Swan 65-S&S Ketch Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is solid GRP, with a flush-deck character and a traditional sleek cut-out stern that gives the 19.68-meter LOA a visual length greater than its 14.33-meter waterline suggests. The deck and deckhouse are foam-cored sandwich sheathed in fiberglass with a teak coating on the walking surfaces, and the wheelhouse sits almost fully aft, its deckhouse line running from the main mast to the stern to protect the cockpit. Structural fiberglass reinforcements run along the hull to stiffen load-bearing components, and the keel is a hung and bolted fin. The first 19 hulls displaced 31.8 tons with 10 tons of lead ballast, while later hulls exceeded 35.3 tons with 13.9 tons of ballast, shifting the displacement-ballast ratio from 31 percent to 39 percent.

Rig and Handling

Primarily a ketch to spread sail area and balance, the Swan 65 was also offered as a sloop. Both configurations carry aluminium masts through the deck — two spreader pairs on the main, one on the mizzen — with stainless steel standing rigging and a masthead forestay. The ketch hoists a 57.6 m² mainsail, 25.3 m² mizzen, and a 126.3 m² 150% genoa, with a 66.4 m² mizzen staysail option and a 303 m² spinnaker flown from a 7-meter pole, one per side. The sloop trades up to a 78 m² main and 141.4 m² genoa with a 339 m² spinnaker. Aboard, the engine sits amidships in the dinette just above the bilge, accessible on each side below the floorboards, with series options of Volvo Penta MD32 (89 hp), Perkins H6.354M (115 hp), or TMD41A (148 hp). Writing in Yachting World, Tracy Edwards called the hull beautiful and gorgeous to sail, with a documented top speed of 14 knots.

Accommodations

The interior compartments were carried over from the Swan 55, with central access one-third of the way between the masts opening onto a dinette flanked by a port galley and starboard chartroom. The saloon holds a large C-shaped settee around a center table with a second settee opposite. Forward are two twin cabins with staggered single bunks and private heads; the extreme bow cabin serves as sail stowage but can take two berths. Aft lies a full-beam master stateroom with private bathroom, chart space, and an optional second berth. The layout provides 3 plus 1 cabins, 6 plus 4 sleeping places, and 3 heads. Ceiling-mounted handrails run the full length and all corners are blunted for sea-going safety; the galley is sized for only one or two workers. Edwards noted the woodwork as sublime and the interior as a boat one could live aboard forever.

Known Issues

The foam-cored deck and deckhouse over fiberglass with teak demand careful inspection for water ingress at fasteners. The hung and bolted keel attaches through the hull, and the engine position low in the dinette places machinery above the bilge where bedding and seal integrity are the owner's responsibility.

Refits and Ownership

Ownership of a Swan 65 means stewardship of a low-volume hull that meets the IOR Mk III rule standards from the era. The three engine variants give buyers flexibility in repowering, and the ketch/sloop choice affects sail inventory dramatically. With 1000 liters of fuel and 757 liters of water, the boat is conceived for long passage-making rather than coastal hopping. The flush deck and aft wheelhouse suit a crew working the twin spinnaker poles and aft winches mounted at the cockpit-shoulder interface.

The Verdict

The Swan 65-S&S is a genuine bluewater icon: a Sparkman & Stephens ketch with Whitbread race wins, solid GRP hull, and a voluminous interior derived from the Swan 55. It is large, heavy, and purpose-built, rewarding owners who value provenance and passage capability over modern conveniences.

Pros