Beneteau Swift Trawler 44 Boats For Sale

The Beneteau Swift Trawler 44 is a long-range cruising trawler designed for a couple who want to leave the dock for weeks at a time, with accommodation that supports living aboard for a month or more. It has a length overall of 45 feet 6 inches, a beam of 13 feet 11 inches, and a draft of just 3 feet 5 inches, with an empty weight a little over 24,000 pounds. The boat carries a high, ship-like bow, deep bulwarks, and asymmetric side decks where the starboard side is wider for easy passage forward while the narrower port deck preserves interior volume. It was developed to replace the popular Swift Trawler 42 within the Beneteau range.

Power comes from a pair of Volvo Penta D4 300-horsepower diesels on shaft drive, paired with bow and stern thrusters for close-quarters control. Owners who want simplicity and lower maintenance choose this traditional shaft arrangement over a pod system. Top speed runs to between 24 and 25.6 knots at around 2,600 RPM, with comfortable cruising near 18 knots. At wide-open throttle the engines burn about 28 gallons per hour for a range of roughly 303 nautical miles. A practical fast cruise of 22.6 knots at 3,250 RPM returns 22.5 gallons per hour, which works out to almost exactly one nautical mile per gallon. Pulled back to displacement speeds of seven to eight knots, fuel consumption drops to around 8 to 10 litres per hour and range extends considerably. The Swift Trawler 44 planes in 6.3 seconds, reaches 20 mph in 8.5 seconds, and holds a bow rise of only about 10 degrees, settling into a roughly 5-degree attitude on plane. Sound levels measured 79 dB in the salon at full speed.

The boat has two helm stations. The lower helm sits to starboard across from the galley with an optional 12-inch display, an autopilot panel, thruster controls, and a side door that gives near 360-degree visibility for single-handed docking. The fly bridge helm is center-mounted with a 9-inch display, and from there the operator can see down both sides while staying within reach of the controls. Slim window mullions and wraparound glass keep sightlines clear. With the centered helm and separate engines, the boat backs and pivots accurately without needing the thrusters until the final lay-up against the dock.

The cockpit is fully shaded by the fly bridge overhang, can be enclosed with clears to form an outdoor room, and opens to the salon through triple sliding glass doors with a pull-out insect screen. The swim platform measures 112 inches by 33 inches and sits 12 inches below the cockpit deck, with an integrated swim ladder, a wet locker for dive gear, and large under-floor lockers that house the optional generator and an owner-fitted water maker. The fly bridge has its own sink, fridge, and an L-shaped seating area, plus an 11-foot boat deck aft with an electric boom and winch for launching a tender. Under the cockpit floor and stairs there is extensive storage for folding bikes, chairs and gear, suiting the boat's extended-cruising purpose. Teak decking is optional.

Inside, the U-shaped galley sits on the main deck forward to port, with Corian counters, a double stainless sink, a three-burner gas cooker, and a gas oven that can be swapped for a microwave; a 130-litre refrigerator tucks under the helm seat, which folds forward to add serving space. The salon offers 6 feet 6 inches of headroom and a sofa that converts to a double berth, with curtains to form an extra cabin. The forward master suite makes the most of the bow volume with 6 feet 7 inches of headroom, an island double berth of 6 feet 9 inches by 5 feet 3 inches, hanging lockers, under-berth storage and an en suite head. A second double cabin aft measures 6 feet 7 inches by 4 feet 9 inches, and a day head doubles as a wet shower, cleverly linked to the master head by a frosted glass door so two people can get ready at once.

Build details point to low maintenance and practicality, with teak cap rail and pulpit the only exterior wood, a standard Lumar windlass, 16-inch cleats, double-clamped hoses and clean wire runs in an engine compartment accessed by lifting the salon carpet. A base Swift Trawler 44 was priced around NZ$890,000, and used Beneteau Swift Trawler 44 examples appear on the brokerage market, including a 2015 boat offered in Southampton. Buyers weighing a Beneteau Swift Trawler 44 for sale should consider options such as the generator, water maker, autopilot, larger helm display and teak decks, along with whether the shaft-drive setup suits their cruising plans.