Bristol 41.1

[ian6460]

I have searched the internet and the archives on this and other BBs, but can find little info on these sailboats. I am specifically interested in A) construction (were proper techiques used, are they cored and where, hull/deck fastening, etc) B)sailing manners C) any specific problem inherent with the B41.1.

With a 120 PHRF, I know that they are not speed demons, but as a long-term liveaboard/cruiser for the Caribbean, their speed appears to be reasonable.

Thanks - Any info will be appreciated!!

[WHOOSH]

Ian, you''d probably benefit by chatting with a friend who has taken his 41.1 as far north as Maine and also cruised for several years throughout the Caribbean. Send me an email offline and I''ll reply with his email address.

Jack
jack_patricia@yahoo.com

[Dking59]

Ian,

My wife and I are also very intersted in Bristol 41.1 as a cruising boat and some offshore work. We are trying dig up any info we can on construction and sailing qualities. Emailed some questions to Ted Hood but got no reply. I did find out elsewhere that water tanks are a big problem. They are SS and built right up against the hull, causing condensation and then leakage. Worst of all the are very difficult to replace and difficult to bladder due to baffeling.
On the good side I think her speed is good when compared to other cruisers such as; Whitby42, CSY44, Pearson424. Another plus for me is her prop runs protected in a cutout in the skeg. We sailed our last boat a Starrett 45 from Maryland up to the Canadian border and back and the last think you want to do is snag a lobster pot sailing the Gulf of Maine at night.

I would very much like to hear about any info you can dig up on the 41.1. Especially interested in the centerboard. Does it bang around in a seaway. Is it difficult to service and is it safe offshore. A experienced sailor once told me " I''d rather go to sea in a Good centerboard boat than a poor fixed keel boat".
Our other choice would be a Brewer 12.8

Thanks ...Dennis

[ian6460]

Dennis,

From all the info we have been able to gather on the Bristol41.1 & Brewer 12.8, they both appear to be well built with good sailing characteristics. We are leaning towards the Bristol for several reasons: 1)draft will allow access to more areas 2)we prefer the interior finish a little more 3) they hold their value extremely well 4) most important - the Brewer''s cockpit does not drain very fast and the companionway is very exposed to sea water see - http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_display_photo.jsp;jsessionid=aaaeMAKTRbrwd7?sli m=quick&boat_id=1012164&boatname=42%27+Brewer+Brew er+12.8+Ketch&photo_name=Cockpit&photo=7

We would not feel comfortable with any extended blue-water sailing with the interior exposed to that degree! (The Whitbys are not configured in this manner).

From what I understand, the centerboard can make substantial noise. However, one owner said that he installed some type of buffer that eliminated the rattle.

ian

[Jeff_H]

The 12.8''s were built both with and without bridge decks. Those that were built without bridge decks were set up with gasketed lower hatch slides and with latch for the lower board. Having that lower board removeable really makes the boat a lot more liveable in terms of getting in and out under the dodger when in port.

Jeff

[Jeff_H]

Also when I looked at the whole listing one of these two boats are actually a Whitby 42 and not a Brewer 12.8 despite what the ads say. The two big differences between the Brewer 12.8''s and the Whitby 42 is that the Brewers are cutters with keel/centerboards drawing 4''6" with the board up and the Whitby''s have fixed keels and ketch rigs.

Jeff

[ian6460]

Jeff,

My concern is: will the hatch board stand up to a breaking wave? Also, the cockpit appears to be too large for extended off-shore work, especially since they drain slowly. The Bristol just seems to be a better setup for offshore.

[Jeff_H]

The cockpit volumes are very similar between the Bristol 41.1 and the Brewers although when we were looking at the two boats back to back, the Brewer seemed to have a more useable cockpit. Both had the same number and size of cockpit drains. We felt that the Bristols were slightly more biased towards coastal cruising and since my father was planning to spend time offshore leaned towards the Brewers. The lower hatchboard on the Brewers have a smaller span than usual and so would of course hold up to a breaking wave. Besides if the location where the lower hatch boards are located were ever actually exposed to a breaking wave, the boat would have far worse problems than a broken hatch slide. If you are so concerned about wave action in the cockpit you can rig a storm shutter on the lower slide when venturing offshore. You will need to do that anyway on the Bristol''s larger and more exposed port lights.

Both boats are good boats and so I don''t think that you would go wrong with either of them.

Jeff

[Dking59]

Ian,

I have the same concern about the Brewer cockpit. It is very big and very wide. This makes it difficult to wedge yourself in on a rough day. The Bristol cockpit is narrow enough to sit aside of the wheel and brace your feet on the other seat. One thing the Bristol does not have, is that nice big anchoring system at the bow that the Brewer has. I know when we cruised we set two anchors many times and it sure would be nice to have two anchor rollers and plenty off room to work. Now that I think of it, several of the Bristols we looked at did not even have a windlass. Unusual for a true cruising boat.

Dennis

[sailnaway]

I think I saw some information on a Pearson site that Bristol was somehow once connected to Pearson and the people that ran that company.