44 Beneteau Swift Trawler [Boat Owner Review]

New boat owner shares a rave review of the Swift Trawler 44

Denison broker Byron Shirley recently sold the 44 Beneteau Swift Trawler to Emil Anderson, who details just what makes the ST44 just so special.

The Swift Trawler 44 has given owners Alicia and Emil Anderson a whole new meaning to adventure. The couple and their 3 kids, along with their dog, set out to explore British Columbia aboard the Swift Trawler 44, attesting to the boats comfortability, reliability, and safety on their family trip.

How and why did you choose the Swift Trawler 44?

I really have always loved the trawler/workboat look, and when I took my wife up onto the flybridge, she instantly liked it. We wanted a trawler for efficiency, but also something that could give us speed too. When looking for our dream boat,  we wanted something between 40-45 feet for ease of moorage, a full walkaround layout, a helm door, a comfortable and safe flybridge, hard enclosures, stability at sea, ability to cruise at either under 10kts with great fuel efficiency or at 15+ kts with reasonable fuel consumption, and the ability to possibly sleep 6. When we came across the Swift Trawler 44, it checked off everything we wanted, and more. My wife and kids never liked flybridges until this boat, because of how hard they are to access. With all the grab locations and backed stair treads on the ST44, the family feels safe and they now love the flybridge. 

How would you describe your relationship with your dealer throughout the entire process of buying and owning the boat? 

I cannot emphasize how awesome this was. Over the years, we’ve dealt with many brokers, but Byron at Denison Yacht Sales was the only one to actually remember our names. He was attentive to what we wanted and needed, but did not pester or hound us. He was reachable at nearly every hour during the buying process, and helped us track down all the information we wanted on this boat. Post sale, he has been available for any miscellaneous questions we’ve had and has personally assisted us when needed. We are really impressed and happy with the entire process.  

What is your favorite feature on the Swift Trawler 44?

On top of the dream list already mentioned, to name a few of my favorites, the great displacement in rough seas; I like how the boat can displace but also outrun or pace the seas to get a fun and comfortable ride.

The fuel efficiency is amazing and the boat is shockingly stable for a boat it’s size. It is also incredibly quiet, which allows us to share a meal and have enjoyable conversation; a luxury we did not have on our previous boats.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey with the boat in British Columbia?

We spent two weeks in British Columbia, half at anchor and half in marinas. It was funny, everywhere we went, people would just stare. They would ask what kind of boat we had, and were always surprised to hear “BENETEAU Swift Trawler”.  It was even funnier to tell them that we cruise at either 10 knots or 17 knots; they would make me repeat 17 knots like they thought we mis-spoke. Docking the boat was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done, even sterning in, which was always a challenge for me with previous boats. Handling the boat in rough seas had me laughing because she performed so well. This boat handled perfectly, with the auto pilot bearing set, we surfed down the swells and then parted/displaced the seas for the following swell as I was chuckling and documenting the performance. These were conditions that would have left us stressed, wet, and tired on our previous boats; but not with the ST44!

What does adventure mean to you on the Swift Trawler 44? 

It means we can reach places by boat that we previously felt weren’t reachable and the whole family feels safe and at ease no matter the sea conditions. Our next big adventure will be Ketchikan, Alaska, and we have 200% faith that this boat will be reliable, safe, stable, and enjoyable for the journey!

The very popular Swift Trawler 44 in particular fit Emil and Alicia’s needs – with the ability to easily sleep six, the large flybridge, the comfortable walk-around side decks, twin engines and bow and stern thrusters to make docking a cinch… the ST 44 really checked off most of the boxes for a family of 5 planning to go to British Columbia and eventually Alaska. I delight in finding the right boat for someone, and in this case we hit the nail on the head.

Byron Shirley, Denison Trawler Specialist

To get more information on the Swift Trawler 44, or to get in contact with Byron Shirley, call him. Byron is excited to help you find you the perfect boat.

Interview sourced from Beneteau.