Swan 42/003, 1981, Ron Holland

[h20man]

Originally Posted by mattplowman

I am looking at a Swan 371 1981, Holland design. I would appreciate any comments / experiences from other forum members on this design. Preferably from those who have actually sailed on one.

Did most of my early sailing on a Frers Swan 53 so have been ruined for the rest of my life....only a Swan will do!!!

Swans are incredible.. but also look at Baltic Yachts... some of the guys left swan and got into custom and semi-custom.... Lovely boats as well... Beautiful vessels.....

[jamesjle]

If the fundamentals are good the Swans from the Holland period are excellent boats. Very solid build but make sure
you have a dry hull. At 30 years there will be quite a lot of systemic renewal required. However it's all straight forward.
You will find the yard quite helpful with old bits. They don't always have them but surprisingly often do. Some skill with
varnish refurbishment will also be useful.

[deluxe68]

Time to jump start an old thread. A 1986 RH Swan 43 has jumped up on my radar for $169K. Anyone have any experience on how this particular boat handles? We (wife and I) are looking for a safe cruiser, not looking to race and will probably never use the spinnaker.

[jamesjle]

The 42 is a terrific sea boat and I imagine the 43 by Holland would be similar. When we purchased the 42 the Nautor operative of Nautor Swan Benelux said he felt the fore triangle was a bit large for two people on the 43.
I think the 43 has a single cockpit which makes life easier when doing quick tacks short handed than the 42 which has two cockpits. It means you can only operate one person per cockpit, IE no help with tailing etc. Not really a problem long range with autopilot or wind vane.
The large bridge deck makes for unprotected sailing at times for crew on watch.
Bigger dodgers can be fitted but they produce a crap look.
All in all a few details to think about but a great sail in any conditions. Do get the hull and deck carefully checked for damp, some are very dry others not so good. If wet don't buy, period.

[JazzyO]

Originally Posted by h20man

Swans are incredible.. but also look at Baltic Yachts... some of the guys left swan and got into custom and semi-custom.... Lovely boats as well... Beautiful vessels.....

I agree (well I would as a Baltic owner).

There is a lovely Baltic 42 (single cockpit) for sale in Rotterdam for €80k in case anyone is interested. In the magazine feature from 2009 I have about this boat she looks fabulously maintained. If I had had a crystal ball in 2011, I would have waited for this one... No affiliation BTW.


Onno

[jamesjle]

It's a possible but very cheap in Euro for the type and size of boat. They had a lot of problems with balsa core decks etc. A serious survey of the fundamentals is vital. Cosmetic details can drive a price down and provide lots of sanity restoring work. Other problems are incredibly difficult and very expensive to correct.

[MacG]

A balsa cored boat - hull - deck - will be after 20 years+ of service a definite liability.
Glassfiber reinforced polyester resin is not watertight, finally the core becomes drenched with moisture anbd that the end on the strength side. A very costly operation could probably save the boat - or not. Delamination is the inevitable result. High quality build hulls like Swan, Baltic - tend to have lesser FRP traumas, but that's not a guarantee.

[steve123crew]

Greetings all,

Have any of you ever heard of anyone modifying/upgarding the rudder of a Swan 42 to make it more robust or help steer downwind? Is a Swan 42 big enough for Cape Horn and the Southern Ocean singlehanded? Has anyone ever heard of dodger modifications to make the 2 cockpit configuration better for cruising? Does the Swan 42 have a sea kindly motion for long term cruising? I saw an earlier post somewhere that said they were unsteerable downwind. Would a Swan 42 weighing 24,000 pounds be a good cruiser? Any issues with the deep draft that would keep you from cruising in the Caribbean or elsewhere or there is always an option to anchor in deeper water? I hear people referring to certain boats as leaners. Would a Swan 42 be a comfortable ride compared to something like a Caborico 38 or Tayana 37? What keel/rudder/displacement configuration would you prefer for all points of sail, safety, big following seas?

Thanks for any input. I know I put a lot of questions, Steve

[deluxe68]

Originally Posted by steve123crew

Greetings all,

Have any of you ever heard of anyone modifying/upgarding the rudder of a Swan 42 to make it more robust or help steer downwind? Is a Swan 42 big enough for Cape Horn and the Southern Ocean singlehanded? Has anyone ever heard of dodger modifications to make the 2 cockpit configuration better for cruising? Does the Swan 42 have a sea kindly motion for long term cruising? I saw an earlier post somewhere that said they were unsteerable downwind. Would a Swan 42 weighing 24,000 pounds be a good cruiser? Any issues with the deep draft that would keep you from cruising in the Caribbean or elsewhere or there is always an option to anchor in deeper water? I hear people referring to certain boats as leaners. Would a Swan 42 be a comfortable ride compared to something like a Caborico 38 or Tayana 37? What keel/rudder/displacement configuration would you prefer for all points of sail, safety, big following seas?

Thanks for any input. I know I put a lot of questions, Steve

Steve

I am not familiar with the 42 specifically and do not know about rudder problems. Swans built in the 70's were overbuilt and nearly indestructible, they got lighter as the decades went by. My 1986 model is very robust. The steering downwind issue was likely overblown or coming from an unreliable source. Any full keel boat will be a bit more sea kindly but they will also be slower in speed and reaction time. Swans down to the 36 have rounded Cape Horn or other similar conditions. Ours has a Scheel keel which is about a foot shallower than standard. That being said, it loves going upwind.

There were not too many Ron Holland boats made. There is a huge support group for the earlier S&S boats that covers every aspect of the boats hardware. If I was to do it over again I would buy a cheap 1970's 47, or an early 90's 44/46.

In any case, be prepared to spend lots of money.

[steve123crew]

Thank you very much for the reply on the Ron Holland Swan 42!! They seem like very solid boats and it's hard to decide what really matters for overall safety in the areas of protected props and skeg hung rudders vs spade, sea kindly motion, maneuverability and stability when things get rough, IOR boats. Input greatly appreciated!

[savoir]

You do not want to be owning a Holland Swan. They were built to be a rich man's IOR racer not to be a cruiser. Take a look at the tortured rear end on all of them which makes them difficult to steer. In that size bracket of Swan you would be better off with a S & S 47 or a Frers 44.

[steve123crew]

Thank you for the input!!