Accommodation

Down below there is an aft owner’s cabin, while pipecots in the foredeck give additional accommodation for weekending. The saloon berths are on two different levels, giving a seating area that can also be adapted to provide children’s berths for Bijlsma’s young family.

The galley is one of the most dramatic redesigns of the entire boat. A custom designed white Corian galley includes a sink, concealed waste bin, and electric hob. Stowage is limited by cruising yacht standards with no over counter cabinets, but instead crockery, utensils and cutlery is stored in custom-cut recesses, and there are specially designed cupboards for glassware. The industrial-style door abaft of the galley is a large fridge, set into the bulkhead with an American-inspired door design.

The modern refurbishment is not to everyone’s taste, “Some people say you wrecked the whole boat, it’s not a Swan anymore. But we don’t do that. We wanted to make it a better Swan, it still has to be a Swan, but we tried to improve it,” explains Wattel.

Bijlsma adds: “I always had in my mind that if Olin Stephens were still alive and he had the advantage of today’s possibilities then how would he have done it? I really tried to rebuild this wonderful boat according to the way I think he would have done it.”