The 45.5 belongs to Bristol’s second-generation series, which followed earlier models such as the 35.5 and 41.1. It is frequently named among Hood’s finest designs for sailors planning serious offshore voyages.
Design and Construction
The Bristol 45.5 is a heavy, solidly built monohull. It displaces 34,660 pounds, carries 15,000 pounds of lead ballast, and has a 37-foot-3-inch waterline and a 13-foot-2-inch beam.
Its keel-centerboard arrangement is a Hood signature. With the board raised, draft is just under five feet, allowing the boat to enter relatively shallow anchorages. Lowering the board increases draft to 11 feet for better windward ability.
Within Bristol’s second-generation range, the 45.5 is regarded as combining rugged construction, comfortable motion at sea, and capable offshore performance. It is a serious cruising boat rather than a coastal weekender.
The same hull mold later formed the basis of the Bristol 47.7, a longer-sterned evolution with a traditional transom that succeeded the 45.5 around 1989–1990.
Rig and Handling
Bristol offered the 45.5 as either a masthead sloop or an optional ketch. The sloop carries a 399-square-foot mainsail, paired with a 115-percent jib of roughly 486 square feet or a 150-percent genoa of about 752 square feet.
Rig dimensions are:
- I: 54 feet
- J: 18.5 feet
- P: 47.5 feet
- E: 16.5 feet
For reaching, the sail inventory includes a 1,241-square-foot asymmetrical spinnaker and a larger symmetric spinnaker of nearly 1,535 square feet. A 174-square-foot storm jib completes the heavy-weather inventory.
Period assessments credit the design with excellent handling in heavy weather. Along with its comfortable motion, that ability accounts for much of the boat’s reputation among long-distance cruisers.
Accommodations
The Bristol 45.5 was produced in both center-cockpit and aft-cockpit forms, though the center-cockpit version is more common. The center-cockpit arrangement is valued for its privacy and the easier motion it affords underway.
The center cockpit places the helm amidships and separates the owner’s stateroom forward from the guest quarters aft. This configuration suits extended liveaboard use and offshore passages, where privacy and sleep quality matter.
Reviewers have also noted the interior’s classic, almost luxurious appeal. It fits the boat’s heavy construction and bluewater purpose, making the 45.5 more of a cruiser’s cruiser than a charter-friendly open-plan boat.
Verdict
The Bristol 45.5 is a thoughtfully executed Hood design. Its versatile centerboard hull, heavily built and seakindly platform, and sail plan scaled for ocean work make it well suited to serious cruising. The center-cockpit layout and classic finish add lasting appeal, while the later Bristol 47.7 shows that its hull mold provided a strong foundation rather than a dead end.
Pros
- Hood-designed keel-centerboard hull with shallow- and deep-draft modes
- Heavy, solid construction, with 15,000 pounds of lead ballast and 34,660 pounds of displacement
- Excellent heavy-weather handling and comfortable motion, according to period reviews
- Center-cockpit layout favored for privacy and seakindly motion
- Choice of sloop or optional ketch rig, with a full offshore sail inventory
Cons
- Production ended around 1989–1990, limiting the supply of newer examples
- The center-cockpit version is more common, making aft-cockpit boats harder to find
