At just over 35 feet overall, with a waterline near 27.6 feet, she sits at the upper end of the decade’s Scandinavian production-cruiser range. She shares the marque’s hand-laid fiberglass hull language but has her own distinct numbers.
Design and Construction
The hull and deck are molded fiberglass, while the interior is finished with mahogany joinery. This combination of solid GRP shells and warm woodwork was consistent with the yard’s practice of pairing them.
The keel is iron rather than lead, setting its ballast approach apart from that of many contemporaries. Displacement is near 10,600 pounds, with roughly 4,200 pounds of ballast and a ballast ratio of about 35 percent. A length-to-beam ratio of 3.24 describes a moderately narrow hull for the era.
Wetted surface is about 344 square feet. An immersion rate of roughly 1,040 pounds per inch indicates predictable settling under load. With a capsize screening value of 1.87 and a motion comfort ratio in the mid-20s, the Scanmar 35 reads as a stable coastal and offshore candidate rather than a featherweight racer.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Scanmar 35 carries a fractional rig. According to one period database assessment, she has more sail plan than roughly two-thirds of comparable sailboats, making her slightly overrigged.
Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 14.5 using the ISO reference sail and rises to 17.0 with a 135 percent genoa. Along with a displacement-length ratio of 259, those figures support her moderate-racer classification.
The fin keel draws between 5.8 and 6.1 feet, depending on load—shallow enough for most marina entrances. Theoretical displacement-hull speed is about 7.0 knots, while reported maximum speed reaches 8.0 knots. Relative speed performance is logged at 34.
Auxiliary power comes from a 28-horsepower Volvo Penta MD2003 diesel, driving a saildrive leg rather than a conventional shaft.
Accommodations and Tankage
Below, the cabin is framed in mahogany, the yard’s standard interior wood. A three-cabin owner layout is among the known configurations. The builder’s broader 1980s lineage shows steady refinement of aft-cabin thinking across the range, although the Scanmar 35’s own arrangement is mahogany-finished and companionable for its size class.
Tankage comprises 60 gallons of water and 40 gallons of diesel, supporting extended cruising without frequent replenishment.
The Verdict
The Scanmar 35 is a thoughtfully proportioned Scandinavian cruiser. Her slightly overrigged fractional sloop rig and predictable behavior under load make her an able moderate racer and a comfortable cruiser. The iron keel and saildrive transmission are period-appropriate engineering choices rather than compromises, while her modest draft keeps most harbors accessible.
Pros
- Slightly overrigged fractional sloop with strong sail-area-to-displacement numbers
- Stable, predictable behavior under load, with documented comfort and capsize ratios
- Mahogany interior and solid fiberglass construction from a known Swedish yard
Cons
- Iron keel rather than lead, requiring vigilance for long-term corrosion
- Saildrive transmission requires a different maintenance discipline from a conventional shaft drive
