Design and Construction
The hull is fiberglass-reinforced plastic, stiffened by longitudinal stringers and transverse frames. The deck is FRP with a balsa core for insulation and rigidity.
The Swan 40 displaces 19,000 pounds and carries 7,900 pounds of lead ballast, giving it a ballast-displacement ratio of about 42 percent. Beam is 10 feet 8 inches, and the waterline measures 28 feet 6 inches.
Below the waterline, a fixed lead fin keel is secured to the hull with stainless steel bolts. The standard keel draws 6 feet 8 inches. Steering is through an FRP rudder mounted on a skeg, with a stainless steel stock connected to the wheel by cables and pulleys.
An optional retractable-centerboard version used a shorter fin and a steel board operated by a cockpit winch. Draft was 4 feet with the board raised and 8 feet with it lowered, providing a meaningful shoal-water alternative within the same hull.
Rig and Handling
The masthead Bermuda rig uses a keel-stepped aluminum mast with two sets of spreaders, a jumper strut, internal halyards, and a spinnaker-pole track. Standard sail area totals 708 square feet: a 320-square-foot mainsail and a 388-square-foot genoa. An optional tall mast increased sail area to 765 square feet.
The aluminum boom has slab reefing, an outhaul, a topping lift, and a vang. Wire standing rigging uses swaged terminals and turnbuckles. The forestay carries roller furling for the genoa, while an adjustable backstay tensioner allows mast-bend tuning.
The cockpit has two self-tailing genoa winches and two halyard and reefing winches. A cabin-top mainsheet traveler is within reach of the single-wheel steering position. The standard sail inventory includes a mainsail, genoa, spinnaker, storm jib, and trysail in dacron or nylon.
Deck and Cockpit
Wide side decks, teak handrails, stainless steel stanchions and lifelines, and an aluminum toe rail define the deck perimeter. The spacious cockpit is shielded by the reverse transom, coaming, and dodger, and includes a pedestal, compass, binnacle, and engine controls.
Forward, there’s a large anchor locker with a windlass and bow roller, along with two dorade vents, two hatches, and four mooring cleats. Aft, the boat has a lazarette, a stern pulpit with a boarding ladder, and two additional cleats.
Accommodations
The Swan 40 sleeps six in three cabins. The forward cabin has a double V-berth, with lockers and shelves on both sides. In the main cabin, two straight settees double as berths, with storage beneath and behind them, and a folding table between. The aft cabin has two single berths separated by a hanging locker and shelf.
At the foot of the companionway, the L-shaped galley is to starboard. It includes a three-burner stove and oven, an ice box, and a double sink with pressurized water. Opposite, to port, the navigation station combines a large chart table and drawers with the instrument, radio, and electrical panels.
The head is on the port side, just aft of the forward cabin. It has a marine toilet, a sink with hot and cold water, a shower, and lockers. Teak joinery, white cushions, and curtains complete the interior.
Engine and Tankage
A Volvo Penta MD2B 25-horsepower diesel drives a two-blade propeller. Fuel capacity is 40 gallons, and water capacity is 48 gallons.
The Verdict
The classic S&S Swan 40 is a compact, well-built cruiser-racer with a clear identity, distinct from the later Frers-designed boat of the same name. Its FRP construction and framing are straightforward, the rig is complete and tuneable, and the three-cabin accommodations are practical for six without feeling crowded.
The optional centerboard broadens the boat’s cruising range in shallower water. With the standard fin, however, the 6-foot-8-inch draft calls for care in shoal anchorages. Its limited production also means examples are infrequent.
Pros
- Lead fin keel and a 42-percent ballast ratio on a framed FRP hull
- Three-cabin layout for six, with a dedicated navigation station and L-shaped galley
- Optional centerboard version with reduced draft
- Complete sail inventory, including a storm jib and trysail
Cons
- Standard 6-foot-8-inch draft limits shallow-water access
- Two-blade fixed propeller paired with a modest 25 hp diesel
- Only 51 built, so examples are infrequent
