1985 Sam L. Morse 28' _{(8.53 m)} Bristol Channel Cutter

YOU ASK WHY?

There are those days when you walk down the street and pass hundreds of people and don’t notice, not even one. Then, that one special person walks by and you just have to stop and take that second look. Well, the same goes for boats, you walk down dock after dock and you couldn’t tell me what you just past, were they big, small, blue or white, you don’t know. Then suddenly one grabs your attention, you stop, walk back and forth to see it from different angles, maybe take a picture or two before moving on. Then on the way home your mind keeps drifting back to that one boat…… and the Bristol Channel Cutter is one of those boats. Now those adventures start flashing through your mind of tropical far off places, quite secluded anchorages and that world were life is simpler.

“Jolie Brise” isn’t just any BCC but a rather famous Bristol Channel Cutter in her own right, as she was the one used in “The World’s Best Sailboat” book by Ferenc Mate. You’ll see “Jolie Brise”. Over the years she was owned and sailed by her knowledgeable owners to places like Nova Scotia and Newfoundland for those liking the cooler northern points of interest on some of their longer journeys. On more regular bases she has spent much time on the New England coast line and lately has called the Chesapeake Bay her home. “Jolie Brise” has had constant upkeep as well as alterations to suit the owner’s needs and travels with loving care. She is now in Rock Hall, Maryland and is ready to sail off into the sunset with you.

These beautiful yachts were designed by the late “Lyle Hess” possibly one of the last romantic yacht designers and built by several builders in several different places, however, “Jolie Brise” was built by the Sam L. Morse Co. in California.

Quotes from “Worlds Best Sailboats”

Lyle Hess's Design:

The Bristol Channel Cutter, also known as the Sam L. Morse, was designed by Lyle Hess.

Mate's Praise:

Mate, in his book, described the BCC as a boat that "looks like true friends" and noted that the BCC and the Falmouth Cutter (also designed by Hess) were the "most beautiful 28- and 22-foot fiberglass boats in the world".

Seaworthiness and Speed:

The BCC design incorporated the seaworthiness and speed of the Bristol Channel pilot cutters, which were known for navigating the treacherous waters of the Bristol Channel.

Construction:

BCCs are built with a variety of methods, including wood, fiberglass, and wood/glass fiber composites.

Notable Features:

The BCC features a cutter rig, a spooned plumb stem, an angled transom, a keel and transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller, and a fixed long keel.



Practical Sailor Article:

A Practical Sailor article mentions a BCC that made a 3,150-mile passage from California to the Marquesas in 22 days, averaging 5.8 knots.

With all of this said by many more knowledgeable sailors, designers and writers than myself, if you are looking for a small, go anywhere boat to fulfill that life long dream you must see “Jolie Brise”. 

NEWLY UPDATED or INSTALLED EQUIPMENT

• NEW 2023 - Alternator (Balmar High Output)
• NEW 2023 - Regulator
• NEW 2023 - Tiller Pilot (Simrad SP32) included but not installed
• NEW 2017 - Sails (Main, full batten, double reef points) (made by Carol Hasse of Port Townsend Sails)
• NEW 2017 - Sails (Head sail - Yankee - Roller Furling)
• NEW 2017 - Sails (Staysail - Hank on)
• NEW 2017 - Sails (Storm Staysail ---- uses Staysail Stay)
• NEW 2017 - Staysail Stay
• NEW 2017 - Mainsail Track (Strong Track System)
• NEW 2017 - Wind Generator (AirBreeze)
• NEW 2016 - Diesel Heater (Refleks 66MK with Copper Shield)
• NEW 2016 - Solar Panels (2)
• NEW 2016 - Harken Roller Furler (MK IV)
• REFURBISHED 2016 - Monitor Self Steering System
• NEW 2014 - Bow Sprit
• NEW 2014 - Tiller
• NEW 2013 - Lazy Jacks
• NEW 2010 - Stove (Origo 6000 Non-Pressurized Stove with Oven)
• NEW 2010 - Water Tanks (2) (304 Stainless Steel)
• NEW 2010 - Engine Yanmar 3YM30
• NEW 2000 - Standing Rigging

DESIGN & PRODUCTION HISTORY

Bristol Channel Cutters have been built in California, Washington, and British Columbia.

Note: this boat was built in California

• California

Sam L. Morse Co. Designed and built Bristol Channel Cutters in Costa Mesa, California from 1976 to 2007

• Washington

Cape George Marine Works: Built a Bristol Channel Cutter in Port Townsend, Washington in 2011

• British Columbia

Steveston Fiberglass: Built hulls for Bristol Channel Cutters in Vancouver, British Columbia

G & B Woodworks: Finished the hulls for Bristol Channel Cutters in Vancouver, British Columbia

Some Bristol Channel Cutters have been reported to have been built without Hull Identification Numbers (HINs). This lack of accountability led to disagreements with Sam L. Morse, who rescinded their license to Steveston Fiberglass.

REVIEWS OVER the YEARS of BOATING MAGAZINES

• GOOD OLD BOAT magazine: May/June 1999; "In the wake of the Pardeys"; by John Vigor. "The Bristol Channel Cutter (BCC) is a boat of superlatives. For many dedicated long-distance cruisers, she is, for her size, simply the best of everything: the most comfortable, the most seaworthy, the most traditional, and (naturally) the most expensive. There are some who call the BCC the Rolls Royce of yachts, but they have it the wrong way around. The Rolls Royce is actually the BCC of automobiles......The BCC as designed by the legendary Lyle Hess and built today by the meticulous Sam L. Morse company, is as cultured a piece of sailing machinery as you're likely to find anywhere. In fact, you wouldn't be far wrong if you said that Chippendale and Hepplewhite were the BCCs of fine furniture......" https://goodoldboat.com/small-boat-big-love/

• BLUE WATER SAILING: June 1998; "Lyle Hesss Bristol Channel Cutter"; A detailed review of the design and performance of the Bristol Channel Cutter and a Cover photo. "The Lyle Hess-designed, Sam L. Morse-built Bristol Channel Cutter (BCC) has been around for nearly a quarter century, crossing oceans and knocking off 150-mile days in the trades, riding out storms with aplomb, and carrying it crews safely and happily to countless backwaters of the world....

• WAVETRAIN: A Salty Pocket Cruiser; https://wavetrain.net/2012/07/04/bristol-channel-cutter-28-a-salty-pocket-cruiser/

• CRUISING WORLD magazine: December 1996; REVIEWS, "Bristol Channel Cutter 28"; by Barbara Marrett. A review of the Bristol Channel Cutter. "I've been impressed by consistent reports of the good blue-water performance by owners of these venerable craft... If you want to cruise in a proven conservative design, in a boat that has and will withstand the tests of time, the Bristol Channel Cutter demands your careful attention."

• CRUISING WORLD magazine: November 2001; https://www.cruisingworld.com/sailboats/bristol-channel-cutter-28/

• SAILING magazine: January 1996; "CLASSIC CUTTER, The Bristol Channel Cutter is 28 feet of ocean going charm"; by John Kretschmer. A review and sailing boat test by sailing magazine. "Designer Lyle Hess is the Bristol Channel Cutter guru. He is responsible for blending the seakindly and unexpected swift, full keeled hull shape of the Bristol Channel Cutter with more modern construction techniques and rigging... My initial reaction upon climbing over the lifelines was that this was not a 28 foot boat... the Bristol Channel Cutter is, by all accounts, a big 28 footer... We shot off on a close reach and our little photo boat struggled to keep up... We beat our way south, close tacking through both commercial and pleasure traffic...I was amazed at how easily she came through the wind, trimmed up and accelerated. She certainly did not feel like a heavy full-keeled cruising boat... Surprise was clipping along at seven knots."

• PRACTICAL SAILOR; September 1995; Volume 21, Number 17 and 18; "Three Semi-Custom Cruisers". A critique on a Alerion Sloop, Bristol Channel Cutter and Morris 40. "The BCC, inspired by British work boats, is a heavy displacement cruising boat with a long waterline, short overhangs, full keel and big rudder. The cockpit, while quite small(it holds just 700 lb. of water) is quite comfortable, with generous backrests... This is a go anywhere boat, which like the Alerion, is a piece of furniture that you hope your children will cherish when you pass on."

• PRACTICAL SAILOR: May 2024; Circumnavigators Choice; https://www.practical-sailor.com/sailboat-reviews/bristol-channel-cutter-28-circumnavigators-choice

• HubPages: https://discover.hubpages.com/sports/Bristol-Channel-Cutter-28ft-of-Cruising-Sailboat-Perfection

• The BOATMAN (A British magazine) October 1993; "The Bristol Channel Cutter" by Randall Brink. The author gives his opinion of the Bristol Channel Cutter. "The BCC is rich in character-sufficiently so to satisfy the most stalwart of traditionalist-yet, despite its traditional line and its look of a very purposeful boat, it is fast-remarkably so for a beamy, heavy-displacement cruising hull. The BCC's performance history includes many days of 180 nautical mile passage in the logs of its owners due, mainly to the generous sail area and long waterline length. The boats have also marked a number of race victories: first overall in the Newport-Ensenada race in 1978 (out of some 400 boats), first in its class in the Newport Ensenada race 1979 and first overall in the 1980 Panama Canal Yacht Club race. Most recently, in 1990 won the overall season's "A " class trophy for outstanding performance in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea... While underway the BCC will sail 30 degrees to the apparent wind at hull speed. It performs very well under windvane, hands-off. This is a boat that you can comfortably leave alone on long passages. Some owners have reported twenty days or more during a passage when they have barely touched the tiller."

• BEST BOATS TO BUILD OR BUY: A book by Ferenc Mate. "One For the Eyes, Bristol Channel Cutter". Also the cover photo. A personal review of the Bristol Channel Cutter. "Exaltations aside, the boat is strong, stiff, beamy and heavy, and considering its wetted surface, fast. To put it simply, it's really a 34 foot boat without the overhangs... Below decks the boat is a wonder. In spite of the narrow deck house there is much volume, and Mr. Hess' original layout is one of the most sensible I've seen for an off shore cruising boat designed for two people... The Bristol Channel Cutter is built like the proverbial brick relief station... they use traditional floor timbers with plywood soles and no liners so any alteration is possible. The bonding of the furniture to hull is very thorough -- and if you are contemplating the purchase of a complete boat, I can say that the quality of finish is of the best I have seen anywhere. If I sound like I am raving about all the wonderfulness of these boats, remember the title of this book. The chaff has fallen by the wayside long ago."

• THE WORLD'S BEST SAILBOATS: A book by Ferenc Mate. "Sam L. Morse Co.". A personal opinion of the Bristol Channel Cutter. "I might as well start off by telling you that the Bristol Channel Cutter and the Falmouth Cutter are the most beautiful 28 and 22 foot fiberglass boats in the world... If you look at the lines of the Bristol Channel Cutter, you will see she reaches maximum beat well aft of the mid station, and her entry lines are straight, very much like the best of modern cruisers... As to how well she handles, all you have to do to answer that question is read the Pardey's books, for they sailed her without an engine all over the world, which means a lot of mean light tacking in mean tight harbors, and they came back to the same design again... If you're not converted yet, then let me tell you how she's built. A good indication of solidity of this good yacht is that in spite of her 28 feet she weighs almost 9,000 pounds without ballast."

• SAIL Magazine: In search of an Iceberg: March 2014: https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/sailing-in-search-of-an-iceberg

• SAIL Magazine: October 1993; Cover Photo (see pictures)

• SAIL Magazine: February 1992; "Gambatte means "Go for it" by Tom Linskey. An article about an attempt to race from Melbourne, Australia to Osaka, Japan on a Bristol Channel Cutter. "I visualized the 5,500 nautical miles ahead of us, our course through the Tasman Sea, Coral Sea, the Solomon Sea, and 2,500 miles of wide-open Pacific... Yesterday only hours before we were to have sailed Freelance, the 28-foot Bristol Channel Cutter I finished from a bare hull in California across the starting line in the Yamaha Osaka Cup, a cooking-oil fire broke out in our galley... Freelance served us well through two years of cruising... Freelance is happily close-reaching at hull speed, aimed 330 degrees true..."

• SAILING NEWS Issue unknown; "ROLL, REEF AND SELFSTEER"-, by Tom Linskey. An article about roller reefing and windvanes on a sail from Melbourne, Australia to Osaka, Japan on a BCC. "Unfortunately, all our cruising friends are right; no one crosses the Tasman Sea, the 1,500 miles of ocean separating New Zealand and Australia, without getting dusted at least once. And tonight is our night. A gale-enforced systems test of boat, crew, seaworthiness, man handling... So our Tasman Sea gale descended, instead of doing courageous battle out on the bowsprit, I stayed in the cockpit and pulled the furling string. Now, I realize that I may be the last seagoing shellback on earth to shed my hanks, but the five-second transformation from a rail-down, overpowered and unhappy boat and crew to an upright, balanced and happy boat and crew struck me as nothing less than magical. The drama had disappeared, thank you very much, from heavy weather. If I'd known it was this easy...Rolling or unrolling just a few rolls of headsail made an astonishing change in how successfully our boat steered in heavy air and seas... When the line squalls began pushing the wind into the 40-knot range, we rolled the jib completely, dropped the main and carried on under staysail alone since Freelance is cutter rigged. Between squalls I unrolled about six-feet of jib, just the clew radials, and even that tiny flag of sail was enough to stop us from wallowing in the seas and start us powering through them again."

• CRUISING WORLD October 1982; "Pulling Up Stakes", by Christopher Chadwick. A Michigan family of four trades it all for a Bristol Channel Cutter bare hull. "I am enjoying the fruits of the two and a half years labor it took to finish Whistler, our 28-foot Bristol Channel Cutter, which I built from a bare hull... The search to find the right boat for us began in 1975. It was at that point that we realized we were not happy with our lifestyle and weren't getting what we wanted out of life... The money would come From the sale of our custom-made dream house, but first the search to find our proper boat was launched. The list of requirements included a heavy displacement hull with a broad, full keel for stability, ease of handling and drying out in a tidal range. We wanted an outboard rudder as it was easily serviceable without hauling out and would take a self-steering vane easily. Wide side decks were a must for going forward in a seaway and we wanted something more than a 1-inch toe rail for security on a heeling deck. A divided rig and jiffy reefing were also a must for easy sail handling. Below decks our list included good sea berths and ventilation, full headroom, lots of storage space and enough room so we didn't feel like sardines on rainy days... We've lived aboard Whistler on a mooring... She's easy to live aboard... She has been a delight to sail... despite her heavy displacement (14, 000 pounds), moves very well in light to medium air."
• 
  
• WOODEN BOAT June 1987; "Dream-Boat Man by Morry Edwards. An article about Lyle C. Hess and the boats he designed from the beginning to the present.

• SOUNDINGS; July 2007; https://www.soundingsonline.com/news/goodbye-to-the-bristol-channel-cutter

• SOUNDINGS; Sept. 2018; https://www.soundingsonline.com/boats/bristol-channel-cutter-28

• SAIL magazine: February 1989; "Passage making, First Reckoning' by Tom Linskey. An article about crossing the Pacific to the Marquesas on a Bristol Channel Cutter. "Freelance is a physical part of the trades now, and I think of how long I've dreamed about being out here, doing exactly this... We are seeing the graphic importance of light-air performance, a quality largely written off by many cruisers who fall back on their motors in winds below 6 knots. But you can't motor across an ocean. Any barge will sail in 20 knots of breeze, but in light air the performance differences among cruising boats are dramatic."
• 
  
• YACHTING MONTHLY: The backside of norm, June 2021; https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/gear/the-backside-of-normal-a-sailing-life-of-adventure-book-review-78655

• SEA magazine October 1985; 'Modern Classic: Bristol Channel Cutter"; by Peter Bohr. A review of the Bristol Channel Cutter. The Seraffyn/BCC is about as well tested as a design can be: Lin and Larry Pardey cruised Seraffyn around the world for eight years... Though she's no Transpac downwind sled, she's remarkably quick for a heavy boat with lots of wetted surface... The BCC has even managed to chalk up a few racing laurels... But make no mistake, the BCC is first and foremost a bluewater cruiser with ample living space for at least a couple of long-distance voyagers... While the BCC is handsome and functional, perhaps more endearing is the boat's quality... Sam Morse Company makes certain that each boat is a gem. You won't find tacky telltale signs of a mass-produced production boat in a BCC... she has no fixed interior fiberglass liner so buyers may modify the standard layout."

• SAIL magazine: October 1988, "Shaping Course, A New Boat; a New Life", by Tom and Harriet Linskey. An article about sailing a Bristol Channel Cutter in Baja, Mexico.

• NAUTIPEDIA : August, 2000; https://www.nautipedia.it/index.php/Review:_BCC_BRISTOL_CHANEL_CUTTER

• YACHTING magazine: September 1979; "New Boats, The Bristol Channel Cutter". A review of the Bristol Channel Cutter.

• 48 DEGREES NORTH: February 1995; "Ask The Surveyor, Deck to Hull Joint", by Tom Averna. "An excellent example of a proper deck to hull joint for an offshore designed boat was on a Bristol Channel Cutter I surveyed. The type of joint was an inward turning flange that was thru bolted every six inches and also bonded with a liberal amount of 5200 adhesive/sealant. The 5200 looked almost new and the stainless steel bolts were still bright and like new even though the boat had just returned from a Pacific cruise. I was impressed with the thickness and width of the flange which did not show any signs of fatigue or damage. The thru bolt diameter was also substantial and it was apparent to me that the builder was not cutting corners and built the joint with the intention of heavy offshore use in mind."

DECK HARDWARE

• Bowsprit (New 2014)
• Tiller (New 2014)
• Self-Steering Wind Vain (Monitor Scanmar)
• Anchors (Rocna 25 kg (55 lbs) (with Custom Bow Roller); Danforth (spare))
• Windlass (Manual ABI)
• Anchor Roller (Custom Made Bronze)
• Jacklines (Wichard Lyf-Safe 7052)
• Lifeline Netting
• Anchor Primary (Rocna 55 lb.)
• Anchor Spare (Danforth 18 lb.)

CANVAS

• Dodger (Sunbrella)
• Cockpit Sun Awning (Attaches to Dodger to Boom Gallows) (Sunbrella)
• Hatch Covers (Sunbrella)

PLUMBING and TANKS

• Water Tank Aft (New 2010, 304 Stainless Steel, 26 Gal)
• Water Tank Fwd (New 20210, 304 Stainless Steel, 46 Gal)
• Water Filters (Aqua Pure AP200)
• Fuel Tank Engine (30 Gal)
• Fuel Tank Heater (14 Gal)
• Fuel Tank Lamp Oil ( 6.65 Gal)
• Bilge Pumps Electric (3) (Whale Super-Sub 650; Rule 2000; Rule 3500 & High Water Alarm)
• Bilge Pump Manual (1) Beckson)
• Manual Foot Pump at Galley (Fresh, Cold Water Only)
• Manual Foot Pump at Galley (Sea Water)
• Manual Hand Pump at Head Sink (Cold Water Only)
• Head (Composting -- Eos Design LLC • AirHead, Marine Model)
• Deckwash

ELECTRONICS

• VHF (Standard Horizon • GX2000 DSC/AIS 30w )
• VHF (Remote Cockpit Mike)
• VHF (Hailing Horn)
• AIS (Vesper • Watchmate WMX850 with Vesper - SPL160 - for a single AIS & VHF antenna setup)
• Chartplotter (Si-Tex - SVS–1010C)
• Radar (Raymarine - HSB Pathfinder - RL70 with 2D 18" Dome)
• Depth Sounder (Datamarine)
• Knot Meter (Datamarine)
• Compass (Richie Navigator, Binnacle Mounted)
• Auto Pilot Electric (Tiller Pilot - Simrad TP32, New goes with boat but not installed)
• Auto Pilot (Windvane, Scanmar Monitor)

SAILS and RELATED HARDWARE

• Mainsail - NEW 2017- Port Townsend
• Staysail - NEW 2017 - Port Townsend
• Yankee - NEW 2017 - Port Townsend
• Storm Staysail - NEW 2017 - Port Townsend
• Strong Main Sail Track
• Headsail Furler (Harken MK IV Unit 1)
• Mainsail Preventer

WINCHES

• Main Halyard (Barient #10)
• Yankee Halyard (Barient #10)
• Staysail Halyard (Barient #10)
• Primary (Barient #19) (Headsail)
• Secondary (Anderson #12ST) (Staysail)

ELECTRICAL

120 Volt

• 30 Amp Shore Power
• Shore Power Cord (50' - 30 Amp)
• Battery Charger (Xantrex XC3012)

12 Volt

• Batteries House (12v. Lifeline GPL 27T, 3)
• Battery Engine (12v. GPL 1400, 1)
• Wind Generator (Air Breeze, Marine)
• Solar Panels New 2016 (2 Panels) (Solarland - 100W)
• Duo Charge digital battery combiner (Balmar)
• Running Lights
• Tri-Color / Anchor Light (Aqua Signal S34)
• Bebi Lights (In Head and Above Distribution Panel)

Listing MLS by Yachtr.com