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Bristol 35.5

Built 1977–? by Bristol Yachts

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About the Bristol 35.5

Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.

Illustration of a Bristol 35.5
Illustration, not a photo of this model. AI-generated illustration of a typical mid-size cruising sloop.
Built
1977–?
Builder
Bristol Yachts
Designer
Ted Hood
Length
35.5 ft
Waterline
27.5 ft
Beam
10.83 ft
Draft
5.75 ft
Displacement
15,000 lb
Ballast
6,500 lb
Hull
fiberglass
Hull / keel
fin keel
Rig
sloop
Propulsion
inboard
Fuel
31 gal
Water
100 gal
Number built
183
Stern thruster
not fitted
Tank capacities — where the figures come from
  • Fuel 31 gal
    No brochure could be checked. Other figures cluster around 30: a buyer's-guide site citing Practical Sailor says 30 gal, a 1979 listing says 30 in an aluminium tank, and a 1978 listing says 36. Our earlier 31, from a spec database, is within that spread, so it stands.
  • Water 100 gal
    Sources consistently give 100 gal: a buyer's-guide site citing Practical Sailor, a 1978 listing, and the owner of a 1983 boat describing about 100 gal in two stainless tanks, in the V-berth and under the sole. There's no builder source.
  • Water heater unknown
    Practical Sailor (35.5C) says most equipment was standard and lists component brands, and SpinSheet describes the head with shower, but neither names a water heater. No builder document found.

Tanks are often replaced or added on older boats — check the tank labels or a survey for yours.

Thrusters and steering — where this comes from
  • Stern thruster not fitted
    Our earlier figure of none has no source, and nothing was found either way.
  • Steering unknown
    “most equipment is standard. Bristol used topflight components, like ... Bomar hatches, Edson steering and Lewmar winches” — review, practical-sailor.com · “one must climb up and over to reach the steering station behind the big wheel.” — review, practical-sailor.com
    Practical Sailor names Edson steering with a large wheel; a listings site repeats the same wording, so it isn't an independent source. Neither says whether the mechanism is chain-and-wire or geared.

Thrusters and steering are often replaced — check the units on your boat before ordering parts.

Sources disagree on last year — left blank rather than guessed.

Keel/centerboard version (35.5C) draws 3.75 ft board up, 9.5 ft down, with 7,000 lb ballast; sailboatdata lists the fixed-keel boat as a fin with skegged rudder while Practical Sailor calls it a full-keel version. Practical Sailor says it debuted in 1977; sailboatdata gives 1978-1996. Solid fiberglass hull built in two halves joined on the centerline; deck balsa-cored and bolted onto an inward hull flange with the teak toerail through-bolted. Interior wood could be mahogany, cherry or teak. Good Old Boat saildata estimates 180-200 built; sailboatdata gives 183.

Engines fitted

Boats of the same model can differ — check which engines yours actually has before ordering parts.

Generator

No source mentions a generator.

Known problems for this model

Model sources (5)

sailboatdata.com · practical-sailor.com · spinsheet.com · goodoldboat.com · keelindex.com

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Other Bristol models

Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.