BoatsOyster Marine 485

Oyster Marine 485

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1992–2002

A robust cutter-rigged blue water cruiser developed from the 461, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for offshore security

Designed by Homann, Pyle & Kim Holman.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Oyster Marine 485, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Be The Captain

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 42 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 42
CoastalBluewater

At 1.68 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.68
LightHeavy

318 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 318
EasygoingPowered-up

13.8 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.8
TenderStiff

35% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 35%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~90% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1899 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Oyster Marine 485, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Oyster Marine 485 is a 14.8-meter cutter-rigged sailboat, built by Oyster Marine Ltd. between 1992 and 2002, designed by Homann, Pyle, and Kim Holman as a development of the Oyster 461. It features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, a displacement of 17032 kg, and a draft of 2.1 meters. The Oyster 485 has a heavy, solid-fiberglass hull, a center cockpit, and integral fiberglass tanks, prioritizing build quality and interior joinery over high-speed performance.9:43 Aboard *Be The Captain*, James Evenson sailed his Oyster Marine 485, *Zingaro*, single-handed from Grand Cayman to Nassau, experiencing a grounding near Nassau after the boat's keel dropped into a coral crater.12:34 Another Oyster 485 maintained an average speed of just under seven knots during an Atlantic crossing, as seen by *Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery*.8:20

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Oyster Marine 485 on video

I crashed my boat into the rocks. Here's the story.James Evenson grounded his Oyster Marine 485 near Nassau and kedged off using 250 feet of chain, no engine.Be The CaptainSneak Preview "Be The Captain"James Evenson details offshore sailing skills, emergency preparedness, and captaincy in his book, Be The Captain.Be The CaptainBest Bluewater Sailboat (& Catamaran!) Under $300KThe Allures 44, Oyster 485, and Catana 43 Ocean offer proven offshore performance for under $300,000.Be The CaptainThe TRUTH About Bluewater Boats (You Might Not Like This…)A keel-stepped mast and skeg-hung rudder are essential structural requirements for safe, long-distance bluewater ocean passages.Be The CaptainBluewater Sailboats 101: Under the Boat (Part 1)Comparing hull profiles and keel types helps identify offshore sailboats capable of handling heavy sea states.Be The Captain

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
34.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.8
Displacement / length
317.9
Comfort ratio
42.3
Capsize screening
1.68
Hull speed
8.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1876
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1992–2002
Units built
36
Designer
Homann, Pyle, Kim Holman
Builder
Oyster Marine Ltd

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Swan 48 - S&S14.60 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA versatile Sparkman & Stephens design available in sloop or ketch configurations with an optional tall rig
Sparkman & Stephens 48 Bluewater Cruiser Tour | Centre Cockpit Offshore Sailing Yacht Reviewfrom Practical Sailor
Hallberg-Rassy 4614.78 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser built for stability and comfort with a high ballast ratio and skeg-hung rudder
East Coast Long Sailing Passage - Baltimore to Fort Lauderdale 1000 Mile Sailboat Voyagefrom SailingBritican
Swan 47 S&S14.58 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Sparkman & Stephens design #2201 featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
Sailing & Exploring sunny SW Ireland - The Wild Atlantic wayfrom Saga47swan Sailing
Hallberg-Rassy 4914.96 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA versatile staysail ketch or sloop offering a high comfort ratio and a stable fin keel with skeg-hung rudder
Beware of ORCAS! Part 2: Sailing SOUTH through Orca Territory to Portugal | Ep 2760:21from Distant Shores TV
Hylas 4814.63 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bill Dixon-designed masthead sloop built for offshore comfort with a heavy displacement and stable motion
Chesapeake Sailing on a 2019 Hylas 48! - S4:E250:01from Sailing Doodles
Tayana 4814.63 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed cutter featuring a raised salon and elevated floor for enhanced interior visibility
SAILING IBIZA - BALEARIC ISLANDS18:43from Sailing SV Cordelia

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Oyster Marine 435A Holman & Pye designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for blue-water stability and comfortable long-distance cruisingOyster Marine 475A Holman & Pye designed masthead sloop evolved from the 46, offering a high comfort ratio for blue water cruisingOyster Marine 55Originally launched as the Oyster 53, this cutter features a 17-metre hull designed for stable, long-distance cruisingOyster 46A Holman & Pye designed staysail ketch built for offshore stability with a high ballast ratio and skeg-mounted rudderOyster Marine 45A Holman & Pye designed masthead sloop built for blue water comfort with a heavy displacement and high stability

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