Oyster 565 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 565 develops Oyster’s established center-cockpit, raised-deck-saloon concept into a more contemporary arrangement. The cockpit has moved aft, keeping the sailing and lounging areas distinctly separate. Forward, the cockpit table and bench settees sit beneath the protection of a dodger. The cockpit table and bench settees sit forward, where a dodger shields them from the elements. The crew can handle the boat from the aft cockpit without intruding on the social space.

Blue Water Sailing described the yacht as modern yet rooted in British traditions, and noted extraordinary attention to detail in its finish, construction, and engineering. The 565 is built on a semi-custom basis, with an extensive options list and scope for changes to suit an owner’s needs.

The hull has a 16.8-foot beam and displaces close to 56,000 pounds. Just under 15,000 pounds of lead ballast is carried in a bulb keel, and the boat has a spade rudder.

Rig and Sail Handling

The rig is a straightforward fractional sloop, with an in-mast furling mainsail and a 110-percent roller-furling genoa to keep shorthanded sailing manageable. Its modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio of around 19 suggests a boat tuned more for control and reassurance offshore than for raw speed.

Twin helms place the helmsperson close to the waterline. All sail controls are concentrated in the aft sailing cockpit, allowing the crew to work the boat without disrupting the forward lounging area.

An inner forestay can be rigged for a staysail or storm jib. A permanent bowsprit supports a large downwind sail and also doubles as the anchor roller, with room to carry two anchors at once.

Accommodations

The 565 is available with two distinct accommodation plans. In the standard arrangement, a large master cabin occupies the stern. It has its own head, a walk-around double berth, a small love seat, and ample lockers. Forward of the saloon is a double cabin. Immediately aft and to port is a Pullman cabin with upper and lower single berths; these two cabins share a large head across the passageway.

The alternative layout moves the master suite forward. This commodious private cabin has a centerline double berth and an L-shaped sofa. Two quarter cabins aft contain double berths accessed from the side rather than the end—a thoughtful departure from typical quarter-berth geometry. In both layouts, the saloon and galley remain largely unchanged.

The saloon dinette to port seats six when supplemented by a couple of folding chairs. Opposite, the settee doubles as a comfortable sea berth on passage. A spacious, traditional chart table sits aft of the settee, giving the navigator room to spread out charts, use a laptop, and monitor instruments, radios, and ship systems.

The galley occupies the passageway leading aft. Its sinks sit nearly on the centerline so they’ll drain on either tack. Opposite are a large stove and oven, ample preparation space, and a large fridge and freezer.

Oyster describes the accommodation as luxurious, with well-appointed cabins, high-quality materials and fabrics, deep luxury mattresses, digital controls, and generous, fully fitted en-suite shower rooms with electric-flush toilets.

Verdict

The Oyster 565 is a thoughtfully developed deck-saloon cruiser that separates sailing from social life without compromising either. Its semi-custom flexibility, substantial ballast and beam, and considered offshore rig make it a plausible round-the-world family boat. In either layout, the accommodation provides the finish and spatial logic expected of the Oyster name.

Pros

Separate aft sailing cockpit and protected forward lounging area
Fractional sloop with in-mast furling, an inner forestay for a staysail or storm jib, and a bowsprit for downwind sails
Semi-custom construction with an extensive options list
Two coherent accommodation plans, with practical sea berths and galley sinks that drain on either tack
Luxurious, well-appointed cabins with en-suite electric-flush heads

Cons