The Oyster 53 was one of the first boat reviews to appear online in the Trade-A-Boat archive, so we took a fresh look—and uncovered more than just a standout bluewater cruiser. Behind the design lies a remarkable New Zealand connection and a significant legacy in this country’s boatbuilding history.
Among bluewater cruising yachts, the Oyster 53 stands out as a benchmark—a perfect marriage of offshore performance, luxury, and reliability. Designed by Rob Humphreys and built between 1999 and 2008, the 53 quickly rose to become one of Oyster Marine’s most successful models, with 52 hulls launched for owners wanting to cross oceans in style and safety. But while Oyster is a UK brand, a number of these yachts—and much of the design’s enduring quality—have a strong New Zealand backstory.
That story centres on Auckland-based McDell Marine, founded by Kim McDell, a pivotal figure in New Zealand’s marine industry. Between 1998 and 2010, McDell Marine was Oyster’s only international production partner, authorised to build yachts to the brand’s famously high standards. During that period, the yard built more than 60 Oyster yachts, including multiple Oyster 53s—bringing Kiwi craftsmanship to one of the world’s most prestigious bluewater marques.
McDell Marine: A global yard in a local port
Kim McDell wasn’t just a businessman—he was a sailor, engineer, and strategist. His career started in skiff racing, most famously winning the 1974 JJ Giltinan 18ft Skiff Championship with brother Terry McDell and Peter Brook aboard the Bruce Farr-designed Travelodge New Zealand. That blend of hands-on sailing knowledge and technical nous laid the foundation for McDell’s later success in manufacturing.
By the 1990s, his company had evolved from local trailer yachts and keelboats into a contract manufacturing powerhouse. McDell Marine delivered complex builds like the Farr MRX, Mumm 30, and Toyota’s Ponam 28 powerboats. But it was the Oyster Yachts contract that elevated the yard to international status. Oyster chose McDell Marine not simply because of pricing, but because of their unmatched attention to detail and ability to meet European luxury standards.
The yard’s work on the Oyster 53 was part of that legacy. Every New Zealand-built 53 was constructed under licence, to the same exacting specification as those produced in the UK. One of the most well-known is Southern Aurora, launched in 2003. Built at McDell’s yard, she dominated the New Zealand Oyster Regatta, then proved her offshore capabilities by averaging 180nm per day on a passage from Tahiti to Fiji. With just one owner, never chartered, and still going strong, Southern Aurora is a testament to the build quality that McDell delivered.
Built to go the distance
At 16.4 metres LOA and displacing 22.25 tonnes, the Oyster 53 was designed for long-haul cruising. She was the smallest Oyster to offer a four-cabin layout, making her suitable for families or those travelling with crew. The raised deck saloon, panoramic superglass windows, and finely crafted teak joinery created a light, comfortable interior that felt like a floating apartment—but was laid out with bluewater sailing in mind.
Above deck, she featured a cutter rig, bulb keel, skeg-hung rudder, and semi-custom construction. Some variants had in-mast furling; others, like Southern Aurora, had in-boom furling and a removable inner forestay for extra flexibility offshore. Most yachts came equipped with electric winches, watermakers, air conditioning, bow thrusters, and comprehensive nav packages. These were yachts you could sail short-handed around the world—and many have done just that.
Construction reflected both Oyster’s and McDell’s shared philosophy of durability over flash. Female-moulded solid GRP hulls, bronze rudder footings, vinylester resin, storm boards over saloon windows, and serious tankage—800L fuel and 750L water—meant these boats were built for months offshore, not weekends at anchor.
The Kiwi influence
McDell Marine’s contribution went beyond mere construction. Kim McDell brought a level of engineering control and production rigour that matched Oyster’s expectations. It’s no coincidence that during the New Zealand build era, Oyster earned a Trade New Zealand Export Commendation and expanded its global reach, with vessels shipped directly from Auckland to Europe, the US, and Asia. Over $100 million in exports were generated from the McDell-Oyster partnership, helping solidify New Zealand’s reputation as a premium boatbuilding nation.
That collaboration was the result of McDell’s strategic pivot in the 1990s. Rather than competing with overseas brands, he reasoned that it was smarter to build for them—turning New Zealand into a manufacturing base for top-tier international clients. His insight and execution turned McDell Marine into a trusted yard for brands that demanded consistency, quality, and craftsmanship.
A lasting legacy
Though the Oyster 53 is no longer in production, it remains a cornerstone of Oyster’s identity—and a quiet celebration of New Zealand boatbuilding. The boats coming out of McDell’s yard still command top dollar on the brokerage market thanks to their build quality and offshore-ready specification. With the emergence of newer models like the Oyster 805, it’s easy to see how yachts like the 53 helped shape what came next. Lessons from owners, builders, and long-haul cruisers all fed back into Oyster’s design process, making the 805 not just an update—but an evolution.
As for Kim McDell, his influence lives on through the yachts that still criss-cross the globe, as well as through the reputation he helped build for New Zealand’s marine industry. Whether you’re in the cockpit of an Oyster 53 somewhere in the South Pacific, or walking the docks at Pine Harbour, chances are you’ll see McDell’s legacy floating by—quiet, capable, and unmistakably Kiwi.