Passport Vista 585 TC Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is solid fiberglass, hand laminated with DBM stitched biaxial fabrics and 100% vinylester resin throughout, with aramid reinforcement in the layup and Ashland Maxguard gelcoat on every exterior surface anchor. A matrix of longitudinal and transverse foam-cored stringers in the lower hull and hull sides provides maximum hull stiffness without introducing wood into the structure. Passport eliminated wood coring everywhere, and deck hardware areas are backed with high-density Divinycell H200 foam and through-bolted on stainless plates. The deck itself is closed-cell Divinycell composite. A watertight forward bulkhead and marine plywood bulkheads tabbed to hull and deck round out a structure built to stay dry and coherent in a seaway. The keel is a fixed modified fin with internal lead ballast glassed in — no keel bolts to weep or loosen — and a balanced skeg-mounted rudder carries an internal stainless post with integral reinforcement.

Rig and Handling

The 585 TC is rigged as a solent with a Selden hydraulic furling mast and separate hydraulic furlers for the genoa and the self-tending jib, driven by a 24-volt hydraulic system that also serves the windlass and boom vang. Five internal halyards and 316 stainless rigging with mechanical compression fittings keep the rig clean and serviceable. Sail area totals 1,631 square feet under a Quantum furling mainsail, a self-tacking working jib, and a furling reacher. Below the waterline, a Varifold 26-inch folding prop on a 2-inch shaft and a Side Power bow thruster with twin counter-rotating props take the strain out of close-quarters work, while Jefa torque-tube steering to dual 40-inch wheels gives positive, low-effort command. The 180-HP electronically controlled diesel and 8KW generator feed a 24-volt house system with a 5,000-watt inverter and a 12-volt subsystem for instruments and nav lights.

Accommodations

The standard arrangement is three staterooms and two heads, with a full-sized walk-in engine and machinery room — a rarity that lets an owner actually stand among the systems. A four-cabin layout was offered as an option. Cruising World noted that, as with all Passports, the owner, designer, and builder collaborate to customize a one-of-a-kind yacht anchor, so interior veneers could be American cherry or Burmese teak with solid wood trim. The companionway is a custom 316 stainless sliding door with an acrylic insert, and the integral step-down transom leads to a swim platform and ladder. Five Cruisair units totaling 60,000 BTU, a Force 10 three-burner propane stove, and 425 gallons of water capacity speak to long independent stretches aboard.

Equipment and Systems

Factory equipment leans toward self-sufficiency: a Racor 75500 MAX2 dual fuel filter setup protects the engine, and the large engine room carries an automatic fire extinguisher. Two Harken #80.2 electric primaries, a Lewmar hydraulic windlass, and an 88-pound Delta anchor with 250 feet of 3/8-inch HT chain complete the ground tackle. The 510-gallon fuel capacity and 24-volt architecture are sized for a boat of this displacement and range ambition rather than trimmed for a lighter class.

The Verdict

The Passport Vista 585 TC is a heavily engineered, customizable passagemaker with a bolt-free internal-ballast keel, a walk-in machinery space, and a hydraulic solent rig that reduces crew workload at sea. She is built without wood coring and with serious structural backing, but her size, systems complexity, and bespoke nature demand an owner willing to maintain hydraulic and 24-volt infrastructure.

Pros