2016 Hylas 56

Freshwater Kept, Heated Indoor Stored, Original Owner — The Most Lightly Used Hylas 56 On the Water

Stella Blue is an extraordinary example of the Hylas 56 is undoubtably the most lightly used yacht of her kind available today. Offered for sale by her original owner, she has spent her entire life in freshwater, typically commissioned for only three months each year and stored indoors in a heated facility for the remainder of the season.

Each winter, Stella Blue has been stored with the rig removed, protecting the mast, standing rigging, deck hardware, canvas, and exterior finishes from prolonged exposure to the elements. This exceptional ownership and storage history is evident throughout the yacht. Her exterior, interior, machinery spaces, and bilge all present in remarkably immaculate condition, and there is none of the saltwater corrosion commonly found around stainless-steel hardware, electrical connections, machinery, plumbing components, or deck fittings.

Her condition alone places Stella Blue in a category of her own, but it is the underlying design and construction of the Hylas 56 that makes her such a compelling offshore yacht.

The Hylas 56 is a serious bluewater cruising design created to combine offshore strength, dependable systems, secure handling, and refined liveaboard comfort. Her center-cockpit configuration provides a protected working environment on deck while creating space below for a private and exceptionally spacious aft owner’s suite.

The hull is constructed using hand-laid Twaron carbon-aramid fiber and fiberglass laminates with vinylester resin in a solid, uncored composite structure. This robust construction is complemented by a watertight collision bulkhead forward, watertight aft compartments, a solid lead keel, substantial stainless-steel keel bolts, and a partially skegged rudder positioned above the keel plane for added protection in the event of grounding.

On deck, the Hylas 56 is arranged for safe and efficient offshore operation. High stanchions, double lifelines, substantial stainless-steel and teak handrails, wide side decks, and a deep center cockpit provide security for crew moving around the yacht underway. Generous topside storage includes large aft lazarettes, a stern garage, a deep forward sail locker, and divided anchor and deck-gear compartments.

The cutter rig provides a versatile and manageable sail plan well suited to short-handed cruising. Stella Blue is further distinguished by her electric in-mast furling mainsail, roller-furling headsail and staysail, electric primary and secondary winches, and bow thruster. These features make sail handling, docking, and close-quarters maneuvering significantly easier for a cruising couple or limited crew.

Below deck, Stella Blue offers a highly customized three-cabin, two-head arrangement finished in handcrafted teak with raised-panel cabinetry, bamboo cabin soles, generous storage, and nearly seven feet of headroom in the main saloon. The full-length passage galley provides secure bracing on either tack, while the dedicated navigation station creates a practical command center for offshore passagemaking. The center-cockpit layout also allows for a spacious aft owner’s stateroom with centerline queen berth, extensive hanging lockers, and ensuite head.

For a buyer seeking a Hylas 56 without the wear, corrosion, and accumulated deterioration typically associated with a yacht of this age, Stella Blue represents a rare opportunity. Her original-owner provenance, freshwater history, limited seasonal use, heated indoor storage, immaculate condition, and highly desirable cruising specification set her apart from virtually every comparable Hylas 56 on the market.

Key Features:

• Exceptional freshwater provenance — always kept in freshwater and reportedly free from the saltwater corrosion commonly found on comparable yachts
• Remarkably light seasonal use, typically commissioned for only approximately three months each year
• Heated indoor storage during the off-season with the mast and rig removed
• Offered for sale by the original owner
• Immaculately maintained interior, exterior, machinery spaces, and bilge
• Highly desirable shoal-draft configuration
• Powerful Yanmar 110 HP diesel engine with four-blade Max-Prop
• Side-Power SP150TC bow thruster with helm control
• Northern Lights 6kW generator
• Selden electric in-mast furling mainsail
• Roller-furling 135% genoa and staysail
• Electric Antal primary, secondary, and mainsheet winches
• Deep, protected center cockpit designed for secure offshore sailing and short-handed operation
• Whitlock Mamba direct-drive steering system
• Three-cabin, two-head interior arrangement
• Spacious aft owner’s suite with centerline queen berth, custom memory-foam mattress, extensive cabinetry, and ensuite head
• Forward VIP stateroom with centerline island berth and custom memory-foam mattress
• Versatile port guest cabin with pull-out double berth, fixed single berth, bicycle storage, and stainless-steel work surface
• Handcrafted teak interior with raised-panel cabinetry and cedar-lined hanging lockers
• Bamboo cabin sole with teak accent strips
• Full-length offshore galley with Sahara Corian countertops and secure bracing on either tack
• Independent Frigoboat refrigerator and freezer systems
• Force 10 three-burner stove with oven and broiler
• GE Advantium convection microwave and U-Line stainless-steel icemaker
• Dedicated navigation station with dual work surfaces, chart storage, file cabinetry, and swing-out navigator’s seat
• Robust solid, uncored Twaron carbon-aramid reinforced fiberglass hull construction
• Vinylester resin construction with five epoxy barrier coats below the waterline
• Watertight collision bulkhead forward and watertight aft compartments
• Solid lead keel with substantial stainless-steel keel bolts and transverse backing plates
• Partially skegged rudder positioned above the keel plane for grounding protection
• Approximately 414 gallons of fuel capacity in six independent stainless-steel tanks
• Approximately 141 gallons of freshwater capacity in two independent stainless-steel tanks
• Four Lifeline AGM 8D house batteries providing approximately 1,000 amp-hours — replaced Spring 2024
• Mastervolt charging and inverter equipment with dual engine and house-bank alternators
• Isolation transformer for enhanced shore-power protection and international cruising capability
• Two CruiseAir reverse-cycle air-conditioning systems with digital controls
• Extensive topside storage, including large aft lazarettes, stern garage, deep forward sail locker, and divided anchor locker
• Extended stainless-steel pushpit, 32-inch stanchions, double lifelines, and multiple Wichard safety attachment points
• Solid teak cockpit sole, varnished teak cockpit table with built-in cooler, and teak stern seats
• Interlux Ultra antifouling bottom paint — Spring 2025