oyster 50 sailboat

Winner of European Yacht of the Year 2023. The Oyster 495 is a new breed of 50 foot sailing yacht

Introducing the award-winning Oyster 495.

A luxury, bluewater cruiser with half a century of Oyster experience and innovation running through her every inch.

Effortless handling

The new Oyster 495 is a 50 foot yacht designed for ease of use and shorthanded sailing.

LOCAL EXPERTISE

For new yacht sales and our service operation in the Americas, visit our offices in the heart of the US East coast sailing scene, Newport, Rhode Island. We would be delighted to help.

Distinctly Oyster

She embodies all the learning, insights and innovative features from Oyster’s larger models, intelligently integrated into this benchmark 50 foot sailboat.

Equipped for adventure

A true liveaboard bluewater cruiser, equipped to take you anywhere in luxury, comfort and safety.

QUICK LINKS

More information

Displaying all the hallmarks of Oyster’s exquisite craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail, the exceptional build quality of the Oyster 495 means she is built to last a lifetime.

BUILDING THE 495

Join double Olympic gold medallist, sailor and respected journalist, Shirley Robertson, as we build and sail the first Oyster 495.

Every inch an Oyster, the new Oyster 495 features instantly recognisable design cues – deck saloon, seascape windows and flush decks, combined with exceptional sailing performance.

Unmistakably Oyster

The latest collaboration between humphreys yacht design and our in-house design studio, the new 495 50 foot sailing yacht is an evolution of five decades of iconic oyster design cues..

Her clean hull lines and wide beam aft are the foundation for the outstanding space and capabilities of the Oyster 495. She incorporates many of our big yacht features in a compact 50 foot yacht. Instantly recognisable as an Oyster, the Oyster 495 features our pioneering deck saloon, protected cockpit and helm stations, wraparound and forward-opening saloon windows. Flush decks, signature triple vertical seascape windows, foredeck skyscape windows, a powerful plumb bow and extended bowsprit complete the look.

We were the first boat builder to create a truly ergonomically designed cockpit and helm positions, with sprayhood and optional bimini for additional protection. Details like the cockpit table, with optional built-in refrigerated drinks locker, that comfortably seats up to eight people, is just one of the many triumphs of Oyster design thinking.

The Oyster 495 consistently delivers powerful, responsive and rewarding performance in safety and comfort.

Nine knots is her happy place and her well-balanced, stable wide-beamed hull form gives you confidence to keep the sails up in almost any conditions. Twin rudders make her light and agile on the helm, offering fingertip control even in the most boisterous seas. Her low centre of gravity keel offers substantial displacement for enhanced stability and handling, and she moves easily in cruising trim. Carrying significant sail power, you are guaranteed consistently fast cruising speeds and the optional sprayhood and bimini provide excellent protection from the sun, whilst improving all-round comfort.

This 50 foot sailboat for sale offers the range of innovative automated sailing technology. This includes in-mast furling with push-button controls and B&G instruments, all operated from the helm positions, making her the perfect choice for couples or young families.

The Oyster 495 features lots of space to relax and share good times with friends and family.

Her wide beam offers unexpected returns in space, both above and below decks – something you will not find on any other 50 foot sailboat for sale. The beautifully styled centre cockpit is perfect for entertaining up to eight people for alfresco dining. The aft pushpit seats are a great place to see all the action under sail. The wide teak deck at the stern and flush foredeck offer generous entertaining and sunbathing spaces.

The transom houses an innovative, push-button operated, cassette boarding/bathing platform. A choice of subtle mood lighting and integrated audio speakers let you set the tone for entertaining guests under the stars.

New generation interiors feature modern styling, integrated technology and equipment for truly luxurious entertaining and living spaces.

Contemporary luxury and comfort

The oyster 495 benefits from our new generation luxury, contemporary interiors that elevates her above the best 50 foot yachts..

With four interior designed themes, 495’s interiors set a new standard in her class. The well-equipped, seaworthy, u-shaped galley, saloon and cabins are well-proportioned, comfortable and luxurious. Her wide beam aft offers unexpected space compared to any other 50 foot yacht for sale.

She is eminently practical, making her perfect for liveaboard adventures. Intelligent interior space planning, combining insights and the acclaimed craftsmanship from our larger yachts, makes use of every inch of hull volume. The tasteful choice of materials, fabrics and integrated technology throughout, along with modern styling, creates truly luxurious entertaining and living spaces. The impressive owner’s cabin, with its deep luxury mattress, has excellent headroom and signature triple seascape windows, creating an amazing feeling of space and light throughout the new Oyster 495. Our new mood lighting system creates a perfect interior environment.

Like all our yachts, the new Oyster 495 is handcrafted by master craftspeople with a meticulous attention to detail, and a deep sense of pride and passion.

The learnings of half a century of designing and building bluewater cruisers feed into every detail, and the insights of our owners, skippers and crew, sailors and our own team help fine-tune every aspect of the design and build. The result is a unique combination of design, technology, engineering and hand-crafted build quality. Beautiful hardwoods run throughout every inch of this exquisite 50 foot sailboat, in everything from hand-built furniture to intuitively placed grab rails. This focus on detail reveals itself in the beautiful, hand-crafted cabinetry and the easily accessible, carefully labelled cables and pipework that run behind the scenes to make maintenance tasks simple.

The Oyster 495 is a truly connected 50 foot yacht with all the latest technology you need to stay in touch, however remote your location.

Not only does it make her an ideal liveaboard yacht, but it also makes her a work-aboard yacht. Every system is chosen for its ruggedness and fitness for purpose. The chart table is a technology hub, featuring an optional, innovative, foldout, integrated PC; lift-top desk; plotter; VHF and SSB radios; power management; generator control; switchboard; and plenty of power sockets. Oyster’s proprietary digital switching system – Oyster Command™ – lets you monitor and control various systems over a digital network and touchscreen. Optional WIFI can be accessed through the latest satellite technology, or 4G/5G cellular antenna when close to onshore radio masts. Entertainment systems are seamlessly integrated, with a concealed saloon TV and audio running throughout the boat.

The joy of Oyster ownership

There is more than just pride on offer when it comes to owning an Oyster 495. Every new Oyster comes with a comprehensive warranty, personalised care, access to our global service network, unrivalled support, life-changing experiences and so much more.

On an Oyster the world is yours.

OYSTER OWNERSHIP

Ownership benefits rarely experienced in marine

Discover the 495 in detail.

WINTER 2025

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Specifications & features

Electric in-mast furling system.

The in-mast furling system takes automation and effortless shorthanded sailing to another level.

Electric winches

Push-button control with electric Lewmar winches in sleek, black anodised finish.

Bathing platform

The innovative, automated cassette bathing platform is ideal to access ocean swimming, boarding a dinghy or stern access when berthed. It features a sturdy boarding ladder and integrated freshwater shower on the transom steps.

B&G Navigation package

The standard B&G navigation system displays boat speed, wind and depth information.

Master cabin with Seascape windows

An impressive full width owner’s cabin is completed by Oyster’s signature triple Seascape windows. These create a feeling of light and space, with exceptional ocean views.

Touch screen controls

Oyster Command™ digital switching system controls everything from on board entertainment and lighting to all your main systems, utilities and security, through touchscreens at the helm and chart table.

Wood options

Choose from a selection of wood themed interiors, including shades of sustainable sourced oak and walnut.

Extensive on deck stowage

A full width lazarette and separate sail locker provide ample storage for all your bluewater adventure kit, sails, rigging and mooring gear.

Flush Flexiteak decks

With a beautiful fine grain teak finish, the sustainable synthetic Flexiteak deck is 30% lighter than traditional teak, extremely hard wearing and retains it look with minimal maintenance.

Opening saloon windows

Oyster’s unique, deck saloon forward opening windows provide excellent ventilation, allowing fresh air to circulate freely through the yacht while at anchor or under sail.

DNV GL hull certification

DNV GL carry out stringent quality checks throughout the build of the Oyster 495 hull to certify the materials and construction reach the highest standards of extreme strength and durability.

Take advantage of shallow-draft cruising grounds and remote anchorages, with a draft of 1.83m / 6’0”.

Retractable bow and stern thrusters

Sleipner Side-Power retractable bow and stern  thrusters make it simple and safe to manoeuvre in and out of tight marina berths.

Entertainment package

Choose from an optional range of integrated electronic and AV systems to suit your personal preferences.

Saloon day bed

The multifunction saloon table can be raised and lowered to create a comfortable day bed, perfect to relax on and enjoy the integrated widescreen TV.

Hull colours

Personalise your Oyster 495 with alternative coloured hull, mast and sails. See our colour picker for inspiration.

Air conditioning

Keep the interior at the perfect temperature with air conditioning (and generator) that cools and heats. Controls in each cabin allow guests to adjust the temperature based on their personal requirements.

B&G upgrade package

Upgrade the standard B&G navigation package with the additional instrumentation, communication equipment and autopilot package.

Flush teak decks

Extensive sustainably sourced, quarter-sawn, full-depth teak ensures maximum longevity and lifespan of our hand-laid teak decks. Smooth and natural underfoot, they look stunning.

Pushpit seats

For the best seats aboard, the optional pushpit seats provide great views and the perfect spot for sundowners after a memorable day’s cruising.

Enjoy 100 litres of fresh, homemade water per hour with a reliable Dessalator Duo watermaker with automatic controls and manual override.

Add davits to the stern deck for a practical dingy stowage solution when cruising and fast, efficient access when exploring at your destination.

Plans and interior layouts

Colour inspiration

Entries open for the Oyster World Rally 2028-29. Embark on the sailing adventure of a lifetime

EXPERT OPINION

Independent reviews of the Oyster 495. Find out what the experts have to say.

AWARD WINNING

Oyster 495 wins European Yacht of the Year 2023

The Oyster 495

Expert opinion

495 on test with Toby Hodges

Configure your 495

Create your dream Oyster 495 using our yacht configurator

Building the 495

Follow the build with double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson

The Oyster Fleet

Explore other models

An award winning sub 60 foot bluewater sailing yacht for all oceans.

The new Oyster 595, a 60 foot sailing yacht capable of great things.

A versatile sub 70 foot sailboat designed for the adventurous at heart.

Sign up to our newsletter

Be the first to hear about new launches, exclusive events and all things Oyster

© 2024 OYSTER YACHTS

OYSTER WORLD RALLY

The Oyster World Rally 2028-29. Embark on the sailing adventure of a lifetime. Entries open 18 June 2024

The new 565 Series II

The pursuit of perfection continues

Experience the sailing adventure of a lifetime in real-time. The Oyster World Rally 2024-25

New 565 Series II

LUXURY CHARTER

Experience exhilarating sailing, luxury and style on an oyster charter. personal, exclusive and uniquely oyster.

Oyster 825 iSNL

Phenomenal opportunity to own an incredible lightly used 2019 oyster 825.

oyster ownership

Personalised care, unforgettable experiences and lifelong yacht support, oyster world rally.

Follow the Oyster World Rally 2024-25 fleet live

Winner of European Yacht of the Year 2023. She sets a new 50 foot bluewater benchmark, offering a stunning combination of sailing performance, comfort, safety and luxurious living space.

Heralding a new generation of Oysters, this 60 foot bluewater cruiser is a sailing yacht for all oceans. Practical and well-provisioned for long distance sailing or cruising in coastal waters.

The much-anticipated Oyster 595 is well-proportioned and extremely versatile. Offering exciting, customised build options with no compromise, she is capable of great things.

A versatile sub-70 foot sailboat offering the perfect balance of size and practicality. She can be sailed shorthanded effortlessly or take a full crew and up to eight friends and family.

This long range 75 foot cruising yacht is designed for very big adventures. A joy to sail yourself, she also boasts dedicated crew quarters.

Oyster 885SII

An exhilarating 90 foot sailing yacht, delivering comfort and safety with uncompromising performance. She is capable of taking you anywhere in the world effortlessly, in luxury and style.

Download brochure

First name *

Last name *

Phone number *

Country/Region *

Attach CV *

Attach covering letter

Current occupation

LinkedIn profile

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Oyster 495: the dream boat that sets the bar

• Sam Fortescue
• January 2, 2023

Oyster have long set the standard for luxurious blue-water cruisers, and the Oyster 495 is the new baby in the range. Even if you’re not in the market for one, it’s nice to dream, says Sam Fortescue

Product Overview

• High build quality
• Very stable
• Modern hull shape
• Flexible sail plan
• Accessible technical spaces
• Lots of deck stowage
• Numerous interior steps
• Limited clothes storage
• Captive main/jib halyard

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

Following an era which saw Oyster yachts getting progressively bigger and bigger, the iconic British boatbuilder has shifted its gaze back to the sort of boats that made it famous. And the first fruit of this welcome development is the comely Oyster 495.

The best part of £2 million all told, she is eye-wateringly expensive. So why sail her?

Well, this iconic British brand has long set the standard when it comes to offshore and ocean luxury cruising yachts, so it’s worth seeing, if only to measure other boats against.

The cockpit is deep, secure and well-sheltered. Credit: Morten Strauch

Even if you haven’t got that kind of loose change in your pocket, it’s nice to dream, isn’t it?

Freshly designed from the keel up, this is a that boat aims to combine comfort, quality build and reliable blue-water passagemaking with features found on the bigger boats.

Drawn by Humphreys Yacht Design, the Oyster 495 is the first new model since Richard Hadida bought the business in 2018.

‘She’s a go-anywhere adventure machine capable of taking her owners to the four corners of the globe,’ says Hadida, for whom this first boat has been built with a huge array of extras.

Oyster 495: a new icon

Approaching the Tuborg Marina in Copenhagen to join ship for the overnight passage to Kiel, there was absolutely no mistaking this boat, whose glossy black carbon mast gave her away long before I spotted the trademark Oyster eyebrow.

Hull number one, which is on a promotional world tour lasting well into 2023, also has a bold turquoise vinyl hull wrap.

Solo sailing is feasible thanks to almost all controls being push-button. Credit: Morten Strauch

In line with recent thinking on hull shape , the Oyster 495 punches a plumb bow into the seas and carries much of her beam well aft – noticeably more so than previous models.

Such a hull form resists heeling and reduces the need for ballast.

The halyards make off to the mast and can be tensioned by winches, but must be moused to be lowered. Credit: Morten Strauch

‘With the twin rudder configuration that we have adopted as standard on all our Oyster designs since the 885 model, it provides us with more flexibility to carry a higher proportion of form stability by increasing the power of the aft hull sections,’ says naval architect Tom Humphreys.

‘This is still introduced sensitively to ensure motions and control in waves is not compromised.’

Generous accommodation

Together with the slightly higher beam and topsides compared to the 46, it creates a lot of volume below for the master cabin and extra headroom in the fo’c’sle.

As is typical for Oyster, the mast is keel-stepped. It intrudes slightly into the corridor forward, but does a better job of transferring rig forces to the keel and reduces chainplate loading.

Our test boat had the full carbon mast option from Selden with in-mast furling, and in some ways, this is a bit of an oxymoron.

Headsail furling is electric on the Oyster 495, with a double bow roller in the integral bow sprit. Credit: Morten Strauch

The carbon mast adds nearly £100,000 to the pricetag for a big weight saving of some 200kg, but the mandrel and furling gear puts some of that weight back in.

On the other hand, it reduces the sail area by 10 per cent and prohibits the use of performance-enhancing battens.

‘You get more sailing done this way,’ explains sales director Richard Gibson, and that is a key point in a blue-water yacht.

The sail plan is designed with an efficient 54m2 jib, which can be set up for self-tacking, or remain on tracks set well inboard for good tight angles upwind.

Then there’s an attractive moulded-in bowsprit which carries two tack points for asymmetric or reaching sails, while beefy padeyes along the raised bulwarks give you heaps of options for fixing the blocks needed to run sheets and guys.

A large sprayhood, and an optional bimini or cockpit tent offer good protection from the elements. Credit: Morten Strauch

As well as push-button controls for the mast furling and outhaul, this test boat has the optional hydraulic mainsail trim.

Effectively reversing the mainsheet to be trimmed in the boom and not on deck, this clever kit was first developed by Wally superyachts.

The mainsheet is spliced to a strop on the deck behind the helm and a ram hidden in the boom does the trimming, removing trailing ropes in the cockpit.

Just the jib sheets come back to the cockpit, because all the halyards are designed to be handled at the mast.

The mainsheet control is hydraulic and hidden inside the boom. Credit: Richard Langdon

It keeps the cockpit remarkably tidy, but requires you to spend time crouched at the foot of the mast to launch or douse a reaching or running sail.

Similarly, the jib and main halyards terminate with loops over a mast fitting which is tensioned then pegged off.

As they are cut to this length with the sails hoisted, you can’t lower them in a hurry.

You need to unload the hook using a winch, then tie on the provided mousing line. Tidy, yes; practical, no.

Hunting for wind

Now, we had lamentably low wind during our test sail, and the delivery team were intent on reaching Kiel by daybreak, so we spent much of our 24 hours aboard with the motor running and the sails furled.

And here, it must be said that the boat performs very well.

At an optimal 2,300rpm, the efficient Yanmar 110hp shoved us along at 8 knots through oily calm seas, consuming 8.7 litres of diesel per hour.

That’s roughly 1 litre per nautical mile, or nearly 4 days and nights of motoring on a full tank of 800 litres.

Excellent deck stowage is located aft of the single-point mainsheet attachment. Credit: Morten Strauch

And though the engine sits in the traditional spot beneath the companionway, with the chart table to starboard and the galley to port, it is very well muffled.

Crucially for the workhorse on a blue-water cruising boat, access is possible via hatches on all four sides of the engine block, while the compartment itself offers plenty of room for additional equipment.

During two passages of moderate wind, the skipper obligingly let us set the main and jib – a slow but simple question of pressing buttons, with jib sheet winches within easy reach of the helm on the coaming.

She remained light and responsive on the helm and at one point, we clocked up a decent 5.1 knots of boat speed, fetching easily into 8 knots AWS.

Oyster is proud of its cockpit table, which contains a drinks fridge. Credit: Morten Strauch

Conditions didn’t permit much more, but polars indicate that she will perform up to about 32º true wind angle, quickly accelerating to 7 knots upwind in a 10-knot breeze.

Broad reaching with the 197 m² asymmetric, she can manage 11 knots in a blow.

Despite being resin-infused, the boat has a relatively heavy glassfibre construction and weighs in at 21 tonnes without fuel, water, food, gear or crew.

The saloon is large and extremely light thanks to the trademark deck saloon windows

Her sail area to displacement ratio of 16.1 is that of a solid offshore cruiser, while the waterline length to displacement ratio of 203 promises a little more power.

It gives her a very solid feel on the water, like her bigger siblings, but limits performance.

‘You want the boat to be the destination in a way,’ says Tom Humphreys. And like all Oysters, the 495 is just that.

The trademark raised centre cockpit means plenty of aft deck for lounging, fishing or blowing up tenders, while the seating, with its central fold-up table, is deep and well protected.

The optional cockpit tent and a bimini would be a boon for warm water or Baltic sailing .

A proper forward facing chart table is essential for ocean navigation and as a work station

Deck, rigging and underwater lighting may be a little showy for some, but do create real atmosphere. The heart of the boat, though, is its large saloon area.

Deep upholstery on either side provides space to put your feet up and relax, gather with friends, sit down for a meal around the eight-person table or even watch a movie on the pop-up TV.

Luxury styling in the cabins hasn’t made Oyster forget practicalities such as lee cloths and handholds.

The space communicates nicely with a very well-found galley to port and the chart table to starboard, and there are handrails to help you make your way everywhere.

The finish is Oyster to the core and styling has been revitalised with a new superyacht inspired look that is all geometric relief, pale wood and Nordic lamps.

Continues below…

ON TEST: Spirit 44e – the sustainable future of sailing?

A wooden boat that blazes a trail for modern technology and sustainability sounds too good to be true. Theo Stocker…

First look: Southerly 42 – bluewater beauty

There are few high-end bluewater cruising yachts that can boast a draught of just 84cm (3ft). While this increases to…

One step too far

If I had one criticism of this otherwise spotless interior, it would be the number of little level changes that connect the spaces.

We counted 12 steps in total, besides the companionway.

While they maximise the volume, they also present a tripping risk.

The hull form includes a plumb bow to stretch waterline length, and carries its beam well aft, controlled by twin rudders. Credit: Brian Carlin

One of the reasons for these steps is clear: the saloon sole is raised somewhat in order to create space for the tankage beneath, as well as enjoy the views from the deckhouse windows.

And there, at least, the benefit is overwhelming, because you can easily inspect each tank, as well as the batteries and other equipment.

Custom joinery adapts the galley storage to your crockery and glassware.

The galley of the Oyster 495 is well laid out for use at sea

Standard is a four-burner hob and oven from GN Espace, side opening boat fridge plus an optional freezer and microwave.

Another highlight is the huge chart table.

There are those that scoff at the waste of space in a digital age, but anyone undertaking blue-water cruising knows the value of this space.

The saloon deckhouse leaves the foredeck clear for sail handling, lounging, or dinghy stowage. Credit: Morten Strauch

B&G instruments are the standard choice. The main interfaces are touchscreen displays that drive C-Zone digital switching , but key kit still features two-pole manual switches.

‘We wanted to introduce tech into the boat, but we had to make sure that if something breaks down mid-ocean you could fix it,’ explains Gibson.

Down steps aft, the owner’s cabin is clearly inspired by the big Oysters.

The engine compartment is well insulated and has ample space for a genset and other systems. Credit: Morten Strauch

The island bed measures 140cm across and features an elaborate fabric headboard that shows off the new styling to maximum effect.

There’s the option of a huge TV on the forward bulkhead, plus a vanity table and a sofa.

A luxurious ensuite heads features a separate shower, reached – you’ve guessed it – down another step.

The second cabin lies in the fo’c’sle and it runs to another good sized semi-island bed.

The boat remains a medium-heavy displacement cruiser, but the new hull shape adds extra performance. Credit: Richard Langdon

Having shared this space overnight with the photographer, I can attest to the comfort, and the natural light.

There is a third cabin to starboard with a pair of useful bunks, sharing the forward heads and shower. Finish quality is, as you’d expect, excellent.

In the end, Oyster has been ambitious in trying to squeeze in the features of its larger boats onto this design.

But it has been a successful project and, even as we hove in sight of Kiel’s green approaches, it was all too easy to imagine settling in and heeding the call of the high seas.

Verdict on the Oyster 495

New focus from Oyster and some modern hull design courtesy of Humphreys have given the Oyster 495 a modest performance boost and some welcome contemporary features.

However, she remains very true to Oyster’s keystone values of safety, seaworthiness and comfort. And in that sense, at least, she is not a radical boat.

Her layout, too, would be familiar to an Oyster 49 owner from 2001.

The Oyster 495 is built for serious long-distance cruising. Credit: Brian Carlin

There’s plenty of technology here – digital switching, plotters galore, good AV options and hydraulic sail controls. But it is not dressed up to be flashy.

The boat is solid, well-built and beautifully finished. She is easy to handle, capable and well organised.

Our only misgivings were about the less-than-easy halyard handling, and reliance on hydraulics for sail trim.

It’s all very neat, but is that really the priority for blue-water cruising?

As to whether she represents the world’s best 50ft blue-water yacht, time will tell, but with 16 boats sold off plan, some buyers clearly think so.

Would the Oyster 495 suit you and your crew?

Oysters are the stuff of dreams, and the new 495 is no exception.

If money were no object, and it needs not to be for this boat (our tricked-out test boat cost £1.6m ex-VAT or £1.92m inc VAT), then this is a vessel custom made to fulfil blue-water cruising hopes.

She would best suit a family with a steady flow of visiting friends, or a mix of older and younger kids.

The integral bowsprit on the Oyster 495 facilitates the setting of various offwind sails to maintain passage speeds. Credit: Brian Carlin

The disparity between the aft and fo’c’sle cabins rules out a project involving two couples.

She would also work well with a couple and some paid hands, although the ease of sail control and trim makes her perfectly viable for sailing solo or two-up.

There’s no reason that you couldn’t take the 495 up Britain’s rivers and estuaries, with her 2.28m draught and option for a 1.83m shoal keel.

But a boat of this capability demands to cover miles.

Sail round Britain , up to Svalbard , round the Mediterranean or around the world – the boat could undoubtedly handle it all with aplomb – but make sure you’re stretching her legs.

Solid, well-built and beautifully finished

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

First look: Oyster 495

• June 30, 2021

Rupert Holmes gets the latest on the first new sub-50ft yacht launched by Oyster in many years, the Oyster 495.

The Oyster 495 is the first all-new sub 50ft Oyster model in 16 years and is one of the most important new models for the revitalised company since CEO Richard Hadida took the helm in 2018.

It follows the successful Oyster 565 that first hit the water two years ago, of which 17 have already been sold.

A huge effort has gone into developing the Oyster 495, including input from Oyster’s founder Richard Matthews, with the aim of refining the boat as much as possible, as well as making the best use of space.

It’s instantly recognisable as part of Oyster’s G6 family and retains a well-proportioned elegance – something that’s not easily achieved when scaling a concept down to a smaller size.

The 495’s styling includes many features which have already become a trademark of Oyster’s larger models, such as the flush foredeck, wrap-around deck saloon windows and triple seascape windows in the aft owner’s cabin — all sure to make the yacht stand out.

A hefty lightship displacement of 21 tonnes means the Oyster 495 will retain much of the big boat feel of its stablemates, even in heavy weather. Humphreys Yacht Design has drawn a powerful high stability hull, with maximum beam carried well aft, twin rudders and a characteristically long waterline.

It’s a shape that promises relaxed and comfortable passagemaking at high average speeds and low angles of heel, even upwind.

Oyster seems to recognise that for many owners ease of handling is a key reason for buying a smaller boat. The push-button sail handling systems from the larger models have therefore been retained. The electric mainsail furling is operated from the helm stations, while electric winches are standard, and the headsail furler can be upgraded to electric. A conventional fully-battened mainsail is offered as an option, as are bow and stern thrusters.

There’s more light in the galley and chart table areas than previous models thanks to the deck saloon windows having been extended further aft. The galley is in the traditional Oyster position, at the side of the centre cockpit, and offers plenty of worktop and stowage in a configuration that should suit use at sea.

Excellent owners’ cabins are also a key element of Oyster’s DNA and this is an area that has clearly been prioritised for this model. The broad stern sections that help give the boat form stability and sail carrying ability produce an immense amount of space. As a result, this part of the boat has a level of volume, comfort, stowage and style that’s rarely seen on a 50-footer.

Forward of the full-width saloon are a small Pullman-style cabin to starboard and a modest sized guest double forward. These share a heads compartment with a separate shower stall.

A high level of standard equipment includes Czone digital switching, allowing all lighting and equipment to be controlled from MFDs at both helm stations and the navigation station. There’s also internal and external mood lighting.

It’s clear that this will be a very different boat compared to existing sub-50ft Oysters – there have been enormous advances in yacht design and fit out during that time.

The Oyster 475 , launched in the mid-2010s was a great boat, even though it was a stretched version of the Oyster 46 that originally dates from 2005.

However, the Oyster 495 is demonstrably a very much larger vessel – waterline length and beam are 190cm and 35cm larger than those of the 475. Indeed they even exceed the measurements of the Oyster 545 . The payoff for the extra volume arguably comes in the comparatively high displacement and price.

Oyster is clearly betting heavily on strong demand after what Hadida describes as an “exceptional” year, particularly for the relatively new 565 and 595 models. The 495 will therefore be built at a newly-acquired dedicated facility at Hythe, where the Empress flying boats were once built on the banks of Southampton Water.

A number of orders have already been taken for the 495 and the first boat is scheduled to be afloat in 2022.

Oyster 495 specifications:

LOA: 16.1m / 52ft 8in Hull length: 15.15m / 49ft 7in LWL: 14.27m / 46ft 8in Beam: 4.77m / 15ft 8in Draught standard keel: 2.28m / 7ft 5in, shoal keel 1.83m / 6ft 0in Displacement: 21,000kg / 46,300lb Price ex VAT: £975,000 Builder: www.oysteryachts.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams. Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Newsletters
• Sailboat Reviews
• Boating Safety
• Sails and Rigging
• Maintenance
• Sailing Totem
• Sailor & Galley
• Living Aboard
• Destinations
• Gear & Electronics
• Charter Resources

Sailboat Review: Oyster 495 Combines Performance and Power In Under 50 Feet

• By Kimball Livingston
• October 27, 2023

Few boats would merit a glance from a savvy, experienced skipper looking to consolidate the best qualities of his performance cruiser and his motoryacht into just one boat.

Someone might even ask: “Are you kidding me? Can you do that?”

Enter the Oyster 495.

As the smallest yacht the company has developed from concept since 2005, the 495 is rigorously detailed. It is true to the heritage of a builder where a 50-footer has become the entry-level model. 

For this latest raised-salon offering, Oyster created a new facility in Hythe, on the Southampton shores of southern England. The aim is to build 12 boats a year, and sales to date suggest that this figure is not overly ambitious. 

I encountered Genevieve , the well-traveled Hull No. 1, in Southern California, where the boat had been delivered to the owner in Santa Barbara after being shown extensively in Europe. She was purchased to replace a performance cruiser and a powerboat. 

First impressions count, and the 495 makes a great one. If you’re switching over from a different brand, forget about bringing along your plates and glassware. All of that is provided, with subtle logos and fitted stowage. Mood lighting is available at the touch of a button. The TV raises and disappears with another button. In the guest stateroom forward, hatches overhead open in opposite directions. The queen berth in the owner’s stateroom could be a boat-show sales tool, but the cabin top is equipped for the lee cloths you will need when the boat is doing what it is meant to do: go places. 

To that end, an aluminum mast with electric furling is standard, but Genevieve is equipped with a Seldén carbon rig with in-mast electric furling and a hydraulics package including a mainsheet, vang, outhaul, backstay, and ­in-boom ram. In operation, it was whisper-quiet. 

The twin wheels offer clear sightlines from secure footing, along with command posts that have buttons to deploy and furl sails, and to adjust everything adjustable without straining a finger or risking a hangnail. Lewmar EVO primaries are handy, just outboard of the helm stations. Optional dual thrusters make everyone a hero going and coming to the dock, and smaller items such as pre-rigged preventers speak to that shadowy concierge who seems to have been everywhere. 

With four of us aboard, the cockpit was more than ­generous. I imagined many sociable scenes to come as the sails came out. The Yanmar saildrive was so quiet, it had to go off for me to even notice it had been on. Put that down to sandwich insulation glued, not screwed. 

The breeze was single digits, not enough to make the boat light up under a 105 percent jib, and we were dragging a wide transom and two rudders. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable sailing. I also appreciated seeing the cabin house square to the seating, to make a comfortable backrest looking aft, stretched out on passage. Rounding the forward backing the way some manufacturers do may work when you’re not going anywhere, but what is a boat for? 

The cockpit is laid out to walk on a single level back to a full-beam lazarette, which has ample stowage and access to the steering, backstay, exhaust and seacocks. Step back farther, and you are stepping down a reverse transom to a shower and an electronically operated swim platform. When the boat is stern-tied, that will be the boarding ladder. 

Belowdecks is bright, with close attention to ­ventilation. The opening coachroof windows in the salon will delight passengers in a tropical anchorage with the breeze wafting through. Batteries and tankage are centered under the salon sole, focusing the weight where it belongs. A U-shaped galley, two steps down to port, places most of the cook’s needs at hand in a space where it will be easy to brace underway, and the cook is not isolated from crew and guests. The twin sinks are on centerline for efficient drainage. 

The saloon table lowers to bed height for those who are overblessed with kids or grandkids, and the step-down nav station is separated but not isolated. A swing-out computer screen is here, along with CZone control and monitoring instead of fuse panels. A freezer is abaft the nav station, where it won’t see a lot of traffic unless it’s stocked with ice cream for those kids. 

Opposite the nav station, twin doors open wide to an engine compartment thoughtfully laid out to be serviced without provoking naughty words. Clear labeling matters, and I liked seeing the Panda generator within a sound-­insulated compartment.  

All the way aft, the owner’s stateroom has 6 feet, 4 inches of headroom, a sofa, cedar-lined lockers, escape hatches, and Oyster’s signature vertical portlights for a special view of the world. Forward of the salon is a cozy over/under double that shares a head and shower with the bright and airy forward stateroom. Nowhere above or belowdecks does the level of fit-and-finish fall short. 

Oyster describes the hull as an “overspecified laminate resin structure with a combination of stringers and frames for extreme strength and durability.” I believe it. Genevieve had the L-shaped standard keel and a draft of 7 feet, 5 inches. A shoal-draft keel is an option. 

Lunch waited ashore, ­creating an opportunity to ­observe how magically the sails disappeared and how comfortably the boat motored at 9-plus knots. It’s replacing a powerboat, remember. There was also a moment to ­demonstrate that, under power, the Oyster 495 will spin in its own length. That gave me a grin too.

Oyster 495 Specifications

• More: Oyster Yachts , Print September 2023 , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
• More Sailboats

Sailboat Preview: Neel 52

For Sale: 2017 Leopard 48

For Sale: 2018 Beneteau Oceanis 41.1

Meet the HopYacht 30

Bitter End Provisions: Rising from the Storm

Why Boaters Love Bequia

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

OYSTER COLLECTION A COLLECTION OF THE TOP PRE-OWNED OYSTER SAILING YACHTS FOR SALE.

OYSTER SAILING YACHTS FOR SALE

Oyster Yachts are admired the world over and remain a top choice for seaworthy bluewater sailboats. The current Oyster Yachts line includes the some of the best deck salon cruising yachts ever made. They are stylish and built for the most discerning owners. Every boat is built to order and customized to match her owners’ tastes. While all Oyster models have the same stunning lines, each one has her own personal look down below.

All Pre-Owned Oyster Sailboats Currently For Sale

Oyster yacht reviews, guides, & news.

Oyster Yachts began creating durable, fast, sea-kindly sailboats in the early 70’s. Like the boats made over forty years ago, the beautiful Oysters of today are created by some the worlds best craftsmen and women. The building of a great sailboat always starts with a good design and Oyster Yachts have always relied on top designers. Beyond being able to build a great boat, Oyster is known for offering high levels of support to all owners. During their around the world rally the company is always in contact with the fleet to ensure a once in a lifetime experience for each vessel. Support goes far beyond the rally however. The builder does not always tout this support and not all service people are created equal. Oyster yachts is able to assist clients across the globe, whether they are the first or third owners.

Promo Video of the All New Oyster 565

A great promo video that Oyster has released highlighting features of the all new Oyster 565.

Oyster 725 Review

The 725 was built, as many Oysters are, to sail anywhere her owners wish to go. She is the first boat in the range to have exceptional and dedicated crew quarters.

Oyster 625 Review

The Oyster 625 is a powerful sailboat that can be handled by an experienced couple but also has ample space for a captain and crew if that is the desired cruising mode.

OYSTER YACHT SALES

Collection Yachts, based in the yachting capital of the world, Fort Lauderdale, is proud to represent buyers and sellers of Oyster Yachts. Traveling with clients across the globe to find the best Oyster Yacht has resulted in long lasting relationships and many sales. Like Oyster, Collection Yachts provides top quality service for as long as a client owns their Oyster.

Previously Sold Models

DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE

Boat search, yacht search looking for a specific boat.

We Can Help - At Collection Yachts, each of our yacht brokers specialize in specific segments of the market and have in-depth knowledge of market pricing and availabilty. Tell us what you are looking for and we can share all possible options that meet your criteria, as well as notify you as soon as new listings become available.

Request More Info

Send a message for more information about this yacht.

954-951-9500

Call or send a message for more info about this yacht. Photos and full specs are available upon request.

Better Sailing

Best Sailboats Over 50 Feet

A friend of mine was recently on the market for a bluewater sailboat over 50 feet. He wanted to spend the summers on it, maybe make passages and have the option to use it as a liveaboard if he wishes in the future. That gave me the idea to write this article. I also tried to keep it as budget-conscious as possible and make sure you get the most bang for your buck. However, I did include plenty of high-end models for eye candy.

Truth be told, I always liked sailboats over 50 feet because more often than not provide a high level of comfort, seaworthiness and of course all the space a family needs whether they liveaboard or cruising during their summer vacation. Also, they come with the added benefit off looking very cool and imposing on the dock or out sailing.

Here Are Some Of The Best Sailboats Over 50 Feet

Island Packet 485

Length: 51ft 10in

Price: Used Between $250,000 and $550,000

The Island Packet 485 was designed by Bob Johnson and was first built in Florida in 2002. Also. she took part in the World ARC in 2008/9, so she has already proved her seaworthiness for bluewater cruising. What she may lack in style she makes up for in practicality. She is nearly 52ft long and able to sleep up to 10 people in three double cabins plus the saloon, a long keel, and center cockpit. Also, she has a very good cockpit enclosure, so even when I stood out to sea off New York in heavy weather with 45-55 knots of wind, I never once had to put on heavy weather gear.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats to Live On

Length: 51 Feet

Price: Used Between $320,000 and $350,000

Built in Germany, Hanse Yachts offers a full line of performance cruisers that are noted for their great sailing characteristics; comfortable cockpits, easily self-tacking rigs, and huge interior spaces. You often feel like you are on a boat five feet longer when you climb down the companionway of a Hanse. The Hanse 508 falls into the high-end of the range and is designed for a couple or a cruising family. The cockpit is large, and the twin wheels both have excellent visibility forward. The transom folds down to make a large platform. Down below, the saloon has a dinette forward with a settee across from it and the L-shaped galley aft.

The 508 is a brand new take on what was a very successful 50-foot blue water cruiser. The 508 has a huge interior with a great master cabin forward, two big double cabins aft, and a spacious saloon with the galley along the port side and the dinette to starboard. We had a chance to sail a Hanse 505 across the Atlantic Ocean last summer, and I can tell you that the boat makes a fine, fast, and comfortable passagemaker. The new 508 carries on that blue water tradition that we have come to expect from Hanse.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 30 Feet

Beneteau Oceanis 50

Length: 50 Feet

Price: Used Between $55,000 and $310,000

Innovative, roomy, bright, and sophisticated only begins to describe the exciting Beneteau 50. She was designed by Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design and built by Beneteau. The Beneteau 50 features sleek long side windows, a smooth coachroof, a fully-integrated mainsail arch, and all the attention to detail design to make the most of each area. The base model is fitted with 4 main cabins and 4 electric heads, a large saloon, and a straight portside galley; the Beneteau Oceanis 50 offers plenty of space inside and a high level of comfort. Located aft is one more cabin, accessed via a hatch, with a v-berth. Plenty of opening ports and hatches afford the Oceanis great ventilation throughout the boat.

On deck, its large cockpit, foredeck, and double steering make this sailing yacht as comfortable on the outside as on the inside. The full electronics package includes an autopilot, a color chartplotter, a digital wind direction instrument, speed indicators, and a VHF radio. Air conditioning, electronic winches, and upgraded electronics result in a sailboat that’s not only fun to relax aboard but a pleasure to sail, or liveaboard as well. All in all, the Beneteau Oceanis 50 is full of modern design, technology, and style.

>>Also Read: Best Small Sailboats To Sail Around The World

Gunfleet 58

Length: 59.87 Feet

Price: Used For Around $1.2 Million

Although the Gunfleet 58 is not a brand new design, the Gunfleet brand is still new to the U.S; a worthy entrant in the luxury passagemaker category of yachts. The company was founded by Richard Matthews, who founded Oyster Yachts. So, you can be confident that the Gunfleet line of boats is of the highest quality and integrity. The Tony Castro designed 58 is a center cockpit cutter with a raised deck saloon that has tinted wrap-around windows.

The cutter rig is all run from the cockpit with electric winches and hydraulic roller furling. This set up works well for alone watch stander or a two-person team who will be able to run the boat easily. The standard layout has the master cabin aft, two guest cabins forward, and a “captain’s cabin” aft of the saloon amidships. The galley is in the passageway leading aft to the master cabin, while the large dinette and settees are in the saloon. The 58 is a true world-class luxury yacht that will take her crew anywhere.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 100k

Length: 56′ 1

Price: Used Between $350,000 and $950,000

Moody yachts began life as a British brand but is now under the umbrella of the Hanse Group. The new designs that the company is building are very innovative and modern. The new 54 is an aft-cockpit cruisers with a hard top over the cockpit, which is on the same level as the raised saloon. Altogether this creates an interesting inside-outside living space. The twin helms are aft, where you can handle all sheets without creating a spaghetti mess in the cockpit. The salon is a warm, bright living space with a dinette to port, the galley to starboard, and the inside steering station forward.

The saloon offers panoramic views all around. The master cabin is in the forepeak, and the two guest cabins are tucked in under the raised deck saloon. The Moody 54 is a large, luxurious sea-going-yacht. One of the interesting design features that adds to its seaworthiness is the raised bulwarks that run all around the decks that will keep the decks dry and keep those working on deck safe.

Passport 545

Length: 54.5′

Price: Used Between $800,000 and $950,000

The aft-cabin version of the beautiful Passport 545 is a modern classic that compares very favorably to other modern classics from builders like Hinkley and Alden. The modern cutter rig with a Solent style jib inside a full genoa provides a very flexible sail plan that can be managed easily from the cockpit. The roomy cockpit is well laid out for handling sheets and lines and is large enough for a gaggle of friends to relax at the end of the day. Down below, the elegantly finished interior has the master cabin forward with a centerline double and en suite head and the quarter cabin aft next to the second head.

The U-shaped dinette will seat six and across from it is a settee that will double as an excellent sea berth. The galley is aft to port and one of the finest galleys you will see on a yacht of this size. Passport yachts are as much works of art as they are cruising boats with a very high-quality fit and finish and attention paid to every minute detail. If you are looking for a modern classic that can take you safely around the world, the Passport 545AC fits the bill nicely.

Length: 56 Feet

Price: Used Between $300,000 and $1.1 Million

The Moody 56 is a go-anywhere center-cockpit bluewater cutter designed by renowned naval architect Bill Dixon and built by Marine Projects in the UK. She is capable of good sailing speeds, and the deck layout allows a short-handed crew to sail offshore for extended periods in safety. Winches are Lewmar, electric and manual, and there’s an in-boom furling main and furlers on the staysail and yankee.

Her GRP hull and the deck have been stiffened, and underwater sections have been reinforced with Kevlar laminate to increase impact resistance. There are four cabins, including an en-suite aft master, and bunks and a child bed forward, and a passage berth by the navigation area.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509

Length: 50 Feet 5 Inches

Price: Used Between $200,000 and $400k

The three-cabin, two-heads version of the bluewater performance cruiser is a great sailboat even for a liveaboard couple or family. The Sun Odyssey has a high-aspect ratio sail plan, with a removable stay, and can be sailed shorthanded, with all control lines leading aft to the cockpit. She has an aluminum mast and double spreaders, and a furling genoa. There’s teak decking, a fold-down aft bathing platform, and, in the cockpit, a large table with an integrated cooler. Below, luxury touches include a washer-dryer, microwave, and a television. The main selling point of this beautiful and spacious sailboat is also the 360° Docking system – at the marina, you’ve got complete control of berthing the boat from the flick of a joystick.

Length: 53 Feet 10 Inches

Price: Used Between $350,000 and $650k

Designed by Rob Humphreys and built by Oyster in New Zealand since 2000. The Oyster has a GRP hull, deck saloon profile, and high-performance bulb keel. The rig features in-mast furling and a furling No 1 genoa – primary and mainsheet winches are electric. She comes with a large cruising chute with a snuffer and a spinnaker. Also, the Oyster 53 is set up for bluewater cruising, with lots of safety and bluewater equipment. And comes with a Yamaha four-stroke 20hp motor.

She sleeps eight in four cabins; two doubles, including a walk-around centreline bed in the forepeak and large owner’s suite aft, and two twins. Interior joinery is in American light oak in Oyster’s Millennium style. The galley is linear and to starboard, with two sinks, a front-opening fridge and top-loading freezer, and also a wet locker for your foul weather gear. This boat is perfect as a liveaboard as well as your weekend and summer adventures.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a sailboat for cruising on your vacation or to liveaboard but do not want to make any compromises then any of these sailboats will fit your needs. If you have the budget for them then they will surely not disappoint.

Which one do you think is the best sailboat over 50 feet? Let us know in the comments below.

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

Related Posts

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Fishing Line for Trolling

Lagoon Catamaran Review: Are Lagoon Catamarans Good?

Best Inboard Boat Engine Brands

Are O’Day Sailboats Good? A Closer Look at a Classic Brand

• Buyer's Guide
• Destinations
• Maintenance
• Sailing Info

Hit enter to search or ESC to close.

• Frank Magazine
• Denison History
• Virtual Tours
• Alaskan Yachts
• Azimut Yachts
• Back Cove Yachts
• Beneteau Yachts
• Benetti Superyachts
• Bertram Yachts
• Boston Whaler
• Broward Yachts
• Buddy Davis Sportfish
• Burger Yachts
• Cabo Yachts
• Carver Motoryachts
• Center Console
• Chris-Craft Yachts
• Cruisers Yachts
• DeFever Trawlers
• Dufour Sailboats
• Fairline Yachts
• Feadship Yachts
• Ferretti Yachts
• Formula Yachts
• Fountaine Pajot Cats
• Grady-White
• Grand Banks Trawlers
• Hargrave Yachts
• Hatteras Yachts
• Hinckley Picnic Boats
• Horizon Yachts
• Hydra-Sports
• Intrepid Boats
• Jarrett Bay Sportfish
• Jeanneau Yachts
• Kadey-Krogen Trawlers
• Lazzara Yachts
• Luhrs Sportfish
• Marlow Yachts
• Maritimo Yachts
• Marquis Yachts
• McKinna Motoryachts
• Meridian Yachts
• Midnight Express
• Mochi Craft
• Neptunus Motoryachts
• Nordhavn Trawlers
• Nordic Tugs
• Ocean Alexander Yachts
• Offshore Yachts
• Oyster Sailing Yachts
• Pacific Mariner Yachts
• Palmer Johnson Yachts
• Pershing Yachts
• Prestige Yachts
• Princess Yachts
• Pursuit Yachts
• Riva Yachts
• Riviera Yachts
• Sabre Downeast
• San Lorenzo Yachts
• Sea Ray Boats
• SeaVee Central Consoles
• Selene Trawlers
• Scout Yachts
• Sunseeker Yachts
• Tiara Yachts
• Trinity Superyachts
• Viking Yachts
• Westport Yachts

Oyster Yachts

Founded in 1973, Oyster Marine is an established international market leader of world-class cruising yachts. Yachting World named Oyster the United Kingdom’s most successful builder of large series cruising yachts. Oyster’s core values are strength, sea worthiness, and a multitude of practical, sailing features. Customer loyalty has earned Oyster the business of custom builds from repeat customers.

Oyster Marine, founded in 1973, is an established international market leader of world-class cruising yachts. Oyster sailing yachts are famed for their distinctive deck saloon deck design and are globally recognized for quality, comfort, and performance.

With 40 years of boat-building experience, Oyster has made advancements to its designs and construction techniques while keeping the same core values of strength, seaworthiness, and a multitude of practical, sailing features. Every Oyster has its own quality control build log to monitor the construction process. Oyster yachts have award-winning sailing performance. Over the years, several Oysters have been class winners in the ARC transatlantic.

• Year Established 1973
• Shipyard Location Southampton and Wroxham, United Kingdom
• Boat Construction Fiberglass
• Boat Category Cruising Yachts, Sailing Yachts
• Worthy Notations Yachting World named Oyster the UK’s most successful builder of large series produced cruising yachts.

Oyster Yachts For Sale

89' oyster 2015, izola, slovenia, 82' oyster 2016, barcelona, spain, 82' oyster 2019, palma, spain, 81' oyster 1993, curacao, netherlands antilles, 66' oyster 2008, barcelona, es-b, spain, 64' oyster 2019, newport, ri.

• View All Oysters For Sale

Oyster Yachts By Model

Oyster yachts by vintage.

• Oyster Yachts Older - 1980
• Oyster Yachts 1981 - 2000
• Oyster Yachts 2001 - 2005
• Oyster Yachts 2006 - 2010
• Oyster Yachts 2011 - 2013
• Oyster Yachts 2014 +

Oyster Yachts by Location

• Oyster Yachts in Florida
• Oyster Yachts in Michigan
• Oyster Yachts in Washington
• Oyster Yachts in New York
• Oyster Yachts in California
• Oyster Yachts in Massachusetts

Yachts Recently Added

• Within 1 Days
• Within 3 Days
• Within 7 Days
• Within 14 Days
• Within 30 Days
• Within 60 Days

Oyster Yachts by Size

• Oyster Yachts Under - 44'
• Oyster Yachts 44' - 50'
• Oyster Yachts 50' - 60'
• Oyster Yachts 60' - 80'
• Oyster Yachts 80' +

Oyster Yachts by Price

• Oyster Yachts Under $250,000
• Oyster Yachts $250,000 - $500,000
• Oyster Yachts $500,000 - $750,000
• Oyster Yachts $750,000 - $1,000,000
• Oyster Yachts $1,000,000 +

Speak to a Oyster Yacht Specialist

Fill the form below and let's talk about the right boat for you., market updates, be in the know.

Sign me up to receive market updates. . I'm interested in:-->

• Price Changes
• New to Market
• Current list of 's for sale
• An alert when 's are added to the MLS

Outdoors | Unfinished schooner landlocked in Trabuco…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Food & Drink
• Amusement Parks
• Daily News Store

Things To Do

Outdoors | unfinished schooner landlocked in trabuco canyon seeks its next adventurer, robert heerdt, known as oso bob, tried to complete a blind boat builder's "visions," only to die before finishing the job..

Instead, the hull of the schooner named Visions sits landlocked amid a cluster of canyon oak trees, covered in dust, dry leaves and dead branches.

The original quest began miles from the ocean, as Don Baumea shaped the boat’s keel and watertight bottom by feel in his backyard. When he died, Robert Heerdt — an accountant turned fishing lake manager — bought the unfinished craft, vowing to complete the work and fulfill his predecessor’s dream of sailing it through the Panama Canal to the Great Lakes and beyond.

In April, however, Heerdt died without finishing the boat, leaving the watercraft marooned in the front yard of his Trabuco Canyon home. Now, Visions is awaiting its next adventurer willing to carry the dream forward.

“I don’t want to destroy it. I want it to live on,” said Tracey Marcyan, the real estate agent tasked with finding a new owner for the 50-foot-long, blue and white hull fashioned from fiberglass planks. “If someone were to take it, that would be a really happy ending for me … and (for) the family.”

To sell the property, Marcyan must dispose of boats, motor homes, rusting farm implements and a collection of personal treasures Heerdt, 89, left behind on his rambling 6-acre estate.

So, she’s offering the dry-docked craft to anyone willing to haul it away, perhaps to convert it into an Airbnb, perhaps to fulfill its destiny of sailing it around the world.

The story of Visions is just one more tale about a legion of aspiring mariners who build their “dream boats” in suburban backyards far from the ocean — with the majority of them failing to ever see water.

But it’s also a story about a poetry-loving adventurer who embraced Trabuco Canyon’s freethinking lifestyle in the mid-1960s and later ran the Oso Reservoir fishing club, which introduced thousands of youths to the sport.

His adventures included sailing another boat to Mexico, then up the East Coast to visit his son’s family in Maryland. He skied the Swiss Alps, floated down rivers in the Yukon and backpacked through the High Sierras in waist-deep snow, one son recalled.

He also was a member of the Vagabundos, a Baja California travel club, and was a regular at the Trabuco General Store’s Chicken Lips Coffee Club .

At home, he hunted ducks, rode motorcycles with his twin sons and steeped himself in cowboy culture, voraciously reading Western novels by authors like Louis L’Amour.

“He was … a cowboy-mariner. He loved adventure,” his son, Kevin Heerdt, 65, reminisced last week in the outdoor cantina his father built. “He thought he was invincible. … The world was his oyster.”

Seafaring dream

Heerdt’s seafaring dream began in the 1970s with Baumea, a boat builder and craftsman who lost his sight to diabetes. He didn’t let his disability stop him from building a boat in his backyard.

Using an intricate system of ropes, and aided by his wife, Baumea used the Lapstrake method to construct his hull, overlapping planks made from fiberglass instead of wood to create a watertight bottom.

He named his craft Visions.

“A person who is really blind is the one who doesn’t think,” the Los Angeles Times quoted Baumea as saying at the time.

But Baumea died in 1976 before he could finish his boat.

Kevin Heerdt thinks his father learned about Baumea’s story from the newspaper accounts at the time and decided to carry the dream forward. He paid $14,000 or $15,000 to buy the hull from Baumea’s widow in 1978.

Heerdt’s dream was even bigger than his Garden Grove peer. In addition to traveling through the Panama Canal to the Caribbean and then up to the Great Lakes, he fantasized about sailing up the Mississippi River, following Lewis and Clark, then crossing the Atlantic and sailing through the Dutch canals and on to the Mediterranean.

He moved Visions to a Costa Mesa boatyard and worked on it there. Kevin, attending USC at the time, would come down from college on weekends to help his dad work on the boat.

They installed bulkheads, a cabin and portions of the deck. He acquired a diesel engine, but “he never got the motor in,” Kevin Heerdt said.

Heerdt moved the boat to the front yard of his home about 15 to 20 years ago because he couldn’t afford to continue paying rent at the boat yard.

But progress was slow, his son said. The boat was one of many projects Heerdt had going on.

“My dad was the consummate dreamer,” he said. “He always had five or six projects. He’d work on it, (move on to something else), and come back to it.”

Kevin estimates his dad spent an additional $20,000 to $30,000 on the project. Meanwhile, it became something of a local landmark. Occasionally, Heerdt would find wedding parties sneaking onto his property to get pictures of the bride and groom next to the vessel.

“The longer it was here, the more of a fixture it became,” Kevin Heerdt said.

About 10 years ago, Heerdt’s plans for the boat changed from a seagoing vessel to converting it into a cabin or guest house. He failed to make that plan happen as well.

Backyard builders

Baumea and Heerdt were, by no means, alone. Newspaper stories abound of home-built boats over the past several decades.

In 1991, Leonard James hired a 150-ton crane to pluck a 45-foot, home-built boat from his backyard in Costa Mesa and onto a trailer. He’d been working on the “Connilen” for 20 years.

Six years later, Bill McPherson finished working on “Sweet Thang” after 5 ½ years, hiring a crane to move the 30-foot wooden trawler from his backyard in Anaheim and onto a truck.

In 2005, Tom Dale completed 26 years of work on his classic Galway Hooker , an Irish work boat, and had a crane move it from his backyard in Fullerton out to the street. Unfortunately, Dale crashed the boat onto a sandbar during its maiden voyage , demolishing a quarter-century of labor and dreams.

The boat’s name: “Astray.”

In 2014, Dillon Griffith was trying to come up with the money to move the “Mystic Rose,” another home-built craft, from his Sun Valley backyard to the water after working on it for 37 years.

“We have over a million (dollars) in that boat, and that’s without labor,” Griffith told the Los Angeles Daily News at the time.

What motivates such an obsession? Why do people build boats in their backyards?

“Usually, it’s the only way they could afford it,” said Jerry Wetzler of San Clemente, who built his own 40-foot catamaran in Newport Beach in the early 1970s. “Or they are craftsmen and, instead of a house, they want to build a boat.”

In 1972, Wetzler and a friend spent $248 to buy a set of plans from an Australian boat designer. They then spent $20,000 and the next four years building their craft on a vacant lot near the Mariner’s Mile in Newport Beach while living in a converted bread van.

“I was a fireman,” Wetzler said. “I didn’t have the money for a 40-foot sailboat.”

Forty-eight years later, the retired fire captain still is sailing that catamaran, named Freestyle, and has taken part in the Newport to Ensenada race 47 times.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Costa Mesa was a hotbed of boat building, both for production boats and home-built boats, Wetzler said.

“Most boat builders at that time never finished their boats,” he said. “All these things came up, a change (in their) life. Things like losing your job or having a baby or all that. They didn’t realize how long it would take to build or finish a boat.”

These days, it’s unusual for people to build their own boats, said Jonathan Ide of Torrance, a semi-retired marine surveyor who conducts boat safety inspections in Redondo Beach and Long Beach.

“There are people who are inclined to do their own thing and will build their own boat,” he said. “But it’s very rare because the time and, of course, the money that you have to invest in it is significant.”

A lot of times, they never finish, Ide said.

“They either run out of time or run out of money. Or sometimes, I’ve had cases where the person’s health has deteriorated and they just can’t continue,” he said. In cases where the builder dies before finishing, the family “just wants to get rid of it.”

Sometimes, families are successful in selling those boats, Ide said. And “sometimes they end up in the scrapyard.”

Bob Heerdt’s unfinished boat, Visions, in Trabuco Canyon, CA, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Kevin Heerdt’s father, Bob Heerdt, bought the boat from Don Baumea who first started building the boat with his wife in the backyard of his Garden Grove home in the mid-1970s. Bob Heerdt, who died recently, also never finished the boat. It’s been stored at his 4-acre home in Trabuco Canyon for the past 15-20 years. Kevin Heerdt is hoping to find someone willing to take the boat off his hand. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Kevin Heerdt with his father’s unfinished boat, Visions, in Trabuco Canyon, CA, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Kevin Heerdt’s father, Bob Heerdt, bought the boat from Don Baumea who first started building the boat with his wife in the backyard of his Garden Grove home in the mid-1970s. Bob Heerdt, who died recently, also never finished the boat. It’s been stored at his 4-acre home in Trabuco Canyon for the past 15-20 years. Kevin Heerdt is hoping to find someone willing to take the boat off his hand. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Measurements of Bob Heerdt’s unfinished boat, Visions, in Trabuco Canyon, CA, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Kevin Heerdt’s father, Bob Heerdt, bought the boat from Don Baumea who first started building the boat with his wife in the backyard of his Garden Grove home in the mid-1970s. Bob Heerdt, who died recently, also never finished the boat. It’s been stored at his 4-acre home in Trabuco Canyon for the past 15-20 years. Kevin Heerdt is hoping to find someone willing to take the boat off his hand. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

To many, Heerdt is known as “Oso Bob” because of the 15 years he spent running a fishing club at Upper Oso Reservoir , located east of Mission Viejo and about a 10-minute drive from his home. To qualify as members of the Heerdt’s Oso Sportsman Organization, anglers had to take five to 10 youths fishing each year.

Heerdt encouraged members to take inner-city kids and residents of the Joplin Boys Ranch, a nearby youth detention facility.

Many said Oso Bob had turned their lives around by teaching them to fish, Kevin Heerdt said.

Heerdt is survived by his twin sons and a daughter, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

His home goes on the market on June 21, listing agent Marcyan said.

The property consists of a 4.5-acre parcel listed for $2.05 million, and a separate 1.4-acre parcel listed for $400,000. In addition to the three-bedroom, 2 ½-bath house, the property includes several cabins.

Meanwhile, Marcyan said she’s gotten some nibbles from her offer to give Visions away. But nothing definite yet.

“We have it listed as, ‘Come take it for free,’ “ Marcyan said.

Kevin Heerdt said the hull definitely could be seaworthy, although he couldn’t guess how much it would cost to finish the boat.

“I would rather buy a boat” than finish building Visions, he said.

“But if you want to build a boat,” he added, “that’s a great way to start.”

• Newsroom Guidelines
• Report an Error

More in Outdoors

Music + Concerts | Cinespia announces lineup for summer films and fireworks at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Travel | Here’s how to stay safe when visiting national parks this summer

Outdoors | Will there be a ‘superbloom’ this year in California? Here’s what to know

Things To Do | Free National Park Day is coming on Saturday, April 20