Swan 65-S&S Buyer's Guide
Shopping a Swan 65-S&S on the used market means considering one of 41 Sparkman & Stephens yachts built by Nautor in Finland from 1972 through 1989, the largest fiberglass hull the yard ever produced. These are boats with real offshore pedigree — Sayula II won the first Whitbread in 1973/74 and sisters took top-five places in subsequent runnings — so the used fleet ranges from racer-bred examples to long-term cruisers with varied refits.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Swan 65 shares a flush-deck, centrally accessed interior borrowed from the Swan 55. The below-deck entry lands one-third of the way between the two masts and opens to a dinette with a port galley and starboard chartroom, a C-shaped saloon settee, two forward twin cabins with staggered berths and private heads, a forward sail locker convertible to two bunks, and a full-beam aft owner's stateroom with head and chart space. Most boats are ketch rigged with a mizzen; sloop-rigged hulls exist and carry a larger genoa and mainsail. The engine sits amidships in the dinette above the bilge, reached from both sides under the floorboards.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power and energy centers on the original diesel series — Volvo Penta MD32, Perkins H6.354M, or TMD41A — with the later 148 hp unit giving the most reserve. Given the 1000-liter fuel and 757-liter water capacities, buyers should confirm tank condition and any added purification. Sail-handling upgrades cluster around the two over-seven-meter spinnaker poles and aft winches on the cockpit-shoulder; a mizzen staysail rig is original option on ketches. Navigation and comfort refits often address the large starboard chartroom, which suits modern electronics, and the teak deck wear-surface, where renewal is a recurring owner concern rather than a factory defect.
What to Inspect
The keel is a hung and bolted unit, so examine the bolted keel attachment and adjacent hull for any movement or corrosion at the fastenings. The deck and deckhouse are foam-cored sandwich with a teak coating; probe for softness in the foam-cored deck around winch loads and the cockpit shoulder. Because the engine lies amidships under the dinette floor, verify both side-access panels open cleanly and check for bilge staining below the mount.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The 41-boat fleet was built by Nautor in Finland from 1972 to 1989. For a buyer, the short checklist is:
- Confirm rig type (ketch vs sloop) and matching sail inventory
- Inspect bolted keel joint and foam-cored deck for hidden delamination
- Test both engine-access hatches and review service history of the installed diesel
- Assess teak deck wear and original Swan 55-derived interior for refit scope
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swan 53 | 53' | $ 391,414 | 19 | 7 |
| Swan 68 | 67.68' | $ 681,459 | 15 | 6 |
| Swan 61 | 60.5' | $ 460,131 | 12 | 3 |
| Swan 65-S&S Ketch | 64.57' | $ 492,165 | 8 | 3 |
| Swan 651 | 65.68' | $ 312,190 | 7 | 0 |
| Swan Swan 65 | 65.98' | $ 432,142 | 5 | 4 |