Sparkman & Stephens Swan 38 Buyer's Guide
The Swan 38 is a Finnish cruiser-racer designed by Olin Stephens at Sparkman & Stephens and built by Nautor Swan from 1974 to 1979, with 116 produced. On the brokerage market she presents as a heavy-displacement masthead sloop of 38 feet 3 inches with a wing-fin keel and skeg-hung rudder — a sea-kindly offshore hull whose principal used-boat risks cluster in the deck rather than the backbone.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most boats carried the tall rig, with a few short or extra-tall versions, and below they share a saloon with pilot berths and settee sea berths around a folding-leaf table. The aft cabin sits under the cockpit without standing headroom, and the forward cabin was originally a sail locker later converted to a double on many boats. Headroom steps down from just over 6 feet at the companionway to 5 feet 10 inches in the head. The galley sink is on the centerline to drain both tacks, and a forward-facing chart table faces the galley. The aft double berth also hides the only access path to the steering quadrant and cables.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Commonly fitted equipment on offered boats includes chartplotter, AIS, autopilot, solar, and teak decks, while inverter, freezer, hot water, dodger, swim platform, EPIRB, and life raft are often seen. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — solar with inverter and autopilot reducing generator dependence on passage — and navigation and safety, where chartplotter, AIS, EPIRB, and life raft together define offshore readiness. Canvas such as a dodger and a swim platform speak to cockpit comfort rather than structural condition.
What to Inspect
Moisture finds its way under deck hardware and via the fastener holes in the teak planking, and the foam-cored laminate will be weakened by that ingress even though it will not rot. Because Scandinavian teak was kept thin for weight and cost, mid-1970s hulls may require deck replacement costing a substantial sum, so confirm whether a new deck was laid. Also check steering access: the quadrant and cables are reached only from the far end of the aft berth, which complicates any future service.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats typically appear in Australia, Spain, and Denmark. For a shopper, the short list is: verify deck-core condition or evidence of replacement; confirm the aft-berth steering access is serviceable; check that solar, autopilot, and navigation suite match your passage plans; and budget for modest original tankage even where upgraded.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Sparkman & Stephens Swan 38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $99,054 | — |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $27,974 | -71.8% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $103,289 | +269.2% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $174,929 | +69.4% |
| May 26 | 1 | $64,556 | -63.1% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $174,317 | +170.0% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $88,204 | -49.4% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $70,863 | -19.7% |
Where they're listed
Sparkman & Stephens Swan 38 listings appear across 4 countries. Australia has the most listings with 5 (55.6%), followed by Spain and Denmark.
Country view
9 listings · 4 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $64,556 | 5 | 1 | 55.6% |
| Spain | $99,054 | 2 | 1 | 22.2% |
| Denmark | $77,355 | 1 | 1 | 11.1% |
| United Kingdom | $95,110 | 1 | 1 | 11.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallberg-Rassy 38 | 37.96' | $ 96,807 | 30 | 7 |
| Swanson 38 S&S | 38.25' | $ 79,460 | 18 | 6 |
| Sparkman & Stephens Swan 38You are here | — | $ 95,090 | 11 | 5 |
| Northshore 38 | 37.99' | $ 52,005 | 11 | 5 |
| Grand Soleil 38 | — | $ 87,396 | 9 | 5 |
| Swan 37 | 36.5' | $ 80,205 | 6 | 2 |
| Morgan 38 | 37.67' | $ 69,000 | 5 | 1 |