Bristol 35.5 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Bristol built the 35.5 as a solid laminate fiberglass hull, constructed in two halves and joined on the centerline, then flanged inward where the balsa-cored deck is bolted down with nuts, washers, and a through-bolted teak toerail anchor. Rather than leaning on molded fiberglass liners for structure, the builder used wood members—full and partial bulkheads and longitudinal stringers bonded to the hull with fiberglass and resin—and period surveys found that secondary bonding was almost always flawless, with significant structural problems rare among these boats. The deck itself is a first-rate work platform, and the joinery below shows the same care: the main and forward cabins are wood-sheathed, the sole is hand-laid teak with an ash inlay, screwed, glued, and bunged, and interior wood could be mahogany, cherry, or teak depending on the individual boat.

Rig and Handling

Under sail the 35.5 is a lively, quick boat that does not demand slavish attention at the helm. She points well and is considerably faster than most boats of her displacement and length in light air, though she is initially tender and quick to heel—a trait shared with most centerboarders. Practical Sailor's polar data shows the centerboard version shouldering 3.9 knots close-hauled in 6 knots true wind while heeled only 5 degrees, and turning up slightly more than eight knots on a broad reach in 20 knots. The boat reaches her performance optimum with a single 120% or 130% genoa; anything larger simply overpowers her. The centerboard itself is controlled by a low-geared horizontal winch on the coachroof, with the cable fully enclosed and the board tucked away so it does not intrude into the cabin sole. The centerboard version carries 500 pounds more ballast than the keel model and rates faster under IMS numbers, though both draw from a respectable calculated static stability of 115.

Accommodations

The interior is free of the tight spots, clumsy corners, and head- or hip-knockers that plague many boats this size. A forward stateroom holds a v-berth large enough for two adults without cramping the feet, and aft of it sits an adequately sized head with an integral shower where someone up to 6 foot 2 can stand erect. Opposing settees fill the main saloon, with pull-out extension berths and a well-engineered fold-down table that rigs in five seconds. The galley aft to starboard is a joy, with more counter space than many larger boats and a truly huge, well-insulated ice chest; a navigation station and big quarter berth lie a port side aft. Only a few boats were built with pilot berths, and the one omission worth noting is the lack of a wet locker aft in a vessel of this size. The cockpit seats run the full length, so reaching the steering station behind the big wheel means climbing up and over—but the cockpit itself is the equal of any 35-footer.

Known Issues

The centerboard installation is quite loose: with the board fully extended the tip may move three inches or more to either side of centerline, and it is common for the board to twist about three degrees within the trunk. Failures beyond broken pennants are rare, and only two Practical Sailor readers who own the boat reported centerboard problems—though Bristol made modifications to the board after only a few boats were built. Engine access is the more universal sore point. The engine sits in a narrow compartment under the cockpit deck behind the companionway steps, reached from the front only by pulling drawers and a heavy step panel, or on the port side through a panel in the quarter berth; for routine jobs like an oil-filter change or packing-gland adjustment, access is at best mediocre anchor.

Refits and Ownership

Bristol specified topflight components throughout—Racor filters, Brunzeel bulkheads, Nicro vents, Schaefer hardware, Almag 35 ports, Bomar hatches, Edson steering, and Lewmar winches—so a well-kept example arrives with durable bones. The centerboard cable is fully enclosed, protecting a wear point that on lesser boats becomes a maintenance sink. Because the hull is solid glass with sound secondary bonding, refit energy is better spent on the mechanicals and the centerboard trunk than on structural restoration.