Freedom and Adventure in Style: Life Aboard an Oyster 53 ~
Remote picturesque spots like Cocos Keeling, Amanu, Haida Gwaii, Komodo Island (Indonesia), and La Reunion. City destinations like Cape Town, Victoria, Vancouver and Salvador (Brazil). The list of places this Oyster 53 has taken her current, and original, owners to amazes — not to mention the fishing, diving, and sightseeing they did along the way.
You might think a vessel that could accomplish these global transits would be strictly operational or austere, yet this vessel abounds in comfort and luxury. As the current liveaboard owners say, “She has given us freedom and adventure whilst living in style. She is our home.”
View the Waterline Boats / Boatshed Port Townsend presentation> 2008 Oyster 53
Taking the Helm
After the ownership of six other previous vessels, and years of sailing, this Oyster 53 was commissioned with around the world voyages in mind. The decision to upgrade to the Oyster 53 came after one of the owners sailed a Contessa 32 in the Original Single-handed Transatlantic Race (OSTAR), an east-to-west yacht race across the North Atlantic from Plymouth, England to Newport, Rhode Island. “After…OSTAR we decided that the Contessa 32 wasn’t big enough to give us the home comforts we were looking for,” the owners say, “We decided to look for a 50ft yacht. At the Southampton boat show we were encouraged to test sail an Oyster 53. We were surprised by her exceptional sailing performance, and she ticked all the boxes of home comforts and luxury living.”
Given their previous boat ownership and cruising experience, the owners made informed decisions on this Oyster 53 to ensure both functionality and comfort. A priority in design was that they could manage and maintain her entirely on their own. The mainsail, for example, can be managed singlehandedly from the cockpit, and the navigation equipment is highly functional, yet remains simple to operate. This special attention to detail served them well as they made long distance transits like 55 days at sea from Panama to Sidney, B.C. and a southern Atlantic crossing of 21 days from Cape Town to Brazil.
With all their travels it was never a problem to operate with just a two-person crew. In fact, given the low maintenance design, the owners report that their 55-day transit flew by, and they report they were, “very well rested” upon arrival.
Life Aboard
On previous yachts, one of the owners had an issue with nausea. On the Oyster 53, however, with it’s safe and comfortable feel, seasickness has never been an issue. It’s no wonder the vessel feels so secure as the size and layout of the vessel is incredible – there are a staggering four sleeping cabins, and two heads complete with a shower in each.
The boat is also fantastic for entertaining, and has hosted many fun parties, including one with 23 guests on board! With dining in mind, the owners have made the following design upgrades:
• A cockpit extension table, designed and built by the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op.
• An electric cooker, which avoids difficulty of differing regulations worldwide regarding propane.
• A charcoal barbecue.
• A locker near the galley, originally for wet gear, converted to dry foods storage.
• A previously tiny, unusable cupboard converted to a spice cabinet
With a large deep freeze and plenty of food storage, even on long, remote voyages delicious meals happened daily. Years of sailing experience had taught the owners that having “treats” to look forward to while underway make for enjoyable journeys, which was made possible on this Oyster 53 by the spacious deep freeze.
The owners have shared this wonderful food aboard with friends and families, eaten off their Oyster-branded Wedgewood chinaware, and kept meticulous notes on what was cooked. When these recipes are made again a flood of cherished underway memories come along with the meals. Perhaps an Oyster 53 cookbook creation is a future project for these gourmet owners!
These meals were the owner’s fuel for all the activities they undertook, which included diving around the world. With their own compressor onboard, the owners could dive as they pleased, to which they were treated to views of tropical fish, coral, sea turtles, and stingrays. Dive excursions from the Oyster 53 were a simple entry either from the swim platform, or via the Ribeye 330 tender.
The owners also took up fishing once they reached Canadian waters. While they admit that their luck with hand lining for salmon was poor, once they switched to rods near Haida Gwaii their patience paid off with some beautiful fish. Crabbing was a success from the beginning, however, and they were well-rewarded with crustacean dinners caught with pots deployed directly from the boat.
Impressive Performance
When asked what impresses the owners the most about this vessel’s performance, seaworthiness is top of mind. They describe this Oyster 53 as possessing stability, strength, and quietness. “She slices through a heavy sea and down below, the peace and calm is astonishing, despite the conditions above. We are able to rest, sleep, cook and live comfortably under all conditions that Neptune throws at us.”
Under sail or power this vessel is a smooth ride. “With the wind on the beam and full sails she feels like a racing boat, but without the tipping!”, the owners say, “Downwind sailing with twin Yankees is a sublime and low energy experience.”
The accompanying Ribeye 330 tender is also exceptional in its solid build. This dinghy is stable enough to use as a dive platform, and to make excursions between islands. Once in Mexico the owners even made a 40-mile roundtrip journey on this Ribeye!
Exceptional Maintenance and Notable Additions
This vessel has been cared for and maintained extraordinarily well. In addition to the owners’ exceptional attention to detail — most recently in May 2024 the Port Townsend Shipwright’s Co-op polished the deck and hull, applied new bottom paint, and replaced the hull anodes. The tender was also serviced at this time.
Notable additions that make this vessel a standout are:
• The galley is all electric. Given the difficulty of dealing with regulations on propane gas around the world this eases travel.
• Lithium-ion battery installation. The owners say, “…this was a game changer as we are an all-electric yacht.”
• All LED lighting, the first Oyster to be built so.
• Additional bookcase installation in the master cabin.
The Oyster World rally is a truly special event. Every four years Oyster Yachts hosts a worldwide rally exclusively for Oyster owners. As Oyster Yachts describes it, the Oyster World Rally is, “An enriching circumnavigation of discovery, of magnificent experiences, and exhilarating ocean crossings.” With this, Oyster owners have the chance to obtain the training, support, and community to accomplish journeys they may not otherwise have done on their own.
The owners of this Oyster 53 participated in the 2013-2014 Oyster World Rally and encourage anyone to participate in the 2028-2029 trip. Oyster Yachts boasts that this upcoming 16-month journey will cover 27,000 nautical miles visiting 27 locations with 30 oyster vessels – a circumnavigation not to be missed.
Retirement from Cruising
The owners are now retiring from cruising, ready to hand over the helm of this cherished vessel to new captains keen to explore. In looking back at their years aboard, the owners comment, “A question to be asked was whether our sailing adventure had any surprises. Our answer would be that we did expect the beauty of some of our destinations but what we didn’t expect was how important meeting other people would be, both locals at our various destinations but also other like-minded cruisers. We have made many friends of many nationalities which will survive our retirement from cruising and hopefully has made us better human beings.”
Bali, Ta’haa (Society Islands, French Polynesia), Fiji, many Caribbean Island and La Palma western Canary Island. The list of where these intrepid owners sailed to is jaw dropping. “We could go on,” they say about the list of where they traveled to, “but there are too many to mention.” One place they did not get to, however, was New Zealand, where this Oyster 53 was built. Naturally, then, this country is on their post-cruising retirement itinerary.
Your Turn to Take the Helm
The owners time aboard this vessel inspires, and shows wherever the destination, this capable vessel can take you there in comfort – imagine the freedom and adventures you’ll have with this Oyster 53.
The time is right to take your sailing to the next level with this Oyster 53. Learn more about her specifications and view 100+ photos and a walkthrough video here. You may also contact the listing broker, Van Helker for more information – van@waterlineboats.com or 425-246-5101.
