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Swan 65 Ss Ketch

Designer: Sparkman & Stephens  ·  Builder: Nautor  ·  First built: 1972
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About the Swan 65 Ss Ketch

Designed by the legendary Sparkman & Stephens and built by Finland's renowned Nautor shipyard, this elegant ketch represents the pinnacle of 1970s and 1980s luxury sailing yacht construction. With 41 hulls launched between 1972 and 1989, the Swan 65 SS established itself as a sophisticated offshore cruising platform that seamlessly blends performance with comfort. The yacht's substantial 70,000-pound displacement and generous 30,600-pound ballast provide exceptional stability and seaworthiness for extended ocean passages. Her masthead ketch rig, carrying 1,798 square feet of sail area, offers versatile sail handling options particularly valued by shorthanded crews on long voyages. The moderate sail area-to-displacement ratio of 17.02 delivers respectable performance while prioritizing comfort and safety over pure speed. Built with fiberglass construction around a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder configuration, she strikes an ideal balance between directional stability and maneuverability. Her impressive comfort ratio of 50.44 reflects the spacious, well-appointed interior typical of Swan's luxury cruising yachts. The favorable capsize screening number of 1.58 underscores her offshore capability, making her well-suited for serious blue-water cruising and extended passages where reliability and crew comfort are paramount.

Core Dimensions
LOA (Length Overall) 64.57 ft / 19.68 m
LWL (Waterline Length) 47.00 ft / 14.33 m
Beam 16.27 ft / 4.96 m
Max Draft 9.60 ft / 2.93 m
Displacement 70,000.00 lb / 31,751 kg
Ballast 30,600.00 lb / 13,880 kg
Ballast Type Lead
Sail Area (Reported) 1,798.00 ft² / 167.04 m²
Design & Construction
Hull Type Fin with rudder on skeg
Rigging Type Masthead Ketch
Construction FG
Designer Sparkman & Stephens
Builder Nautor
First Built 1972
Last Built 1989
Number Built 41
Related Sailboats Swan 65 Ss · Swan 651 · Baltic 64 · Little Harbor 63 · Swan 68
Owner Reviews

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Performance Ratios
SA/Displacement Sail Area to Displacement ratio measures how much sail power a boat has relative to its weight. Higher values mean more performance and speed.
Under 14 — Heavy cruiser, slow14–18 — Cruising sailboat18–22 — Cruiser/racerOver 22 — Performance racer
 17.02
Ballast/Displacement Ballast to Displacement ratio shows what percentage of the boat's total weight is ballast. Higher values generally mean better initial stability and stiffer sail carrying.
30–35% — Typical cruiser35–45% — Stiff performance boatOver 45% — Racing oriented
 43.71
Displacement/Length Displacement to Length ratio measures how heavy a boat is relative to its waterline length. Lower values mean a lighter, faster boat.
Under 100 — Ultralight racer100–200 — Light cruiser/racer200–300 — Moderate cruiser300–400 — Heavy cruiserOver 400 — Very heavy
 300.99
Comfort Ratio Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio predicts how comfortable a boat will feel in offshore conditions. Higher values mean a steadier, more comfortable motion in a seaway.
Under 20 — Uncomfortably rough20–30 — Acceptable coastal30–40 — Good offshore comfortOver 40 — Very comfortable offshore
 50.44
Capsize Screening Formula The USHS Capsize Screening Formula estimates offshore capsize risk. Lower is safer — values under 2.0 are considered acceptable for offshore sailing.
Under 2.0 — Safe for offshore2.0–2.2 — Borderline offshoreOver 2.2 — Coastal use recommended
 1.58
Hull Speed Hull Speed is the theoretical maximum speed of a displacement hull, calculated from waterline length. Most cruising sailboats reach this speed in moderate conditions. 9.19 kn
S# (Speed Number) The Speed Number (S#) is a quick performance index. Higher values indicate a faster, more powerful design relative to its size.
Under 3.0 — Slow cruiser3.0–5.0 — Average cruiser5.0–7.0 — Performance cruiserOver 7.0 — Racer
 1.53
Pounds/Inch Immersion Pounds per Inch Immersion (PPI) tells you how much weight is needed to sink the boat one inch. Useful for calculating how additional gear and stores affect waterline. 2,732.32 pounds/inch
SA/Displacement (Calc) Calculated Sail Area to Displacement ratio using actual measured sail dimensions rather than reported values. More precise than the reported SA/Disp figure. 14.44
Rig Dimensions
I (Foretriangle Height) 74.90 ft / 22.83 m
J (Foretriangle Base) 24.20 ft / 7.38 m
P (Mainsail Luff) 67.72 ft / 20.64 m
E (Mainsail Foot) 18.30 ft / 5.58 m
SA Fore 906.29 ft² / 84.20 m²
SA Main 619.64 ft² / 57.57 m²
SA Total (100%) 1,525.93 ft² / 141.76 m²
Est. Forestay Length 78.71 ft / 23.99 m
Engine & Accommodations
Engine Make Volvo Penta
Engine Model MD 32
Engine Type Diesel
Horsepower 88
Fuel Capacity 57 gals / 216 L
Water Capacity 87 gals / 329 L
How It Compares

vs. Baltic 64, Little Harbor 63, Swan 65 Ss, Swan 651, Swan 68

This boat Similar boats
Dimensions
LOA
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
64.6 ft
Baltic 64
64.2 ft
Little Harbor 63
63.8 ft
Swan 65 Ss
65.1 ft
Swan 651
65.7 ft
Swan 68
67.7 ft
LWL
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
47.0 ft
Baltic 64
50.5 ft
Little Harbor 63
48.7 ft
Swan 65 Ss
47.0 ft
Swan 651
55.1 ft
Swan 68
54.7 ft
Beam
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
16.3 ft
Baltic 64
17.3 ft
Little Harbor 63
17.3 ft
Swan 65 Ss
16.3 ft
Swan 651
17.5 ft
Swan 68
17.8 ft
Displacement
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
70 lbs
Baltic 64
56 lbs
Little Harbor 63
65 lbs
Swan 65 Ss
70 lbs
Swan 651
75 lbs
Swan 68
88 lbs
Ballast
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
30 lbs
Baltic 64
24 lbs
Little Harbor 63
27 lbs
Swan 65 Ss
30 lbs
Swan 651
31 lbs
Swan 68
35 lbs
Sail Area
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
1 sq ft
Baltic 64
1 sq ft
Little Harbor 63
1 sq ft
Swan 65 Ss
1 sq ft
Swan 651
2 sq ft
Swan 68
—
Performance
SA / Displacement (higher = more powerful)
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
17.0
Baltic 64
19.9
Little Harbor 63
19.3
Swan 65 Ss
17.6
Swan 651
18.8
Swan 68
—
Ballast / Disp (higher = stiffer)
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
43.7 %
Baltic 64
—
Little Harbor 63
41.5 %
Swan 65 Ss
43.7 %
Swan 651
42.0 %
Swan 68
40.0 %
Comfort Ratio (higher = more comfortable offshore)
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
50.4
Baltic 64
35.7
Little Harbor 63
42.6
Swan 65 Ss
50.3
Swan 651
44.3
Swan 68
—
Capsize Screening (lower = safer)
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
1.58
Baltic 64
1.81
Little Harbor 63
1.72
Swan 65 Ss
1.58
Swan 651
1.66
Swan 68
—
Displacement / Length (lower = lighter)
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
300
Baltic 64
—
Little Harbor 63
251
Swan 65 Ss
300
Swan 651
201
Swan 68
240
Hull Speed
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
9.2 kts
Baltic 64
9.5 kts
Little Harbor 63
9.4 kts
Swan 65 Ss
9.2 kts
Swan 651
9.9 kts
Swan 68
—
Speed Number (higher = faster)
Swan 65 Ss Ketch ★
1.5
Baltic 64
3.1
Little Harbor 63
2.1
Swan 65 Ss
1.8
Swan 651
—
Swan 68
—
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