Bristol 24 – Sanderling

This is the story of our boat Sanderling.

Sanderling is a 1973 Bristol 24 (also known as a Sailstar Corsair or Bristol Corsair). If you’re interested in this model of boat, we recommend checking out these resources:

• SailBoatData.com – Bristol 24 Corsair
• Blue Water Boats – Bristol 24
• Sailing Magazine – Bristol 24
• A story about a guy who sailed this model of boat across the Atlantic
• and if you want to spring the $6 for access to it, there’s a great article in the magazine Good Old Boat, Issue 29 (March/April 2003)

July 2022 Update: We were relocated and had to put Sanderling into storage, hoping we’d move back soon, but as that prospect diminished we put Sanderling on the market. We sold her this month and wish her new owner fair winds and following seas.

The Beginning

Ours is the “standard” model (not the “dinette” model), with the outboard engine locker rather than the inboard diesel which was offered on some models. We also believe she has the reinforced chainplates mentioned in some of the articles.

We bought her in April 2018 from a very resourceful guy who had been using her as a live-aboard. He picked her up in Florida, rescuing her from a life as some sort of fishing barge. He sailed her up to Norfolk, and was only selling because he had decided to move back to Hawaii and didn’t want to sail the whole way.

He had a lot of projects he still wanted to complete, so he was very hesitant to let her go, but he knew we’d do right by her.

Our work started with paring her down, back to basics. We weren’t planning to live on her, only day sails and short cruises, so there was a lot of extra equipment we didn’t need. A dingy, a life raft, a kayak. We found good homes for them.

Stage 1: Hull Paint & Rigging

We had her hauled at the Portsmouth Boat Yard in the fall of 2018 and had some professionals do some work:

• hull fared and painted with hard antifouling paint
• new side paint
• standing rigging replaced
• new anchor light, steaming/deck light combo, UHF antenna, with all new wiring
• replaced the cockpit drain hoses (they’d gotten clogged with sea growth)

We also replaced her old 5 hp standard outboard engine with a 6 hp Tohatsu Sail Drive engine, which is geared better for pushing around a 6000 lb sailboat. We’ve never felt underpowered with the new motor. (The actual model year of the engine is 2015 or 2016, but we bought it new. It had been sitting in a local inventory for a couple years, and it seemed like the wiser choice to take the still new older model for a good price than order a newer model year for more money).

At that time we also bought a custom jib from Doyle sails. She came with a mainsail and a genoa, so we wanted to add a working jib to her inventory. We also rigged her for a single reef.

Stage 2: Rededication to Neptune

Once she was back in the water, all painted and fresh, she felt like a new boat. And although it’s not always considered good luck to rename a boat, we felt it was appropriate in this case, after all that work and with more improvements to come. Whatever her original name had already been lost to time, and the previous owner just took to calling her “Ryder”. It didn’t seem to fit any more.

After a few weeks of agonizing, we settled on a Hawaiian name, which we felt paid appropriate homage to the previous owner and our own love for the state, having recently moved from there ourselves. We also wanted to honor our own love for birds, which felt right since boats fly, too.

Hunakai comes from the Hawaiian words “huna” meaning “speck” and “kai” meaning “sea” or “salt water,” more accurately translated as “sea foam.” It is also the Hawaiian word for both morning glories, whose pale flowers dot the shores, and sanderlings, little white and gray birds who bob and race along the edge of the water.

Since “hunakai” is a tough one to call over the radio, Sanderling is the boat’s “official” English name. But between ourselves we always call her Hunakai. We held a small Rededication to Neptune ceremony in early February 2019.

After we let the pros do their job with the rigging and the painting, there were still plenty of projects left for us to tackle.

Stage 3: Many Projects

Wiring

One of the biggest projects was redoing the wiring. The previous owner had made her “street legal,” but on a shoe-string budget that got the job done but wasn’t very pretty. We wanted to get the original electrical panel working again, so we re-ran new wires, and replaced all the original fuses and switches on the panel. We got the original side running lights working again, and the new deck light and steaming light we had the rigger put on the mast. We also reconnected the GPS and radio.

We also added a battery switch. And wired up the bilge pump separately so that it can run automatically even when the battery switch is set to off. The bilge is always dry, but just in case! The battery is charged by a small solar panel. It’s not set up to directly charge from shore power, but we do have a pigtail adapter and extension cord, plus a battery charger (similar to this one), which you could plug in and then use to charge up the battery.

Since we’ve owned the boat, we’ve never had to charge the battery that way because the solar panel has always been able to keep the battery charged. But, there hasn’t been much connected to it, either.

We were not able to rewire the original light fixtures, but planned to replace them with more efficient, rechargeable, wall mounting LED light strips, like these ones.

The Head

Another project was the head. The previous owner had installed a sort of piecemeal, but self-contained system. It was a little bulky and complicated, so we decided to replace it. Originally we had planned to set up a composting toilet system, but in the end settled on a 2.6 gallon Thetford Porta Potti Portable Marine Head (which has yet to be used).

With the new system, the v berth is accessible again! We use it as convenient storage for the genoa, jib, spare life jackets, and anchor & chain.

Removable Engine Mounting Bracket

As mentioned earlier, our Bristol 24 is the outboard model. When we’re sailing on a regular basis, the engine lives in the aft locker, ready to go. When we know we’re not going to be sailing for a while, however, we like to take the engine out of the water to minimize sea growth.

Which before meant keeping the engine below decks, on its side, on the floor or on the settee. Very much in the way.

So we decided to build a removable bracket on the v berth bulkhead so we would have a less obtrusive place to keep it. Using only a 2 x 4 and a couple hinges.

To take it down, all we need to do is slide the hinge pins up and out!

Cushions & Seating

The settee/quarter berth cushions seemed a little worn, so we removed the cushion covers and gave them a good wash. Then we replaced the foam with natural latex foam.We also added a nice foam pillow, a Type IV PFD throwable cushion for extra padding below decks, and a couple of cozy blankets.

The backs of the settee are a little awkward for sitting in, so we bought an adjustable folding seat to see if it made things more comfortable. It ended up being a very nice addition, and we’d consider buying more. They’re nice because they fold completely flat for easy storage in the v berth when they’re not being used as seats. West Marine carries similar ones in a variety of colors, but I really like the model I found cheaper online through Amazon. It has a nice tall back!

Cockpit

The cockpit of the Bristol 24 has beautiful teak coaming and a lovely wooden tiller. Ours had been varnished at some point, but it was rapidly flaking away. Which didn’t look very nice and was making quite a mess. On the advice of another sailor, instead of revarnishing the teak, we decided to oil it instead.

Even the oiling was a lot of work – it meant hours of scraping off all of the remaining varnish, then a few more hours scrubbing the teak clean. But two coats of teak oil later and it was worth it to see her gleam again!

We’d also like to tackle the handrails on the deck and the companionway boards, but the weather hasn’t cooperated yet.

Stage 4: The Future

Hunakai has been the perfect starter boat for us. She’s not so big she’s unwieldy, but big enough to not feel cramped in the cockpit or cabin. There’s even enough room to stand up down below, if you’re not monstrously tall!

She’s easily managed by two people, and an experienced sailor could probably sail her single handedly.

But she still needs a little cosmetic work. A good scrubbing and a fresh paint/gel coat for the deck. She’s a lot cleaner below decks than she was when we bought her, but a good scrubbing and a fresh coat of paint would help there, too.

A little more teak needs restoring (hand rails and companionway) to really make her shine. The stern light works, but it could be mounted differently. The deck-hull joint is leak free, but not pretty. We still need to get replacement cabin lights, and she’s missing a sink basin and water tank.

Sanderling is currently in storage in Yorktown, VA. Since the Navy relocated us to California and we couldn’t take her with us, she is FOR SALE. If you’re interested, please contact me. Asking price is $5000, but we’re open to offers.