What is the best small swing keel sailboat?

My opinion is that it is one of the permutations of the Newport/Neptune/Gloucester 16 footers. Very solid little boats, out of production though since about 1988. The Gloucester would be the later model. All three are very similar.

I second this, as a G16 owner (and 14 other sailboats), with a couple of reservations. First, the boat's cabin liner is a bad design. You have to tear it out to gain access to the hull aft interior, bail the bilges, and even expose the pivot bolt. Second, like most other small boats, it has neither positive flotation nor waterproof bunk and cockpit hatches. All these can be installed, however, within 2 dozen manhours, and at that point the boat is indeed the best little swingkeeler out there, and better than many a fixed keel and keel/CB shoe to boot. Briefly because it combines the three Newick parameters of cheap cost, comfortable accommodation, and reasonably good performance in a golden compromise that only Bill Lapworth could have pulled off. It's a real sleeper on the boat market. Afraid my publicity is only going to drive up the price. Sadly.