I want to buy a Classic S&S Swan from the 70s...any feedback

[Tetepare]

Need pics under sail.

[mikehnz]

If you can't find what you are after look for a Golden Wave 42. Robert Perry design. Built in Hong Kong by a yard wanting to sell a direct competitor to the Swans.

Solid build, great sea handling. Good lines.

[picklesandjesse]

I had an F and C 44 a Frers design of the same vintage and owned it for 10 years. Loved it at sea, has the usual teak deck lack of space etc but that was all forgiven when you row away and look back at her. Just posting here to get updates on what you end up buying. Good luck.

[rramsden]

If the teak needs replacing. Don't replace it with teak. There is excellent fake teak. Cheaper, no maintenance, from more that a foot away looks like teak. Same goes for the sole.

[Hermia II]

I have sailed on S&S Swans since 1981. In those days I was a charter skipper, picking up new Swans in Finland, chartering in Scandinavia in the summer, across to the Caribbean in the fall and back to the Med in the spring. I'v sailed 41', 47' and 57'. I now own a 57' sloop that had a new teak deck and Yanmar engine when I bought it, and since I have changed a lot of things,Sails, Winches, Hatches, Electronics, Electrics, Heads etc.etc. Having done all that I now have a top notch beautiful yacht at about half the price of a Hanse 572. I also have a yacht that I can trust in any kind of weather, which nobody beats close hauled, and everyone admires in the harbour. I have sailed her singlehanded for weeks, docking and all, you'll get the hang of it. Just get one and fix the things as you go along, you'll find it very rewarding.

[Island Time O25]

1981 Nautor Swan 47. Never got to sail one but had a close look before an auction a few years back. Looked and felt like a wellbuilt sailing machine. Unfortunately it went for way over what we and most of the other bidders hoped for. But just dreaming was quite affordable.

[boatman1]

I think that your plan is a good one. The suggestion(s) to use a material other than teak for the new deck surface is probably appropriate. One of my vivid memories is of hand steering a 44’ mid -70’s Swan in big seas on a broad reach. Any other boat (in my experience) would have worked the poor helmsman to tears: I could keep the Swan on course with ease. S&S got the hull shape and rudder size really well designed.
It is going to be a long and painful refit, and in these days of difficulty in getting “good” labor I might question the project. I’m finding that getting just about any (construction type) work accomplished in a timely manner at a reasonable(?) cost is not going to happen.

[Hermia II]

Please note that Teak Deck was an option and it is not necessary to have a Teak Deck. A painted deck is a good option. There are also several different types of synthetic teak (the Amel yachts use it as standard) but do check out how they look in a weathered state before you decide.

[Ramona]

I own an SS34 which originally had a teak deck. The teak deck really allowed me to purchase this vessel really cheap. The deck is now plywood sheathed in epoxy and fibreglass cloth. The cockpit is all teak in good nick but will be a concern in a few years.

My dream boat is a Swan 44 and if I had the money I would buy one no matter the condition of the deck. I've never sailed on one but if they are half as good as an SS34 that would be good enough!

[12 sail away]

Thank you, do you have a teakdeck.

[zstine]

Does it have to be Swan? My 1974 Tartan 41 is an S&S design very similar to a Swan, but no Teak Deck! I know they did a 43ft, which is just a stern extension of the 41, but I don't think Tartan built anything as big as you want. But there are other non-Swan builders that used S&S as the designer who may have made boats in the length you want...?

[Ramona]

Originally Posted by 12 sail away

Thank you, do you have a teakdeck.

I stripped off the teak and replaced it with one layer of Birch marine ply. This is a hardwood and very stiff. The teak was laid over plywood [mahogany] and the plywood rotted under the teak. There was a big saving in weight and now it's completely waterproof.

[maine50]

I think the S & S Swan 47 is one of the best Swans. It was made in 2 versions
with the centerboard version called a Swan 48 (and NY48) as it was a design competition for the NY YC The 48 is centerboard version with larger tanks for cruising and a slightly different interior (everything moved back 2'. Also has a second cabin entrance at fwd end of cockpit.

[SVQuestOfPaget]

You've probably already been to the "Classicswan.org" forum. On Yachtworld these boats are always touted as being the best of the best, but it pays to look beyond the name and surface beauty. You'll find on that forum that Swans, just like any other boat of that age, still have their foibles and issues to deal with. I'm not trying to dissuade you at all, just definitely keep in mind that they are older boats now.

I sail a Frers 39ft, his first commission after leaving S&S in 1969. The hull is almost identical to the Swan 40, though with lower freeboard and broader transom.

In my experience, hulls of this shape need a bit more wind to really bring the best out of them, and the Frers (with its conservative offshore "racing" rig) really comes alive above 15kts wind. These hulls move along beautifully when the wind picks up, and give you a sense of security without sacrificing speed. I like the small-ish cockpits for seagoing comfort and safety, and down below they're well thought out for comfort offshore as well as on the hook. The notes about limited volume below deck are well spoken - Swan crammed a lot of interior into the high deadrise hull shapes, and there aren't many free spaces for new additions.

If you've got the means to maintain and upgrade, go for the S&S boat.

[ihe2]

Here’s our story of restoring a S&S Swan 431 ”CAID” between 2011 and 2019. After that we’ve done a lot more but not updated the story: replaced the rods with wire, installed a freezer, updated the LiFePo4 system, etc.

http://www.sparkmanstephens.fi/project/caid-swan-431/

BR

IHe