim....watched the whole series....hoping you get back on the water soon.....don't wait too long man....I waited... then my wife had several strokes....now I'm her caregiver, and it's impossible......and, well, I'm also 73 so......don't wait, go....
Interesting. In 1984 I went to the Pearson plant to pick up my Pearson 25.brand new. I had no idea about the relationship between Pearson & Bristol except that they were physically close to each other
Can you explain how the centerboard works on these? I am concerned about having a moving keel and it just feels like a part that simply must break at some point.
I love these videos highlighting different boat companies. I notice that a lot of them seem to have gone bankrupt in the 90's. Can you make a video explaining why? Thank you for all the great content 😊👍
Lots of US sailboat builders went out of business in that time frame because of the ill conceived luxury tax. The idiots in Congress wanted to score political points by taxing boats and cars that cost over a certain amount to get the "rich". They didn't get the fact that most boat builders were small businesses operating on slim margins, and not making much money at the time. Also the dollar was strong compared to European currencies so boat buyers bought Beneteaus for under the threshold tax and American boat builders went under. Brilliant leftist policy killed about 80% of the US boat industry almost overnight, one of Barbara Mikulski's stupidest moves ever.
@@drwindsurf the irony was that the govt paid out much more in unemployment costs than they gained additional taxes from the luxury tax because of all the workers that lost their jobs!
Hey Tim have you done Gulfstar Yachts yet? We are a family of five, looking to start cruising within the next two years. Most yachts big enough are to expensive. I keep finding larger Gulfstars at what seems to be decent prices. Just curious of your take on them. Thank You!
I have a Hood Gulfstar 40 somewhat similar to the Hood series of Bristol boats. Whale body shoal draft centerboarder, 4ft draft board up, 11 ft draft board down. Surprising performance, tacks through under 80 degrees at over 6 knots boatspeed upwind- if you don't believe me look at the vpp in ORR ratings, they are publicly available.
I love ketches . Never been on one but I want one . Ever since I seen a black ketch with black sails I was like that's it that's the dream. It looks like a pirate ship !! 😎 Preferably center cockpit deck saloon international helm Because let's face it doors are better and aft cabin means space . Aft cockpit means sleeping in the v birth . Exterior space who cares how often does it actually stop raining. Yea I'm British lol. O nearly watched a video without saying it . Do westerly .
I’m looking for a boat around 38 feet, and could care less about speed. I appreciate performance as land racer, and car builder. I really just want to sail, and I have a $40,000 starter budget. #HelpMyDumbAss
My wife and I own a Bristol 35.5 built in 1976. It is a beautiful boat inside and out. All my friends and family are so impressed with the luxurious woodwork inside the cabin. It is a tough durable boat that handles well and sails surprisingly fast. It has been modified so that it can be sailed entirely from the cockpit. I feel lucky to have such a lovely boat for my wife and I to enjoy. We waited a long time to realize our sailing dreams and we couldn't be happier.
Funny that you brought up the 45.5 Bristol. My father sailed the 45.5. He boat his first 45.5 Ketch in 1979, I believe that was the 1st year they were built. He bought his last 45.5 AC Sloop in 1990. I grew up sailing on this boat and we sailed all over on it. From Great Lakes all the way to Australia. We did a completed retro on the boat 5 years ago. New tanks, new engine, removed copper for pex. You name it we did it. Unfortunately my father past away this past year. I currently sail a Passport 585 and don't have the need for the Bristol. Most likely I will sell because it deserves to be sailed and not sit on stands. The memories of sailing with my Dad on that boat will live with me forever, and trust me when I say, the boat is built to sail forever because it is well built and well conceived from one of the great boat designers - Ted Hood. I plan to splash it in the next month and run it through paces and do a full survey / evaluation for listing. As my Dad said many times, "Son, if you take care of the boat the boat will take care of you, and always remember a great boat makes good sailors."
Love your series and really appreciated this one in particular.
Did you ever sell her?
@Droptopbelair Yes. I sold the boat to a family friend who is currently sailing it. They are prepping for cruising the Bahamas this season. I even got rid of my Passport for a new Oyster.
Had to watch this again , I love what you had to say about these boats , you are spot on !!!
Glad you enjoyed it
My second boat was ‘73 B34. Just bought ‘85 B38.8. Going thru refit now. Adding solar, lithium, redo plumbing, fixtures. Going south Oct 2025 as my retirement trip. ICW for shakedown then Keys and maybe Bahamas. Thanks for all you have taught me!
Very nice! Thanks for watching!
I love these series and your presentation of each builder. I'm catching on to your "random fruit" theme.
*_ LEMON! _*
We have a 38.8 1982 #6. We love her. Sails incredibly well. Only 31 gal fuel, but over 100 gal. Fresh water
12:27 hi, just bought a 38.8. Would to be able to bounce questions. Understand if it’s not something you’d want.
Hey Tim, The last time we chatted we were behind you on the Chesapeake. I think you were just heading out of Delaware City and had a run in with a crab pot. We had just bought our Bristol and were heading home to Canada to sell our Aloha 32. A subscriber bought it over the phone so we doubled back to Rock Hall and sailed the new boat home. She is a 41.1 sloop. The 44.5, 43.3 and the 41.1 are all basically the same boat but with different transoms. We love our 41.1 centre cockpit. She is so super stable and sails like a dream. Never thought I would like a centre board but so far it has been only positive. We opted for the centre cockpit because of the better motion at sea. This has proven to be a good call as I am pretty sensitive to motion. The more we have dug into this boat, the more confident we are that we made a great choice. You have good taste in boats for sure. Let me know if you want to go out for a sail in one. We can have that rendezvous we talked about back in 2019. We are in Belleville. You can see the discovery and refit of our 41.1 at ua-cam.com/users/windoverwater. Great informative videos. Keep up the good work. C
Sounds like any Bristol will do!! Great information Tim! I’m going to focus my search more on Bristol for my dream of circumnavigation.
You can do it!
My 73 Bristol 32 still going and a great sailing boat!!
So jealous...
@@marianoschaller9066 I just got it in dec, these Boats are very affordable and well built
We have a Bristol 45.5 . I have been sailing for over 40 years and had many boats , by far this Bristol 45.5 is the best boat I have ever owned. The yard up here in Canada are not all that familiar with the brand but they are very impressed with the build quality. They are a custom boat builder here and used to build the Nonsuch's so they are a good judge.
If she's ever for sale!!!
@@LadyKSailing
Will do , she is almost done a complete refit . Not really a refit more like system upgrades . She has new tanks , they were done before we bought her and she was already repowered with a nice new yanmar I carried on from there .
Love your channel ! Keep up the great work
Any time you want to do a walk through video and dig into all my upgraded systems . (Lithium, induction cooking , hydraulics, solar,) just let me . She will be coming out of the building in the this spring .
I own a Carl Alberg Sailstar Corinthian 19 and I love it my little yacht. This episode was very informative. Thank you!
Hi Tim, I've been following you since the beginning and have appreciated most of you reviews (there were a few I didn't agree with but every has their opinions). The thumbnail on this video caught my eye as I have sailed many miles on the very Bristol 57. What a fantastic boat. We own a Bristol 43.3 CC which is the same layout as the 45.5 CC. The 43.3 carries 160 gals H2O and 110 gals diesel and has a tone of storage. The 43.3 is the first CC boat I have owned and was reluctant to do so but the Admiral fell in love with the interior. I can appreciate the aesthetic appeal of the aft cockpit version of the 45.5 but after having the CC for 9 years will point out some of the things about them that I have come to appreciate and wouldn't want to do without, especially when cruising for extended periods. First is engine access, we have 360 degree access to the engine without having to crawl in a locker as well have access to the stuffing box pulling up a floor panel and the quadrant by lifting our mattress. In addition we have the patio (aft deck). We keep bikes, an 80 quart ice chest, the generator, grill, etc. back there. Don't know where I would put them in a aft cockpit boat. Those are the real perks I have found besides having a private stateroom with queen walk-around bed. As far as sailing ability you were correct in that they are solid and comfortable. I have been on production boats in rough conditions that slam and shudder. It's even scary to go down below because of the creaking and groaning going on. The Bristols and Little Harbors I have sailed are quite and comfortable even in rough seas. One last thing to consider is that boats of this kind are continually being upgraded so it is possible to find them ready to go without a major refit. Keep upi the great videos and hope you can get back to cruising soon.
I really like these vids, I learn more about each boat here than almost anywhere else! Thanks :)
Bristol 32. The boat of my dreams.
Each week, I wind down and get happy with my Catalina 22 sitting behind the house, counting the days until my new sails get here. Content with shallow draft and capabilities including getting under the bridges north and south of me on the Banana river. Then another great video comes out from Lady K and I’m hitting al the online brokers, checking out marinas and all that because I’ve either been reminded of a boat I love, or have been shown a new one to check out. Thanks!
43.3 CC, CB, two state rooms, PHRF 117 my cup of tea.
Thanks for your excellent, well-researched review of Bristol Yachts, agreeing with you, because we own a Bristol 35.5 by Hood with an electric drive for our second circumnavigation.
I genuinely enjoy your videos. I have been looking at different boats for a while and I came across a Bristol on YachtWorld so I typed it into youtube and your review popped up and I was so glad to hear what you had to say about it
1982 cc 45. At 119K engine only has 1k on it. It claims to have a lot of upgrades mostly nav. I would really like your opinion on it's value
Another thorough review Tim, thanks again for presenting your research so fairly and clearly.
Great vid.
I'm currently in year three of a total refit of a B41.1.
Love that boat!
Hey Tim....watched the whole series....hoping you get back on the water soon.....don't wait too long man....I waited...
then my wife had several strokes....now I'm her caregiver, and it's impossible......and, well, I'm also 73 so......don't wait, go....
Thanks. I live in Canada which is why I'm not sailing. Launch is April 17
@@LadyKSailing good on ya ! I'll be watching with great interest :)
We have a number of Bristol 32 and 27s at my club. All beautiful boats.
I still love my Irwin!
Great info. Big Alberg fan here as well.
Interesting. In 1984 I went to the Pearson plant to pick up my Pearson 25.brand new. I had no idea about the relationship between Pearson & Bristol except that they were physically close to each other
This series is amazing. Thanks!
That 45.5 is certainly a pretty boat.
a 45.5 is what my bristol 22 wants to be when it grows up hehe
Will you do an episode about westerly ? They're really common / popular here in the UK
Can you explain how the centerboard works on these? I am concerned about having a moving keel and it just feels like a part that simply must break at some point.
Dang Tim you beat me to it!
I love these videos highlighting different boat companies. I notice that a lot of them seem to have gone bankrupt in the 90's. Can you make a video explaining why? Thank you for all the great content 😊👍
Lots of US sailboat builders went out of business in that time frame because of the ill conceived luxury tax. The idiots in Congress wanted to score political points by taxing boats and cars that cost over a certain amount to get the "rich". They didn't get the fact that most boat builders were small businesses operating on slim margins, and not making much money at the time. Also the dollar was strong compared to European currencies so boat buyers bought Beneteaus for under the threshold tax and American boat builders went under. Brilliant leftist policy killed about 80% of the US boat industry almost overnight, one of Barbara Mikulski's stupidest moves ever.
@@rm-61366 Thank you. I always wondered what happened.
@@drwindsurf the irony was that the govt paid out much more in unemployment costs than they gained additional taxes from the luxury tax because of all the workers that lost their jobs!
I remember the song about a lemon tree. I don't think you were born yet.
awesome info, well done. And yes, I see the lemon. So what is next, a lime and a coconut?? ;)
Love these videos. I was wondering if you were going to do Bristol. we have a 68 Bristol 27 as our sailing learner
Great video I have learn so much from it, Could you do Gulfstar sailboats since not much info out there
Love your videos. So informative. I'm in Seattle looking for a boat to cruise the Puget Sound with. Not wanting to spend more than $25K. Suggestions?
I would like to thank the patrons also. Would donate if I could. Thank you all.
Interesting guy , have a look at Elley Grey 500 galls of water and 850 of fuel with a Gardener engine that sips fuel .
Enjoy your pragmatic point of view
Hey Tim have you done Gulfstar Yachts yet? We are a family of five, looking to start cruising within the next two years. Most yachts big enough are to expensive. I keep finding larger Gulfstars at what seems to be decent prices. Just curious of your take on them. Thank You!
Not yet! Maybe next!!
@@LadyKSailing that would be really cool. Seems to be quite a few around.
I have a Hood Gulfstar 40 somewhat similar to the Hood series of Bristol boats. Whale body shoal draft centerboarder, 4ft draft board up, 11 ft draft board down. Surprising performance, tacks through under 80 degrees at over 6 knots boatspeed upwind- if you don't believe me look at the vpp in ORR ratings, they are publicly available.
How about a video on Ericson Yachts?
Bristol made great boats. Just be careful not to get a lemon.
Nice presentation! ..
Been looking at the Cape Dory design as a project boat. - similar to the Alberg 30 do you think? .. ⛵
Yes wonderful boats!
Thanks for the episode. Any plans to do an episode about Grampian? There are still a lot of them here in Canada. I'm a proud owner of one.
I love ya. You’re too much. Lemon head... you should have drawn eye on it...🤗🤗🤗
Thank You for this series. Question : If somebody gave you 200k to buy a sailboat and 100k to go sailing , what would you but and where would you go ?
Ohhhh that's a tough one. I'd really have to put some thought into the boat. Off the cuff maybe an oceanis 45 and definitely the Caribbean
@@LadyKSailing i hope you get everything you want in life . you are a good man . may the wind be in your Sails
I love ketches . Never been on one but I want one . Ever since I seen a black ketch with black sails I was like that's it that's the dream. It looks like a pirate ship !! 😎
Preferably center cockpit deck saloon international helm Because let's face it doors are better and aft cabin means space . Aft cockpit means sleeping in the v birth . Exterior space who cares how often does it actually stop raining. Yea I'm British lol.
O nearly watched a video without saying it . Do westerly .
A lemon now. Gotta get your vitamin C
"Pelagic"? The 45.5. is that the guy that does heavy weather training in the southern ocean?
When are we going sailing again?
I've thought Bruce Bingham deserves a segment,
How about covering Sabre sailboats.
6600 LBS? My Glander Cay 23 came in at 6000 lbs. 6600 does not seem like a big deal on a 27 ft boat.
Is that a lemon? I have some avocados you can borrow
Is it a lemon? Is it an Easter egg? Is it both?
Can you do a topic on yachting insurance with a say from the company’s please
Do Grampian :) - I know they're Canadian and rare
What do you know about a Helm boat ?
🙂👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
We did away again with the Lady K song. So sad.
Can you cover Gulfstar
Is that a lemon?
ever considered nonsuch or normal cat rigged ketch
i didnt knew india made trawlers i thought we mostly made
fishing boats ,sad very little sailboats
lemon
I’m looking for a boat around 38 feet, and could care less about speed. I appreciate performance as land racer, and car builder. I really just want to sail, and I have a $40,000 starter budget. #HelpMyDumbAss