Writing in Cruising World, one reviewer noted that the 515 is large enough—in both accommodations and handling—to satisfy the offshore aspirations of most sailing couples. Perry’s long association with the marque began with the Passport 40, and the 515 carries that lineage into a thoroughly contemporary hull.
Design and Construction
The 515 has a solid-fiberglass hull, hand laminated with stitched biaxial fabrics and 100 percent vinylester resin throughout. The layup includes aramid reinforcement and a matrix of foam-cored stringers in the lower hull and sides for stiffness.
There’s no wood coring anywhere. The deck is a closed-cell Divinycell foam composite, with high-density H200 reinforcement beneath every through-bolted deck fitting and stainless backing plates. A watertight forward bulkhead and tabbed marine-plywood bulkheads throughout divide the structure into compartments.
The lead ballast is encapsulated inside a modified fin keel molded integrally with the hull, so there are no keel bolts. The semi-balanced rudder hangs from a half skeg on a stainless post.
Cruising World found the joiner work impeccable. A later used-boat survey described the hulls as built to ABYC and CE requirements.
Rig, Sailing and Handling
The 515 carries a Solent rig with a Selden internal-furling mast and five internally led halyards. The rigging is 316 stainless steel with compression fittings, and both the working jib and reaching stays use Furlex furlers. A Hard Vang and Harken traveler control the mainsail. All winches are Harken Radials, led by two #70 primaries.
Most sail handling can be done from the cockpit. The test boat’s in-mast furling mainsail perhaps didn’t show the design at its best in light air: the tester recorded 2.8 knots upwind in a scant 5 knots of breeze. On a reach, the boat made 5.1 knots.
Under the Yanmar, it reached 8.6 knots at full power and cruised at 7.2 knots at 2,200 rpm. The builder provided excellent all-sides access to the engine, although a used-market inspector found the compartment somewhat cramped. Commonly serviced items remained reachable.
Accommodations
The standard layout has two staterooms and two heads. In the center-cockpit version, the master stateroom is aft, with a configurable stateroom forward, a central saloon and a midships space that can serve as either an office or another cabin. Three-stateroom and fully custom interiors were optional.
Buyers could choose American cherry or Burmese teak veneers with solid-wood trim. Cruising World described the saloon as almost obscenely spacious, with a cathedral ceiling. One surveyor reported that the interior can be disassembled with minimal tools.
The narrow, straight-line passage galley runs along the starboard side. Its arrangement keeps the cook secure while maintaining a connection with the saloon. A later reviewer noted that the port-side outboard space beside the companionway steps has been used as both a pilot berth and a navigation station. The same reviewer observed that the angular settee lacks sweeping curves.
Equipment and Systems
Power comes from a Yanmar common-rail diesel in a foam-insulated engine room. The builder cites 110 hp, while a period review listed 100. The installation includes a Racor filter and bronze shaft gear.
The electrical system includes four AGM house batteries, plus two start/windlass banks. Charging and power equipment comprises a Balmar alternator with a spare, twin Duo Chargers and a 3,000-watt inverter-charger, all connected through a CE/ABYC Blue Sea panel.
Tankage includes 250-gallon aluminum fuel tanks and 316L stainless-steel water tanks. Two Rule bilge pumps provide a combined capacity of 6,500 GPH, supplemented by an emergency pump for the forward area. Both heads have Raritan toilets and holding tanks.
The standard sailaway package was commissioned, launched and ready to sail.
Verdict
The Vista 515 is a low-production, heavily specified Perry cruiser for buyers who want custom interior woodwork and offshore-capable systems without a mass-market deck saloon. Its molded structure is conservative and well compartmented, while its standard equipment list is unusually complete for the class.
Pros
- Solid-vinylester hull with encapsulated lead ballast and no keel bolts
- Extensive standard equipment from outside vendors, including Harken, Selden, RayMarine and Blue Sea
- Customizable, impeccably joined interior with a roomy center-cockpit layout
- Strong bilge-pump capacity and a watertight forward bulkhead
Cons
- Only 13 were built, and semi-custom interior parts aren’t interchangeable
- Cramped engine compartment; limited generator access on boats fitted with one
- Modest light-air performance with the furling mainsail, according to the tester
- Forward saloon window trim rings have reportedly loosened on some hulls
