Bristol Channel Cutter 28

In Brief

With all the nostalgia of yesteryear the Bristol Channel Cutter 28, introduced in 1975, 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.

Late designer Lyle Hess achieved somewhat of a cult following among a select group of small boat adventurers. In particular his designs were popularized by Lin and Larry Pardey and their series of cruising books. Hess is probably best known for Lin and Larry’s 24 foot Seraffyn and their subsequent 29 foot Teleisin. And really when you dig a little deeper, you’ll find the Bristol Channel Cutter was created in answer to sailors wanting a “Pardey” boat.

Bad puns aside, among the endearing features for the long distance sailor are huge stowage, a sensible layout and a proven track record. Besides Serrafyn and Teleisin’s well known 40,000 mile circumnavigation and five passages of the potentially treacherous Tasman Sea, a Bristol Channel Cutter was first in the Newport to Ensenada Race of 1978, and first in class in 1979. And in the 1980-1990s Roger Olson sailed his Bristol Channel Cutter Xiphias 50,000 miles over a 13 year two-ocean odyssey.

Upon first glance the sheer size of the bowsprit is noticeable, together with a bumpkin, the boat can carry an immense amount of canvas for her displacement. A peek under her waterline reveals lines that look conservative and traditional. There’s the familiar wineglass section profiles and a full keel that’s missing the popular forefoot cutaway that many designers employ to improve nimbleness and reduce drag. Yet on closer inspection performance tweaks can be found. A fine bow entry coupled with maximum beam quite far aft is good for close windedness and flat sections with minimal deadrise aft aid righting efforts when heeled over under sail.

Owners report the Bristol Channel Cutter layout has been thoughtfully designed to the minute details, we hear even the smallest of owner modifications will have ramifications elsewhere. On this boat, don’t expect staterooms designed for time on anchor, all berths are seagoing. There’s four of them, two settees, a pilot berth, and the all important quarter berth. Stowage is abundant and everywhere. In short a long distance voyager’s dream.

History

So the story goes, a friend of Lyle Hess asked for a small traditional boat that would cross oceans. To that commission, Hess presented his interpretation of the pilot boat designs which had proven themselves in the 19th century. These workboats were heavy in displacement, long in waterline with wineglass sections and hard bilges. Their rigs carried lots of canvas, they’d lug a lot of cargo, and could sail fast on all points of sail.

Hess’ initial design was a 28 footer, which then was scaled down to a gaff-rigged 24 foot design to mitigate his friend’s concern over construction cost. This boat became Renegade of Newport, launched in 1950. By the 1960s the Renegade caught the interest of Larry Pardey. Upon request Hess drew up plans for a marconi-rigged version for carvel wood construction. This boat became Seraffyn which launched in 1968.

Through the magic of books and articles written by the Pardeys, an interest in small boat voyaging emerged with the famous Pardey tagline “go small, go simple, go now”. It drew attention to Hess’ work and Hess answered this interest by designing the 28 foot Bristol Channel Cutter, for construction in fiberglass by the Sam L. Morse Company. The Bristol Channel Cutter 28 launched in 1975.

In 1992, before a recession, Morse sold the company he founded to a Hess fan named George Hylkema, who hired Roger Olson, fresh from his 50,000 mile world cruise onboard Xyphias brimming with ideas to improve the boat. Olson bought the business in 1995 producing the Bristol Chanel Cutter through to 2007 before closing up shop. After a total of 125 hulls, the molds were then sold to Cape George Cutter Marine Works who now builds the boat. They have rolled out two hulls so far.

In addition to the 127 American boats, a Canadian yard called Channel Cutter Yachts built approximately twenty hulls. These were bootleg versions for which no design royalties were paid. From what we hear, the Canadian boats were also built to a very high standard.

Specifications

LOA: 37′ 9″
LOD: 28′ 1″
LWL: 26′ 3″
Beam: 10′ 1″
Draft: 4′ 10″
Headroom: 6′ 1″ (Optional 6′ 6″)
Displacement: 14,000 lbs.
Ballast: 4,600 lbs. (lead)
Sail Area: 673 sq. ft.

Fuel: 32 US Gal.
Water: 64 US Gal.
Holding: 15 US Gal.
Engine: 27 hp Yanmar 3 cyl.

Designer: Lyle C. Hess
Builder: Sam L. Morse / Cape George Cutter Marine Works / Channel Cutter Yachts
Year Introduced: 1975

Also Known As: BCC 28, Bristol Channel Cutter

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Links, References and Further Reading

» Bristol Channel Cutter / Falmouth Cutter Owners website, information, images and discussions.
» Lyle Hess: A Profile by Chuck Malseed, a historic look at his work, Cruising World Magazine Feb, 1977.
» The Bristol Channel Cutter on the official Cape George Cutters website.
» Bristol Channel Cutter Review by Jack Horner, BoatUS.com
» Bristol Channel Cutter Review by Boats.com, Aug 2000

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