Overview

Hylas 54 Review

Hylas 54 ReviewDavid Walters Yachts

The Hylas 54 has a well-earned reputation for strength, comfort, and quality construction, systems and hardware. Designed by German Frers and built by Queen Long. While no longer in production, the Hylas 54 remains one of the most popular choices for cruising couples with ambitions of distant cruising. Versatile and fast, the yacht is exceptionally capable in a variety of sea-states.

The Hylas 54 is most commonly cutter rigged with a Selden triple spreader aluminum stoway mast, a desirable option popular among many is the in-boom Leisure furling main. The modern cutter sail plan provides a wide range of selections to fit all sailing conditions. Ease of operation is provided by thoughtful leads of sheets and halyards along with electric or hydraulic furling mainsail, staysail, and headsail.

The hull is constructed of fiberglass-twaron, a carbon aramid fiber with alternating solid FRP glass layup. The glass is hand laid with no core and utilizes vinylester resins and isophthalic gel coat for superior protection against osmosis and hull blistering. The deck is cored with end grain balsa except in high-load areas such as deck fittings where it is solid. The hull and deck joints are chemically and mechanically fastened with a wide flange and 3M 5200 and stainless steel bolts on 4” centers with backing plates. Interior bulkheads are tabbed on all sides. Massive floors create a rigid hull with plenty of athwartship support. The fin keel is solid lead and bolted to the hull with 35mm stainless steel bolts, which in turn are supported by an 8mm stainless steel backing plate."

Accommodations

Entry down steps from cockpit to saloon, seating and dinette to port, settee to starboard. The

galley is aft and starboard, nav station is to aft and port. Aft of the galley is the aft cabin,

there is entry to the head and shower compartment to port from this cabin. Forward of the

saloon to port is the crew/guest quarters with bunks, to starboard is a head and shower

compartment. Forward is a cabin with large V-berth.

Finish throughout is high-gloss varnished hardwood, varnished bamboo with teak inlay flooring, headliner is white vinyl on panels. At the galley there are Corian countertops; dual stainless steel sinks with mixer faucet; top opening freezer, front opening stainless steel refrigerator, and a front and top opening refrigerator, and a Panasonic inverter microwave oven.

Forward Cabin

• Centerline island berth with custom mattress
• Port and starboard night tables/storage
• (2) 12V fans
• (2) Reading lamps
• Oceanair shade/screen built into overhead hatch
• Hanging locker
• Multiple small lockers and drawers

Forward Head

• Vacuflush head
• Shower sump pump

Guest Cabin

Aft Cabin

• Centerline queen berth with custom mattress
• Book shelves behind bed
• Powder station on port side of bed
• Extra storage cabinets starboard side of bed.
• Port and starboard hanging lockers
• Six drawers under bed
• Full length mirror on back of head door
• Built-in OceanAir shade/screen on overhead hatch
• (2) 12V fans

Aft Head

• Shower sump pump
• Vacuflush toilet
• Automatic macerator and holding tank monitor
• Washer/dryer mounted in locker in shower

Saloon

• Ultraleather upholstery
• Extra teak around saloon windows vs formica/vinyl, a nice touch
• Raising/lowering flatscreen 42" TV and Blu-Ray player on starboard side
• (3) 12V fans
• Starboard settee pulls put to form sea berth with lee cloth and padeyes
• Storable dinette seat/ottoman/low table
• Dinette table with removable leaf and storage cover (table is fixed and does not lower)
• (2) stereo speakers in overhead
• Ships bell
• Overhead hatches with screen

Galley

• Sink gray water pump
• Force10 propane stove and oven with countertop filler piece
• Panasonic inverter microwave
• Stainless steel front loading countertop height refrigerator 
• Top loading freezer
• Top and front loading refrigerator
• An extra, deep galley storage cabinet compared to standard Hylas 54
• Icemaker

Mast & Rigging

• Selden triple spreader mast
• Mast mounted radar reflectors (2)
• Mast mounted deck light
• Mast mounted digital TV antenna
• Standing rigging (original) inspected in 2020. Wire shrouds and stays show very little wear due to light use
• Running rigging in good to excellent condition
• Furlex genoa and staysail furlers
• Whisker pole on mast mount
• Electric in-mast furling
• Winches
• Antal W66 electric primary winches (2)
• Antal W46 electric secondary winches (2)
• Antal W52 manual cabintop winch
• Antal W52 electric mainsheet winch
• Antal W4 manual mast winches (2)
• Sails
• Doyle Zenith full-length vertical batten in-mast furling mainsail built out of square weave dacron
• Furling staysail and furler added in 2015
• Doyle Pentex 140% furling genoa
• 1.5oz asymmetric cruising spinnaker

Mechanical

Engine

• PSS shaft seal (replaced 2018)
• Folding 3-blade propeller

Fuel System

• Five stainless steel fuel tanks
• Twin Racor fuel/water seperators with vacuum gauge for main engine and fuel polishing
• Engine mounted fuel filter
• Seperate Racor for genset
• Genset mounted fuel filter

Freshwater System

• Three stainless steel freshwater tanks
• Primary and secondary electric freshwater pumps
• Water heater 120V and engine heat exchanger loop
• Newport Spectra 700 MkII water maker - 30 GPH

Blackwater System

• Two Vacuflush heads

Bilge Systems

• Primary and secondary electric bilge pumps
• Bilge high level alarm
• Manual bilge pump

Air Conditioning

• Three zone reverse cycle air conditioning (forward, saloon, aft)

Hull

Cosmetics

• Flag blue Awlgrip topsides paint
• White Awlgrip boot stripes
• Gold Awlgrip cove stripe

Equipment

• Sleipner Side Power bow thruster with dedicated battery

Deck

• Non-skid decks with diamond texture
• Brightwork in excellent condition
• Varnished teak grab rails forward and aft
• Teak cockpit steps
• Stainless steel mooring cleats with toerail fairleads
• Rocna anchor and chain 
• Aluminum toe rail, preferred for blue water cruising vs varnished teak
• New dodger, bimini, cockpit cushions, hatch and grab rail covers in Sunbrella
• Transom pulpits extended to midships gates
• Transom pulpit port and starboard built in seats
• Magma propane BBQ grill mounted to stern pulpit

Cockpit

• Solid teak cockpit sole with cockpit drains
• Varnished teak folding cockpit table with cupholders
• Varnished teak companionway

Transom

• Sugar scoop transom finished as topsides (repainted in 2018)
• Stainless steel folding swim ladder with stainless steel grabrails to port and starboard
• Teak steps on swim platform
• Opening stern locker with automatic/manual bilge pump and alarm
• Hot/cold freshwater shower with pull out nozzle
• Winslow 6-man in canister, model 60SCOP mounted in transom pulpit quick release cradle
• Simpson Lawrence stainless steel heavy duty davits upgraded with dyneema lines

Electrical

• BatteriesHouse - AGM 8D (4)
• Engine - 
• Generator -
• Windlass/Bow thruster -

Shore Power

• 50A 125/250V inlet

Generator

• Fischer Panda Mini 8 PMS, fresh water cooled Kubota Z482 twin cylinder diesel
• 8kw 120/240v output

Wind Generator

• Air Silent X wind generator, new updated blades in 2024

Solar

• 180W flexible solar panel, regulator and wiring - 2021

Electronics & Navigation

• HelmRitchie Powerdamp compass
• Raymarine Axiom Pro 12 MFD
• Raymarine ST60 Depth
• Raymarine ST60 Speed
• Raymarine ST60+ Wind
• Raymarine ST6002 Autopilot
• Maxwell remote windlass control
• ICOM VHF remote microphone with mast mounted hailer/horn

Nav Station

• Raymarine Axiom Pro 9 MFD
• Icom M604 VHF
• Icom M802 SSB
• Raymarine Autopilot Remote

Disclaimer

The company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change or withdrawal without notice.