BoatsBristol Yachts 48.8

Bristol Yachts 48.8

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · First built 1989

A semi-custom masthead sloop with a deep 3.35-meter draft and a high comfort ratio for stable, long-distance cruising

Designed by Ted Hood & Dieter Empacher.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 42 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 42
CoastalBluewater

At 1.62 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.62
LightHeavy

299 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 299
EasygoingPowered-up

15.3 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.3
TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Draws more than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 199 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
43.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.3
Displacement / length
299.4
Comfort ratio
42.4
Capsize screening
1.62
Hull speed
8.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1753
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1989
Designer
Ted Hood, Dieter Empacher
Builder
Bristol Yachts Inc

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Bristol Yachts 45.513.79 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA heavy-displacement masthead sloop with a 3.35-metre keel-centerboard draft, built for deep-water cruising performance
Little Harbor 4413.51 mSame hull family1.4 m shorterA 13.5-metre cruiser with a 39.72 comfort ratio, built since 1983 for stable, heavy-displacement passage making
Brewer 4413.41 mSame hull family1.5 m shorterA stretched evolution of the 12.8 featuring a reverse transom and a versatile keel-centerboard configuration
Alden Yachts 5416.48 mSame hull family1.5 m longerAn extended-stern evolution of the 50-foot series, available in both center and aft cockpit layouts as well as cutter or ketch
Bristol Yachts 41.112.54 mSame hull family2.4 m shorterA masthead sloop with a deep 3.05-metre keel-centerboard draft, bridging the gap between the 411 and 43.3 models
Morgan Yachts Out Island 5115.70 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA heavy-displacement staysail ketch with a keel-centerboard configuration designed for comfortable long-range cruising

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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