Design and Construction
The hull is a solid fiberglass laminate in which layers of e-glass alternate with Twaron, an aramid fiber rated at 2.5 times the strength of steel, all bound by blister-resistant vinylester resin and vacuum-bagged to hold a high fiber-to-resin ratio. Below the waterline, two coats of epoxy guard against osmotic blistering. The deck molding is likewise vacuum-bagged, glued to the hull with 3M 5200 and through-bolted, with a 3/4-inch balsa core lending stiffness in high-traffic zones while the rest of the laminate stays solid. Bulkheads are glassed to hull and deck, and two full watertight bulkheads—one forward behind the sail and anchor locker, one aft across the lazarettes and dinghy garage—compartmentalize the hull. A nearly plumb bow and a solid lead bulb keel drawing 7 feet 4 inches complete the profile, with the LWL sitting just five feet shy of LOA.
Rig and Sail Handling
A triple-spreader Seldén rig is keel-stepped and carries an in-mast mainsail on a hydraulic furler, backed by a 135 percent genoa and a staysail, all on electric furlers as standard. Rod rigging, spectra-cored halyards, and a Doyle sail package round out the inventory, with PBO running backstays supporting the staysail and hydraulic backstay and vang tuning the rig. Sail control is centralized: a pair of Antal winches at the mast handle halyards and most lines, while ten winches in total include six powered by 24-volt motors for the genoa, staysail, and two-part mainsheet. The high clew on the genoa keeps the working cockpit clear, and testers found her gathering way smartly—4.5 to 5 knots to weather in 7-8 knots of true wind quick to gather way in light air.
Accommodations
Frers' stock layout places four cabins and four heads aboard, with hull one showing two forward cabins and a large aft owner's stateroom; the production version offers a master aft with centerline berth and port head, a VIP bow stateroom, a port Pullman, and an over-under cabin with a small aft head. Headroom never drops below 6 feet 4 inches and reaches nearly 7 feet in the saloon, where wrap-around windows light teak trim and an L-shaped port settee seats six to eight around a big table. A forward-facing nav table sits beneath a huge, neatly labeled switch panel. The galley pairs two-drawer refrigeration and a side-loading freezer with a three-burner LPG stove, twin sinks, and Corian counters. Exterior living splits between a working aft cockpit with twin helms and a lounging forward cockpit with full-length settees and a centerline table.
Deck and Equipment
The aft cockpit is long and wide with curved, padded helm seats and high coamings for lumbar support, served by twin Lewmar Mamba pedestals and a walkthrough to the three-stepped transom. Wide, uncluttered side decks with cabintop handholds lead to a foredeck bounded by hefty toerails and a stainless double bow roller carrying two 90-pound anchors—300 feet of 7/16-inch chain on the primary, 100 feet of chain and 300 feet of 3/4-inch nylon on the secondary—worked by a 24-volt Maxwell windlass. A 220 hp Yanmar 6BY3 diesel with a fixed four-blade prop drives her at an unfussed 8-knot cruise, assisted dockside by pair of 24-volt Sidepower thrusters at bow and stern; she spun in her own length without them in testing. The 12 kW Northern Lights genset, dual Racor filters, and two-inch Soundown engine-room foam speak to a redundant mechanical space.
Electrical and Systems
All electrics run at 24 volts except the VHF and instruments, with a 1,000 AH AGM house bank powering interior and deck gear alike and separate batteries for engine and generator starts. The engine's 24V alternator feeds eight LT16 AGMs below the sole amidships, while two 8Ds forward and two aft serve bow and stern thrusters; a third 12V battery covers domestic needs, for a grand total of 16. LED lighting is universal. The galley adds a roomy Frigoboat freezer with dual compressors plus two more fridge units, and the test boat carried a dishwasher, wine conditioner, icemaker, microwave, and washer/dryer.
The Verdict
The Hylas 63 is a detail-oriented semi-custom cruiser whose watertight bulkheading, vacuum-bagged Twaron laminate, and centralized powered rig make her a serious offshore platform dressed for long-term liveaboard comfort. She rewards the buyer who values compartmentation and redundant systems over stripped simplicity.
Pros
- Twin full watertight bulkheads separating bow locker and aft garage from living spaces
- Vacuum-bagged solid FRP/Twaron hull with epoxy barrier against blisters
- Six powered 24V winches and all-electric furling for short-handed sail handling
- Four-cabin, four-head layout with near-7-foot saloon headroom and generous galley
Cons
- 73,900 lb displacement and 7'4" draft limit shallow anchorage options
- Heavy reliance on 24V powered systems and 16 batteries demands disciplined maintenance
- Semi-custom nature means fit-out varies boat to boat, complicating comparison
