Swan 46

BoatsSwan 46

See her sail

The Swan 46, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from practicalboatowner

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 34 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 34

CoastalBluewater

1.83 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.83

LightHeavy

258 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 258

EasygoingPowered-up

15.8 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.8

TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

Heavier than ~85% of boats her size on file
Draws more than ~92% of boats her size on file
Beamier than ~84% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2099 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Swan 46, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Swan 46 is a Masthead Sloop designed by German Frers and built by Nautor from 1983 to 1997, with 81 Mk I variants produced. It measures 14.35 m LOA, has a 4.40 m beam, a 2.50 m draft, and displaces 14197 kg. Aboard the Swan 46 *Girthah*, a GP preparing for a transatlantic passage prioritized antibiotics, pain relief, burn dressings, and suture kits in his medical supplies.watch He carried three types of antiemetics, recommending Cyclizine and Ondansetron for their low side-effect profiles, and included sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medication, noting that sleep deprivation and unfamiliar crew pose significant risks on long voyages.0:48 He emphasized that all medications require written dosage and indication lists.1:48 A 40-year-old Swan 46 finished third in its class at the 2024 Færderseilasen, demonstrating the model's continued competitiveness under ORC rating rules.7:44

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

36.4%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

15.8

Displacement / length

258.1

Comfort ratio

34.1

Capsize screening

1.83

Hull speed

8.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1949

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/spade rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1983–1997

Units built

109

Designer

German Frers

Builder

Nautor

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Swan 46 MKII14.35 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop featuring an updated keel and spade rudder, built for performance and comfort

[OFF MARKET] Nautor Swan 46 (MASQUERADE) - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Int.from Berthon International

Malo Yachts 45/4614.20 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 14-metre blue-water cruiser that evolved from the M45 to the M46, featuring a 39% ballast ratio for offshore stability

Nigel Calder: The Truth About Philosophy, Gunboats, and Marine Engineering29:04 from Be The Captain

Tayana 47 CC14.33 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed center cockpit cutter built for offshore comfort with a high sail area to displacement ratio

Revival of Millenium: The BIG Splash ⛵️💦9:57 from Expedition Drenched

Gulfstar Yachts 47 Sailmaster14.45 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA heavy-displacement masthead ketch designed for comfortable cruising with a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal draft

⛵️ Hurricane damaged catamaran from TRASH to TRAMP (ramp)6:48 from Sail Life

Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 4714.35 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 14.35-metre fractional sloop with a bulb keel and spade rudder, balanced for offshore performance and stability

[OFF MARKET] Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 47 (SHABBY TIGER), with Sue Grant - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Int.from Berthon International

Solaris 4714.38 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens fractional sloop with a 50% ballast ratio, designed for offshore performance and stability

Solaris 47 - anteprima Genova 20170:34 from SVN solovelanet

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Swan 46 MKIIA German Frers-designed masthead sloop featuring an updated keel and spade rudder, built for performance and comfort Swan 46 MKIIIA German Frers-designed masthead sloop featuring an optional daggerboard keel and twin rudders for versatile performance Swan 36-2A German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a stiff fin keel and spade rudder configuration Swan 44 MK II (Frers)A 13.44-metre cruiser featuring a bulb-fin keel and spade rudder, produced by Swan from 1996 to 2002 Swan 45A German Frers-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio.

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Swan 46, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Swan 46

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue