Swan 38 S&S Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Swan 38 S&S means considering one of 116 Sparkman & Stephens hulls built between 1974 and 1979, a moderate-displacement Nautor sloop with a high ballast ratio and a massive rig. These are boats now decades into service, and the used fleet shows both owner-converted layouts and ex-charter histories that shape what a buyer meets at the dock.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common on the used market, but both layout types are available, and ex-charter examples are common. The aft cabin sits under the cockpit without standing headroom, while the forward cabin was originally a sail locker and was later converted to a double by many owners. The main saloon carries two pilot berths and settee sea berths around a folding-leaf table, and the galley sink is placed near the centerline to drain on either tack. A three-burner stove is present but small for serious meal preparation.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used fleet, autopilot, spinnaker, and chartplotter are commonly fitted. Often-seen additions include heating, solar, inverter, hot water, teak decks, radar, EPIRB, and life raft. For buyer consequence, the power and energy cluster — solar with inverter and a diesel heater — determines off-grid comfort and winter usability. Navigation commonly pairs the chartplotter with radar and an EPIRB for safety. Sail-handling upgrades sometimes appear as a bow thruster or electric winches, and canvas such as bimini and dodger is a less common owner addition. AIS and cockpit shower fall in the same occasional tier.
What to Inspect
The teak decks are foam-cored laminate, and water enters around deck fittings and through plank screw holes, weakening the structure; mid-1970s hulls may need deck replacement at substantial cost. Verify whether a deck has already been renewed. Steering-quadrant and cable access lies at the far end of the aft double berth, so inspect that path and the rudder installation, which is otherwise robust. Early hulls to 38/009 used roller reefing, later ones slab reefing, so confirm the reefing type by hull number. Tankage is limited — about 55 gallons water and 30 gallons diesel per period review — affecting range.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts typically appear in the United States, Australia, Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, and Portugal. For a buyer, the checklist is short: confirm deck-core condition and any replacement history; check steering access and rudder; identify reefing generation; assess tankage against intended use; and verify the layout matches the three-cabin or alternative plan you want.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Swan 38 S&S. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 7 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 2 | $95,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $92,051 | -3.1% |
| Nov 25 | 2 | $140,801 | +53.0% |
| Jan 26 | 4 | $57,012 | -59.5% |
| Apr 26 | 3 | $95,000 | +66.6% |
| Jul 26 | 5 | $70,000 | -26.3% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $95,084 | +35.8% |
Where they're listed
Swan 38 S&S listings appear across 7 countries. Australia has the most listings with 5 (29.4%), followed by United Kingdom and United States.
Country view
17 listings · 7 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $56,832 | 5 | 0 | 29.4% |
| United Kingdom | $101,948 | 3 | 1 | 17.6% |
| United States | $70,000 | 3 | 2 | 17.6% |
| Denmark | $89,360 | 2 | 2 | 11.8% |
| Sweden | $173,397 | 2 | 0 | 11.8% |
| Finland | $92,051 | 1 | 0 | 5.9% |
| Portugal | $81,565 | 1 | 0 | 5.9% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.