Design and Construction
The solid-fibreglass monohull has wood trim, a raked stem, and an angled transom. The later Swan 57CC Frers replaced that stern treatment with a reverse transom. Below the waterline, the Swan 55 CC carries a fixed fin keel, with a deep-draft version offered as an option. An internally mounted spade rudder provides wheel steering.
The boat measures 54.98 feet overall and 42.87 feet on the waterline, with a beam of 15.92 feet. Displacement is 52,000 pounds, including 19,900 pounds of lead ballast. That gives a 38-percent ballast ratio, placing the design firmly in serious offshore-cruiser territory.
The standard keel draws 8.5 feet. Owners willing to trade access to shallow harbours for greater stability and windward bite could choose the 10.83-foot deep-draft option.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Bermuda masthead sloop rig has a 62-foot foretriangle and a 50.5-foot mainsail luff. Working sail area is 1,147 square feet against the boat’s 52,000-pound displacement.
A PHRF handicap of 63 and theoretical hull speed of 8.77 knots frame the Swan 55 CC as a moderate-performance cruiser. She isn’t a lightweight sprinter, but her stability and sail plan should let her cover ground steadily offshore.
For docking and manoeuvring rather than passage-making under power, the boat carries a British Perkins diesel producing 116 horsepower, fed by 163 gallons of fuel.
Accommodations
The centre-cockpit arrangement sleeps six. Forward is a cabin with a double V-berth and two bunk beds. The main saloon has an L-shaped settee opposite a straight settee, while the aft cabin contains a double berth to starboard.
A straight galley runs along the port side just aft of the companionway ladder. It includes a four-burner stove, an ice box, and a sink. The navigation station faces it to starboard.
There are two heads: one to starboard, immediately aft of the bow cabin, and another aft on the starboard side. Fresh-water capacity is 232 gallons. Taken together, the tankage and interior layout suit extended living aboard rather than weekend coast-hopping.
Lineage and Production
The Swan 55 CC was developed into the Swan 57CC Frers, which added a reverse transom to the same essential package. With only 22 boats built between 1990 and 1997, the 55 CC is a comparatively rare Frers Swan. It sits between the earlier Swan 51, which opened the partnership, and the later, larger centre-cockpit evolution.
The Verdict
The Frers Swan 55 CC is a low-production, genuinely offshore-capable centre-cockpit cruiser from the heart of the Frers–Nautor collaboration. Its solid-glass hull, heavy lead ballast, and carefully considered accommodation plan make it a serious voyaging platform. The modest production run also gives each example a degree of rarity that later, larger Swans don’t share.
Pros
- 19,900 lb of lead ballast on a 52,000 lb displacement, giving a reassuring 38% ballast ratio
- Centre-cockpit layout with six berths and two heads, well suited to liveaboard cruising
- Optional 10.83 ft deep-draft keel for improved windward ability
- Direct predecessor to the Swan 57CC Frers, with a clear Frers lineage
Cons
- Only 22 were built, so spares and comparative survey data are scarce
- The 116 hp Perkins is sized for manoeuvring, not sustained motoring
- The standard 8.5 ft draft limits access to shallow anchorages
