The Vista 545 is a serious offshore cruiser rather than a deck-saloon coastal traveler. She measures 54 feet 6 inches overall, with a 44-foot waterline and a beam of 15 feet 2 inches. Displacement is 38,000 pounds, including 14,000 pounds of ballast.
Construction and Structure
Bill Dixon’s Vista-series partnership with Passport produced a hand-laid solid-fiberglass hull with Aramid reinforcement, vinylester resin, and longitudinal and transverse stringers. The isophthalic gelcoat is intended to provide blister resistance, while a watertight forward bulkhead serves as a collision barrier. The deck has a closed-cell foam core, with reinforcement beneath hardware mounting points.
The interior construction is particularly flexible. At the factory, the joinery was installed after the deck went on, allowing all of it to be removed through the cabin. Because the furniture is non-structural, the builder could customize the layout to suit almost any preference. Wiring and plumbing are clearly marked for tracing, a detail that should prove useful throughout the boat’s life.
Rig and Sail Handling
The Vista 545 continues Passport’s double-headed-rig tradition. The test boat carried a self-tacking inner jib and a 130 percent genoa on the outer stay. This Solent arrangement keeps sail handling manageable for a short-handed crew.
Thom Wagner of Passport has said that he prefers battenless roller-furling mainsails on boats as large as the 545, a manufacturer preference reflected in the standard sail plan. The masthead sloop rig has a 100-percent foretriangle sail area of 1,045 square feet and is designed to keep the boat moving without requiring a crowd on the foredeck.
Performance Under Sail and Power
In 12 to 14 knots of breeze, the test sailors reached speeds of better than 7 knots on a beam reach and held more than 6 knots close-hauled. When gusts rose to 20 to 23 knots, the hull put her shoulder down and held a steady course through the waves. She also tacked easily through about 80 degrees.
Under power, the 110 hp Yanmar produced 8.2 knots at 2,200 rpm, and the boat pivoted through roughly 1.5 boatlengths. The test boat’s two-speed Gori prop could be set to low pitch for normal motoring. High pitch increased prop walk, allowing near-sideways docking when used with the bow thruster. It also provided a quieter, more efficient ride when motorsailing in light air.
The reviewer recorded engine noise of 77 dBA, a little more than expected aboard a boat of this size.
Accommodations and Cockpit Protection
The tested layout had double-berth cabins fore and aft, each with a spacious head and shower. Between them, the saloon included a starboard settee and a port dinette. An in-line galley ran along the starboard passageway, while a navigation station to port concealed a washer/dryer behind it.
Headroom is 7 feet 2 inches. The forward berths measure 6 feet 5 inches by 4 feet 10 inches, and the aft berth measures 6 feet 6 inches by 5 feet. Wagner noted that the plan could accommodate a third cabin if the navigation station moved across the saloon to replace the settee.
On deck, a hard windshield supports the dodger and awning while shielding the helm from the weather.
The Verdict
The Vista 545 is a thoughtfully engineered flagship. It carries over a proven hull, lengthened at the scoop stern, and combines it with a removable, non-structural interior that allows extensive customization. Its double-headed Solent rig also makes a 54-foot boat more tractable for a short-handed crew.
Under sail, the boat proved stiff and quick in a breeze. Under power, the two-speed prop offered efficient motoring and useful maneuvering options. The main caveats are the engine-noise level recorded during testing and the fact that a 38,000-pound cruiser still requires careful docking, despite the help provided by the bow thruster and prop-walk aids.
Pros
- Aramid-reinforced solid-fiberglass hull with stringers and a collision bulkhead
- Removable joinery and non-structural furniture allow factory customization
- Double-headed Solent rig simplifies short-handed sail handling
- Strong sailing performance, including more than 7 knots on a beam reach and steady handling in 20 to 23 knot gusts
- Two-speed Gori prop and bow thruster assist with docking and motorsailing
Cons
- Engine noise measured 77 dBA under power
- Large displacement calls for experienced handling in tight quarters
