Oyster thoughts on these models.

[Indecenseas]

Hi all!

What do folks think about these three different Oyster options for sale at the moment? Any thoughts bases on what you see or perhaps someone with actual experience on one of these even?

2006 56' (G4 deck saloon)
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/200...aloon-8289028/

2008 56' (G5 deck saloon)
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/200...er-56-3898417/

2012 575 (early-ish model 575)
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/201...r-575-7843168/


Best Regards

[Cloroxbottle]

What is your intended use case?

[Student_Driver]

Clorox

This relates to another thread where the OP asks about a family boat for offshore sailing.

Indecent Cs

Those boats are proper yachts.

I double recommend that you watch the Britican YouTube channel and look at the links/resources on their web site. You see what breaks. What they struggle with or fix. They are a couple with small children and been living on a G3 or G4 Oyster 56 for years with two young children. They consult and have had or still do offer weeklong passages on SY Britican.

Although the owners of Britican manage quite well, they face challenges and do a lot of maintenance and repairs themselves.

A boat of this complexity will need continual maintenance and movement. If a storm comes your marina and/or insurance may force you to move. If the boat is remote, that’s an issue without a pro-crew aboard. Also remember that you would be 60’ or longer in actual LOA from a marina’s or mooring field perspective. This is severely limiting. At 30 tons, all the systems need to be perfectly maintained, operated and fault free or the loads and forces can be extremely hazardous. For live-aboard owners able/willing to make repairs and change oil/filters etc, it’s more manageable. Then there is the question of your history as owner of boats this complex and sizable for the purpose of insurance (loss and 3’rd party liability) which you must to visit marinas. Even if you could self insure against loss, insurance is a necessity.

[Student_Driver]

https://sailingbritican.com

[Student_Driver]

https://sailingbritican.com/how-do-i...ng-experience/

This post was from January where they offer the experience of sailing with them. No better way to get to know the boat than to sail on a similar model.

[Joli]

They are all extremely well made boats. Not a fan of in mast roller furling (or in boom) and not a fan of Volvo penta engines. All these boats would be docile to sail or dock. Maintenance is ongoing for any live aboard.

Oh, pick the white one if heading to the tropics.

[Joli]

Originally Posted by Student_Driver

A boat of this complexity will need continual maintenance and movement. If a storm comes your marina and/or insurance may force you to move. If the boat is remote, that’s an issue without a pro-crew aboard. Also remember that you would be 60’ or longer in actual LOA from a marina’s or mooring field perspective. This is severely limiting. At 30 tons, all the systems need to be perfectly maintained, operated and fault free or the loads and forces can be extremely hazardous. For live-aboard owners able/willing to make repairs and change oil/filters etc, it’s more manageable. Then there is the question of your history as owner of boats this complex and sizable for the purpose of insurance (loss and 3’rd party liability) which you must to visit marinas. Even if you could self insure against loss, insurance is a necessity.

Not sure what 60’ or 30 tons has to do with anything. You don’t need paper till around 80’.

Yes the boat will be complex. Engine, generator, water maker, maybe solar and wind. A boat is mostly valves and pumps, keep them running well and life is generally good. Sailing loads for a bigger boat are… well bigger…

[shimari]

As others have said - all solid.

Get the details of each- what's been replaced/serviced and when, and hours on the engine/generator. That will give you an idea on what you'll need to refit or service and help compare the prices.

The '08 and the '12 are both with Oyster brokerage. They tend to not allow buyer's brokers without prior approval.

[Student_Driver]

Originally Posted by Joli

Not sure what 60’ or 30 tons has to do with anything. You don’t need paper till around 80’…

There is no magic size at which boats become complex or hazardous. The OP is relatively young and (IIRC) has both navy and sailing experience. He may well be able to manage such a boat in time.

As someone who relatively recently stepped up to a boat with many seacocks and systems, my learning curve is still steep.

Given what I have experienced, I am now much better able to value all the advise I easily discounted before sizing up.

Turns out Britican’s owners are transitioning back to land but they will have much more insight on these ”insanely capacious” yachts.

[Student_Driver]

Originally Posted by Joli

Not sure what 60’ or 30 tons has to do with anything.

Sailing loads for a bigger boat are… well bigger…

In the recent past, I can recall two separate events on boats roughly the same size.

Platino (custom 60’, 36 tons) in 2016 with two fatalities and Escape (CNB 66, 29.8 tons) in 2022 also with two fatalities.

In both cases, loss of control of the mainsheet and boom caused the deaths.

A third recent incident and fatality onboard Volare was also boom related but she’s 72’

Loads are indeed bigger and kinetic forces are not to be scoffed at.

[Student_Driver]

Originally Posted by shimari

As others have said - all solid.

Get the details of each- what's been replaced/serviced and when, and hours on the engine/generator. That will give you an idea on what you'll need to refit or service and help compare the prices.

This is great advice.

Look up the prices of the equipment on the boat. Assume every water pump, hatch, shroud, clevis pin, blanket etc gets replaced at least once per decade. Double the price of each gps, display, ice maker etc because that’s a decent approximation of installation. Now download user manuals for inverters, water pumps, refrigerator units, gen set, auxiliary engine etc. That’s your reading material and course work. Read the maintenance schedules. Consider the parts inventory you will need.

Then you will not only know how to evaluate the boat’s condition and refit budget, you’ll have a much better understanding of the logistics, labor and costs of ownership.

That understanding, the counsel of your trusted advisors and (if you make a bid) a good survey will allow you to make an informed decision.

[Joli]

Originally Posted by Student_Driver

In the recent past, I can recall two separate events on boats roughly the same size.

Platino (custom 60’, 36 tons) in 2016 with two fatalities and Escape (CNB 66, 29.8 tons) in 2022 also with two fatalities.

In both cases, loss of control of the mainsheet and boom caused the deaths.

A third recent incident and fatality onboard Volare was also boom related but she’s 72’

Loads are indeed bigger and kinetic forces are not to be scoffed at.

Volaré I don’t know about.

Escapes issues were directly related to the inability to roll away the main (in boom furling) and a terrible deck layout that put sailors in harms way.

Platino was sailed by owners with no shake down in heavy weather. They had too much sail for the conditions, a failing autopilot and a preventer that wasn’t up to the task. They also removed the arch that kept the main sheet a safe distance from the crew creating a hazard for the crew.

With poorly designed layouts and a cavalier attitude it’s easy to get in trouble with almost any boat over 40’.

The yachts the OP is considering are well laid out and don’t have in boom furling (worst sailing invention ever). They are well made with substantial sailing hardware and wouldn’t be difficult for a family to sail. I’m not a fan of in mast furling but it’s much better to have to cut it up and wrap it around the mast when it fails then having a finicky in boom furler that requires motoring head to wind to lower. The simplicity of slab reefing is best for offshore sailing in my opinion.

[Indecenseas]

Originally Posted by shimari

As others have said - all solid.

Get the details of each- what's been replaced/serviced and when, and hours on the engine/generator. That will give you an idea on what you'll need to refit or service and help compare the prices.

The '08 and the '12 are both with Oyster brokerage. They tend to not allow buyer's brokers without prior approval.

For sure, very good word. Also, I had to figure that out about Oyster the hard way haha.

[Indecenseas]

Originally Posted by Student_Driver

This is great advice.

Look up the prices of the equipment on the boat. Assume every water pump, hatch, shroud, clevis pin, blanket etc gets replaced at least once per decade. Double the price of each gps, display, ice maker etc because that’s a decent approximation of installation. Now download user manuals for inverters, water pumps, refrigerator units, gen set, auxiliary engine etc. That’s your reading material and course work. Read the maintenance schedules. Consider the parts inventory you will need.

Then you will not only know how to evaluate the boat’s condition and refit budget, you’ll have a much better understanding of the logistics, labor and costs of ownership.

That understanding, the counsel of your trusted advisors and (if you make a bid) a good survey will allow you to make an informed decision.

yeah definitely working to get ahold of the manuals and stuff like that. All good word and advice. I'm certainly curious and having trouble identifying if there were issues with the early G5 models and leaking or rotting...

[Indecenseas]

Originally Posted by Joli

With poorly designed layouts and a cavalier attitude it’s easy to get in trouble with almost any boat over 40’.

Fully agree. Also agree about in-boom furling. drives me bonkers.