Oyster 55

Overview

The Oyster 55 is a Holman & Pye design from Oyster Marine in England, built from 1986, with 55 completed.

Design and Construction

sailboatdata.com lists a fin keel with a skeg-hung rudder, 56.25 ft overall on a 45.43 ft waterline, 15.75 ft of beam and 7.5 ft of draft. Displacement is 51,000 lb with 13,359 lb of ballast, and the cutter carries about 1,595 sq ft. Cruising World’s Quentin Warren, reviewing the upgraded Oyster 55 Sovereign in 2002, describes a hull molded of solid fiberglass with a lead fin keel encapsulated in the molding, and a balsa-cored deck with the core replaced by plywood in loaded areas. The deck sits on an eight-inch inward hull flange and is bonded and sealed with fiberglass from the inside, with a bolted toe rail as well. He lists 204 gal of water and 228 gal of fuel. Under sail he found the boat powerful and extremely solid through the water; the 29 percent ballast ratio suggested some tenderness, but she stood up handily with full canvas. Steering on the hull he sailed was a demanding chore, which the builder blamed on a faulty rudder quadrant installation.

Buyers Notes

John Neal rates Oysters 4 of 5: attractive, expensive and good quality, with weak resale on larger models that makes them good used buys.