Bristol 19 Buyer's Guide
The Bristol 19, also known as the Corinthian 19 or Sailstar Corinthian 19, is a Carl Alberg–designed pocket cruiser built by Sailstar Boats from 1966 through 1980, with around 700 completed. For a shopper scanning American brokerage listings, she presents as a small, solid fiberglass long-keeler whose simplicity is itself the selling point.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Bristol 19 is a 19.5-foot overall, 6.5-foot beam fractional sloop on a long keel, with an attached rudder and 1,100 pounds of lead in the keel against a 2,750-pound displacement. The shallow 2.76–3.06 foot draft is the defining usability trait on the used market, letting the boat sit in shallow slips that exclude deeper keelboats. Her narrow beam and modest length put her at the small end of the cruiser range, so view each example as a minimalist coastal boat rather than a weekender for four.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A buyer should evaluate whatever rig, winches, and ground tackle sit on each individual hull, noting the boat's slightly overrigged nature — a 135 percent genoa brings SA/D to 18.0 — when judging whether the sail inventory matches the sail plan. The fractional rig and long keel mean upgrades should respect the original balance rather than push her into higher-performance territory she was not built for.
What to Inspect
The Bristol 19 was built at Sailstar and also at other yards Bristol 19 review on Yachtdatabase. The hull is solid fiberglass with no cored center, so sound the topsides and keel-to-hull joint for previous repair rather than core rot. Verify the lead keel attachment and the attached rudder stock for movement, and check the fractional rigging terminals for wear consistent with the boat's slightly overrigged sail plan. The wetted surface of about 96 square feet means any bottom blistering will be visible across a broad area below the waterline.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Bristol 19 boats are typically found in the United States. For a viewing, run through these points:
- Confirm builder and hull number from the documentation
- Sound the solid fiberglass hull for prior repair
- Inspect lead keel and rudder attachment for play
- Check fractional rig terminals for wear
- Measure draft under load to confirm 2.76–3.06 feet
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Bristol 19. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $2,800 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Dory Typhoon | 18.5' | $ 6,499 | 25 | 8 |
| Sea Sprite 23 | 22.5' | $ 5,000 | 7 | 2 |