Why do some databases list a 2012 build year for the Sweden Yachts 340?

Listings and aggregator cards often show 2005–2012 with 10.31 × 3.2 m. On the plate the model was built 1986–1995 on a 10.36 × 3.51 m hull. Check the builder's plate and hull number.

How does the Sweden Yachts 340 differ from a Hallberg-Rassy 340?

Different eras and different projects. The SWY 340 is late-1980s compact upwind/seakeeping. The HR 340 is a modern design from another decade with different volumes and layout. Do not sort by the "340" in the name alone.

Is the rudder a skeg or a spade?

The Sweden Yachts 340 carries a spade rudder. Once the boat is hauled, look for play in the bearings - there is no skeg to inspect.

Which draft should I look for in adverts?

Three keels share the name: shoal roughly 1.55–1.64 m and deeper options roughly 1.95–2.11 m; references often cite ~1.96 m as standard. Confirm with the plate and hauled measurements, not the listing string.

What matters on a survey in Sweden?

For these hulls the plate chapter is Stenungsund (historic), not the later Kungsviken Group story. Check sandwich moisture, teak, and the saildrive diaphragm on a Volvo MD2030 (exact engine can vary by hull - verify on site).

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Sweden Yachts

SWY 340

You are standing on the deck of a Sweden Yachts 340, holding a printout from a modern online listing stamped "Year of manufacture: 2012." Your eyes move between the flawless gelcoat and the 1986 drawings, and you cannot find a real difference. The boat simply refused to look old. How does a mid-1980s project still scramble aggregator cards?

The answer is not "magic design." It is the builder's plate. Peter Norlin and Jens Östmann drew a 10.36 × 3.51 m hull built from 1986 to 1995 - 101 boats - at the Stenungsund yard. A card showing 2005–2012 with 10.31 × 3.2 m is not this plate: check year and hull number on the plate, not the year in the advert. Sources do not explain why aggregators err; what matters to a buyer is that the numbers do not match the plate.

Under one Sweden Yachts 340 name you will meet three keels: a shoal roughly 1.55–1.64 m and two deeper options roughly 1.95–2.11 m (references often cite a standard near 1.96 m). Take the true draft from the plate and from measurements once the boat is hauled, not from the listing line - the keel decides winter depth and what a surveyor will see. Displacement around 5.7 t with ballast near 41% is compact premium, not a heavy Swedish tank.

Nearby badges are easy to mix: Sweden Yachts 390 (about 1991–1998, roughly 47 hulls, 11.88 × 3.87 m), a Najad 340 in a heavier class, a modern Hallberg-Rassy 340 from another decade, or a later Sweden under the post-2013 Kungsviken Group chapter. This historic 340 is Stenungsund; a brochure photo is not a birthplace. Before you buy, budget two expensive condition forks: the teak deck (plank thickness and caulking) and moisture in the sandwich hull. Separately check the saildrive diaphragm on a typical Volvo Penta MD2030, and spade-rudder bearing play once the boat is hauled. The SWY 340 set the line for later Sweden Yachts into the late 2000s - a compact entry into that hull school.

At a glance

Quick facts

Production: 1986–1995
LOA: 10.36 m
Beam: 3.51 m
Model: SWY 340

Key takeaways

Best for: Norlin/Östmann aft-cockpit premium compact (1986–1995, ~101)
Common issue: teak fasteners, deck joints, and mixed rod or wire age
Typical price: niche Swedish badge; reject fixture years 2005–2012

Technical data

Length overall (LOA): 10.36 m
Beam: 3.51 m
Production years: 1986–1995

Design history

The Sweden Yachts 340 is Peter Norlin and Jens Östmann's work at Stenungsund from 1986 to 1995. 101 hulls were built. The neighbouring Sweden Yachts 390 ran roughly 1991–1998 (about 47 hulls) and overlaps those years - it is not a clean "replacement after 1995", but another size in the same family. The 340 became a template for later production Sweden boats into the late 2000s. Some cards still show 2005–2012 with shortened 10.31 × 3.2 m dims; that is not this plate window or these dimensions - verify the builder's plate and yard number, not the aggregator row.

Typical problems

Buyer FAQ

Why do some databases list a 2012 build year for the Sweden Yachts 340?: Listings and aggregator cards often show 2005–2012 with 10.31 × 3.2 m. On the plate the model was built 1986–1995 on a 10.36 × 3.51 m hull. Check the builder's plate and hull number.
How does the Sweden Yachts 340 differ from a Hallberg-Rassy 340?: Different eras and different projects. The SWY 340 is late-1980s compact upwind/seakeeping. The HR 340 is a modern design from another decade with different volumes and layout. Do not sort by the "340" in the name alone.
Is the rudder a skeg or a spade?: The Sweden Yachts 340 carries a spade rudder. Once the boat is hauled, look for play in the bearings - there is no skeg to inspect.
Which draft should I look for in adverts?: Three keels share the name: shoal roughly 1.55–1.64 m and deeper options roughly 1.95–2.11 m; references often cite ~1.96 m as standard. Confirm with the plate and hauled measurements, not the listing string.
What matters on a survey in Sweden?: For these hulls the plate chapter is Stenungsund (historic), not the later Kungsviken Group story. Check sandwich moisture, teak, and the saildrive diaphragm on a Volvo MD2030 (exact engine can vary by hull - verify on site).

Annual ownership costs

Item	Low (SEK)	High (SEK)	Note
Berth	25 000	50 000	~10.4 m class, Sweden/Baltic
Insurance	10 000	25 000	classic premium; Swedish rates
Winter (crane + hard standing)	15 000	35 000	Swedish marina; cover
Paint and care	5 000	12 000	gelcoat materials
Volvo MD2030	7 000	18 000	annual service; saildrive reserve
Rig reserve	8 000	18 000	running or standing by age
Teak deck and systems	15 000	62 000	wood care; comfort systems
Annual total	85 000	220 000	range by condition

About 85 000 SEK is a quiet year without major work. About 220 000 SEK arrives quickly if winter brings teak rebonding and age-driven rigging: compare a cheap autumn advert with a real winter quote, not a round number from the listing.

Pre-purchase survey checklist

Survey checklist: Sweden Yachts 340

Documents and identity

Builder's plate: Confirm Stenungsund and the yard number. Match LOA (10.36 m) and beam (3.51 m); avoid catalog confusion.
Build year: Confirm 1986–1995, not a mythical "2012".

Hull and deck

Teak deck: Residual plank thickness and caulking condition. Teak rebonding is the big cost item on older Swedes.
Hull sandwich: Soft spots / delamination with a moisture meter or sounding.
Draft: Which of the three keels is fitted: shoal roughly 1.55–1.64 m or deeper roughly 1.95–2.11 m (standard often ~1.96 m). Confirm by measurement, not the advert line.

Systems and machinery

Volvo Penta MD2030: Leaks and heat exchanger; last saildrive diaphragm change. Exact engine can vary by hull - verify on site.
Rudder bearings: Spade rudder play.
Standing rigging: Age vs invoices; replace when over ~15 years.

Expert verdict

FairHelm rating: 8.2/10: The Sweden Yachts 340 (Norlin/Östmann, 1986–1995, ~101 hulls, 10.36×3.51) is a compact aft-cockpit premium cruiser. FairHelm judgment: buy the survey and teak invoices, not the badge alone.

Pros: Known Swedish GRP pedigree, livelier helm than many centre-cockpit peers, and semi-custom care signals when yard invoices exist.
Cons: Teak fastener and deck-joint age, mixed rod or wire history, and thinner listing depth than mass-production peers near this LOA.
Who it suits: Skippers who want Swedish build under 35 feet with more helm feel than a classic Najad layout. Unknown: exact teak fastener and rod-rig state until surveyed on the hard; reject fixture years 2005–2012.

Vadim Nareyko, FairHelm Editorial, Last reviewed: 2026-08-29

Owner reviews

Share your experience owning this model. Reviews are moderated before publication.

Quality seeker★★★★★
Sweden Yachts 340 feels tighter and better finished than mass-market alternatives we viewed. Rigging age was our main negotiation lever.