Small but Mighty, the BCC Embraces Tradition and Performance

If you're a sailor who just can't get enough of the nostalgia and romance of bygone days and traditional boats, yet fear the genre's often deserved reputation for poor performance, take a look at the Bristol Channel Cutter 28 (BCC).

This design comes from the late Lyle Hess, who achieved near icon status among a select group of adventurers who enjoy sailing the world aboard small boats. Besides the BCC, other notable Hess designs include the North Sea 27 and both of Lin and Larry Pardey's world cruisers.

The BCC, first built by the Sam L. Morse Company of Costa Mesa, California was introduced in 1976 and is still being built, now by Cape George Marine Works in Port Townsend, Washington. From the start, she was designed and built to take the punishment of extended offshore cruising. Hulls are hand laid using multiple layers of fiberglass cloth and resin. Thickness varies from nearly an inch on centerline to about 3/8-inch at the deck edge. The deck and cabin structure are a sandwich construction utilizing plywood rather than balsa as a core material. The hull and deck are joined on an inward flange, bolted on six-inch centers and sealed with 3-M 5200 adhesive sealant. With no prefabricated liners, nearly the entire interior is accessible for maintenance. This is a very strong, well-built boat and problems with aging boats are most likely to result from normal wear and tear and hard use.

No boat is perfect. If the BCC has a downside, it's an abundance of exterior woodwork that needs maintenance to keep it looking sharp. Luckily, long ocean voyages usually allow plenty of time for varnishing.

Like everything else about the BCC, the decks are laid out with safety and ocean passages in mind. The narrow trunk cabin terminates just aft of the main mast and provides wide side decks for sure footing. A scuttle hatch on the foredeck provides access to the cabin below. A nearly 8-inch high bulwark and 28-inch high double lifelines completely surround the deck area. The cockpit is small, with the seats at deck level and 16-inch deep foot well. The arrangement is not particularly comfortable but ideal for safety at sea. The tiller removes easily to allow more useable space for entertaining while dockside or at anchor.

The interior arrangement is as functional you are likely to find on a 28-footer with sufficient storage capacity needed for long distance cruising. The main salon is nicely arranged with a transom berth and pilot berth to port and a settee/berth to starboard. The galley is aft to port with the icebox to starboard — the top of which doubles as the navigation table. A great feature is a fold-down counter extension that, when raised, fills the space between the galley and navigation table and allows the entire area to be used for meal preparation. This resulting galley is larger than those on many modern 40-footers. Below the cockpit, to starboard, is a quarter berth and storage to port. The engine compartment is beneath the cockpit and allows good access for service.

Early model BCCs were woefully underpowered with a 13-hp Volvo engine; later models used a more suitable 27-hp Yanmar model. Some see this as a minor issue and note that the Pardeys have sailed their similarly-sized and styled Seraffyn all over the world with no engine at all. In my view, if you put an auxiliary engine in a boat, it should be up to the task.

Despite her modest length on deck and 14,000-pound displacement, the BCC is not doomed to slogging along at 5 knots or relying on the engine to tack. Her theoretical hull speed is an impressive 6.9 knots, and reports of days exceeding 150 miles are many under ideal conditions.

A relatively long waterline length makes comparison to other 28-footers unfair Her waterline length is 26 feet and 3 inches; displacement length ratio is 346; sail area displacement ratio is 15.9; and comfort ratio is an impressive 37. This compares very favorably to some respected offshore cruisers including the Cabo Rico 34, Pacific Seacraft 34, Niagara 35 and Camper Nicholson 35. Together, their average waterline length is 26 feet and 6 inches, average displacement length ratio is 355, average sail area displacement ratio is 15 and average comfort ratio is only 33.75.

Despite their high price and small size, used Bristol Channel Cutters don't last long when they come on the market. The Bristol Channel Cutter is a small boat capable of circumnavigating the globe. Though it may seem a shame to shackle her to the confines of day sailing and coastal cruising, this great little yacht can be enjoyed without venturing to far corners of the earth.

Jack Hornor, NA is the principal surveyor and senior designer for the Annapolis-based Marine Survey & Design Co. Hornor writes for BoatU.S. Magazine and other marine publications.

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