Design and Construction
Frers drew the 82 as a fin-keeled bulb vessel with a raked stem and reverse transom, displacing 90,400 lb and carrying 29,300 lb of lead ballast on a 19.22-foot beam and 69.75-foot waterline. The hull is predominantly glassfibre with wood trim, and the raised-salon "S" deck model gives the interior more volume than the standard deck without altering the underlying cruiser-racer brief. The internally mounted spade rudder is controlled by dual wheels, a layout suited to a boat of this length where sightlines from either helm matter. With a ballast-displacement ratio near 32 percent and a comfort ratio in the upper thirties, the 82 S is built for loaded offshore passage-making rather than bare racer weight-saving.
Rig and Sail Plan
The 82 S carries a Bermuda masthead sloop rig, with an I foretriangle of 105.48 ft and a J base of 29.66 ft, a P mainsail luff of 102.79 ft, and an E foot of 34.12 ft. The mainsail alone measures 1,754 sq ft and the genoa 1,720 sq ft, giving 3,474 sq ft of upwind area; a 5,631 sq ft asymmetrical spinnaker can be set for downwind work, pushing total flying area to 7,385 sq ft. The standard Volvo D-4 of 180 hp (or the alternative Yanmar 4LH-STE) sits beneath a rig whose scale demands serious ground tackle and winch capacity, but the numbers describe a boat engineered to move under sail first. Her theoretical hull speed is 11.19 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the 82 provides sleeping for six in three cabins: two forward cabins each with two bunk beds, and an aft cabin with a central island double berth. The main cabin holds an L-shaped settee and a straight settee. The galley is U-shaped, on the port side just aft of the companionway ladder, fitted with a three-burner stove, ice box, and double sink, while the navigation station faces it to starboard. Three heads with showers serve the cabins one each, a layout that supports either private owner cruising or paid crew operation without compromise on either side.
The Verdict
The Swan 82 S is a rare, purpose-built Frers cruiser-racer: only seven were made, and the raised-salon deck gives genuine living space without abandoning the blue-water hull form. For a buyer wanting a 24-meter performance cruiser with serious tankage and a classic Nautor glassfibre build, few alternatives from the era match the combination.
Pros
- Raised-salon "S" deck adds interior volume to the Swan 82 hull
- 487-gallon fuel and 237-gallon water capacity for long-range cruising
- Three-cabin, three-head layout with dedicated nav station and U-galley
Cons
- Only seven built; finding a specific example takes patience
- 11.48 ft draft limits some anchorages and shallow cruising grounds
- Large masthead rig demands significant winch and crew capability
