bristol 22 sailboat review

Bristol 22 caravel

The bristol 22 caravel is a 22.0ft masthead sloop designed by halsey herreshoff and built in fiberglass by bristol yachts between 1968 and 1978., 325 units have been built..

The Bristol 22 caravel is a light sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

Bristol 22 caravel for sale elsewhere on the web:

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1976 Bristol 24 Corsair    $7,000

Project list: 1. Ball valve     $13 2. Seacock grease     $9 3. Penetrating epoxy     $19 4. Silicone sealant     $13 5. Whale Gusher rebuild kit     $55 6. Raritan rebuild kit    $68 7. Sanitation hose     $44 8. Freshwater hose     $8 9. Varnish      $33 10. Mainsail     $1,345 11. Dodger    $1,125 12. Handheld GPS + mount    $325 13. Autopilot    $575 14. Depth sounder    $130

Total retrofit work:    $3,762 54% of the purchase price Grand total:     $10,762.61

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• Sailboat Guide

Bristol 24 is a 24 ′ 6 ″ / 7.5 m monohull sailboat designed by Paul Coble and built by Sailstar Boat Co. and Bristol Yachts between 1966 and 1983.

• 11 / 11 San Rafael, CA, US 1975 Bristol 24 $7,950 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 popular little Bristol 24, also called the Corsair in earlier times, is a safe and solidly built pocket cruiser from the 1960s. Hundreds were built in hand-laid fiberglass by Sailstar Boat Company and later Bristol Yachts in Rhode Island with a production run that spanned 17 years. This Paul Coble design, makes for a great little coastal cruiser, and with the right equipment can be made suitable for ocean voyaging.

As was the convention in 1960s designs, the hull is long ended, narrow, with a short waterline length. Under the waterline is a full keel with a forefoot cutaway drawing 3 feet 5 inches. With a weighty displacement of 6000 pounds she is well and truly a heavy displacement cruiser endowing her with motion comfort levels often seen in boats upwards of 28 feet in size.

Put together you can expect a boat that’s initially tender, lengthening her waterline as she heels, before stiffening dramatically at around 12 knots of wind. Although her large wetted area and lack of sail area has given her a reputation for being slower than similar boats of her vintage, namely the Pearson Ariel, Cape Dory 25 , and 25D, the Bristol 24 generally sails better across a wider windspeed range. In heavy conditions she can be surprisingly quick as her the ultimate stiffness helps her hold onto canvas when other boats would be reefing.

Probably her best feature is her roominess with a five foot cockpit, two cabins, including a saloon blessed with six feet of headroom. The saloon arrangement came in two layouts. One that had a double berth to port which converted to a dinette and on the opposite side was a galley with a quarter berth further aft – this layout slept five in total. The second option had had settees either side and the galley further forward with the stove to port and sink and icebox to starboard. Both layouts had identical v-berths in the forepeak with the head located underneath. The interior trim was of satin-finished mahogany with a fiberglass headliner.

Most Bristol 24s were powered with an 8 or 9 horsepower outboard situated in a well. An inboard engine was an option, usually diesel, but some were powered with Atomic 4 gasoline engines.

Though the boat is technically trailerable, but don’t expect quick launches casual day sails as her 3′ 5″ draft does become cumbersome on the boat ramp and with a typical kitted out weight of over 8,000 pounds a sizeable towing vehicle will be required.

The Bristol 24 has its origins tied to a troubled boatbuilder located in West Warwick, Rhode Island called Sailstar. As the company entered receivership, the bank asked Clint Pearson of Pearson Yachts fame to come in and oversee operations.

Pearson had pioneered the art of production fiberglass boatbuilding by founding Pearson Yachts in his garage with his cousin in the 1950s, scaling the operation to hundreds of employees and eventually selling to Grumman Allied Industries in 1961. He was out for a new challenge in the yachting business and by 1964 he had purchased the failing Sailstar Boat Company.

At Sailstar, the Corsair, as the boat was called back then, was one of the very first boats that Pearson worked on. He called designer Paul Cable, asking for a twenty-four foot design to sleep four people. Cable tells a story of carving a half hull on the Johnstown ferry on the way to see Pearson. The boat was barely built in time for the 1964 New York Boat Show where it was a great hit. Priced originally at $4,000 dollars, 120 orders flooded in from the show.

By 1966 Pearson had changed the company name to Bristol Yachts, phasing out the Sailstar brand in favour of Bristol, and eventually relocated the company to new facilities in Bristol, Rhode Island.

The Bristol 24 remains one of the most popular models from Bristol with a production run of 726 before production ceased in 1983. Boats from 1975 onwards were sold under the Bristol brand.

Buyers Notes

Build quality varies widely between models and vintage in ways that matter.

As originally designed the Corsair had lead ballast. In a cost savings move, Sailstar changed the ballast construction to lead-shot in concrete. After the company transitioned to Bristol, in a further cost savings move, the ballast changed to iron boiler punchings in concrete (while keeping lead-shot as an option). The iron to concrete ratio varies between boats as these proportions were mixed by eye without weighing resulting in some boats being more tender than others.

Common wisdom is that you can identify the ballast material by checking the bilges – owners report lead ballasted examples have a bilge twelve inches deep while concrete ones have a bilge that is up to the sole. Be aware this is not a reliable indicator of ballast material as some models have extra lead bringing the ballast to the floorboards.

Another area to check is the bulkhead construction. The original Corsairs had mahogany marine plywood. Later boats had formica over plywood, these boats can have rotted or delaminated bulkheads which are hidden by the formica. Some of the last boats went back to teak or mahogany faced ply as an option.

Links, References and Further Reading

» Bristol 24 feature by Ted Brewer, Good Old Boat Magazine Mar-Apr 2003 » Bristol Owners Association , information and photos. » Bristol 24 review by Rebecca J Casarez for Sailing Magazine, Jan 2012

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The Bristol 32 Sailboat Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The  Bristol 32, an ultra-heavy displacement sloop,  was designed by Ted Hood &  Dieter Empacher  and built in the USA by Bristol Yachts Inc.

Published Specification for the Bristol 32

Underwater Profile:  Long keel

Hull Material:  GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall:  32'0"  ( 9.8m)

Waterline Length:  22'0"  ( 6.7m)

Beam:  9'6"  ( 2.9m)

Draft:  4'8"  ( 1.4m) *

Rig Type:  Masthead sloop **

Displacement:  10,800lb (4,899kg)

Designer:  Ted Hood & Dieter Empacher

Builder:  Bristol Yachts Inc. (USA)

Year First Built:  1966

Year Last Built:  1983

Number Built:  322

* Centreboard version also available, drawing 3'6" with board up and 7'6" with it down.

** Also available as a ketch or yawl

Published Design Ratios for the Bristol 32

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio:  15.3

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio:  36.1

3. Displacement/Length Ratio:  453

4. Comfort Ratio:  33.3

5. Capsize Screening Formula:   1.7

Read more about these  Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Bristol 32

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of just 15.3 suggests that the Bristol 32 will need a stiff breeze to get her going. In light conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing may be the way to go.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 36.1 means that the Bristol 32 is likely to benefit from being reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 453, tells us the Bristol 32 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 33.3 suggests that crew comfort of a Bristol 32 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 32 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0. 

Any Questions?

What other versions of the Bristol 32 were built?

There were three versions of the Bristol 32 built: a sloop, a yawl and a ketch. The sloop was the most common, with 322 units built between 1966 and 1983. The yawl and ketch versions had different mast heights and sail areas.

What is the accommodation like in the Bristol 32?

The Bristol 32 has a traditional layout with a V-berth forward, followed by a head compartment with a hanging locker opposite, a main saloon with settees and a fold-down table, and a galley and a quarter berth aft. The interior is finished in teak and has a classic feel.

What sail plan and rigging options are available for the Bristol 32?

As mentioned above, the Bristol 32 was available as a sloop, a yawl or a ketch. The sloop had a masthead rig with a single spreader and a roller furling genoa. The yawl and ketch had similar rigs but with shorter main masts and additional mizzen masts. The sail area varied depending on the rig type, from 43.3 m² for the sloop to 51.1 m² for the ketch.

What keel options are available for the Bristol 32?

The Bristol 32 had two keel options: a fin keel or a keel/centerboard. The fin keel had a draft of 1.4 m and a ballast of 1,769 kg. The keel/centerboard had a draft of 1.1 m with the board up and 2.3 m with the board down, and a ballast of 1,814 kg.

What is the Bristol 32 like to sail?

The Bristol 32 is a heavy displacement sailboat that is stable, comfortable and seaworthy. It is not very fast or agile, but it can handle rough weather and long passages well. It is easy to sail single-handed or with a small crew, and it has good balance and steering response. It performs best in moderate to strong winds, as it is slightly underpowered in light airs.

What is the average cost of a secondhand Bristol 32?

The average cost of a secondhand Bristol 32 depends on the condition, age, equipment and location of the boat. According to some online listings, the price range can vary from $10,000 to $40,000 USD

Is this boatbuilder still in business?

No, this boatbuilder is not still in business. Bristol Yachts was founded in 1966 by Clint Pearson, who also founded Pearson Yachts. The company produced several models of sailboats until it ceased operations in 1997 due to financial difficulties.

What other sailboats have been created by this designer?

The designer of the Bristol 32 was Ted Hood, who was also an accomplished sailor and sailmaker. He designed many other sailboats, such as the Hood 38, the Little Harbor series, the Wauquiez Hood 38, the Bristol Channel Cutter, the Robinhood series and the Ted Hood Yachts series. He also collaborated with Dieter Empacher on some designs, such as the Bristol 35.5 and the Bristol 41.1.

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

Other sailboats in the Bristol range include:

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Thoughts on Bristol Yachts?

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Hello I am on the lookout for an affordable yacht which is seaworthy as well as attractive to look at. The Bristols are increasingly catching my eye, and the 38.8 looks like a reasonably modern, solid and attractive boat. I would appreciate any insights about how she sails - including in stiffer breeze or gale - and any other observations or tips. Also very interested in views about build quality and issues to look out for when buying used - e.g. I am unfamiliar with keel/centreboard designs and wonder if there is anything to have in mind there when searching/surveying. thank you for any insights! Julian  

Bristols we've raced against tend to be slow. They tend to be heavy, needing a good breeze (20 knots +/- ) to get moving. They also tend to be well put-together, sturdy boats. Friends had a 35.5 which they sailed for years with the centerboard up. Other friends with a 35.5 also don't race, and probably don't use their centerboard either. Still other friends with a 45.5 do race, (slowly, unless it's blowing 20+ ) but it is a fixed keel version.  

They have a good reputation.... Ask Jeff H  

I have a 35.5, but the build, concept, set up etc. is similar to a 38.8. It's not a "performance" or racing boat by any means. But I certainly can get up to 6.5 knots at much less than the 20 knots of wind that is referenced above (you need to deepen the mainsail in lighter wind (need good outhaul set up)), so don't get put off by any commentary that it is not a "light" air boat . I sail in Chesapeake Bay in August with no problems, but I'm not a racer or "performance cruiser" so my perspective may be different. Mine is built like a brick sh*ter. It gets on a rails and runs. Look at other boats, and you'll appreciate the build quality of these Bristol "decimal series" boats. MIne is a CB model - need to keep the pivot point and cable mechanism inspected/serviced regularly.  

Sheerline said: Hello I am on the lookout for an affordable yacht which is seaworthy as well as attractive to look at. The Bristols are increasingly catching my eye, and the 38.8 looks like a reasonably modern, solid and attractive boat. I would appreciate any insights about how she sails - including in stiffer breeze or gale - and any other observations or tips. Also very interested in views about build quality and issues to look out for when buying used - e.g. I am unfamiliar with keel/centreboard designs and wonder if there is anything to have in mind there when searching/surveying. thank you for any insights! Julian ( [email protected] ) Click to expand...

bristol299bob said: I've owned my Bristol 29.9 for 14 years and have been impressed with it. The build quality is excellent, the interior is warm and cozy, the classic lines are (to my eye) quite lovely. I get frequent comments on how good looking the boat is. When we are in heavy weather (inshore or offshore) we feel safe and confident in the boat. And we can go down below off watch and the boat is quiet and we can get real rest. There are no creaks, rattles, or flexing. just the sound of water rushing by and the thump of a wave. I've been on a number of boats that make quite a racket down below and it's hard to get rest (for the noise and, worse, for the wonder of "is that noise the sound of something about to break"). FWIW my boat happens to be for sale: For Sale - Bristol 29.9, 1977, Hull #5 - S/V Surprise Click to expand...

Thanks to all of you - these are useful insights. Much appreciated! I will take a closer look. The boat will be used on the Chesapeake mostly (we live in DC) and hopefully some longer runs beyond - soon. What do people think of the Bristol 39 and 40? I imagine they are not great at pointing, underpowered SA/D, but look rather nice and also solidly built, and a lot of boat for your money.  

I've owned my Bristol 29.9 for 14 years and have been impressed with it. The build quality is excellent, the interior is warm and cozy, the classic lines are (to my eye) quite lovely. I get frequent comments on how good looking the boat is. When we are in heavy weather (inshore or offshore) we feel safe and confident in the boat. And we can go down below off watch and the boat is quiet and we can get real rest. There are no creaks, rattles, or flexing. just the sound of water rushing by and the thump of a wave. I've been on a number of boats that make quite a racket down below and it's hard to get rest (for the noise and, worse, for the wonder of "is that noise the sound of something about to break"). FWIW my boat happens to be for sale: For Sale - Bristol 29.9, 1977, Hull #5 - S/V Surprise  

Jeff_H said: Like many boat builders, both the design and build quality of the various Bristol models vary a lot. The 38.8 came into existence late in the company's existence and at a time when Bristol's design and build quality had improved enormously from its earlier boats. Because of that, rather than a broader discussion of Bristol Yachts, I will therefore focus on the 38.8 specifically and touch on the keel-centerboard a little. The Bristol 38.8 was designed by Ted Hood and Dieter Empacher with a specific concept in mind. During the IOR II rating rule era a number of designers had explored a rating advantage by designing boats that were excessively heavy by any relative standard, and which had comparatively small rated sail plans. The concept was to offset the liability from excessive weight by minimizing drag. In this design theory drag was reduced by using essentially cylindrical cross sections and that helps a lot. But in and of itself, cylindrical cross sections do nothing good for stability or motion comfort since they provide minimal form stability until the topsides are in the water and almost no damping to suppress the tendency to roll. As a result these boats needed (and were given) a very high ballast ratio which helps some with stability. Similarly, because of the way that race boat ratings were the foretriangle was made huge and that allowed for a lot unpenalized sail area to be carried in large overlapping genoas and enormous spinnakers. When combined with the the low drag hull forms, these boats sail much better than their numbers might suggest. But that comes at a price. These boats require much larger sail area than a lighter boat and therefore are more physically demanding than a typical 38 footer of the era. Also those large overlapping headsails do not adapt well to changing conditions. Still the Bristol's 'numbers' are way outside of what would have been considered normal back when this boat was designed and are even more extreme when compared to current yacht design science. It is probably best to illustrate this with a two more examples of 38 footers of this era whose design brief was a performance cruiser with offshore passage making capabilities. The two other two are performance cruiser the Ericson 38 and the Farr 11.6. Bristol 38.8 Ericson 38 Farr 11.6 LOA 38.25 37.67 38.25 LWL 30.58 30.5 31.2 Beam 12.08 12.0 10,600 Draft 4.5 6.5 6.4 Displacement 19,150 14,900 10,600 D/L 299 234 156 SA/D 16.7 18.8 22.9 Ballast Ratio 47% 42% 39% The Ericson was at the high end of normal weight and had sail area that was reasonably consistent with most performance cruisers of the era and frankly is pretty close in weight and SA/D to a modern 38 foot performance cruiser. The Farr is at the extreme low end of the weight for a performance cruiser and at the higher end of the sail area to displacement in large part since it was not designed to beat any rating rule. It is important to understand that weight does absolutely nothing good for a boat. It does not make it more seaworthy, it does not improve motion comfort, it does not add stability, and it does not make it stronger. But weight does increase the working loads on the boat, it does make it physically harder to handle, it makes maintenance more expensive, and it hurts performance and fuel consumption. But this is where things become more subjective, Some of that weight was put into lovely little details like custom made, chrome on cast-bronze hardware. Some of that weight went into heavier interior components and truly lovely cabinetry. Some went into a heavy duty teak toe rail, cast bronze portlights, and stainless steel guardrails. Some of that weight went into bigger water and fuel tanks. And most significantly some of that weight (3,000-4,000 lbs) went into having a much larger ballast ratio in order to allow a shallower draft. I also want to touch on the keel center-board. I see keel centerboards as being a great way to optimize upwind performance while having shallower draft when motoring or in port. The convenience is enormous if you sail in a shallow venue. Centerboards can be partially raised to balance the helm or reduce heeling a little (at the price of leeway). They can be a little more maintenance, but i have never heard of Bristol 31.1, 35.5 38.8, or 41.1's having difficult maintenance problems with their centerboards. That is about it for now, Jeff Click to expand...

Blue water boat... you are on the right track.  

thanks!  

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