This Swallow Yachts BayCruiser 26 is a fantastic offering an excellent balance of performance, practicality and versatility. Its water-ballasted, lifting-keel design allows access to shallow waters, drying harbours and estuaries, while still providing good stability and windward ability when sailing. This greatly expands where and how the boat can be used.
The BayCruiser 26 is easy to sail and manage, making it well suited to short-handed sailing. The rig is efficient and forgiving, and the boat remains responsive and well balanced in a range of conditions. It rewards good sailing without being demanding.
Inside, the layout is practical, bright and functional, offering comfortable accommodation for coastal cruising and weekends aboard. High build quality and attention to detail give confidence in durability and long-term use.
Overall, it is a boat that encourages frequent sailing, supports adventurous cruising, and adapts easily to different sailing styles and location
The current owners who have owned her since 2018 have made a number of improvements to the design and functionality of the boat
The BayCruiser 26 encourages frequent sailing, supports adventurous cruising, and adapts easily to different sailing styles and location
Mechanical
Mercury F9.9CT petrol outboard with cover, electric start and electric lift
Full and documented service history
Approximately 75 hours since 2018
Consumption - approx 2 litres per hour
2 x 12ltr fuel tanks c/w gauges
Inline fuel and water separator
◦ Note: Deck fuel filler, factory fitted from new, no longer used
Electrical
3 x 12V Varta Professional Dual Purpose 95Ah batteries May 2022
Main isolator switch and 50A fuse, 16 way breaker panel.
LED saloon lights, LED vee berth lights and heads light.
12V accessory out via cigarette type outlet at main panel.
Twin solar cells with Solar battery charge controller
Shore power and cable
240V battery charger
Various USB dc, 12V dc and 240V ac power outlets
Manually operated electric pump for ballast water tank via diverter valve
Electric winch for lift keel (with manual backup via Harken 15 ST winch)
Navigation
Raymarine es75 Hybrid Touch Multi-Function Display for Navionics charts, mounted on cockpit bulkhead (replaced in 2020)
Raymarine i70 customisable display for depth/speed/wind etc., mounted on cockpit bulkhead
Raymarine ST-2000 Tiller Pilot – stowage in port locker lid
Raymarine P7 depth and ST800 log transducers
Raymarine E22078 short-arm wind transducer at masthead
Raymarine Ray70 DSC VHF radio with AIS receiver and GPS
Raymarine full-function radio handset extension mounted on cockpit bulkhead
Silva navigation compass mounted on cockpit bulkhead
Bulkhead barometer and clock
Navigation lights for anchoring, steaming and sailing
Sails, Spars and Rigging
Carbon fibre mast with carbon spreaders and carbon boom.
6mm 1x19 wire lower and cap shrouds.
Standing rigging - original
Raising plates at base of mast, allowing safe raising and lowering.
Quick release kicker plate for kicking strap and reef lines.
Mainsheet is 5:1 near boom end, shackled down to stainless pillar in cockpit.
Jib sheets are 1:1 through Selden cleating deck blocks.
Fully battened main sail with sail number and type.
Roller reefing jib.
Dyneema halyards for jib and mainsail.
Two reefing lines set up for single line slab reefing, with lines led back to the cockpit clutches.
Ronstan series 19 track system with ball bearing cars for easy hoist/drop/reefing *
Mast, boom and mast pole varnished with 2 coats Epifanes 2 pack
Modified Swallow Yachts main halyard fitting
Mainsail Cunningham and clew outhaul control to cockpit
SmartPins securing all bottle screws
Halyard frappings
Stack pack & mast collar in Sunbrella Steel fabric 2022
Sails - Sanders sails 2022, radial cut
Jib with Rutgerson roller battens
Mainsail, 3 reefs, with full length battens and RYA sail number GBR 4881L
Asymmetric spinnaker on Selden top-down furler
*Ronstan track system whereby sail is removed from mast & boom for trailering, replacing Swallow cassette type mainsail storage system
Interior & Domestic
4 berths and 1 heads with holding tank and macerator
V berth forward
Port and starboard 1/4 berths
Pressurised water system
Ducted Propex hot-air heating powered by on-board gas or electricity from shore power, serviced by Propex in 2022
Slide out galley with twin burner hob, storage and pressurised water in galley module
Galley upgraded with Formica surfaces
New gas certificate 2025
Fridge
Bespoke locker to forward end of port saloon berth, including stowage and electrics
Reconfigured saloon table stowage (can also be used in cockpit)
Redesigned seat back lockers to port berth with back-rest cushions in Sunbrella Paris Red
Chart stowage above quarter berth
Red Swallow saloon cushions
Teak-effect on saloon and heads soles
Forecabin windows
Shelf above V berth
Curtains, blinds or privacy screens to all saloon windows and through-deck hatches
Deck
Tiller (varnished) steering
GRP deck with Teak-effect on cockpit sole and seats
7kg anchor, 10m chain plus 30m plait line
Folding GRP bowsprit with anchor roller and spinnaker tack attachment.
Primary bow roller.
Large anchor locker.
Fold down doors on transom
Telescopic boarding ladder.
Central stainless steel A frame at aft end of boat, incorporating a roller to support the lowered mast.
Large cockpit lockers port and starbd.
Teak handrails on both sides of coachroof.
Folding step on bowsprit for bows-in mooring
Mooring lines
Fenders with covers (6)
Stainless steel flagstaff and socket
Windscreen replaced in 2021 (original was leaking)
Detachable dinghy davits (used for securing under boom cockpit awning).
Lagun table bracket in cockpit (modified saloon table can be used in cockpit)
Original stanchions and guardwires replaced with stainless steel stubs for furling line and asymmetric sheet turning blocks (stanchions and guardwires available for re-fitting)
Additional mooring cleats on port and starboard quarter decks
Stern anchor roller on port fold-down transom door
Safety
Whale hand pump with divert valve (to switch between pumping ballast water and pumping bilge)
Rescue strop and line in guard-rail bag in Sunbrella Steel
Radar reflector (hoist to spreaders when required)
Jack-stays from foredeck to cockpit coaming
CO detector in saloon
Canvas
Sprayhood in Sunbrella Steel, redesigned by Tec Sew in 2022
Hatch covers in Sunbrella Steel for deck hatches
Mosquito nets to deck hatches
Windscreen cover - acrylic for towing/storage protection
Windscreen cover - Soltis see-through mesh anti-UV for sun protection
Companionway hatch cover – see-through in vinyl/Odyssey for rain protection
Companionway hatch cover – privacy/mosquito mesh in black acrylic and mesh
Cockpit cushions – reticulated foam with removable covers in Sunbrella Sintra Blue fabric
Stowage bags for rudder blades in acrylic canvas
Cockpit awning with zip on sides and back panel (Odyssey fabric ODY489, Silver)
Webbing lean-backs in cockpit (in lieu of original canvas backrests)
Green tarpaulin, lightweight, for dust cover (mast down)
Clear, reinforced polythene cover (mast off, support needed)
Miscellaneous
Knott three-axle trailer with docking bars and raised wiring (for deeper immersion during launch/retrieve)
Serviced in 2022, 6 new tyres
Ratchet straps with fleece covers (3)
Trailer boxes, aluminium, Indispension (2)
Construction
750 litre (kg) water ballast compartment
100kg lifting keel
Vacuum bagged, closed-cell PVC foam cored GRP hull and deck.
Solid laminate in way of high load points
Gunwales, and all exterior timber in solid teak.
Hull deck joint of lap over return hull flange type, bonded with structural adhesive and through bolted at stanchions and cleats.
Hull protected along bottom by UHMWPE strips screwed to keel line and to raised bilge runners.
Rudder blades in GRP with foam filled centre, incorporating lanyard on top to aid retrieval.
Fully profiled section. Keel of the same, but with internal lead casting at the bottom end.
Keel section changes to rectangular top to prevent dropping through bottom of boat.
Keel lifted with 12v electric winch mounted in a recess on deck.
Tail end of keel lifting line returns to clutch for hand winching from the cockpit.
Keel case has sacrificial crush pad in aft bottom corner to spread impact loads.
Documentation
All previous Bills of Sale
Evidence of VAT status
Builders certificate
Evidence of RCD status - Plate in cockpit
SSR certificate
Measurements
LOA: 7.84 m
LWL: 7.27 m
Length on Deck: 8.7 m
Beam: 2.54 m
Max Bridge Clearance: 10.4 m
Dry Weight: 1450 kg
Ballast: 850 kg
Total: 29.7 m²
Fuel Tanks Cap.: 24 L