Swan 37 Chronicles — Part One: The Purchase
My main criteria were:
Hull length: 34 – 40 ft
Budget: no more than €50 000 (excluding possible refit costs)
I spent days on end browsing Boat24.com, scrolling through dozens of options. For about €50 000 you could generally find:
Mass-market boats—e.g., a Bavaria over 15 years old with no extras, needing only minimal investment.
Classic cruisers that would demand significant funds to restore hull, rigging and interior.
Comparison of Morgan 40 and Swan 37
A 1969 Morgan 40 with a vintage silhouette and roomy cockpit also came onto my radar. She had a stout hull and a classic Scheel keel, but the asking price—about €80 000—was well beyond my €50 000 ceiling.
I ultimately focused on the Swan 37, which combines balanced dimensions, good handling and the reputation of a proven classic.
Swan 37 Specifications
Designer: Sparkman & Stephens (S&S)
Builder: Nautor’s Swan, 1970 – 1974 (59 boats built; mine is hull #57)
Length overall (LOA): 11.28 m / 37 ft
Length at waterline (LWL): 8.23 m / 27 ft
Beam: 3.30 m / 10 ft 10 in
Draft: 1.98 m / 6 ft 4 in
Displacement: 15 400 lb ≈ 6 999 kg
Ballast: 7 300 lb ≈ 3 300 kg (lead)
Construction: GRP; fin keel with skeg-hung rudder
Rig: Masthead sloop; sail area (main + genoa) ≈ 597 ft² / 55.6 m²
Market price (early 2022): €35 000 – €60 000 for a boat in serviceable condition
The mix of sailing performance and the “right” size (11.2 m) tipped the scales in favor of the Swan 37.
Delivery Passage: Netherlands → Estonia
The trip home was the boat’s first real test. We left Dinteloord and spent about two weeks motoring through canals. A very experienced sailor with true “golden hands” sailed with me and fixed numerous systems en route to IJmuiden. Once in the North Sea we finally set sail and headed for the Baltic.
The passage deserves its own article, but the key point is that the yacht proved herself. Even in a storm the crew felt confident that the solid hull would handle whatever the sea threw at us.
The total run—ending at Pirita TOP Marina—took a little over a month (I was in no hurry) and covered roughly 1 400 NM.
After a successful 2022 season I began a major refit: hull and interior restoration and a new teak deck. I plan to tell that story in future articles.
