Oyster 745 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 745 follows Oyster’s center-cockpit trademark, with a hull distinguished by three vertical windows as a design signature repeated in the owner’s cabin. On deck, the walkways are wide enough to pass without squeezing through the shrouds, a safety feature the walkthrough reviewer singled out, and the area forward of the mast is a broad expanse with well-arranged hatches and skylights. The teak decking is of best quality with no noticeable wobble underfoot, and the middle batten carries a decorative “fish” detail. The deck saloon’s front glazing is built to read as one continuous black window without visible frames, taking on a cat-like profile when viewed from the side. Below, the wooden interior shows consistent finishing quality from the saloon through to the crew compartment. Writing in Cruising World, the tester who inspected the engine room described all primary systems arranged around the perimeter with really great access, and judged the boat beautifully built, nicely engineered, and comfortably serviceable.

Rig and Deck Handling

At the mast stand sit two halyard winches to either side, the primary being the larger of the pair. Some rigging lines leading aft pass through a small arch in front of the primary winches — huge stainless-steel Lewmar units positioned aft behind the steering stations — before being coiled. The cockpit itself is sheltered by a high coaming that arbitrates a safe atmosphere, and its central table folds out to all four sides to roughly triple its footprint into a dining platform. A large reclining area with two big L-settees can host around eight guests. The tester found the speed and maneuverability surprising, and noted she felt good, was easy to move around on deck and below, and was very comfortable.

Accommodations

The full-width aft master cabin is reached down a short two-step corridor from the saloon, passing a large bathroom with separated shower and electric toilet. The cabin itself is a private sanctuary with abundant storage, triple Seascape windows bathing it in natural light, and an ensuite with walk-in shower and electric flush toilet; touchscreens control the infotainment and air conditioning. The saloon places the dining area to starboard with notably fine upholstery, while a dedicated navigation station carries a massive wood chart table with facing areas for plotters, radar, computer screens, switch panels, and VHF. The galley has a stainless double sink, a 4-burner stove, and a large freezer-fridge combination at the forward bulkhead. Guest accommodations include a large cabin with big bed, opening porthole, and en-suite, plus a second with two separated beds. Forward, a Pullman-configured double crew cabin with en-suite matches the main interior’s finish, and the real companionway stair — not a ladder — drew praise as a stairway to heaven.

Known Issues

Energy consumption is a significant issue on this boat; the walkthrough noted that true circumnavigators would argue a vessel of this scale is not energy-independent without careful management. Paired with the day and night generator setup and a big shaft-drive engine with many systems, the 745 is an extremely complex boat to run.

The Verdict

The Oyster 745 is a thoroughly modern, professionally crewed offshore yacht that hits the sweet spot Oyster knew how to build — vast, light-filled accommodations wrapped in a seaworthy center-cockpit hull with excellent deck safety and service access. She rewards a crewed program and punishes the notion of casual two-person cruising, but as a luxury world-cruiser she is difficult to fault on execution.

Pros