The Bristol Channel Cutter, also called the Bristol Channel Cutter 28, is an American

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

that was designed by Lyle Hess as a "character boat" cruiser and first built in 1976. The boat is based upon Hess's earlier ''Renegade'' design.

Production

The design was built by

Sam L. Morse Co. Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional c ...

of Costa Mesa, California,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, who completed 128 boats between 1976 and 2007. In 2011 one boat was built by

Cape George Marine Works A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a Hood (headgear), hood in t ...

Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition ...

. Between 30 and 45 boats were also built in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

, by two companies. The hulls were built by Steveston Fiberglass and the finish work performed by G & B Woodworks. There are reports of royalties not being paid to Lyle Hess and Sam L. Morse for the construction of the Canadian hulls. The rumor is a result of confusion over Hull Identification Numbers (HIN). At the time the Canadian Bristol Channel Cutter hulls were built, Canada did not require HINs and this resulted in a number of Bristol Channel Cutters without HINs. This lack of accountability for the hulls led to disagreements with Sam L. Morse, which amongst other reasons, led to them rescinding their license to Steveston Fiberglass and Canadian production was then stopped. The company often mentioned in these rumors, Channel Cutter Yachts, has never produced a Bristol Channel Cutter, but the owner, Bryan Gittins, is the G from G & B Woodworks who originally finished the Canadian hulls. G & B Woodworks dissolved with the ending of Bristol Channel Cutter production. Sometime after this Gittens purchased the rights to Lyle Hess's

Falmouth 34 Falmouth may refer to: Places Antigua *Falmouth, Antigua and Barbuda *Falmouth Harbour, Antigua Australia * Falmouth, Tasmania, a locality in North-east Tasmania Canada * Falmouth, Nova Scotia, a community in Hants County *Upper Falmouth, Nova ...

design and setup shop as Channel Cutter Yachts in order to produce this new design.

Design

The Bristol Channel Cutter is a recreational

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

, built predominantly of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cl ...

, with wood trim. It has a

cutter rig A cutter is a type of watercraft. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan) of a sailing vessel (but with regional differences in definition), to a governmental enforcement agency vessel (such as a coast guard or bor ...

, a spooned

plumb stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, an angled transom, a keel and transom-hung

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw a ...

controlled by a

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder ...

and a fixed long

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in B ...

. It displaces and carries of lead ballast. The hull length is , but including the

bowsprit The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay that counteracts the forces from the forestays. The word ''bowsprit'' is thought to originate from the Mid ...

and boomkin it is The boat has a draft of with the standard keel. The boat is fitted with a Swedish

Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...

MD 7A

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

of or a Japanese

Yanmar is a Japanese diesel engine, heavy machinery and agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in Osaka, Japan in 1912. Yanmar manufactures and sells engines used in a wide range of applications, including seagoing vessels, pleasure boats, const ...

diesel of for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds . The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with two straight settee berths and a pilot berth in the main cabin and an aft

quarter berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lac ...

on the starboard side. The galley is located on the port side at the

companionway In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck (ship), deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. A companionway may be secured by doors or, ...

ladder. The galley is "L"-shaped and is equipped with a stove and a sink. A navigation station is opposite the galley, on the starboard side. The

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may no ...

is located in the bow and includes an optional shower. The fresh water tank has a capacity of and the holding tank has a capacity of . Cabin headroom is . The design has a

hull speed Hull speed or displacement speed is the speed at which the wavelength of a vessel's bow wave is equal to the waterline length of the vessel. As boat speed increases from rest, the wavelength of the bow wave increases, and usually its crest-to-t ...

of .

Operational history

A ''Blue Water Boats'' review noted that the design, "represents a pinnacle of ruggedness and practicality while retaining respectable performance. Few boats can take the abuse of extended voyaging as well as the Bristol Channel Cutter and I guess it's become something of a Lyle Hess masterpiece."

References

{{Reflist Keelboats 1970s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Sailboat type designs by Lyle Hess Sailboat types built in the United States Sailboat types built in Canada Sailboat types built by Sam L. Morse Co. Sailboat types built by Cape George Marine Works Sailboat types built by Channel Cutter Yachts

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References