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.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 36 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 36
CoastalBluewater

1.81 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.81
LightHeavy

212 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 212
EasygoingPowered-up

16.8 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.8
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

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.

What the fleet has seen

The Taswell 56, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Taswell 56 is a cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Bill Dixon and built by Ta Shing Yacht Building in Taiwan from 1990 to the present. It features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, measures 17.0 meters LOA, has a 5.0-meter beam, a 2.3-meter draft, and displaces 21,999 kg. The design prioritizes offshore capability and predictable motion at sea, with a solid fiberglass hull and robust structural grid. These yachts offer a deep cockpit and functional, secure interiors, contrasting with modern wide-body cruisers that emphasize interior volume.5:37 Aboard *Lady K Sailing*, the Taswell 56 is noted as a high-quality, offshore-capable alternative to more expensive brands like Oyster, often listing for significantly less than an Oyster 56.0:52 This price difference allows owners to invest in refits or new systems, though prospective buyers should anticipate standard maintenance for older vessels, including potential teak deck issues and legacy wiring or plumbing.7:28 Aboard *Sailing Sunday*, a Taswell 56 undergoing mid-construction repairs in St. Augustine, Florida, was considered but rejected due to failed cockpit drains that caused interior flooding and steep companionway stairs.9:17

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
1channel weighed buying one
US$278,000Median asking

For sale

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

  • Inspected for purchase but passed due to accessibility issues for their dog

    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.

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
Tayana 58DS16.76 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Peter Beeldsnijder-designed deck saloon cutter built on the proven Tayana 55 hull for serious offshore cruising
Sailing to dinner and touring a Tayana 58DS15:24from Flight Level Zero
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
Moody 5416.43 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA cutter-rigged 16.43-metre cruiser featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a 34% ballast ratio for offshore stability
The Sailor Alex Rosén25:51from SEILmagasinet
Oyster 5617.47 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Rob Humphreys-designed bluewater cutter built for comfort and stability on long-distance passages
Mexico Dreams and Touring an Oyster 564:02from Flight Level Zero

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

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

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Taswell 56, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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