Swan 48 - S&S
Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1971–1976
A versatile Sparkman & Stephens design available in sloop or ketch configurations with an optional tall rig
Designed by Sparkman & Stephens, built by Nautor.
- LOA
- Beam
- Draft (max)
- Displacement
- Ballast
- Hull type
- Fin With Rudder On Skeg
See her sail
The Swan 48 - S&S, on the water
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from 59° North Sailing
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
LivelyComfort 43Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 1.65Bluewater
LightD/L 310Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 15.2Powered-up
TenderBallast 39%Stiff
Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.
- Heavier than ~89% of boats her size on file
- Draws more than ~86% of boats her size on file
Compared with 1997 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.
The living fleet
Sailed by the fleet
Where the fleet has filmed this boat.
Seen 26 times across 3 channels of the fleet.
On the water
The Swan 48 - S&S on video
Ben Doerr // "Hose it or Lose it!"59° North SailingJoJo Pickering // Celestial Navigation Nerd-Out59° North SailingMia & Andy // 2025 Year-In-Review (Only 3 Months Late!)59° North SailingSailing Insights: How Jon Amtrup sails all year round! ⛵️❄️SEILmagasinetMerry Christmas and Happy new Year!59° North SailingThe Best Boat for Ocean Sailing59° North SailingAndy & August // Stern Anchoring59° North SailingLogan & Caroline Rowell // Sea People StartUp59° North SailingVictoria Low // Magenta Project CEO59° North SailingSparkman & Stephens 48 Bluewater Cruiser Tour | Centre Cockpit Offshore Sailing Yacht ReviewPractical SailorJimmy Cornell // The Godfather of Offshore Cruising59° North SailingFeeling 486 // Boat Shopping59° North Sailing
Also on YouTube
- Gunnar Christensen // From Yacht Captain to Golden Globe Sailor59° North Sailing
- Conrad Humphries // Captain Bligh & Rounding Cape Horn59° North Sailing
- Matt Rutherford // Around the Arctic (in a Valiant This Time!)59° North Sailing
- Saga 48 // Boat Shopping59° North Sailing
- Winter Projects on ISBJØRN59° North Sailing
- C&C 44 // Boat Shopping59° North Sailing
- Boat Shopping LIVE! With Andy & August59° North Sailing
- Ben Soofer // Making a career in sailing59° North Sailing
What broke, what changed
Gear aboard, as the crews told it
Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.
ConsideredGarminalongside Orca display
A Garmin MFD was considered for a cockpit chartplotter but deferred due to the performance of an Orca display.
aboard 59° North Sailingseen April 202627:43
WorkingDyneema
A Dyneema line was used as a temporary workaround for a broken vang.
aboard 59° North Sailingseen April 20268:38
Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Swan 48 - S&S may be fitted out entirely differently.
What they go for
Market signal
Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.
1seen for sale
1channel looked into buying
$150,000Median asking
The video tours and reviews this specific boat, which is currently listed for sale for under $150,000; the creator suggests it as a good purchase for someone wanting a world cruiser
from Practical Sailorseen October 20253:20
From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
39.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.2
Displacement / length
310.2
Comfort ratio
42.5
Capsize screening
1.65
Hull speed
8.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1812
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1971–1976
Units built
46
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens
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.
Oyster Marine 48514.78 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA robust cutter-rigged blue water cruiser developed from the 461, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for offshore security
Swan 47 S&S14.58 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens design #2201 featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
Hallberg-Rassy 4614.78 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser built for stability and comfort with a high ballast ratio and skeg-hung rudder
Tayana 47 CC14.33 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed center cockpit cutter built for offshore comfort with a high sail area to displacement ratio
Beneteau Sense 5014.98 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA masthead sloop with a 4.86-metre beam and dual rudders, engineered for stability and high-volume living
Beneteau Oceanis 4814.61 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA spacious 14.6-meter cruiser featuring a high-volume interior by Nauta Design and a performance-oriented fractional rig
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 50-S&SDistinguished by a traditional extended counter, this masthead sloop shares the hull of the Swan 48.Swan 47 S&SA Sparkman & Stephens design #2201 featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stabilitySwan 48-2 (Frers)A masthead sloop with a fin-and-bulb keel, offering a more cruising-oriented configuration than her regatta-focused siblingSwan 38 S&SA Sparkman & Stephens design #2167 featuring a One Ton sailplan variant for competitive offshore sailingSwan 44 (S&S)A Sparkman & Stephens design also sold as the PJ-44, this masthead sloop features a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff hullNautor Pj-48Finished by Palmer Johnson for the US market, this Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop features a 41% ballast ratio
Keep asking
The fleet has more to say
Search what's been said about the Swan 48 - S&S, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.
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