DickB
Member
The reputation of these yachts is pretty impressive, I just wondered if anyone had actually sailed on one, and what did they think of it? Good points and bad points for any particular model....
Has anyone actually sailed on an Oyster?
- Thread starter DickB
- Start date
Judders
Active member
I went to look at one last week. Apart from the fact that the keel had taken a hell of a whack and was close to dropping off, it looked a very well put together boat.
Would love to upgrade from the Foxcub, if only I could find the difference in capital.
Would love to upgrade from the Foxcub, if only I could find the difference in capital.
wanderlust
New member
Not sailed on one but did race against several in Antigua in 05. Our owner/skipper who was a very good racing guy was a little scathing of Oysters at the beginning of the week saying they were heavy old things. We were sailing a Farr56. By the end of the week he was quite complimentary about Oysters as we struggled to shrug them off! They do seem crammed full of luxury, a little heavy maybe but quick too by our experience in light winds
iangrant
New member
Tome, and he took me out once
Rated 10 stars - fantastic boats.
Rated 10 stars - fantastic boats.
PIGLETSDREAM
New member
Dickie old boy, you don't sail an Oyster, one is seen on one, besides it's a bit meanial sailing. What you will need is staff to sail it for you and to report back to you on a regular basis that all is well. Of course those staff will need paying so if I PM you with my bank details, you can do the rest??!!!
Seriously though, I moved one about 400yards whilst in La Rochelle, whilst delivering a Discovery 55. Having been through quite a blow, F9 for about 30 hrs, I thought the Discovery an absolutely superb bit of kit. Meanwhile the Oyster, looked great but the impression that I still have 6 months later is Where is the hand Hold.
Discovery built local, unlike the Oyster, single yard supplier, unlike the Oyster, watertight bulheads, unlike the Oyster.
Ps I would still sail with you if you bought an Oyster /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Seriously though, I moved one about 400yards whilst in La Rochelle, whilst delivering a Discovery 55. Having been through quite a blow, F9 for about 30 hrs, I thought the Discovery an absolutely superb bit of kit. Meanwhile the Oyster, looked great but the impression that I still have 6 months later is Where is the hand Hold.
Discovery built local, unlike the Oyster, single yard supplier, unlike the Oyster, watertight bulheads, unlike the Oyster.
Ps I would still sail with you if you bought an Oyster /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Poignard
Well-known member
I crossed the Atlantic in one a few years ago. I can't remember which model but it was either 40 or 42 feet long. Very comfortable and it seemed strongly built.
AIDY
Active member
No but i have been on a big swan 80 ish foot, but only a couple of hundred yards across a marina.. wondered past one day and stopped to look, chap was short of crew and asked for a hand... got a peek inside and a beer for helping. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Aja
Well-known member
Yeh. Took a 26' out for a test sail from Kip. Nice boat.
A 33' for sale there just now - about £25k. Very reasonable.
Donald
A 33' for sale there just now - about £25k. Very reasonable.
Donald
tcm
...
Sailed one vbriefly and yerknow,it's a sailing boat. You sed anything so here goes...
They are v nice boats but modern/new ones are over-expensive for what they are, imho.
Huge amounts of the work is done by external contractors, which keeps standing costs down but prices up, and the whole thing is done in nicely expensive UK with all the workers needing nicely expensive wages to buy their nicely expensive houses. Fortunately, most customers have also got even more nicely expensive house so they do ok on the sales front.
But...in common with lots of UK manufacturers, it seems that they suffer from lack of real experience of Fab Things, so they insist that everything that is the very highest utter quality when youknow that , really, it ain't. So some of the bought-in gear is okay grade, not topnotch. It's candy and electroluxified, not Miele. Sometimes, you will see little things like the light switches (in a 58 ish) which are straight out of the beneteau parts bin, which is fine and okay but erm this boat is almost twice the price of a same size beneteau so er why is it not that much better? And ooh look, here's an A2 screw right at the companionway, that's not too good either is it? Cos at the blustering levels of very very very high quality that the salesman is waffling about, I want A4 there at the very least, not A2. And so on.
So, i think they are fine boats, nice people, but not very high horizons or experience of really fabulous gear and designs and hence loads bought by brits.
More modern swifter stuff like Shipman puts them in perspective, and perhaps it is time for them to get offshore to cheaper manufacturing base.
A big thing is the social scene so if you buy one there's loads of nice people to meet in the owners club, probly also brits, and jolly ralies in the med and carib, which i spose would be quite nice.
Best idea wd be a secondhand one imho, so someone else taks the hit and you pay a more sensible price.
They are v nice boats but modern/new ones are over-expensive for what they are, imho.
Huge amounts of the work is done by external contractors, which keeps standing costs down but prices up, and the whole thing is done in nicely expensive UK with all the workers needing nicely expensive wages to buy their nicely expensive houses. Fortunately, most customers have also got even more nicely expensive house so they do ok on the sales front.
But...in common with lots of UK manufacturers, it seems that they suffer from lack of real experience of Fab Things, so they insist that everything that is the very highest utter quality when youknow that , really, it ain't. So some of the bought-in gear is okay grade, not topnotch. It's candy and electroluxified, not Miele. Sometimes, you will see little things like the light switches (in a 58 ish) which are straight out of the beneteau parts bin, which is fine and okay but erm this boat is almost twice the price of a same size beneteau so er why is it not that much better? And ooh look, here's an A2 screw right at the companionway, that's not too good either is it? Cos at the blustering levels of very very very high quality that the salesman is waffling about, I want A4 there at the very least, not A2. And so on.
So, i think they are fine boats, nice people, but not very high horizons or experience of really fabulous gear and designs and hence loads bought by brits.
More modern swifter stuff like Shipman puts them in perspective, and perhaps it is time for them to get offshore to cheaper manufacturing base.
A big thing is the social scene so if you buy one there's loads of nice people to meet in the owners club, probly also brits, and jolly ralies in the med and carib, which i spose would be quite nice.
Best idea wd be a secondhand one imho, so someone else taks the hit and you pay a more sensible price.
sailorman
Well-known member
There is a Forumite /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gifwho owns the 25 th Oyster built. its a 37 i belive rated under the "One Ton Rule"
michael_w
Well-known member
I'm looking to buy an Oyster 37 Heritage, when the right one comes on the market.
Q
quimby
Guest
I found it a bit of a strain pressing the top button on the winches, not only that the Canapes in St Lucia were from Marks and Spencers, they should have come from Harrods or Fortum and Mason! Other than that, no faults.
pvb
Well-known member
Interesting assessment...
That's an interesting assessment. I tend to think of Oysters as "bonus boats", because they often seem to be bought new by guys with a lot of newly-acquired cash but rather less sailing experience. They do the obligatory ARC, wander the Caribbean for a while, then sell.
When you look at Oysters at Fox's in Ipswich, where they're commissioned, they have real visual appeal and tick most of the "luxury yacht" boxes. But I think the real challenge must be shifting the used ones.
That's an interesting assessment. I tend to think of Oysters as "bonus boats", because they often seem to be bought new by guys with a lot of newly-acquired cash but rather less sailing experience. They do the obligatory ARC, wander the Caribbean for a while, then sell.
When you look at Oysters at Fox's in Ipswich, where they're commissioned, they have real visual appeal and tick most of the "luxury yacht" boxes. But I think the real challenge must be shifting the used ones.
Erre
Member
Quoting Pigletsdream..
"..... I thought the Discovery an absolutely superb bit of kit. Meanwhile the Oyster, looked great but the impression that I still have 6 months later is Where is the hand Hold.
Discovery built local, unlike the Oyster, single yard supplier, unlike the Oyster, watertight bulheads, unlike the Oyster....."
Please tell us more about the Discovery 55 Pigletsdream. These seem like proper vessels designed for serious short-handed sailing. Beautifully put together no doubt but with a high degree of seamanship. ...Or have I been taken in by their PR dept!?
"..... I thought the Discovery an absolutely superb bit of kit. Meanwhile the Oyster, looked great but the impression that I still have 6 months later is Where is the hand Hold.
Discovery built local, unlike the Oyster, single yard supplier, unlike the Oyster, watertight bulheads, unlike the Oyster....."
Please tell us more about the Discovery 55 Pigletsdream. These seem like proper vessels designed for serious short-handed sailing. Beautifully put together no doubt but with a high degree of seamanship. ...Or have I been taken in by their PR dept!?
tome
New member
Well we have an Oyster Heritage 37 which we bought 12 years old and have owned for 5 years now and sailed about 8,000 miles including trips to Biscay and Ireland. Much of this has been just SWMBO and I. She was one of the last built but these days is a bit of a 'Baby Oyster'. Oyster were rude to tcm and his missus at a boat show (I think) so he's got a bit of an attitude!
Good & Bad?
Good:
Encapsulated keel, keel stepped mast, proper fin & full skeg rudder, build quality, beefy (10mm) rigging, simple masthead rig, joinery and general quality of deck fittings, sensible solid handholds everywhere. Performance under sail in anything from light airs to a gale is just magic IMO - provided you pay attention to the sail plan and don't over-drive her. Small details like overboard drains from the lazarette locker hatch. Chart table great, nice and cosy below, secure cockpit etc and cavernous cockpit and lazarette lockers. Feels safe and secure in a blow
Bad:
Engine under-powered (29HP) in any seaway, toilet seacocks difficult to reach under forecabin bunk, lack of headroom in galley for me, aft cabin cramped for 2 (makes a fine single sea berth), poor lighting in forward sections, crappy hessian coverings in aft cabin and vinyl covering in forecabin, sprayhood looks like a bit square and sentry post -though very strong & secure. Crappy shower, only single sink in galley
Would I own another Oyster? Definitely yes. Many of the niggles I have are simply down to the size of the boat, others can be fixed when we get around to it and the rest we can live with. We thought hard about getting a larger Oyster for the past couple of years, but she's so close to the perfect boat for us that we've decided to stick with her for now
She was re-engined the year before we bought her and we've renewed plumbing, fridge, anchor windlass, sails, radar, eberspacher, batteries, autopilot - you name it! Also made some rigging improvements and fitted a removable inner forestay. We're concentrating on the interior this year. As with all older boats, it's expensive to get her back into good condition
Good & Bad?
Good:
Encapsulated keel, keel stepped mast, proper fin & full skeg rudder, build quality, beefy (10mm) rigging, simple masthead rig, joinery and general quality of deck fittings, sensible solid handholds everywhere. Performance under sail in anything from light airs to a gale is just magic IMO - provided you pay attention to the sail plan and don't over-drive her. Small details like overboard drains from the lazarette locker hatch. Chart table great, nice and cosy below, secure cockpit etc and cavernous cockpit and lazarette lockers. Feels safe and secure in a blow
Bad:
Engine under-powered (29HP) in any seaway, toilet seacocks difficult to reach under forecabin bunk, lack of headroom in galley for me, aft cabin cramped for 2 (makes a fine single sea berth), poor lighting in forward sections, crappy hessian coverings in aft cabin and vinyl covering in forecabin, sprayhood looks like a bit square and sentry post -though very strong & secure. Crappy shower, only single sink in galley
Would I own another Oyster? Definitely yes. Many of the niggles I have are simply down to the size of the boat, others can be fixed when we get around to it and the rest we can live with. We thought hard about getting a larger Oyster for the past couple of years, but she's so close to the perfect boat for us that we've decided to stick with her for now
She was re-engined the year before we bought her and we've renewed plumbing, fridge, anchor windlass, sails, radar, eberspacher, batteries, autopilot - you name it! Also made some rigging improvements and fitted a removable inner forestay. We're concentrating on the interior this year. As with all older boats, it's expensive to get her back into good condition
michael_w
Well-known member
tome,
That's why I want a Heritage for long distance sailing! You didn't mention the potential problem under the longditudinal head bulkhead though.
PM for deals!
Michael
That's why I want a Heritage for long distance sailing! You didn't mention the potential problem under the longditudinal head bulkhead though.
PM for deals!
Michael
tome
New member
Not aware of this problem - perhaps you could elaborate? Ours is a MkIV no 32 of 35 and there were a lot of minor improvements made over the originals. I looked at a much earlier one S Coast and wouldn't have touched it!
I have the original plans from Holman & Pye so will take a gander later. Must get the grass cut...
I have the original plans from Holman & Pye so will take a gander later. Must get the grass cut...
tcm
...
Tome that is a total lie! Well, okay, there was a bit of an issue when they insisted i come back for an "appointment" at a few boat shows even though the boat was empty so eventually i told them to stop pestering me with mailshots if we can't see the damn boats. Also another issue once was when i gave one of the kids a special invite card which didn't seem to go down too well. Oh yes and another time more recently I might have harumphed at at the Candy dishwasher as above and the blimmin "optional" aircon on a million pound 58 footer altho the halfords car radio was included, but apart from that we got on like a house on fire. Ok, like a like a really expensive house on fire with the walls falling in and the fire brigade still not arriving...
moondancer
New member
A relative of mine who works in Hong Kong came very close to buying a new Oyster but in the end chose a Tayana 55 mainly for reasons of value. He says the quality is pretty similar - I haven't seenthe boat yetbut will probably help him sail it from Hong Kong to Australia so hope it is put together ok.
michael_w
Well-known member
tome,
I've looked at six Heritages, alas the best one was the first, and I wasn't able to buy as I still had a boat to sell. I have no desire to own two boats!
They all seem to show a bit of structural movement underneath the fore n' aft bulkhead. Prehaps from babystay loading. The bulkhead does not seem to be attached too well to the top hat frames. As yours is one of the later boats, maybe this problem has been rectified.
Michael
I've looked at six Heritages, alas the best one was the first, and I wasn't able to buy as I still had a boat to sell. I have no desire to own two boats!
They all seem to show a bit of structural movement underneath the fore n' aft bulkhead. Prehaps from babystay loading. The bulkhead does not seem to be attached too well to the top hat frames. As yours is one of the later boats, maybe this problem has been rectified.
Michael
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