Production began in 2000. The 62 is the fourth generation of an Oyster lineage stretching back a quarter of a century and a subtle development of the earlier Oyster 56. It sat squarely in the middle of the builder’s range as a Deck Saloon performance voyager. Part of the G4 era of Oyster Marine under Humphreys’ in-house design leadership, it combines volume and comfort with an aggressive rig and a seakindly, responsive hull form.
Design and Construction
The hull is hand-laid in solid, non-cored GRP. It uses fiberglass predominantly, with Kevlar reinforcement in critical areas—especially below the waterline—and isophthalic resin for improved resistance to water permeation. The solid GRP hull includes Kevlar reinforcement and isophthalic resin.
Conventional fore-and-aft stringers above and below the waterline provide rigidity, supported by structural floors down low. The deck uses a balsa core for stiffness, weight savings, and insulation. In load-bearing areas, marine-grade plywood replaces the balsa, and all load-bearing fittings are fastened through aluminum backing plates. The hull-to-deck joint consists of an inward flange in the topsides to which the deck is bonded.
Displacement is 70,547 pounds, including 20,723 pounds of lead in a short-chord fin and streamlined ballast bulb raked aft. The 29 percent ballast ratio and nearly nine-foot standard draft place much of that mass low and central, while a skeg supports the rudder. The builder said it had experience with carbon-fiber composite and vacuum technology but wouldn’t use customers as guinea pigs when adopting them.
Rig and Handling
The Oyster 62 carries an 86-foot masthead sloop rig, with 2,067 square feet of sail area measured as the mainsail plus 100 percent of the foretriangle. Its Sail Area/Displacement ratio is 19.4, while its Displacement/Length ratio is 189—figures that point to terrific speed potential in light-to-moderate conditions.
A true intermediate forestay can carry a staysail or storm jib. The stout three-spreader spar dispenses with running backstays but has redundant fore and aft lowers. According to the builder, Humphreys aimed for a well-balanced yacht that would feel light and responsive on the helm while retaining tram-like directional stability.
Test sailors found the 62 capable of bashing to weather into a sharp chop at a solid 7.5 to 8 knots, sailing about 40 degrees off the apparent wind. Test sailors found that the hydraulic steering provided feedback and made her fun to drive.
The race record supports the design’s performance credentials. The 62 achieved easy class wins in the ARC, took cruising line honours as the first finisher with 178 yachts astern, and swept all five races in Cruising Class 1 at Antigua Sailing Week.
Deck and Cockpit
One of the defining changes was the introduction of a split cockpit. The working area sits aft with twin wheels, while the forward section is one of the safest, most family-friendly cockpits in a yacht of this size. The Oyster 62 introduced a split cockpit.
The deck plan centers on a low-profile Deck Saloon cabin structure pitched aft from the mast base. It opens onto a large central cockpit flanked by primary and secondary winches, with dual wheels and consoles to port and starboard.
The foredeck is nearly flush, the bow is wide open, and the side decks are clear. Behind the helm niche, tiered fantail lounging extends all the way to the scooped boarding platform in the transom.
Accommodations
Interior designer Dick Young developed the accommodations within Humphreys’ hull design. The standard arrangement has a full-width deck saloon, with a large oval settee and dinette to starboard. Casual seating, the navigation station, and the communications center sit to port. American white oak and cherry were the standard finishes, with traditional teak available as an option.
Forward and one step down are three double staterooms sharing two heads. To port, a walk-through galley-cum-passageway leads aft to the owner’s suite. This includes a vanity or office niche, a commodious head and shower, and private access to the fantail.
A fifth double cabin, fitted with over-and-under twins, sits to starboard aft of the dinette. The Oyster 62 was also available with a four-cabin alternative, and Young suggested reducing the body count by using two ancillary doubles. Up to three head-and-shower compartments were offered. Overall, the accommodations compare favorably with those of many much larger yachts.
Performance and Voyaging
Beyond the racecourse, the Oyster 62 is an accomplished circumnavigator. In full cruising trim, 200-mile days are possible, and performance under sail is excellent.
America’s Cup and Fastnet winner Gary Jobson sailed one to the Arctic, reaching 80 degrees north. The voyage was a testament to the hull’s offshore range and to its seakindly form, which handles load and weather with composure.
The Verdict
The Oyster 62 is a considered evolution of the Oyster formula: a Humphreys-designed Deck Saloon voyager that combines the marque’s volume and comfort with an aggressive rig and the light-to-moderate-condition speed potential suggested by its numbers.
Its solid-glass hull, Kevlar reinforcement, and disciplined approach to deck coring point to durable offshore construction. The split cockpit and documented race results also mark it as a serious sailor’s cruiser rather than a mere floating apartment.
Pros
- Taller rig, longer waterline, and more volume than the Oyster 61, with proven 200-mile days and ARC class wins
- Solid, non-cored GRP hull with Kevlar reinforcement below the waterline and isophthalic resin for resistance to water permeation
- Split cockpit with a safe forward family area and an aft twin-wheel working cockpit
- Accommodations for up to five cabins, including a stern owner’s suite and a full-width deck saloon that rivals those of larger yachts
Cons
- At 35 tons and 189 D/L, she’s no lightweight flyer despite the moderate SA/D
- The standard 8'6" draft limits access to shallow cruising grounds
- The five-cabin layout may feel crowded compared with the alternative four-cabin arrangement
