Swan 411 Accomplice – Companionway Step Factory or Custom?

Hi all,

I noticed a photo of the Swan 411 Accomplice on Wikipedia, and something stood out—the companionway entry shows what looks like a built-in step adjacent to the opening.  

Does anyone know if this step was part of the original factory build, or is it likely a custom modification by the owner? I couldn’t find Accomplice in the Associated Swans list, so I’m curious if anyone knows more about this boat or has seen similar features on other S&S Swans.

Any info, drawings, or experience would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Kevin

Swan411 Companionway

One can find the name of the UK owner of Swan 411 Accomplice: https://www.nautorswan.com/w1/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-SWAN-SOLENT-SERIES-scoring.pdf

This modification seems to be inspired by the later Swan 46.

Another interesting approach can be seen on Swan 411/022 Sundance wich has an entry to the aft cabin in the cockpit.

Regards,

Christian 411/028 IF 

They participated at the 2014 Swan Cup in Porto Cervo (thanks to Carlo Borlenghi for this nice photo)

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

S&S Swan 411/005 Accomplice (photo courtesy Carlo Borlenghi)

One can find the name of the UK owner of Swan 411 Accomplice: https://www.nautorswan.com/w1/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-SWAN-SOLENT-SERIES-scoring.pdf

To follow up on Christian's observation here are some photos of the entry way to the aft cabin on Sundance (411/022).

The modification was fitted when I purchased the boat. It makes entry to the cabins a lot easier directly from the cockpit, however I believe this would not have been approved by S&S.

There must be an increased risk of water entering the boat. I think this can be mitigated in heavy weather by keeping the hatch closed!

Michael Dalton (411/022 Sundance)

Entryway from the cockpit

Original companionway

Thank you all for your thoughtful suggestions and ideas — I really appreciate everyone taking the time to share their experience and insight.

Michael: your Sundance is absolutely beautiful. The modification you showed is finely detailed and makes a lot of sense; it must make ingress and egress much easier!

Christian: thank you for pointing out that the entry shown on Accomplice is likely not a factory‑feature. That perspective is very helpful in framing what might be original vs what is owner‑modified.

Mateo: your digging for additional information about Accomplice has been super useful.

My sailboat, Stardust 411/011, is as perfect as I imagine a sailboat can be. After four years of ownership, I’m still learning how every original feature works — how everything is purpose‑built and just right.

That said, having the only point of entry — what some call the “submarine entry companionway” — with only a sliding lid and no hatch boards, is intriguing. It’s a feature that has strong character and heritage, but also some challenges.

Of course, I would like to have a companionway entry that looks and behaves as closely as possible to its original build, but which makes ingress and egress noticeably easier —  more comfortable, more usable.  I’m carefully considering how to go about it.

If anyone has photos or sketches of submarine‑entry companionways (original or modified) that do this well, I’d love to see them. Also any comments on whether structural integrity or weather‑proofing have been affected by such modifications would be very helpful.

Thanks again to all of you. I’m glad for this community and your collective wisdom.

— Kevin (Stardust 411‑011)

Hi Kevin 

I thought you maybe interested to know I've found a second Swan 411 with a second companionway from the cockpit to the aft cabin. The yacht is Swan 411/026 known on the forum as Kayoc. I have been unable to trace the owner but no doubt the person may get in contact. 

Here is a photo of the companionway to Swan 411/026 Kayoc. 

I hope this information may encourage you to make appropriate modifications to your Swan 411. 

All the best and Fair winds

Michael Dalton 

Swan 411/022 Sundance 

Aft cabin companionway Swan 411/026

Dear Michael,

I definitely think the companionway and its ladder are original.

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

Hello Michael,

Thank you for sharing. I really like the entry on your swan and with Kayoc. I love my swan 411 too, and have put a considerable effort into maintaining her to be as original as possible. I have plans to sail long distances over many years in my beautiful s&s swan 411. However, the issues of entering and exiting a sailboat with a companionway like is on the Swan 411 has been discussed. Since I had my sailboat in a yard last winter with expert shipwrights available, I made a modification to the exiting companion way to make entry a little easier. This was something I had thought about for several years, and it's the only deviation from the original design I would ever think of doing. Mine is now sort of like what was done on Accomplis. Effort was made to made it look and function as if Nautor did it. I do not have photos to share right now because actually you caught me on day 1 of a voyage that I have been planning for years: to sail around Vancouver Island, Canada. When I return, I will share some photos of the companionway entry and give you my honest review of it.

Hi Kevin

Good to hear from you. 

I wish you all the best and fair winds for the new adventure. It sounds like a lot of fun. 

Let's hope the modification you've made to the existing companionway works out well. I'll look forward to your news and to seeing the photos when you get back. 

Best wishes 

Michael Dalton 

411/022 Sundance 

411-011 Stardust completed her recent voyage. As promised, here are photos of the extended first step on her companionway ladder. After using it for 5 weeks, I can say it makes getting in and out easier and also provides a handy seat for the crew.

side view

open / closed

interior. some teak trim yet to be applied.