This year, Groupe Beneteau is celebrating its 140th year in the boat building business. Known as a builder of sailboats for most of that time, the expansion into the cruising powerboat world three decades ago certainly made waves across the boating market.
The company’s Swift Trawler line helped define the market transition from 8-knot trawlers to roomy, ocean-going, trawler-like cruising boats that could run long distances at speeds in the mid-to-high teens.
The new Swift Trawler 54 Passagemaker that the builder announced this summer will be the sixth model in the Swift Trawler line and fills a gap between the SR 48 and the Grand Trawler 62.
The 54, designed by Dixon Yacht Design, was conceived by the builder as a true home-away-from-home, so a lot of design emphasis went into creating indoor and out spaces that feel warm, comfortable and safe.
Two finish styles are offered, one with mahogany colored veneers and one with light oak. In both iterations furniture will be upholstered with elegant but muted earth-tone fabrics that add to the interior’s hominess.
The hull has a lot of volume forward and an attractive reverse curve to the sheer line. The flybridge has quite a low profile so the 54 doesn’t look like a layer cake and is surprisingly streamlined for a vessel of this type and purpose.
The salon has been made as large as possible to accommodate home-like spaces, with a large living room aft that has a comfy-looking sofa and coffee table. The galley is made up of two island counter spaces with the sinks on one side and the stove/oven on the other.
The lower helm is forward to starboard and across from it is a dinette that will seat four adults. This nook will be perfect for indoor meals and one can envision couples spending a lot of time here.
The after deck has room for a table and chairs and a small sofa. Protected from the weather, this will be another favorite place for meals. The large platform at the transom doubles as a beach front and has a hydraulic cradle for carrying a large dinghy when underway.
The standard accommodation plan that Beneteau is showing has the master suite and head amidships, the VIP guest cabin in the forepeak and a double-bunk cabin between them.
The power plant specified for the 54 shows twin 550-horsepower diesels and close to a thousand gallons of fuel. This should give the 54 an ample range at moderate cruising speeds.
