Beneteau may be best known for its sailboats, but a large share of its models nowadays are powerboats — and among those powerboats, the 15-year-old Swift Trawler line has been well-received since its inception. Swift Trawlers are known for their creative use of onboard space, performance, seakeeping ability and relatively affordable price points.
The latest Swift Trawler model to splash is the 47, which bolsters the top-end of a series ranging from 30 feet to 50 feet in length. The 47 is scheduled to make its entrée into the world at this month’s Cannes Yachting Festival. It is a collaboration borne from the minds at Beneteau Power and Andreani Design.
The 48-foot-4-inch yacht has a relatively wide 14-foot-6-inch beam. Three staterooms plus a sofa bed mean she can sleep eight people — no small feat for a vessel this size. Her forepeak master is en suite, while the portside guest stateroom has a head that doubles as the day-head. The twin berths here convert to a double for a couple. To starboard is a smaller guest stateroom that would serve children well or could be used for stowage. The sofa bed is in the salon, which has a sliding door that opens almost completely to connect it to the modular, and thus versatile, cockpit.
| Wheel Deal | Open Season |
|---|---|
| The yacht’s lower helm is on centerline and has seating for a skipper and a mate. The console has two navigation displays as well as an aft camera intended to aid with docking. An optional joystick can be installed to make close-quarters maneuvering easier. | The Swift Trawler 47 is meant for families and entertaining. Beneteau designed its salon and cockpit to join by way of a sliding door that opens wide, making nearly the entire main deck a single space. The galley is centrally located for serving meals inside and out. |
The 47 has two helms, one up top and one on the main deck. The lower helm is notable for its unobstructed lines of sight, owing to the salon’s windows. This yacht’s upper helm is quite sociable, with three companion seats to make sure the captain doesn’t get lonely on the longer voyages the Beneteau 47 Swift Trawler was designed to undertake.
This is a family-friendly yacht that seems ideal for long voyages on the Intracoastal. Anybody up for the Great Loop?
