Oyster 37 - Any info!?

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Theo

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I have been looking longingly at Oyster 37s. They are in my budget, have stunning lines and, from what I have read, solid, well built and seaworthy.

But I can't find any owner information on them. When searching for info I am taken only to brokers sites who copy and paste the same info directly from the Oyster site itself.

The ratios are all vastly different too. After reading a forum here about ballest ratios, one post concerning an Oyster 37 which ranged from 42% BR (H&Pye) to 31% BR (Landamores), or something to that effect, I did the math on the Oyster I'm looking at (using the RYA Stability Category Allocation certificate sent to me by the helpful broker) and the result was 27% BR!! (3175kg ballest / 11790kg gross weight). She must have had a lot of junk in her trunk at the time. I do think 4000kg over the generally specified weight is quite a cruising load and someone has made an error somewhere....

What experience have people had with this yacht? As sea worthy as sold? Solid and strong? What about live aboard capabilities? I should say that that would be the plan: live aboard with my partner and cruise to places of interest and employment (teaching watersports).

Some 37s come with huge water and fuel tanks and are said to be very accomodating with good storage so passage making and ocean crossing isn't fool hardy?

What similar yachts are there to her in this case?

Many questions but I'm tired of reading 'Oyster 37 is a fast, comfortable and very seaworthy cruiser/racer, designed by Holman & Pye and built to a high standard by Landamores of Wroxham'.

Any light shed is much appreciated. And seeing as it's Friday everyone will be in port with nothing to do but reply. Hopefully.

Thank you sailors and bailors
 
I also was looking at a Oyster 37 - but this was a late 70's IOR cruiser/racer but in the end I decided it was impracticable for my intended use. Have not come across one but there is also a Oyster 37 Heritage, which from what I have read is much more orientated to cruising. A short discussion of the two can be found at ; http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?418850-Oyster-Heritage-37-and-Oyster-37
 
sailorman who posts here regularly has one. He will tell you everything you need to know.

BTW there are two Oyster 37 designs and they are very different boats.
 
I have owned one for 18 yrs & only the 2nd owner from new.
Mine is the Cruiser racer with all tankage below the saloon berths to keep the weight where it should be. 150 lts water 130 lts fuel
A brilliant boat & a joy to sail with normally my wife & i & easily done single handed too. Very comfortable offshore, predictable close quarters under power. Accommodation is typical late 70s fully fitted in teak by Landermores, no plastic to be seen.
Personally im not keen on the bridgedeck version as one ends up with a coal hole main hatch, that makes it darker below & a job to negotiate down below in a seaway.
Watch out for the sole / keel matrix as these were prone to grounding damage & by now most should have been beefed-up
i have drgs somewhere i will dig out & post.
 
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CrikeyChris said:
I also was looking at a Oyster 37 - but this was a late 70's IOR cruiser/racer but in the end I decided it was impracticable for my intended use. Have not come across one but there is also a Oyster 37 Heritage, which from what I have read is much more orientated to cruising. A short discussion of the two can be found at ; http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?418850-Oyster-Heritage-37-and-Oyster-37
Click to expand...
That link above should help to clear up the confusion. There is an Heritage advertised on Apolloduck currently. Sometimes there is also a 37 and both are confusingly lumped together by the search facility. I have a Mark 1 Heritage. Info you require: LOA 37 ft.LWL 31ft2. 1/2" Beam 12 ft. draught 5.3" Disp. 15550 lbs. Ballast 6000 lbs. Pris. Cof. 0.52 Sail Area/displacement 15.25 Displacement/waterline length 228.6 Ballast ratio 41.4% Fuel 35 gallons Water 90 gallons. She is a fine cruising yacht for up to 4 crew.
No doubt Sailorman will be along shortly with the info. for the 37
 
Kurrawong_Kid said:
That link above should help to clear up the confusion. There is an Heritage advertised on Apolloduck currently. Sometimes there is also a 37 and both are confusingly lumped together by the search facility. I have a Mark 1 Heritage. Info you require: LOA 37 ft.LWL 31ft2. 1/2" Beam 12 ft. draught 5.3" Disp. 15550 lbs. Ballast 6000 lbs. Pris. Cof. 0.52 Sail Area/displacement 15.25 Displacement/waterline length 228.6 Ballast ratio 41.4% Fuel 35 gallons Water 90 gallons. She is a fine cruising yacht for up to 4 crew.
No doubt Sailorman will be along shortly with the info. for the 37
Click to expand...
He beat me to it!
 
Kurrawong_Kid said:
That link above should help to clear up the confusion. There is an Heritage advertised on Apolloduck currently. Sometimes there is also a 37 and both are confusingly lumped together by the search facility. I have a Mark 1 Heritage. Info you require: LOA 37 ft.LWL 31ft2. 1/2" Beam 12 ft. draught 5.3" Disp. 15550 lbs. Ballast 6000 lbs. Pris. Cof. 0.52 Sail Area/displacement 15.25 Displacement/waterline length 228.6 Ballast ratio 41.4% Fuel 35 gallons Water 90 gallons. She is a fine cruising yacht for up to 4 crew.
No doubt Sailorman will be along shortly with the info. for the 37
Click to expand...
My 37 is stated as 52% ballast ratio
 
This is a Mk II Heritage

IMG_0151.jpg

As you can see a rather different boat from Sailorman's. (though we did beat him coming back from Oostende this year :cool:)
 
Thanks for all those detailed replies. It is much appreciated.

I do mean the One Tonner. NOT the heritage. And because they are racy they may have had a hard life.

So the (one Tonner) 37 is solid in big seas?
 
sailorman said:
Sorry about the squiffy pix, i had sorted them but obviously photobucket prefers them this way :rolleyes:

showing approx 51% ballast ratio
Click to expand...
Would probably have got the same (or better) stability with less ballast and a modern design keel with a bulb at the bottom. Influence of the IOR showing through.
 
Thanks a lot guys. Much appreciated.

I do mean the One Tonner. Not the Heritage.

There are a few online; Vagabond in Weymouth (28k), Phoenix in Suffolk (30k), a blue girl in Ireland (29k), and a stunner in Malta. Anyone have an idea how long they have been on the market? I know Vagabond has been sat a while. Which is a worry.

Sailorman, 13 winches makes me think, what can you tell me of maintenance? Would you say the annual maintenance cost is equal to the much talked about 10% of manufacture build cost?
 
Tranona said:
Would probably have got the same (or better) stability with less ballast and a modern design keel with a bulb at the bottom. Influence of the IOR showing through.
Click to expand...
you are talking of 30 + years of development, i prefer my keel shape being tapered aft, on the leading edge, far less to trip up unlike a torpedo @ the bottom. I can also dry out alongside
 
sailorman said:
you are talking of 30 + years of development, i prefer my keel shape being tapered aft, on the leading edge, far less to trip up unlike a torpedo @ the bottom. I can also dry out alongside
Click to expand...

Not all bulbed keels are torpedo shaped. Quite happy to dry out on mine. No reason why you cannot have a tapered leading edge with a bulb - exactly what my old 37 (and many other boats) had. The key objective is to get the ballast low down rather than in the upper part of the keel as in yours.
 
sailorman said:
you are talking of 30 + years of development, i prefer my keel shape being tapered aft, on the leading edge, far less to trip up unlike a torpedo @ the bottom. I can also dry out alongside
Click to expand...

Not to mention, being thick at the top and thin at the bottom, it is much easier to stick on in such a way as not to drop off.
 
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