BoatsSwanson 32

Swanson 32

Masthead Sloop · Fin Keel · 1972–1979

A Ron Swanson-designed masthead sloop often finished by individual owners who leased the molds for self-build projects

Designed by Ron Swanson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin Keel

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 narrow beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

At 1.62 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.62
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 257
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.0
TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Narrower than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2778 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
39.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.0
Displacement / length
257.3
Comfort ratio
32.4
Capsize screening
1.62
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
871
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
FG/wood deck
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1972–1979
Units built
25
Designer
Ron Swanson
Builder
Swanson Brothers

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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.

Beneteau Oceanis 319.66 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Finot-Conq designed fractional sloop balancing a modern hull form with a stable 1.8-meter bulb keel
Hunter Marine 339.96 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1977 masthead sloop with a 38% ballast ratio, designed for stability and coastal performance
Maxi Yachts 959.50 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 9.5-metre masthead sloop produced for a decade, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for predictable coastal handling
Spirit 329.48 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
Hunter Marine 319.55 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Cortland Steck design featuring a B&R rig and a fin keel, built for coastal cruising between 1983 and 1987
Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 339.99 mSame hull family0.2 m longerOriginally introduced as the Cruiser 32, this 9.99-metre fractional sloop offers a 1.95-metre draft for coastal sailing

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.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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