34' Bristol 34

Gusto is a well maintained 1972 Bristol 34 located at New Orleans Municipal Yacht Harbor. Shes a good old boat from the Classic Plastic period that often encourages shouts of Thats a beautiful boat from Blue Crab and Landrys.

Gusto is an ideal boat for the type of sailing most people in New Orleans really do---day and evening cruises on the Lake with just yourself or a few friends. She is rigged for solo sailing but can comfortably accommodate a crew of 6. The setup time from parking lot to sailing is 10 minutes, and on return you are back in your car 5 minutes after docking. Gusto wont do 5 knots in a 4 knot breeze, but she will carry you safely and easily in any type of weather you dare to challenge. The majority of renovations and maintenance (other than bottom jobs) since 2002 has been done by the owner.

Notable features:


Solid fiberglass hull, re-bonded and screwed to deck every 6-8 inches in 2002
Fin keel design with fully encapsulated lead ballast drawing only 5-6 (for bump-free sailing in the lake)

Prop enclused in rudder skeg. Good control under power at low speed, and in reverse

Roller furling headsail and main
Nine foot cockpit with oversized teak backrests and cushions (seats 6 adults comfortably)
Edson pedestal steering with 28 wheel with engine controls and sunbrella cover

Rayarine Wheelpilot (new drive in 2020)
Standing height under bimini is 6.5 feet over entire cockpit length
Sunbrella awning (8.5 x 9.5) from mast to cockpit

Two removable stern seats on stern pulpit
Small and large removable tables that mount on teak cup holder attached to pedestal

16,000 BTU air conditioning/heating system, new in 2020 w/ minimal runtime since installation

"Dorm" style 120V refrigerator
Comfortable and practical interior for day cruises, occasional overnight trips, and dock-sitting with friends when the weather isnt cooperating

Rigging and Sail Handling:,

Roller furling headsail and main, sunbrella restiched Summer 2026.
Full length track on boom for mainsail clew adjustment, and for control during furling

Keel-stepped heavy duty mast and rigging (compared to modern boats) including double lower shrouds
All sail control lines can be comfortably operated from behind the helm

Self-tailing headsail "mono winch" aft of the helm---no guests have to move for sail handling

Ratchet block for headsail furling line
Dual groove roller furling headsail with integral halyard---no problematic upper swivel to create halyard wrap
Winch for mainsail outhaul

Mainsheet winch on cabintop (rarely used but good as a backup to the cam cleat in aft cockpit)

Cam cleat for mainsail furling line

Ratchet block on headsail furling line
Extra length spare halyard with shackles on both ends (for use with Lifesling)
Extra length on sheets and outhaul to allow adjustment and reversing to overcome wear points


Engine:

Westerbeke W27 4 cylinder diesel with relatively new starter, heat exchanger, alternator, raw water pump, and coolant pump
New exhaust manifold in 2023
Dual engine start/stop stations (cockpit near the helm, and near the engine itself for maintenance)
Racor filter ahead of main engine filter
Engine compartment blower with Manual-Off-Auto control
Secondary alarm system for high exhaust temperature and fuel filter differential pressure
Three bladed Sailor prop within the rudder skeg - only one crab trap incident in 24 years, and it's still a mystery!
Zinc fish anode mounted in lazarette for easy deploy
Approx 30 gal SS diesel fuel tank
Separate fuse panel in engine compartment
Fuel use: approx. 1 quart per hour at 1800 RPM

Cabin Features:

Optimized redesign of galley, dinette, and head improved over the original design
Teak bulkheads and cabinet trim
Lift-off teak companionway doors (for better access during maintenance)
16,000 BTU Dometic air conditioner system new in 2020 ($2K just for the parts!)
New air condition cabinet with lift-off doors for easy maintenance and access to stbd chain plates

Dorm fridge runs on shore power
Shore water connection to continuously feed pressure water system at the dock
Electric sea water pump and faucet in galley
Pressurized Levac fresh water toilet flush. Can also be manually flushed with seawater via hand pump
Holding tank for head with diverter valve
Tall kitchen type trashcan bui