Design and Construction
The hull and deck are both built from hand-laid fiberglass in sandwich construction, and the lead fin keel is cast in lead. Sweden Yachts offered two keel alternatives: a fin keel and a wing keel. The yard offered both fin- and wing-keel alternatives.
Depending on load, the fin-keel boat draws about 8.53 to 8.83 feet. The wing-keel version draws roughly 6.50 to 6.80 feet. That difference meaningfully expands the shoal-draft boat’s cruising range, allowing access to smaller harbours without giving up the Norlin-Ostmann hull form.
The Sweden Yachts 50 displaces 31,500 pounds and carries 12,800 pounds of lead ballast. Its 41% ballast ratio and displacement-length ratio of nearly 202 place it firmly at the heavy, seakindly end of the cruising spectrum rather than among light-displacement performance boats.
Rig and Handling
The 50 carries a masthead sloop rig. Its mainsail, jib/genoa, and spinnaker halyards are each 46.0 metres long and 14 mm in diameter. The working sheets—jib, genoa, and mainsheet—are 16 mm, with the mainsheet alone measuring 38.1 metres. These dimensions reflect a boat equipped for full-size ocean sails and a crew expected to handle them without anxiety about undersized gear.
Under power, a Volvo Penta TMD 31 diesel driving a shaft provides a calculated maximum speed of about 8.5 knots. That essentially matches the theoretical hull speed of 8.6 knots for a displacement vessel of this length.
A capsize screening value of 1.80 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 32.4 reinforce the picture of a stable, upright cruiser designed to carry cruising loads and handle weather comfortably rather than to race.
Accommodation and Cruising Load
Below deck, the Sweden Yachts 50 has four cabins, berths for six to eight people, a galley, and a toilet facility. As with many contemporary boats from the yard, the interior is finished in mahogany.
The 14.25-foot beam and 3.51 length-beam ratio provide measured breadth in the accommodation without approaching the slab-sided proportions of later production cruisers.
A wetted surface of 66 square metres and an immersion rate of 367 kg/cm mean the boat sits heavily and changes trim slowly as stores and water come aboard. That response is predictable, though owners should still consider it when loading for extended cruising.
Verdict
The Sweden Yachts 50 is a thoughtfully engineered late-1980s cruiser. Its sandwich fiberglass construction, lead-ballasted keel choices, and substantial masthead rig define a boat intended to carry loads over long distances rather than pursue speed alone.
With only nineteen built, it remains uncommon. Even so, the specification is coherent and sober. This is a yacht for sailors who value a stiff, comfortable hull and a proper ocean rig more than market ubiquity.
Pros
- Lead fin or wing keel options allow a choice between deep-water stability and shoal draft.
- The 41% ballast ratio and 1.80 capsize screening value describe a stiff, bluewater-capable hull.
- Four cabins, six to eight berths, and a mahogany interior suit extended liveaboard cruising.
- The full-size masthead rig has documented halyard and sheet dimensions suited to offshore sail plans.
Cons
- The fin keel’s draft of more than 8.5 feet restricts the boat to major marinas.
- Heavy displacement and a displacement-length ratio of 202 mean modest acceleration in light air.
- With only nineteen built, spares and knowledgeable surveyors are less common than they are for high-volume marques.
