Design and Construction
The Swan 50 MS was built predominantly of glassfibre with wood trim. Its raked-stem, angled-transom hull carries a fixed fin keel and a skeg-mounted rudder, with wheel steering.
The boat measures 49.58 feet overall and 37.5 feet on the waterline, with a beam of 15.08 feet and a draft of 5.58 feet. Displacement is about 51,000 pounds, including 14,500 pounds of lead ballast.
A ballast-to-displacement ratio of 28.43 and a comfort ratio near 51.7 describe a heavy, steady cruising hull rather than a light racer. The capsize screening value of 1.63 falls within the range expected of an offshore-capable keelboat.
Rig and Handling
The masthead ketch rig divides the sail plan between the mainmast and mizzen, making its large sail area easier to handle short-handed than it would be on a single-masted equivalent. The boat carries 1,112 square feet of sail and has a hull speed of around 8.2 knots, a combination that suits its 51,000-pound displacement.
The skeg-mounted rudder and wheel steering reflect the cruising practice of the period. The fixed fin keel gives the boat moderate draft for a 50-foot hull of its era.
Accommodations
The interior provides sleeping space for nine. A double V-berth fills the bow cabin, while each of the two amidships cabins has two bunk beds. Aft, the two port-side cabins contain a double berth and a single bunk between them, favoring a cruising crew divided between private and shared quarters.
The main saloon centers on a U-shaped settee. Just forward of the companionway ladder, the starboard galley forms a C-shaped workspace equipped with a three-burner stove, an ice box, and a double sink.
Two heads serve the accommodation plan. One is on the port side, just aft of the bow cabin; the other is to starboard in the aft cabin. Nine berths in a 51,000-pound hull give the interior the character of a serious cruising boat rather than a densely packed charter layout.
Verdict
The Swan 50 MS is a scarce, heavily built Finnish ketch from the Sparkman & Stephens period of Nautor’s early glassfibre production. It combines solid glassfibre construction and wood trim with lead ballast and a ketch rig intended to make its substantial sail plan manageable.
Its accommodations are unusually generous for the length, with nine berths and a practical C-shaped galley, although the port-aft double-and-single arrangement uses the space in an idiosyncratic way. With only nine boats completed, the Swan 50 MS will appeal most to buyers who value rarity and period Nautor construction more than broad fleet support.
Pros
- Solid glassfibre hull with wood trim and 14,500 lb of lead ballast
- Masthead ketch rig eases the handling of a 1,112 sq ft sail plan
- Sleeping space for nine, including a bow V-berth, two amidships bunk cabins, and aft double and single berths
- C-shaped starboard galley forward of the companionway, with a three-burner stove, ice box, and double sink
Cons
- Only nine were built, limiting fleet knowledge and spares commonality
- The fixed fin keel and 5.58 ft draft restrict shoal-water access
- The port-side aft-cabin arrangement combines double and single berths awkwardly
