Oyster 49 Buyer's Guide
The Oyster 49 is a Rob Humphreys–designed centre-cockpit cruiser that Oyster Marine built as the successor to the 485, with fifteen launched between 2001 and 2007. On the brokerage market she appears in both owner and ex-charter hands, and a buyer shopping today is looking at a well-defined Oyster design rather than a vague "classic" Oyster. Knowing the standard layout and the common upgrade tiers helps separate a tidy original from a heavily modified example.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common configuration afloat, though both owner and other layouts are available and ex-charter boats turn up frequently. The standard plan gives an aft owner's stateroom with private heads and shower, a passageway galley, a light and bright saloon, a large double-berthed guest cabin forward, and an upper/lower berthed guest cabin served by a generous guest heads and shower. Six berths and excellent headroom throughout make her a genuine liveaboard, and the builder offered alternative interior layout choices, so check the actual cabin plan against the listing rather than assuming the standard three-cabin split.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the market carry a strong comfort and systems package. Commonly fitted are air conditioning, an inverter, a bow thruster, radar, autopilot, chartplotter, watermaker, heating, solar, hot water, bimini, dodger, dinghy davits, and a cockpit shower — a cluster that means a buyer can expect climate control, independent power, and easy deck shelter without immediate investment. Teak decks and AIS are often seen rather than universal, pointing to mid-life refits rather than original spec. Less common are spinnaker, freezer, and life raft, so a boat with those is a deliberate owner upgrade rather than the norm.
What to Inspect
The standard build used hand-laid GRP with an isophthalic resin outer hull laminate and a cored deck and coachroof laid with teak anchor, so inspect the teak surfaces and the cored structure for moisture or delamination. The HPB external lead keel and fully protected skeg-hung rudder should be checked for grounding damage, and the self-draining teak cockpit, liferaft locker, and lazarette must drain freely. Original engineering worth verifying includes the Yanmar 4JH3-HTBE turbo diesel on a Maxprop feathering prop through an Aquadrive coupling, the Racor water separator, and the manual and electric bilge pumps with 3-way control.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts typically appear in Spain, the United States, and Greece. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm the actual cabin layout against the common three-cabin owner plan; verify teak deck and cored coachroof condition; test the lead bulb keel and skeg rudder for impact; and confirm the core systems — bow thruster, watermaker, heating, and autopilot — are operational rather than merely fitted.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Oyster 49. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 7 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1 | $614,561 | — |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $369,408 | -39.9% |
| Jan 26 | 6 | $195,000 | -47.2% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $430,581 | +120.8% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $399,995 | -7.1% |
| Sep 26 | 1 | $649,118 | +62.3% |
| Oct 26 | 1 | $553,789 | -14.7% |
Where they're listed
Oyster 49 listings appear across 4 countries. Spain has the most listings with 5 (38.5%), followed by United States and Greece.
Country view
13 listings · 4 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | $383,811 | 5 | 0 | 38.5% |
| United States | $195,000 | 5 | 0 | 38.5% |
| Greece | $430,581 | 2 | 0 | 15.4% |
| United Kingdom | $649,118 | 1 | 1 | 7.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Sun Odyssey 49 | 49.16' | $ 167,346 | 97 | 26 |
| Hylas 49 | 48.88' | $ 375,000 | 38 | 6 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 49 | 49.08' | $ 231,618 | 33 | 2 |
| Hunter 49 | 49.92' | $ 204,500 | 28 | 11 |
| Oyster Yachts 53 | 53' | $ 446,628 | 27 | 5 |
| Taswell 49 | 48.83' | $ 166,500 | 24 | 3 |
| Oyster Yachts 49You are here | — | $ 376,601 | 14 | 2 |
| Oyster 495 | 52.82' | $ 1,747,968 | 4 | 1 |