When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 2011 and the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34S 2013 are modified vee designs with fiberglass construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 2011 at 36,6 ft versus Beneteau Swift Trawler 34S 2013 at 36,0 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 2011 tips the scales at 16 466 lbs — 14 824 lbs more than the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34S 2013 at 1 642 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 425 hp for the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 2011 and 425 hp for the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34S 2013. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 211 gal and 211 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 2011 is rated for 11 passengers, while the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34S 2013 caps at 10. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 2011 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 2011 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 11 passengers and at 36,6 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Beneteau Swift Trawler 34S 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 10 that costs less to run day-to-day.