Hylas 47 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is hand-laid fiberglass with a solid laminate, while the deck is balsa- or Airex-cored using a conventional inner-flange joint anchor. Stiffness below comes from a grid of nine full-length stringers, twelve transverse timbers, and a stainless steel I-beam that also supports the keel-stepped mast. Ballast is a 14,500-pound lead inlay sealed inside the fiberglass keel, and the underbody pairs a long keel with a separate skeg-hung rudder for a soft, balanced offshore motion. Above the waterline the Stevens Hylas 47 carries a modern raked bow with modest sheer and a "rocket ship" stern that eases anchor clearance.

Rig and Handling

A powerful cutter rig sits on a 63-foot bridge-clearing mast, Intracoastal-friendly in height, with inboard chainplates that tighten sheeting angles and leave the side decks clear for movement anchor. The hull form and keel-rudder layout render the boat unexpectedly stiff and speedy, well-balanced in any situation and smooth offshore, and the design is known to cover 200 nautical-mile days with regularity. Cruising World noted the tall cutter delivers strong light-air performance and heavy-weather flexibility alike, while the skeg-hung rudder—supported by three bearings, the lowest well above the skeg heel to avoid jamming in a hard grounding—lets the boat turn in roughly twice its length under forward power, though it tends to back into the wind at low reverse speed.

Accommodations

A beamy 14-foot-3-inch hull gives room for three staterooms finished in light teak with notable woodwork. Most examples show a centerline queen aft, though some Stevens hulls had split berths. The saloon is deliberately narrow because pilot berths sit above and outboard of each settee—a layout owners usually converted to cruising storage, and one that is safer underfoot in a seaway. Four diners fit the L-shaped table, six with the leaf out. Forward of the saloon lie a head with shower to starboard, a port bunk-room, and a forward V-berth stateroom; each stateroom has a hanging locker. The galley occupies the port walkway, a full forward-facing nav station is to starboard, and the engine sits well forward under the cockpit with three-sided access beneath a kitchen counter. Ventilation comes from six hatches, 14 opening portlights, and five closable dorade vents.

Known Issues

Fixed port lights may weep, letting water reach the interior veneer, so any survey should track staining around those lights anchor.

The Verdict

The Hylas 47 is a purpose-built bluewater cruiser with a serious construction grid, a stiff and quick hull, and a three-cabin interior that has aged into a practical passage-maker. Its Taiwan-built solid hull and cored deck, paired with a lead-keel long-keel underbody and skeg rudder, make it a measured, balanced offshore boat rather than a lightweight racer-cruiser. The narrow saloon and forward engine placement are period choices that reward seaway safety and service access over open-plan fashion.

Pros