Sparkman & Stephens Pedigree, Queen Long Craftsmanship, Bluewater Capability
MARA is the sort of yacht that built the Hylas reputation: substantial underfoot, handsome from every angle, and engineered for owners who care more about real passagemaking ability than dockside fashion. Designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built by Queen Long Marine, this 1998 Hylas 49 blends the reassuring feel of a proper offshore cruiser with the comfort, storage, and liveaboard practicality that make extended time aboard enjoyable rather than compromising. Her center-cockpit layout, raised freeboard, and sugar-scoop stern create a yacht that is secure at sea, easy to move around on, and welcoming at anchor.
Below, MARA offers a warm teak interior with a true three-cabin, two-head arrangement, a large aft owner’s suite, a separate forward guest zone, and the kind of galley, systems access, and tankage that matter when the horizon is a long way off. She has clearly been outfitted with cruising in mind, with features such as bow thruster assistance, climate control, hydronic heat, solar charging, dual refrigeration, and excellent ventilation. For sailors seeking a proven bluewater platform with authentic pedigree and the volume to cruise seriously, MARA presents a compelling opportunity.
Key Features:
MARA presents the warm, traditional character that has long made Hylas yachts so appealing to serious cruisers. The interior is finished in rich teak joinery with louvered locker doors, solid teak trim, and a teak-and-holly sole, creating an atmosphere that is both elegant and durable. Natural light and airflow are excellent throughout, with multiple opening ports and overhead hatches helping the yacht feel bright and well ventilated below decks.
Descending the companionway, the main saloon opens with a U-shaped dinette to port and a straight settee to starboard. The navigation station is immediately to port at the base of the companionway, keeping communications and ship’s systems close at hand. To starboard, the linear walkthrough galley is positioned for secure meal preparation underway and leads aft into the private owner’s cabin with island queen berth and en-suite head. Forward of the saloon, a separate guest area includes a V-berth stateroom, a port bunk cabin, and a second head with separate shower stall.
Interior Styling and Additional Features:
MAIN SALOON
The main saloon is comfortable, secure, and properly arranged for life offshore. Seating is generous on both sides, storage is abundant, and there are ample handholds throughout for safe movement underway. The dinette to port is suited for dining, passage planning, or relaxing at anchor, while the starboard settee can serve as an excellent sea berth on passage.
MASTER STATEROOM
Located aft for privacy and comfort, the owner’s stateroom is one of MARA’s standout features. The centerline queen berth makes the space feel more like a proper cabin than a compromise typical of smaller cruising yachts, while surrounding teak cabinetry, drawers, and lockers provide excellent storage for extended living aboard.
Master Head
The owner’s en-suite head is arranged for practical offshore use while still offering the comfort expected of a quality cruising yacht. A separate shower stall keeps the space drier and more usable than a typical wet-head arrangement, and the teak joinery and Corian-style surfaces are durable and easy to maintain.
VIP STATEROOM
Forward accommodations are well suited for guests or family, with a spacious V-berth cabin that enjoys privacy from the main saloon and convenient access to the forward head. The arrangement gives the bow area the feel of a separate guest suite.
VIP Head
The forward head serves the VIP cabin and the adjacent port bunk cabin. As with the aft head, the separate shower stall is a valuable feature for extended cruising, helping keep the vanity and toilet areas clean and dry.
GUEST CABIN (PORT)
To port in the forward accommodation area, MARA includes a separate bunk cabin that works well as a guest cabin, children’s cabin, or dedicated offshore storage space. Its location and enclosed layout make it a versatile addition for cruising families or passagemaking couples carrying extra gear.
The starboard walkthrough galley is one of the most practical features of the Hylas 49 design. Its narrow, linear layout allows the cook to brace securely while underway, and its position between the cockpit access and aft cabin keeps traffic flow logical without sacrificing usable workspace.
NAVIGATION STATION
The navigation station is positioned just inside the companionway to port, where it serves as the operational hub for passage planning, communications, and electrical management. It is close enough to the cockpit for easy communication with the helm while still remaining protected below.
ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS
MARA is equipped with a practical mix of sailing instruments, communication gear, charging systems, and onboard monitoring suited to coastal cruising and longer offshore work. The electronics package reflects thoughtful owner use and includes both cockpit and nav-station chartplotters, AIS/VHF capability, inverter capacity, and solar support.
HELM STATION
HULL
The Hylas 49 is respected for robust offshore construction and a sea-kindly Sparkman & Stephens hull form. Built with a solid hand-laid fiberglass hull and reinforced structure, MARA offers the substantial feel, directional stability, and confidence that have made these yachts enduring bluewater favorites.
DECK
The deck layout balances offshore security with cruising comfort. Raised freeboard helps keep the deck dry in a seaway while also contributing to the yacht’s interior volume, and the reverse transom with integrated boarding platform improves access from dinghy or dock.
COCKPIT
MAST AND RIGGING
SAILS AND WINCHES
ENGINE AND MECHANICAL
One of the Hylas 49’s most appreciated design strengths is its mechanical access. Rather than burying the engine beneath a cramped companionway, the center-cockpit arrangement allows multi-sided access through the walkthrough, companionway, nav station, and aft cabin areas. For owners who maintain their own boat or cruise far from service yards, this is a major advantage.
PLUMBING AND TANKAGE
Tankage aboard MARA supports serious cruising use, with substantial fuel and water capacity and straightforward system layouts.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
AUDIO/VISUAL AND ENTERTAINMENT EQUIPMENT
BROKER’S COMMENTS
MARA offers the blend of pedigree, workmanship, and practical cruising features that has kept the Hylas 49 highly regarded among serious sailors. She is not a stripped-down racer-cruiser or a marina condo pretending to be a passagemaker; she is a genuine offshore sailing yacht with the layout, systems access, storage, and construction to support real use. For an owner seeking a respected Sparkman & Stephens design with a proper center-cockpit arrangement and comfortable liveaboard capability, MARA deserves close attention.
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.
Listing MLS by Yachtr.com
