BoatsTaswell 56

Taswell 56

Cutter · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1990

A Bill Dixon-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder and high comfort ratio, built for stable, long-range passage making

Designed by Bill Dixon, built by TA Shing Yacht Building (Taiwan).

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

See her sail

The Taswell 56, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Sunday

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelyComfort 36Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 1.81Bluewater
LightD/L 212Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 16.8Powered-up
TenderBallast 40%Stiff

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Heavier than ~88% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~92% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1071 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Taswell 56 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
2channels looked into buying
$278,000Median asking

For sale

  • A 1999 model is listed for sale at $278,000, presented as a more affordable alternative to an Oyster 56

    from Lady K Sailingseen February 20261:09

Weighed buying

  • Inspected for possible purchase, but passed due to steep companionway stairs and center cockpit being difficult for their aging dog Jackson

    from Sailing Sundayseen December 20258:46

  • The creators inspected this boat for purchase but decided against it due to accessibility concerns for their dog and the extent of work required.

    from Sailing Sundayseen August 20261:10

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.8
Displacement / length
211.9
Comfort ratio
36.2
Capsize screening
1.81
Hull speed
9.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2756
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1990
Designer
Bill Dixon
Builder
Ta Shing Yacht Building (TAIWAN)

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.

Oyster Marine 54 (Humphreys)16.43 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Rob Humphreys-designed bluewater cutter featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and versatile keel options
Sep 22 2025 Hedonic Adaptation is simply the mind's Homeostasis7:45from Sven Yrvind
Tayana 5516.76 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Peter Beeldsnijder-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for heavy-displacement offshore cruising
The $89k 55 Foot Bluewater Yacht That Got Cheap Enough to Be Dangerous3:17from Practical Sailor
Oyster Yachts 49516.10 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA modern Humphreys-designed fractional sloop featuring a high-stability hull with dual rudders for offshore control
SAILING to the Island of the Bulls0:03from Distant Shores TV
Hylas 5616.48 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA 2011 masthead sloop with a 21.51 sail area to displacement ratio, engineered for spirited offshore performance
Crossing the Atlantic on a Hylas 56, here's what the skipper thinks about the yacht.from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery
Bluewater 56 (Frers)16.48 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA former Hylas 56 design featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, built for stable, high-displacement offshore travel
Why This $1M+ Sailboat Might Be The Best Bluewater Cruiser in the Worldfrom Practical Sailor
Pearson Yachts 53016.15 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterThe largest yacht ever built by Pearson, this William Shaw-designed staysail ketch balances heavy-displacement comfort
Mistakes, money saving and lessons we learned buying an old sailing boat Episode 4630:31from Sailing Catalpa

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.

Taswell 43A Bill Dixon-designed cutter with a skeg-hung rudder, built for offshore stability and comfortable long-distance cruisingTaswell 58 RSA 17.68-metre raised saloon cutter with a 2.36-metre draft, engineered for substantial offshore volume and stabilityTaswell 43 RSA 13-metre cutter with a 40% ballast ratio, designed for balanced performance and offshore comfortTaswell 49 MSA 14.88-metre motor sailer with a 40% ballast ratio, designed for stable, heavy-displacement offshore passage makingTaswell 50An extended 15-metre version of the 49, offering increased interior volume for stable, long-distance blue water cruising

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