swan 30 sailboat

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Swan 98, 30 m of elegance and performance

The Finnish shipyard Nautor Swan, known for its luxurious cruising yachts, is launching a new model, the Swan 98. This modern 30 m long yacht bridges the gap in range between the Swan 78 (23.99 m) and the Swan 115 (35.20 m). An elegant and comfortable sailboat without compromising on performance.

The Swan 98 was designed by the Argentinean naval architect Germán Frers, who since 1980 has been designing the yard's yachts , moving towards cruising yachts , but always keeping the racing/cruising DNA of the first models. Thus, this new model will combine comfort, performance and stability at sea. She will be built in Finland , at the Pietarsaari shipyard , in a foam/fibreglass sandwich (core in Corecell and epoxy resin). For the moment it is only at the project stage, the shipyard is waiting for the sale of a first model to launch the construction. Model for which a basic envelope of 8.9 million euros will be required. According to the Finnish yard, some people are interested.

Many standard features will be included on the Swan 98, although a long list of options will make it a semi-custom yacht. In its standard configuration, the Swan 98 will be presented with a lifting keel (draft reduced from 4.9m to 3.2m) and in a bi-safran configuration, for sailing in shallow water despite its imposing size.

On deck, we find the characteristics of Swan yachts , namely a large cockpit with a relaxation and comfort area at the front (accommodating up to 16 people) and a large aft area dedicated to navigation with two steering wheels. The almost flush roof gives it sleek and elegant lines

The interior layout was designed by the Genoese architect Misa Poggi with two possible configurations: owner's cabin at the front or at the rear. 3 other cabins complete the sleeping arrangements, each with a bathroom. As far as decoration is concerned, the interior designer has thought of 4 themes, using "the best in Italian textiles and leathers to create an atmosphere of comfort and luxury."

Swan Yachts for Sale

Swan sailboats for sale.

For close to half a century, Nautor's Swan has been the true sailor's choice, designing and building luxurious, high performance yachts in Northern Finland. The value of a Swan is derived from the company's strong heritage, skilled craftsmen and pursuit of excellence in every aspect of the build. From the design process to production, the best quality materials and innovative technology are used to deliver the most elegant and safest sailing yachts in the world.

Nautor’s Swan has close to half a century of experience designing and building exceptional sailing yachts. Nautor's skilled craftsmen at the company's yard in Pietarsaari, Finland come from generations of boat boat builders. From the most traditional woodworking details to leading edge lamination technology, a Swan combines the best elements available today to build the world's best sailing yacht, for true sailors.

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10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

December 20, 2023

‍ There's no denying that sailors are certainly a passionate bunch. We’re so passionate about our boats that we always try going for the best sailboats. To make it a lot easier for you, here are the best sailboat brands.

Owning a sailboat is an indulgence that many of us only dream about but very few ever have the privilege of sailing the seas in what they can actually call their own.

While there's nothing wrong with renting a sailboat, the honor of owning one is certain what many sailors dream of.

With a perfectly crafted sailboat as company, gliding through the water, waves, and wind brings some sort of unmatched comfort and peace.

Add this to the fact that sailing takes you far away from the daily hustles and bustles that we've become accustomed to in our daily lives and you'll see why the life of sailing is very appealing to the masses.

But without a proper sailboat, all this fun and the good life of sailing are thrown out of the window.

Contrary to the widespread opinion, owning a sailboat isn't beyond anyone's reach. It's something that we can all achieve. But before getting into that, it's important to know some of the best sailboat brands.

The best sailboat brands will make your life as a sailor a lot easier and more fun. The best sailboat brands have, for decades if not centuries, mastered the art of woodworking. They've dedicated their skills and immense amount of their time to designing and manufacturing nothing but the best quality of sailboats in the industry.

So if you've been looking for the best sailboat brands from all over the world, you've come to the right place. We'll discuss the best of the best, something that will give you a perfect getaway from your normal life.

Table of contents

‍ Must-Have Features for Your Sailboat

Before highlighting the best sailboat brands, it would be appropriate to jog your mind a little with some of the features that must be available in your sailboat.

Choosing a sailboat can sometimes be a matter of compromises. In other words, it's sometimes sensible to accept that a sailboat cannot have all the features that you desire.

As such, it's all about going with a sailboat that has the features that matter to you most.

For this reason, let's look at the most basic features that can make the difference in both safety and comfort while improving your sailing experience.

A Safe and Comfortable Sailing Cockpit

You'll most definitely be spending a huge amount of time in the cockpit. Whether you're keeping watch, trimming sails , helming, or just enjoying the scenery, there's no better place to do all these than from the cockpit. That being said, a good cockpit should have the following.

• Have a good depth for safety reasons and adequate drainage
• Should give you a quick and easy access to jammers, cleats, and other important parts of the winch system
• Should have a seat or seats that are about 35 cm high, 50 to 55 cm wide to provide ideal support
• The seats should be adjustable to offer maximum comfort and allow you to change your position

GPS Chartplotter

Use a GPS Chartplotter once and your sailing will never be the same without it. It not only allows you to map a course but is also a great way of ensuring that your sailboat exactly follows that course. It also gives you constant updates on ocean conditions, weather conditions , and potential hazards such as deadly currents and sandbars.

A GPS Chartplotter is also an important safety device that can help you in some very critical situations while out there on the water.

For instance, it has a man-overboard button that is essentially meant to allow you to receive coordinates of the exact location should someone fall off your boat.

Electric Winch System

This is an amazing addition to any sailboat. It allows you to sheet a jib even in high and strong winds with a simple press of a button. It also gives you the chance of trimming a mainsail easily while still carry out other essential tasks in the sailboat.

An electric winch system can be of great importance, especially if you're short on crew. This is because it can free up some crew members to carry other important tasks. In other words, it can make duties that would otherwise require more crew members a lot easier.

More importantly, an electric winch system can maintain safety even in the roughest of conditions, thereby preventing you and your crew from getting injured. In essence, an electric winch system will make your sailing a lot safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable.

Reverse Osmosis Watermaker

This is a very valuable accessory, especially if you're going on long sea voyages. You can spend days on end without drinking clean and safe water.

As the name suggests, you can use this accessory to turn seawater into purified drinking water. It uses the reverse osmosis method that's essential not only in removing bacteria and parasites from the water but also in turning the water into purified and safe drinking water.

Even though this device is pricey, it's a great way to mitigate the over-reliance on huge water tanks. All you have to do is to ensure that it's properly maintained and you'll have an endless streak of safe drinking water no matter where you are.

Wide and Clutter-free Deck

While the deck is often an overlooked feature of a sailboat, it can be the difference between a great sailing experience and a stressful one. In essence, the deck of a sailboat should be wide enough and clutter-free.

This is significant as it can enable you to quickly access different parts of your sailboat with hindrance or getting tangled. As you can see, this is particularly important in improving safety and reducing stress.

With that in mind, make sure that the deck is organized in such a way that you can have easy access to sails, masts, and winches.

You should, therefore, avoid sailboats with decks that are designed in such a way that you have to climb on top of the cabin just to access these features. Needless to say, this can be quite unstable and very dangerous especially when conditions are rough.

The Best Sailboat Brands and Why

1. hallberg-rassy.

Hallberg-Rassy is a Swedish yacht maker that's very well-known in the blue water cruising circles for making some of the highest quality and sturdiest sailboats. For many sailors, this is the number one sailboat brand as it offers absolute comfort, utmost safety, and good and easy handling.

This brand is not only synonymous with sturdy construction but you won't worry getting soaking wet while out there on the water. This is because it has a well-protected deck and cockpit, finished with nice woodwork, and has a powerful engine with a big tankage just to ensure that you can go on long voyages.

When designing its sailboats, this brand has made it a norm to add some features that stand out from the rest. For instance, the bowsprit is an integral feature that makes sailing a Hallberg-Rassy quite easy and much enjoyable. This is because it grants easy access to and from the deck. Its electric anchor winches facilitate smooth maneuvering. Even more, its large steering wheels makes it much easier to control the boat even in the roughest of conditions. In essence, this brand has features that provide good control and an extra sense of safety.

Although this brand has evolved over the years, you'll easily recognize it even from a distance. And why is this? A Hallberg-Rassy never goes out of style. This is a unique sailboat brand that has always stayed true to its principles and concept. No matter which part of the world you go, Hallberg-Rassy will remain the undisputed king of blue water cruising.

2. Nautor's Swan

For over 50 years, Nautor's Swan has endlessly raised the sailing levels by designing and manufacturing new sailboat models that not only push the boundaries but also meet that many requirements and demands of sailors across the world. Thanks to its wide range of seaworthy, timeless, elegant, and highly-performing sailboats, the Nautor's Swan remains one of the best if not the best sailboat makers in the world.

Based in Jakobstad, Finland, this brand has severally set the industry standard with its speedy and sleek models such as the Swan 48, Swan 65, Swan 98, Swan 78, and Swan 120. These models have one thing in common: they never compromise on safety. As a brand that puts safety first, it ensures that its models are made of foam-cored glass fiber and reinforced both with carbon-fiber and epoxy. In essence, Nautor's Swan is widely revered for its unmatched seafaring and safety records.

Additionally, Nautor's Swan models are incredibly responsive. You can easily tell this just by the feel of the wheel. This brand has models that will gracefully slice through the biggest of waves with ease. That's not all; the interior of these models that are very comfortable even when the going gets tough. This is, without a doubt, a brand that strives to create self-contained worlds with each model.

3. Beneteau

This is perhaps the most selling sailboat brand in the world. For over a century now, this brand has based its models in a combination of simplicity and performance. This is a brand that will serve you just right across all latitudes and in all circumstances. Whether you prefer the Oceanis Yacht 62 or the Figaro Beneteau 3, this brand will never let you down on all fronts.

This brand revolves around a simple concept of creating a link around the world. From the deck space to its design and light, this brand does everything possible not just to uniformly transform life at sea but also to open doors to new horizons in a very luxurious yet practical way. Its models are designed with clear deck plans, stable hulls, simplified maneuvering and interior materials and equipment that can be easily personalized.

Whether you're looking for a racing sailboat or something that's designed to explore and enjoy the world in the company of friends and family, Beneteau is a true combination of sensations and simplicity. This is a brand that brings to the seas fun, simplicity, smartness, toughness, safety, intuitiveness, as well as dazzling reinvention.

4. Amel Yachts

Based on the ethos of designing and manufacturing comfortable, robust, and easy-to-handle boats, this French brand has, for over five decades, offered sailors and other sailing enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to explore the seas with the utmost quality, comfort, and more importantly, safety.

Using 100% French know-how, this brand has brought to the sailing world some of the best boats such as the Santorini, the Mango, the Super Maramu, and the Maramu. We would be doing this brand total injustice if we said that they're distinctive. Truth be told, there's nothing comparable to an Amel model. Well Amel was and still is, the ultimate standard by which other sailboat models are measured.

From items such as electric winches and furling, to generators, Watermaker , and washing machine down to the simplest of items such as towels. Spare filters, bathrobes, deck brush, and a boat safe, the Amel is in reality with what the real life of a sailor is and should be.

Although some may say that Amel still has room for improvement in terms of specifications and personalization, it cannot be denied that the Amel is a serious brand that designs and manufactures complete boats. With this brand, you'll be guaranteed of a higher degree of reliability, safety, and an edge of fun while out there on the water.

5. Hinckley Yachts

Based in Maine, United States, Hinckley Yachts is a brand that has been building robust, luxury, and safe sailboats for more than 90 years now. In its sailboat class, you'll find several sailboats that have classic shapes, inner strength, dramatic lines, and features that are absolutely essential in dealing with the challenges of the North Atlantic.

This brand has been successful in integrating impeccable craftsmanship with new technologies to ensure that their models always stand out while articulating advanced sailing practices, timeless aesthetic, robust construction, and the utmost safety. Whether you choose the Bermuda 50, the Sou'wester 53 or any model for that matter, you'll never be short of advanced performance based on the best design and technology.

In terms of features, this brand provides sailboat models with modern performance hulls. These hulls are constructed with inner layers of carbon, outer layers of Kevlar, and are aligned with computer-designed load paths. Every feature is designed without compromising comfort.

To this end, this brand offers you a perfect combination of both fun and sail. This brand offers more than just sailing. Instead, it offers a unique sailing experience that's combined with the pure joys of sailing in the blue waters with an ease of ownership and maneuverability.

6. Oyster Yachts

If you've been looking for luxury more than anything else, Oyster Yachts provides you with numerous solutions. This British brand is widely known for manufacturing a wide range of luxury cruising sailing yachts. Its sailboats are among the finest in the world and are immensely capable of taking you to some of the far-flung places in the world without having to worry about high winds and hellish waves.

Whether you choose the iconic Oyster 565 or the immense Oyster 595 you never fall short of experiencing the new world like never before. These are models that will enable you to own your adventure, choose your destination, set your courses, pick your anchorage, and stay safe at all times. If you want to hold the wheel and pull the sail while feeling the tang of salt spray on your face, Oyster Yachts is the way to go.

This is, unquestionably, a brand that's meant for you if you want to explore the seas in comfort, luxury and utmost safety. From craftsmanship, sailboat design, to hull, deck, and keel configurations, everything is designed to allow you to circumnavigate the world in comfort, elegance, and style.

7. Tartan Yachts

Based in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, there's arguably no better to begin your sailing adventures than with a sailboat designed and manufactured by Tartan Yachts. With several award-winning designs and construction, this brand is widely known for providing easy handling, great performance, and an ultimately stable platform.

This brand always strives to deliver a unique and the best possible experience to every sailor. As a brand, Tartan fully understands that every sailor has his/her unique sailing needs. As such every component of their models is designed with engineering levels that guarantee optimum performance, excellent on-deck visibility, and luxurious interior.

From the Tartan 5300, the Tartan 4300, the Tartan 345 to the New 365 and the Fantail, this brand makes it a priority to ensure that its models are among the strongest, lightest, and more importantly, the safest in the sailing industry. In essence, this brand can be ideal if you appreciate performance. It has rewarding sailing features both in narrow water lines and wider passages. Add this to its easy handling and you'll have a top-notch performer in virtually every condition.

8. Catalina Yachts

As one of the most popular boat manufacturers in the world, this American brand is widely revered for building the sturdiest boats that can hold up perfectly well in real-world conditions. These are generally family-oriented boats that are intelligently designed to ensure that your entire family can have fun out there on the water.

Some of the models include the cruiser series such as the Catalina 315, the Catalina 385, the Catalina 425 while the sport series include the Catalina 12.5 Expo, the Catalina 16.5, and the Catalina 14.2 Expo. As the current winner of the "Boat of the Year" Cruising World, you'll rarely go wrong with a Catalina model.

It offers a wide range of sailboat sizes that suits your lifestyle. This brand makes it a priority to ensure that all their models are not only safe but offer the best ownership and sailing experience. If anything, this brand is widely known to have one of the most excellent resale values in the sailing industry.

9. Island Packet Yachts

From the IP 525, the IP 439 to the IP 379, the Island Packet Yachts is a brand that encourages its customers not to keep the world waiting. This brand is meant for sailors who want to explore the world in utmost comfort and safety.

The first thing you'll notice in an IP sailboat is its large aft deck. This is not only perfect for sunbathing but can also serve you well if you want an impromptu dinner with friends and family while out there on the water. The living space is also large enough to carry most of your belongings, which is an added advantage especially if you've been planning to spend longer periods in the seas.

With modern evolution and refinement, as well as proven features, this brand is known to offer sailors maximum comfort, luxury, and safety. You'll have better access to the cockpit, have enough space, and are excellently designed to provide superior seafaring and the best features to enable you to spend extended periods when cruising.

10. Sparkman & Stephens

For more than 90 years, Sparkman & Stephens has been at the forefront of the belief that sailboat excellence goes beyond hull lines and deck plans. Instead, this brand believes in excellent naval architecture, innovation, sophistication, and beauty. This is a brand that has laid the foundation of sailboat as a sport not just in America but all over the world.

These models have graced the world for decades and bring immense pleasure to their owners in terms of innovation, performance, and excellence. Though rooted in tradition, the brand has pushed sophistication, technology, and sailing experience to a whole new level. You'll be a proud owner of the Sparkman & Stephens model.

There you have it; these are the best sailboat brands in the world. Although there are several other sailboat brands to choose from, the-above described brands stand shoulder above others in terms of quality, safety, performances and luxury.

Hopefully, you're at a much better place when it comes to choosing a sailboat that suits your lifestyle, needs, and budget .

Happy sailing!

Related Articles

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Common Issues With Hallberg-Rassy Sailboats

Common Issues With Catalina Yacht Sailboats

Common Issues With Island Packet Yacht Sailboats

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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6 of the best Nautor's Swan sailing yachts

Clubswan 50.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of  Nautor's Swan , we take a look back at some of the yard's most luxurious sailing yachts which are admired by hardcore racers and cruisers alike.

The range starts with the new ClubSwan 50, which exhibits many of the modern design trends seen in much larger Nautor's Swan sailing yachts. Built to a very specific brief, this model is a convertible sports cruiser that can easily be helmed without the need for any crew. Her elegant styling includes naval architecture developed by Juan Kouyoumdjian, the Argentinean designer who also penned Groupama 4 , the winner of the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race.

The Finnish builder has delivered more than 2,000 sailing yachts over the years but one of the best Swan yachts on the water today is also the first.

The Swan 36 Tarantella was the first yacht launched by Nautor's Swan in 1966 and she was recently refitted by the yard to make her majestic return to the water. Many of her original build team members – now retired – returned to Swan in order to take on the restoration of the beloved first yacht. She sails as magnificently today as she did nearly 50 years ago.

In June 2015, Nautor’s Swan  launched its first Swan 115 sailing yacht . The new Swan flagship was built for none other than Nautor's Swan chairman Leonardo Ferragamo. Following in a lineage of Ferragamo Swans named Solleone , the latest iteration builds upon the classic, understated and "unpretentious" luxury enjoyed by her owner.

Designed by German Frers , the first Swan 115 is ready for racing and comfortable for cruising, and her dark blue hull colour cuts a striking figure on the water. Hull No 2 was named Shamanna and launched in April 2016, while Hull No 3 Highland Fling splashed less than a month later. Hull No 4 in the new Swan 115 range has also been sold and features an even greater focus on high performance racing with a flush-deck design. These slight variation are sure to provide thrilling racing when all the new Swan flagships line up at a regatta in the near future.

When Swan debuted its new Swan 105RS Ti-Coyo in 2014 she proved a real showstopper thanks to her fantastic stern design. The master cabin is placed all the way aft and becomes an on-water suite when the transom folds down, creating a giant superyacht beach club . By sliding open the glass doors into the master stateroom the owners can enjoy sea views from the bed and a morning swim is just a few steps away.

The 31.69 metre Swan 105 was designed by  Beiderbeck Designs with naval architecture by German Frers.

The 27.71 metre Swan 90 has been a popular series for the builder. Notable Swan 90s include Freya and Nefertiti . The Swan 90s are proven performers on the racecourse. Nefertiti , for instance, took first place in both the 2013 and 2014 Swan Caribbean Challenge Trophy at the RORC Caribbean 600 regatta.

They are also able bluewater cruisers, extremely seaworthy in transatlantic crossings and comfortable for long-range cruising. Swan is now updating this model and building a new 28.87 metre Swan 95, which it revealed in September 2014. The first Swan 95 , designed by German Frers, is in build and is set to launch in 2016.

The Swan 80 maxi-cruiser is the ideal pocket sailing superyacht for the owner who wants to be able to race or cruise in style. Two cockpits allow guests to unwind and stay out of the way during racing action.

Another collaboration between Swan and German Frers, the new Swan 80 will have huge portholes in the owner's cabin down below, letting in plenty of light, and she offers multiple layout options to suit her owner. She also offers a few transom design options to personalise the yacht further and the galley is fitted out to a professional standard.

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40 Best Sailboats

• By Cruising World Editors
• Updated: April 18, 2019

Sailors are certainly passionate about their boats, and if you doubt that bold statement, try posting an article dubbed “ 40 Best Sailboats ” and see what happens.

Barely had the list gone live, when one reader responded, “Where do I begin? So many glaring omissions!” Like scores of others, he listed a number of sailboats and brands that we were too stupid to think of, but unlike some, he did sign off on a somewhat upbeat note: “If it weren’t for the presence of the Bermuda 40 in Cruising World’s list, I wouldn’t even have bothered to vote.”

By vote, he means that he, like hundreds of other readers, took the time to click through to an accompanying page where we asked you to help us reshuffle our alphabetical listing of noteworthy production sailboats so that we could rank them instead by popularity. So we ask you to keep in mind that this list of the best sailboats was created by our readers.

The quest to building this list all began with such a simple question, one that’s probably been posed at one time or another in any bar where sailors meet to raise a glass or two: If you had to pick, what’re the best sailboats ever built?

In no time, a dozen or more from a variety of sailboat manufacturers were on the table and the debate was on. And so, having fun with it, we decided to put the same question to a handful of CW ‘s friends: writers and sailors and designers and builders whose opinions we value. Their favorites poured in and soon an inkling of a list began to take shape. To corral things a bit and avoid going all the way back to Joshua Slocum and his venerable Spray —Hell, to Noah and his infamous Ark —we decided to focus our concentration on production monohull sailboats, which literally opened up the sport to anyone who wanted to get out on the water. And since CW is on the verge or turning 40, we decided that would be a nice round number at which to draw the line and usher in our coming ruby anniversary.

If you enjoy scrolling through this list, which includes all types of sailboats, then perhaps you would also be interested in browsing our list of the Best Cruising Sailboats . Check it out and, of course, feel free to add your favorite boat, too. Here at Cruising World , we like nothing better than talking about boats, and it turns out, so do you.

40. Moore 24

39. pearson vanguard, 38. dufour arpege 30, 37. alerion express 28, 36. mason 43/44, 35. jeanneau sun odyssey 43ds, 34. nor’sea 27, 33. freedom 40, 32. beneteau sense 50, 31. nonsuch 30, 30. swan 44, 29. c&c landfall 38, 28. gulfstar 50, 27. sabre 36, 26. pearson triton, 25. islander 36, 24. gozzard 36, 23. bristol 40, 22. tartan 34, 21. morgan out island 41, 20. hylas 49, 19. contessa 26, 18. whitby 42, 17. columbia 50, 16. morris 36, 15. hunter 356, 13. beneteau 423, 12. westsail 32, 10. alberg 30, 9. island packet 38, 8. passport 40, 7. tayana 37, 6. peterson 44, 5. pacific seacraft 37, 4. hallberg-rassy 42, 3. catalina 30, 2. hinckley bermuda 40, 1. valiant 40.

• More: monohull , Sailboats
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Sailboat Preview: Dufour 44

New to the fleet: pegasus yachts 50, balance 442 “lasai” set to debut, sailboat review: tartan 455, sailing totem refit series: the forward head makeover, fatty goodlander: dealing with chafe while cruising, route planning in the face of climate change, how to rig everything in your favor.

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Swan Yachts Available

Swan Shadow

2023 | 13.23 m (43.40 ft)

Swan 105-002

€ 7,950,000

2014 | 31.89 m (104.07 ft)

Swan 100-201

€ 7,500,000

2005 | 30.21 m (99.11 ft)

Swan 98-001

€ 12,000,000

2020 | 31.05 m (101.87 ft)

Swan 90-001

€ 1,500,000

1991 | 27.28 m (89.50 ft)

Swan 82S-102

White rhino.

$ 2,500,000

2005 | 24.89 m (81.66 ft)

Swan 82-006

Mayang sari.

€ 1,950,000

2003 | 24.93 m (81.67 ft)

Swan 78-007

€ 7,800,000

2023 | 23.99 m (78.70 ft)

Swan 78-003

€ 6,500,000

2019 | 23.99 m (78.70 ft)

Swan 77-007

€ 1,350,000

1997 | 23.47 m (77 ft)

Swan 70-005

Flying dragon.

€ 1,600,000

2002 | 21.04 m (70.04 ft)

Swan 68-004

1993 | 21.30 m (69.88 ft)

Swan 66-710

€ 1,300,000

2010 | 20.12 m (66.01 ft)

Swan 65-105

€ 4,980,000

2020 | 20.11 m (65.98 ft)

Swan 65-103

€ 4,750,000

2019 | 20.11 m (65.98 ft)

Swan 65-001

1973 | 19.68 m (64.57 ft)

Swan 65-002

1973 | 19.75 m (64.10 ft)

Swan 61-003

1986 | 18.44 m (60.52 ft)

Swan 60S-201

€ 1,850,000

2016 | 18.86 m (61.9 ft)

Swan 601-002

2004 | 18.35 m (60.2 ft)

Swan 60-024

Aria di mare.

2001 | 19.12 m (62.73 ft)

Swan 60-019

€ 1,050,000

2000 | 19.12 m (61.84 ft)

Swan 60-017

Swan 60-012

€ 1,100,000

1998 | 19.12 m (62.73 ft)

Swan 60-005

Dream catcher iii.

1996 | 18.85 m (61.84 ft)

Swan 58-014

€ 2,690,000

2023 | 19.11 m (62.70 ft)

Swan 58-009

€ 2,800,000

2022 | 19.11 m (62.70 ft)

Swan 56-022

2000 | 17.19 m (56.40 ft)

Swan 56-014

Femme sauvage.

1999 | 17.19 m (56.40 ft)

Swan 56-008

1998 | 17.19 m (56.40 ft)

Swan 56-003

Swan 56-001

1997 | 17.53 m (57.51 ft)

Swan 55-011

Under Offer

1972 | 16.65 m (54.63 ft)

Swan 55-008

1971 | 16.84 m (55.25 ft)

Swan 53-039

Under offer

1993 | 16.06 m (53 ft)

ClubSwan 50-019

2018 | 16.74 m (54.92 ft)

ClubSwan 50-014

2017 | 16.74 m (54.92 ft)

Swan 48-250

2023 | 14.78 m (48.49 ft)

Swan 48-238

2022 | 14.78 m (48.49 ft)

Swan 48-220

2021 | 14.78 m (48.49 ft)

Swan 48-202

$ 1,295,000

US Duty Paid

2020 | 14.78 m (48.49 ft)

Swan 48-203

2019 | 14.75 m (48.49 ft)

Swan 48-123

1998 | 15.09 m (49.50 ft)

Swan 48-111

Stella maris i.

1997 | 15.09 m (49.51 ft)

Swan 47-016

1978 | 14.57 m (47.8 ft)

Swan 46-039

1986 | 14.36 m (47.11 ft)

Swan 45-048

Ange transparent ii.

2005 | 13.83 m (45.37 ft)

Swan 44-159

2001 | 13.75 m (45.11 ft)

Swan 44-113

Chinook of gunhill.

EU VAT Paid

1991 | 13.40 m (43.96 ft)

ClubSwan 42-035

2007 | 12.98 m (42.58 ft)

ClubSwan 42-010

2006 | 12.98 m (42.58 ft)

Swan 42-037

1985 | 12.80 m (42.00 ft)

Swan 411-13

1977 | 12.44 m (40.81 ft)

Swan 40-119

1993 | 12.67 m (41.56 ft)

Swan 39-030

1980 | 11.99 m (39.34 ft)

1989 | 11.20 m (36.75 ft)

ClubSwan 36-019

2021 | 11.00 m (36.09 ft)

ClubSwan 36-011

2020 | 11.00 m (36.09 ft)

ClubSwan 36-010

Address nautor swan brokerage mediterranean yacht management “le beau rivage” 9 avenue d’ostende 98000 monaco, e-mail [email protected], phone +377 97 97 95 07.

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Nautor swan 57 review: sparkman & stephens and nautor swan.

In 1966, Pekka Koskenkyla started Nautor in Pietarsaari, Finland. His focus was to build a quality fiberglass 10m sailboat. That dream became the Swan 36 by Sparkman & Stephens. With the success of the 36, Nautor and Sparkman & Stephens partnered on 37, 38, 40, 41, 411, 43, 431, 44, 47, 48, 55, 67, and 76 Swan models. In 1977, they introduced finally the Swan 57. A former Nautor Swan broker told me about the history of this design. He explained that “many people do not realize that the Swan 57 was at the centerpiece when Nautor and Sparkman & Stephens fell out.” Arguments about the design and build of the Swan 57 culminated in the separation of these two mighty companies. From Nautor’s inception in 1966 until the introduction of the Swan 57 in 1977, only Sparkman & Stephens designed Swans. Since the 1977 introduction, Sparkman & Stephens has never again designed a Swan sailboat.

First Impressions Olin Stephens was the principle designer. The 57-footer has the classic S&S rocket ship stern, modest sheerline, and raked bow. These Swans always are handsome yachts with their sexy low freeboard and wide decks. More than one client we have tried to talk out of buying a boat this size, but the siren call of a Swan is a powerful draw. Even 30 years after her introduction, a Swan 57 is sure to be one of the prettiest yachts in any harbor. She is a different class of yacht from your modern pilothouse cutter.

Construction In 1977, Nautor started production. Teak decks were optional. With a few hulls completed, Nautor started noticing problems. The stiffening support structure was not right. Under testing, the boats were not handling stress correctly. Either to floors were not designed or built correctly. Nautor went to Sparkman & Stephens with complaints. S&S looked it over and said Nautor had misinterpreted the specifications and built the boats wrong. Nautor was offended that S&S didn’t take responsibility. The disagreement left both sides apart. While Nautor was able to correct the issues, they vowed to never use Sparkman & Stephens again, and they meant it. They continued to build the 49 hulls of the 57 Swan until 1984.

What To Look For So be careful choosing a 57 Swan if this is one the first few hulls. The earliest couple had this floor framing issue which split up S&S and Nautor. That is pretty serious quality question and something you would think of with a Swan. Another problem is the teak deck. Look for a 57′ that has new teak decks or no teak deck. If a 57 Swan does not have new teak decks by now, then you are in for trouble. The teak has to be replaced. Teak decks are an expensive item of $50,000 to $100,000. The generator location is of interest Many times owners install the generator aft which is noisy for the aft staterooms. Look instead for one with the generator amidships in the saloon/galley. She comes in both ketch and sloop varieties. Watch for the rare centerboard models with 6′ 8″ draft board up. That is the shoal-est draft, largest Swan combination you will find. Otherwise, the fixed draft is 9′ 1″.

On Deck and Down Below The 57 sleeps six in three staterooms. There are three owner and guest staterooms including two guest heads. Starting forward is the forepeak and storage followed by a chain locker. The guest cabin is located amidship with upper and lower berths. Next aft is the large and spacious main salon featuring a dining table and settee that seats eight and expanding teak table. The nav station is opposite the galley to starboard with a passageway aft to the master stateroom adjacent. The master stateroom has a slide out double berth to port and a single berth to starboard with a bench seat between and expansive storage area behind. If you are looking for a centerline queen aft stateroom, she is not it; she has a classic racing type interior.

Engine and Underway The original engine is a 73 HP Perkins. Of course, Swans are wonderful racers, and the 57 is a great cruiser, too. And for her rare centerboard versions, you can get into tight spots. A broker who owned one says, “I had a 57 fixed keel version. I carried 9′ around. I wish I had the centerboard. I could have gone in so many more places.” He tells of sailing offshore in heavy seas in comfort. The 57′ was and is a young man’s boat, best handled by at least a couple. These are athletic yachts not meant for short handed sailing.

Conclusion Nautor switched to designers Ron Holland from 1978-1981 and then German Frers. Today, these 57’s are no longer new boats but classics. They are sexy racer/cruisers of the famous Swan quality and beautiful Sparkman & Stephens design. They are last of the S&S and Nautor boats. In 1998, an Italian group lead by Leonardo Ferragamo purchased Nautor. They continue the design relationship with German Frers building ever larger quality yachts up to the ambitious 131′ Swan. Nautor Swan from its humble Finish beginings is arguably the most famous sailboat brand worldwide. Prices range from $300,000 to $400,000 on the brokerage market. The best source for additional information is the Classic Swan Owners Association.

One Reply to “Nautor Swan 57 Review: Sparkman & Stephens and Nautor Swan”

These are beautiful boats and now make perfect blue water cruisers. A Swan 57 will achieve hull speed in 10-15 knots, and upwind can sail unattended for 8 hour stretches, I love mine, I would almost say, ‘the perfect yacht’……but then I haven’t  sailed a Swan 65!!! A Swan 57 must be the best bargain on the used yacht market….people in the market for a big, ‘proper’ boat are crazy not to buy one! G. Applin ‘Nakesa’

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• Sailboat Guide

Swan 36 is a 35 ′ 8 ″ / 10.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Sparkman & Stephens and Olle Enderlein and built by Nautor (Swan sailboats) between 1967 and 1970.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

The Swan 36 is the boat that kicked it all off for the prestigious Finnish yacht maker Nautor’s Swan, a name recognized among sailors as makers of some of the best production boats built. Its founder, Pekka Koskenkylä, way back in 1966 approached the hallowed New York design firm Sparkman and Stephens while they were working on some design projects in Finland. Koskenkylä’s idea was to build a yacht in the 10 metre range that would be strong, seaworthy and fast enough to be suitable not only for cruising but racing as well. He wanted to utilize fiberglass molding techniques which were still in its relative infancy at the time.

The outcome of the agreement was Sparkman and Stephens design number 1710.51 which was a hull form already being used in boats being built by Cantieri Benello (Gaia Class), Cheoy Lee (Sigma 36, S&S Design #1710.8) and by Chantier Bertin in France. Where the Swan 36 design differed significantly was the use of a separate rudder from the keel, quite an innovation for its day and a configuration for which Sparkman and Stephens was having great success with in their Americas Cup designs (in 1967 and 1970 their separate rudder 12m boat -Intrepid_ went on to claim successive defense victories.)

With her departure from a full keel, the Swan 36 stands somewhere between the classic and a new generation of design thinking. She still retains moderately long overhangs and a deep bilge yet her hull has a pronounced tumblehome with a pointed diamond shaped plan profile which was becoming popular in RORC racing designs of that era. Her interior layout was simple and functional.

She was introduced in the spring of 1967 with the first Swan 36 delivered to British sailor Dave Johnson, whose racing successes around the UK generated a good reputation for Swan as a maker of performance racing yachts. Notably, in 1968, Casse Tete II won seven wins out of seven at the Cowes Week regatta. As the Swan 36 continued to impress on the racing circuit, owner feedback and wish for improvements propelled Swan to produce the Swan 37 in 1970, the same year the Swan 36 production ceased with a total production of 90 boats.

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Electric boats

This $680 4-seater electric swan boat makes my own chinese e-boat look luxurious.

I’m no stranger to collecting weird Alibaba electric vehicles, and that includes aquatic vessels. But after buying an ultra-cheap Chinese electric boat last year , this new one makes my own lazy lake cruiser look like a luxury yacht.

Compared to my $1,080 boat , this $680 masterpiece is a tad bit less decked out.

Sure, it’s got a fiberglass hull, which is already surprising for such an affordable little boat. But with just four seats, your lake parties will be more intimate affairs.

The boat claims to be electric, though pictures of foot pedals have me a bit worried. There is a note somewhere on the sales page claiming a 6-8 hour run time, so that’s a good sign that it’s actually electrically powered. At least, as long as it doesn’t mean that’s how long it took the last couple to pass out.

And hey, having foot pedals as a backup on a boat like this probably isn’t a bad idea!

The design is certainly… intriguing. I know that ship figureheads have been commonplace for millennia, often ornately carved into ships’ wooden bows as a symbol of pride or to instill fear in sailors’ enemies.

But I’m not sure how well the swan head here can accomplish either task. Though, if you’ve ever ticked off an angry swan, I think it’s fair to say they’ve been known to instill a bit of fear themselves. With some red and green navigational lights in the eyes and a recording of angry honking mixed with violent wing-flapping sounds, you might just scare a few other boaters overboard.

The other small issue is that there’s not a great way to connect a bow line while on the boat. They shortchange you with a ring instead of a cleat up front, but to get there you’d have to shimmy out over the bow on your stomach, avoiding the giant swan (I didn’t expect to write that when I woke up today), and then dangle down over the prow to attach it. Sheesh.

I guess these are meant more for amusement park ponds where you’ll be cast off from the dock by some drunk carnie instead of doing it yourself, so that exercise I described above might not be a common occurrence.

Assuming the boat truly is electric, that canopy seems like a lot of wasted space that could be well spent holding up some solar panels. That’s exactly what I’ve done with my boat, adding around 350W of solar panels to the shade cover (that story is coming soon) to keep the batteries topped up.

Though for under $700 for an electric boat, I don’t think we can make too many extra requests here.

In fact, as usual, I recommend that nobody make any requests, including any purchase inquiries. These unknown Alibaba vendors can be a risky bunch, and you never know if you’ll get a product at the end of the saga, or if you do, what kind of quality it will be.

For example, the top coat on my fiberglass hull is definitely already chipping in places after a year of Florida UV exposure and my rudder has more rust than an abandoned bike lock that’s now fused with a bike rack. And that’s after my boat cost nearly twice as much!

So this is definitely another case of allowing ourselves to simply enjoy one of these weird little electric swan boats from afar!

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Micah Toll is a personal electric vehicle enthusiast, battery nerd, and author of the Amazon #1 bestselling books DIY Lithium Batteries , DIY Solar Power,   The Ultimate DIY Ebike Guide  and The Electric Bike Manifesto .

The e-bikes that make up Micah’s current daily drivers are the $999 Lectric XP 2.0 , the $1,095 Ride1Up Roadster V2 , the $1,199 Rad Power Bikes RadMission , and the $3,299 Priority Current . But it’s a pretty evolving list these days.

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Online conspiracy circles galvanize to proclaim Baltimore bridge collapse a ‘black swan event’

The phrase, which conspiracy theorists use to describe public distractions from nefarious plots, was trending online following the collision

Far-right commentators have declared Tuesday’s dramatic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge a “black swan event”, a niche phrase that has recently captured the imaginations of “deep state” conspiracy theorists.

“Nothing is safe,” wrote “manosphere” influencer Andrew Tate on X, about six hours after a container ship collided with the bridge. “Black Swan Event imminent.”

“This is a BLACK SWAN event,” asserted Gen Mike Flynn, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, on X. Others, including Benny Johnson, Laura Loomer and some verified QAnon-affiliated accounts, also latched on to the “black swan event” language, many claiming that the collapse was terrorism related.

“Looks deliberate to me. A cyber-attack is probable. WW3 has already started,” wrote Infowars’ Alex Jones on X.

Officials do not believe that the crash was terrorism-related or intentional; some theorized that the ship “lost propulsion”, causing it to veer off course .

As search-and-rescue teams continued looking for victims on Tuesday morning, “black swan event” trended on X, and Flynn appeared on Infowars to elaborate on his black swan theory.

The phrase “black swan event” was popularized in 2001 by Nassim Nicholas Taleb , a Lebanese American statistician and essayist, to describe unforeseen happenings in the financial world with cascading consequences, such as the 2000 dotcom crash . He later extended his metaphor in the context of historical or significant national security events.

In recent months, conspiracy theorists have hijacked the concept and folded it into deep state narratives, which posit that a clandestine network of powerful individuals are secretly running the US government.

“Alex Jones has been talking about ‘engineered black swan events’ since at least 2021, and it’s been in overdrive since the beginning of the year,” said Mike Rothschild, conspiracy theory expert and author of Jewish Space Lasers .

Google Trends reflect growing interest in the phrase, showing several significant spikes in searches for “black swan event” since December.

Rothschild said that, according to conspiracy theorists, the deep state creates “black swan events” to distract the public from nefarious plots, such as disarming citizens en masse, stealing the election from Donald Trump, or enacting martial law. Essentially, black swan event in this context has been rendered meaningless, much like its better-known cousin, “the false flag”.

“If the deep state needs to do something to keep us distracted from something else, they toss out a black swan,” said Rothschild. “The black swan has become part of the cabal’s arsenal, used to advance their evil plan.”

Flynn started talking about black swan events last August, envisioning a scenario that “we don’t have an election in 2024” due to “some other black swan-type event”. He doubled down on this “prediction” earlier this month during an appearance on The Benny Show (hosted by rightwing commentator Benny Johnson).

“These people will decide, there’s no way they can win a legitimate, fair election so let’s not have one, so in order to not have one, how do they create the conditions that they don’t have one?” Flynn said. “They’re going to try and come up with things that are unknowable … they call them black swan events.”

Last week, former Republican congressman Ron Paul went on former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show and warned that Americans needed to prepare for some sort of black swan catastrophe – though he stopped short of claiming that the deep state would be behind such a catastrophe.

“I believe in the theory of the black swan. It’s going to pop up and it’s not going to be controllable,” Paul told Carlson. “You have to understand what’s happening, you have to know what’s coming, it’s very, very dangerous, and that’s why I love to see smaller units of government.”

Paul and Flynn’s comments galvanized online conspiracy circles. “Within the last 48 hours, both Ron Paul and General Flynn have warned of a coming ‘Black Swan event’,” wrote Jacob Creech, an influential figure in the QAnon community, on X . “The enemy will not roll over and allow Trump to win. They have something planned.”

The growing popularity of the black swan event concept among conspiracy theorists coincides with an uptick of the phrase’s usage in mainstream vernacular. Some security experts have name-checked it while discussing the possibility of a destabilizing national event creating additional turmoil during a contentious election year.

On CBS’s Face the Nation in December, veteran investigative reporter Catherine Herridge suggested that 2024 could see a black swan event, citing ongoing national security threat levels, conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and continued polarization in the US. In January, Politico asked an array of experts, including technologists, historians and foreign policy analysts, to speculate on possible black swan events for the coming year.

Black swan event was just one conspiracy narrative that formed online on Tuesday. Fox host Maria Bartiromo tried to link the bridge collapse to “wide open borders”. A Republican candidate for Congress from Florida suggested that DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion hiring policies at the shipping company – was to blame.

On Wednesday, as wild speculation swirled online, officials continued to investigate possible failures that may have led to the collapse of the bridge, which Brandon M Scott, the mayor of Baltimore, has deemed “an unthinkable tragedy”. Pete Buttigieg, the US transportation secretary, said in a press conference Tuesday that the incident will have major impacts on supply chains and the road to rebuilding will be expensive and complex. Six people, all construction workers from Latin America , are feared dead.

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From longshoremen to charter boats, Baltimore's port closure means lost work

Laurel Wamsley

Ship-to-shore cranes sit unused after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, blocking access to the Port of Baltimore. Timothy Wolfer for NPR hide caption

Ship-to-shore cranes sit unused after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, blocking access to the Port of Baltimore.

When the container ship Dali struck the base of the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, it set off a rapid chain of events. The bridge crumpled into the Patapsco River, its twisted metal draped over the ship and its thousands of containers. Eight construction workers and their cars tumbled into the water. Two of the workers are dead; four are still missing and presumed dead. And the whole disaster is now blocking one of the country's busiest ports, the Port of Baltimore.

For many workers at the port, that chain of events means that work has either slowed or stopped completely.

"Quite a few are out of work right now," says Scott Cowan, president of International Longshoremen's Association Local 333 in Baltimore. He represents 2,400 dockworkers and ILA members in the Port of Baltimore.

Scott Cowan, president of Local 333, International Longshoremen's Association, at his office on Thursday. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

Scott Cowan, president of Local 333, International Longshoremen's Association, at his office on Thursday.

These are the workers who load and unload ships at the port. They operate cranes. They receive and deliver cargo. They do maintenance and repair work on equipment and containers. They perform clerical work like timekeeping and recording the movement of cargo.

"Some of our maintenance guys and mechanics are still going to work to maintain the equipment in the facility," says Cowan. "But the bulk of our work is the unloading and loading. That's where the labor-intensive jobs are, where we use a lot of people. ... And that's not happening right now."

'A generous man': Baltimore bridge worker helped family, community in Honduras

How long it takes to get the shipping channel cleared will determine how deeply port workers are affected — and the size of the impact to Maryland's economy . Cowan says the closure of the shipping channel is costing $191 million a day in lost economic activity.

The state has set up a dedicated unemployment line for workers affected by the port closure. Through Wednesday, the day after the collapse, fewer than 200 affected workers had made unemployment claims, according to a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Labor.

And the Maryland Senate president, Sen. Bill Ferguson, said earlier this week that he will sponsor emergency legislation to provide income replacement for workers impacted by the port's closure.

Still, Cowan doesn't think the impact will be a lasting one for Baltimore's longshoremen: "I believe the cargo will rebound here quite strongly and we'll be going into the Christmas season here shortly, bringing goods into this country. So we should be fine."

Smaller waterfront businesses are also affected

Bobby LaPin — "Captain Bobby" — owns and operates Boat Baltimore, offering sailing tours of Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. He docks the 45-foot-long sailboat Saeda at a marina in South Baltimore.

Bobby LaPin says he won't start cruises for his charter boat business for another month, due to collapse of the Key Bridge. His sailboat is seen docked at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday in Baltimore. Tim Wolfer for NPR hide caption

Bobby LaPin says he won't start cruises for his charter boat business for another month, due to collapse of the Key Bridge. His sailboat is seen docked at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday in Baltimore.

It's a seasonal business, and he'd been gearing up to start cruises on April 1. Now he won't open until May. So the sailboat remains anchored, a blue tarp pulled taut over its deck.

"We decided to push back our opening day ... because we don't want to add to clutter of boats in the harbor while there is a recovery mission still ongoing," he says. "I also don't want to take bookings for people that are simply trying to get on the boat so they can see the devastation of the bridge."

What we know and don't know about Baltimore's Key Bridge collapse

Normally he'd be hiring deckhands and captains to work for the summer, folks who work the winter in Florida and the summer up north. But for now, he's holding off any hiring.

The twisted metal of the Francis Scott Key Bridge hangs over the container ship Dali, which caused the bridge's collapse on Tuesday after striking one of the bridge's piers. The wreckage is blocking the Port of Baltimore's shipping channel. Tim Wolfer for NPR hide caption

He says it's too early to tell exactly what will be the impact on his business, but he expects bookings from tourists and conventioneers to decline for a time. And since the collapsed bridge is blocking access to the Chesapeake, he can't take longer, more lucrative bookings, where he'd sail out to the bay.

"Obviously, the No. 1 concern economically is going to be to clear the channel so shipping can start. And then after that happens, they have to build a bridge," he says. "But when they build a bridge, they need to block the channel to do so. So, you know, are we even going to have a bridge again?"

Officials say the first step is to remove the debris, then open the shipping channel, and later build a new bridge. President Biden has pledged that the federal government will pay for the bridge's rebuilding, which could take years .

It won't be necessary to close the channel while the bridge is under construction, says Benjamin Schafer, a professor of civil and systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University. "This has been a common challenge for bridge builders going back to at least the late 19th century," and there are a number of construction techniques that will allow the channel to stay open, he says.

A weird few years ahead

Along the waterfront at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday, all the boats were anchored. Next door, the terminal at Cruise Maryland sits empty, the giant ships now directed to other moorings. Just inland from the marina are the sleek new buildings of Baltimore Peninsula , with apartments, office space and restaurants.

Alex Snider is the waterfront operations manager for MAG Partners, the company that's redeveloping the peninsula. He says this time of year is generally quiet at the marina, before the season for recreational boaters picks up in late April or early May.

Alex Snider manages waterfront operations for MAG Partners, the company that's redeveloping Baltimore Peninsula. He wore his Orioles cap at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday, baseball's opening day. Tim Wolfer for NPR hide caption

Alex Snider manages waterfront operations for MAG Partners, the company that's redeveloping Baltimore Peninsula. He wore his Orioles cap at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday, baseball's opening day.

Even with the bridge collapse and the port closure, Snider talks about everything that's planned at the marina in the months ahead: "There's a sailing club that's going to be here, we've got a kayak launch. We've got the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club's going to be rowing out of here this year. So it's very busy."

Like many in Baltimore, the Key Bridge stirs up feelings of nostalgia for Snider, who used to run boats in the harbor.

"It was a beautiful bridge," he says. "I've piloted driven boats, captained boats under that bridge hundreds and hundreds of times. ... It's going to be a weird few years, not having that there visually."

• Francis Scott Key Bridge

• ClubSwan 28 >

CLUBSWAN 28

Being the smallest model ever produced by Nautor Swan, the ClubSwan 28 represents the entry in the ClubSwan Racing world, based on the concept of simplicity, quality and, of course, pure One Design speed. The ClubSwan 28 will be fit to join the high level One Design races all around the world. ClubSwan 28 is an entry into the ClubSwan one design racing world as it is specifically developed for passionate sailors who enjoy close racing together with a dose of high performance in a boat that is simple to use.

Therefore, it is designed to be smart, fun and fast yet not overly technical to allow for an easier entry into the world of racing.

The architect

Juan kouyoumdijan.

Designed by Juan K, she will sail with a crew of four. She is a pure one design, hitting the water in Summer 2024. The ClubSwan 28 has been conceived to be as simple as possible, still maintaining a high level of performance in every condition. Both hull and deck will be built using specifically reinforced fiberglass, with carbon mast and no backstay.

The deck layout design provides a clean and safe cockpit, allowing to race leg-in, sitting inboard, and all the ergonomic studies have been done around this feature. ClubSwan 28 will have a full kite retrieve system with a sliding hatch on the bow. Thanks to the lifting keel and dimensions, the boat is easily trailable, and to be rigged and unrigged in few hours only. It is the biggest possible sailboat trailable without excessive complications nor needing a specific permit. The sail plan is powerful, the sail wardrobe includes a mainsail, a jib, an AP kite and a reaching kite. The concept of the rig is all about simplicity, based on one single movement of the rig up and down through a dedicated and simple hydraulic system, the mast bend and headstay tension is achieved simultaneously without the need of a backstay thanks to the configuration of the shrouds.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION – PRELIMINARY

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Second Load of Aid by Sea Bound for Gaza Departs Cyprus

World Central Kitchen, the charity founded by the chef José Andrés, said barges were carrying almost 400 tons of rice, pasta, flour, canned vegetables and proteins.

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By Gaya Gupta

• March 30, 2024

A second load of aid from the World Central Kitchen left Cyprus for Gaza on Saturday, an even bigger batch of badly needed food for Palestinians at imminent risk of famine.

A vessel, called the Jennifer, and other barges were carrying almost 400 tons of shelf-stable and ready-to-eat items like rice, pasta, flour, canned vegetables and proteins — double the amount delivered in the World Central Kitchen’s first shipment to Gaza in mid-March, the charity said in a statement. The United Arab Emirates also contributed a shipment of dates, which are often eaten to break one’s fast during Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar. There is a little more than a week until Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic festival that celebrates the end of the holiday. This year it is expected to fall on or near April 9.

It was not clear when the second shipment would arrive, but the first vessel, called the Open Arms, took about four days to reach Gaza after leaving Cyprus. The Jennifer was also carrying two forklifts and a crane to offload cargo.

Delivering aid by sea is one of the latest international initiatives to stave off the threat of starvation in Gaza, where aid has been limited to tightly controlled border crossings.

When the first vessel arrived in Gaza, José Andrés, the Spanish American chef who founded the World Central Kitchen, said distribution efforts would start in northern Gaza, where violence and lawlessness has hindered food distribution efforts. Arriving at a newly built jetty on the coast, south of Gaza City, it was the first vessel authorized to deliver aid to Gaza in decades.

The United States has also announced a plan to build its own temporary floating pier to bring aid into Gaza, but it could take weeks to build.

A recent report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification global initiative, the global authority on famine and nutrition, found that the food shortages driven by the war were so severe that northern Gaza might reach a famine anytime in the coming months.

A famine is defined when an area meets three criteria: At least 20 percent of households have an extreme lack of food; at least 30 percent of children suffer from acute malnutrition; and at least two adults, or four children, for every 10,000 people die daily from starvation or from disease linked to malnutrition.

The process of getting aid into Gaza by land is long and convoluted, with trucks facing delays and difficulties at every stage of the distribution process. Roads ruined by Israel’s bombardment of Gaza make it difficult for trucks to traverse northern Gaza; aid agencies such as the World Food Program have suspended their deliveries there, citing security concerns.

The U.N. agency for Palestinians, known as UNRWA, says that Israel has prevented aid from entering at the necessary pace with its slow inspections. COGAT, the Israeli unit that supervises deliveries into Gaza, points the blame at the aid groups for not distributing aid fast enough.

Gaya Gupta is a reporting fellow on the Live team at The Times. More about Gaya Gupta

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Seven aid workers  with World Central Kitchen were killed when their convoy was hit by an Israeli strike in Gaza . Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel called the strike “a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people.”

After the deadly strike on World Central Kitchen workers, other aid groups in Gaza said they were more concerned than ever about the safety of their staff members .

Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to call for early elections to oust Netanyahu . Many of them believe he has put his political survival  ahead of the broader interests of the Israeli people.

Internal Roil at TikTok: TikTok has been dogged for months by accusations that its app has shown a disproportionate amount of pro-Palestinian and antisemitic content to users. Some of the same tensions  have also played out inside the company.

Palestinian Detainees: Israel has imprisoned more than 9,000 Palestinians suspected of militant activity . Rights groups say that some have been abused or held without charges.

A Hostage’s Account: Amit Soussana, an Israeli lawyer, is the first former hostage to speak publicly about being sexually assaulted  during captivity in Gaza.

A Power Vacuum: Since the start of the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has done little to address the power vacuum that would appear after Israeli forces leave Gaza. The risks of inaction are already apparent in Gaza City .

Channel crossings: More than 5,000 people have arrived in UK on small boats in 2024 as record start to year continues

Seven boats - bearing 349 people - arrived on Saturday 30 March, and 442 on nine craft the next day. This year has already recorded the busiest first quarter on record for crossings, which will make Rishi Sunak's pledge to "stop the boats" even more complicated.

Political reporter

Sunday 31 March 2024 17:32, UK

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The number of people to have arrived in the UK on small boats has risen above 5,000 by the end of March for the first time.

More than 100 small boats have crossed the Channel this year, according to government figures.

The January to March period of 2024 had already proven to be the busiest first quarter for crossings on record .

Seven boats - bearing 349 people - arrived on Saturday 30 March. That took the total number of vessels to have made past 100.

On Sunday 31 March 442 people in nine craft crossed, meaning more than 5,000 people have crossed this year.

The uptick in crossings will make Rishi Sunak 's "pledge" to stop the boats even trickier to fulfil before the general election.

James Cleverly , the home secretary, sent a warning to the Church of England over the Easter weekend about asylum seekers using religious conversion to avoid being returned to their home countries.

The row has come to prominence following the Abdul Ezedi case , where convicted sex offender Ezedi was granted asylum after a judge accepted he had converted to Christianity.

Ezedi was later the prime suspect in a chemical attack in London earlier this year. His body was recovered from the River Thames after a manhunt.

Writing in The Sun On Sunday, Mr Cleverly said: "Even the church has said they share our mission to stop the boats.

"We have met with the senior church leaders to explain Christian conversion is no guarantee of asylum being granted and we've stressed there is a real difference between welcoming new members to a flock and vouching for a person in an asylum tribunal."

He added: "Allowing people to exploit the system risks detracting from the invaluable work Christians and the church do every day for our society - today of all days."

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used his Easter Sunday sermon to preach that "evil and pain" must be confronted - "whether it is the evil of people smugglers, or county lines in our schools, or the pain and suffering in a family riven with grief or rage or substance abuse".

He added that the "church is not party political".

Some 26 Church of England bishops - including Mr Welby - sit in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

They have been criticised for opposing the government's Rwanda plan, which seeks to deport all asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Mr Welby said in a debate in January that " we can as a nation do better " - and has said there is "no evidence" to support claims the Church of England is "subverting the asylum system" by allowing spurious conversions to Christianity.

Labour said the latest crossing figures show "there is a major tragedy waiting to happen".

Related Topics

• James Cleverly
• Migrant crossings
• Rishi Sunak