With a beam of 16ft 4in, a 48ft 9in waterline, and a displacement of 47,399 lb, the Amel 55 sits firmly in the bluewater-cruiser class alongside contemporaries such as the Oyster 575 and Discovery 55. Its details, though, reflect Amel’s distinct approach to self-sufficient ocean passage-making.
Design and Construction
Amel’s employee-owned yard—shaped by Henri Amel’s 1980 gift of shares to his workers—built the 55 as a solid-fiberglass monohull. It has a fin keel drawing 7ft 3in and a skeg-hung rudder.
The builder’s longstanding practice of laminating the deck to the hull in the mold continues in this model. The result is a single watertight shell rather than a bolted hull-deck joint. Four full-height interior bulkheads are also bonded in place while the hull remains in the mold. These include a forward collision bulkhead with a watertight door.
A molded-in polyurethane imitation-teak deck avoids the potential leaks and maintenance associated with laid wood. The propeller sits in the keel’s trailing edge, eliminating propwalk entirely and shielding the drivetrain from grounding damage. Every electric system has a manual back-up, while maintenance access is deliberately arranged to make routine checks easy rather than buried.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Amel 55 carries a ketch rig with 1,366 sq ft of sail. Test sailors found it a doddle to sail, though that ease comes with some handling caveats. Period reviews noted that the boat isn’t terribly quick, and the helm felt dull even at the best of times.
When overcanvassed—particularly with too much mizzen—the wheel became very heavy indeed. The split rig therefore calls for balanced trim rather than simply piling on more canvas.
The keel-mounted propeller’s lack of propwalk also changes the boat’s docking dynamics. Amel fits a standard 12hp retractable bow thruster to offset the loss of steerage cues at low speed.
Accommodations and Deck Life
On deck, the Amel 55 has a sundeck for drying off after a swim, along with a shower on the bathing platform. The lazarette is large enough to swallow plenty of toys. In poor weather, a cockpit tent unfurls to enclose the space.
LED lights are fitted in the deckhouse, on the spreaders, and at the end of the mizzen boom. Cameras mounted on the spreaders allow the crew to survey the anchor roller and the bottom from the helm before committing to a spot.
Below, the boat left the factory with air conditioning, heating, a dishwasher, a microwave, freshwater-flushing heads, and TV and stereo systems. It’s an inventory aimed at couples who want to cross oceans without outfitting stops.
Verdict
The Amel 55 is a thoroughly considered ocean cruiser rather than a performance racer. Its construction closes off the usual hull-deck failure points, while the keel-protected propeller and standard bow thruster address low-speed control. The factory-fitted creature comforts allow a buyer to step aboard and leave.
The trade-offs are modest straight-line speed under sail and a helm that feels dull—and can become very heavy when the boat carries too much canvas.
Pros
- Single watertight monocoque hull-deck structure with four bonded bulkheads
- Keel-trailing-edge propeller eliminates propwalk and shields the drivetrain from grounding damage
- Standard 12hp retractable bow thruster
- Manual backups for every electrical system
- Easy maintenance access
- Factory-fitted air conditioning, heating, dishwasher, microwave, freshwater-flushing heads, and TV and stereo systems
Cons
- Not terribly quick under sail
- Helm feels dull and becomes very heavy when overcanvassed, particularly with too much mizzen
