Design and Construction
The Bluewater 56 follows a classic hull shape that tapers toward the stern, with a 46-foot waterline and a 15.8-foot beam that gives the boat real interior volume without resorting to extreme beaminess. Displacing roughly 50,000 pounds with 20,000 pounds of lead ballast, the yacht sits at a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 40 percent, a figure that places her firmly in the serious offshore-cruiser camp rather than the coastal-weekender category. What distinguishes the structure is the builder's use of Twaron, an aramid fiber similar to Kevlar, laid in alternating layers with fiberglass and hardened in vinylester through the entire hull and deck laminate anchor. Unlike many contemporaries, the hull carries no core material whatsoever. The deck and hull are solid fiberglass, and the yard claims the Twaron mixture gives exceptional mechanical strength, heat resistance, and light weight. The yacht is built in China, and the deck shows heavy, rugged hardware rather than flush modern skylights: massive deck hatches, 34-inch stainless stanchions, and guard rails mounted all along the deck for a firm hold in rough conditions.
Deck and Rig
The deck layout was designed for safe, efficient offshore sailing first, yet remains comfortable for anchored and dockside relaxing. Wide side decks let a crew move fore and aft safely in rough conditions, and a wrap-around stern pulpit runs forward to the cockpit gate while the bow pulpit extends aft past the windlass. A single skeg-hung rudder protects the steering, and the mast is stepped the old-fashioned way without fancy spreader sweep. Owners can specify in-mast or in-boom furling, standard jiffy-reefing, a cutter rig with removable staysail stay, or a carbon-fiber mast and boom. The standard 135-percent overlapping genoa yields about 170 square meters of upwind sail, and a bow sprit can be added for asymmetric work. Mid-deck shrouds and on-deck handrails round out a deck plan that privileges security over minimalism.
Accommodations
Below, the raised-saloon configuration lifts the main living space for exceptional light from numerous deckhouse portholes and shelters a dry central cockpit. The saloon itself carries six and a half feet of headroom and can host a party of twelve for cocktails or a family of eight at the port table, which folds or lowers to form a sleeping or cocktail surface. A starboard settee lounges or becomes a sea berth if so designed. The full-teak interior hides every scrap of bare GRP behind veneer and solid joinery, with off-white overheads and tinted wraparound windows that admit light without heat. The aft master suite holds a raised centerline double berth accessible from both sides, ample hanging lockers, opening ports, and a large hatch for tropical ventilation; its head is huge, with a proper enclosed stall shower. A double berth in the mid-cabin offers astonishing stowage beneath, a forward V-berth cabin has its own opening ports, and a starboard head with separate shower serve the rest of the boat. The galley runs down the corridor to the master, with a Corian worktop, insulated drawer refrigeration, and custom sinks and cabinetry.
Equipment and Systems
The electrical installation is described by the builder as far superior to industry standard, and domestic battery capacity often exceeds 1,000 to 1,300 amp-hours. A portside nav station opposite the galley has room for all the electronics one could want and still stows full-sized paper charts. The standard engine is a 150-horsepower Yanmar diesel, and tankage runs to roughly 280 gallons of fuel and 275 of water. The yacht shown at Cannes carried four Vitrifrigo drawer units serving as fridges or freezers, a fixed dodger built for harsh spray, and chrome-plated Antal fittings through the cockpit.
Ownership Notes
Bluewater Yachts builds no more than three to five of these yachts annually, and the design lineage runs through 27 hulls as the Hylas 56 before the relaunch. Each owner works with in-house designers to tailor the deck layout, and the builder's stated low production volume means a buyer is looking at a semi-custom yacht rather than a mass-market product. The Bluewater 56 is a German Frers design from 2011 anchor, originally made for Hylas Yachts before the company acquired the molds and built these fine yachts under the Bluewater name.
The Verdict
The Bluewater 56 is a thoughtfully resolved offshore cruiser whose aramid-reinforced solid laminate and serious ballast ratio signal a boat built for passage work rather than marina display. The raised saloon and wide deck paths make her livable and safe at sea, though the small cockpit and low annual production mean she is neither cheap nor simple to compare against production rivals.
Pros
- Twaron-and-vinylester laminate with no core, built for strength and heat resistance
- Raised saloon with sheltered cockpit and exceptional light
- Wide side decks, 34-inch pulpits, and guard rails for offshore security
- Semi-custom layout with strong electrical and battery capacity
Cons
- Cockpit is very small relative to the boat's size
- Low annual production limits comparability and resale data
- Heavy, traditional deck hatches rather than flush modern units
