Tartan 27 yacht, what is it capable of?

Question

I am looking at buying a 70's tartan 27, i foudn one that has a survey done and is in excellent condition, in my price range, comes with tons and tons and tons of things outfitting it, two sets of sails, dingy, life jackets, it was used for cruising up until last year.

The owner said it's ag reat boat to learn on, can easily sail along the coast from virginia to florida, or up to new york city new jersey, and to the bahamas, is this true? or is he just tryign to unload it, i woudl intend to eventually sail from norfolk virginia area to the jersey shore and new york city, down to florida, and the bahamas. i am also a beginner. . . it will be singlehanded most of the time after i'm comfortable and i'd liek to be able to spend 2 weeks aboard cruising the coasts to visit family etc.

Answer 1

Just a freakin awesome boat!!!

Newbie or oldie downsizing. It's the boat that started Tartan's long history. That is to say it was their first larger and auxiliary powered boat. They built many smaller boats prior to the 27s introduction in 1961. The boat was designed by Sparkman and Stevens...famous enough...however Bill Shaw in particular was the in-house designer for S&S who was responsible for the 27. That's a double whammy in design pedigree...solid designer anyway but S&S never let a bad design leave their office.

The boat barely needs a survey...the glass is thicker than anything built today.

In the right hands the boat can take you accross oceans and around the world. If it doesn't have one, get an autopilot to help with chores as you do sail changes or tuck in a reef or grab a beer and a sandwich.

This boat will always take care of you so don't worry. He says it's a good beginners boat because it is relatively heavy for its size and properly ballasted. That is to say...it doesn't take off in a different direction if you let go of the helm...provided your sailplan is balanced...and she doesn't tip over and put her spreader tips in the water if you get spanked with a knockdown or heavy gust.

I have sailed for 38 years...from dinghies to boats over 50 ft. I currently have 30 ft and a taste for racing. My point though is this...if I wanted to relax and not pay for 30 ft of slip or more...the Tartan 27 is still on my short list. I was considering one on ebay last year before I bought my current boat.

They're good value and just about indestructable...don't hessitate my friend.

Here is a great article by Dan Spurr which you should save.

http://www.tartanowners.org/resources/ge...

Sail on.

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Answer 2

The Tartan line of boats is a well built line and the 27 is a sturdy little boat.  They were expensive when they were new and are much better built than some of the plastic fantastics of the same age.

You can easily cruise florida to the Bahamas and on to the Windwards in that little boat if you pick your time to go.

Answer 3

The Tartan 27 is a good solid boat, made back in the day when boats were built to last.    One problem you may run into with a boat that age and size for coastal and Bahamas use is insurance, so if you desire insurance call around first.

I owned a 26-foot heavy displacement boat and did several trips to the Florida Keys and 5 trips to the Bahamas up to 2.5 months living on board.     You will probably read many opinions about how someone would never consider cruising or crossing the gulfstream in a boat under 30 feet.   My experience didn't  support this at all.    There are many capable boats under 30 feet including the Tartan.    What I liked is that I could sail with someone else, but could easily sail it on my own without any fancy equipment.   In fact on my first trip, my inboard died and I spent 2 weeks sailing back without even a dinghy outboard.   In a boat that size, it's easy to anchor and get underway under sail.  I also liked that my boat was under the 30-foot rule for needing a Bahamas sticker.

If you are not comfortable evaluating a boat on your own, a marine survey is probably money well spent and may be an insurance requirement anyways.

There is a great Tartan owner's group that has all sorts of information you may find useful:

http://www.tartanowners.org/

Answer 4

If the boat passes a recent survey (Less than 6 months old) I'm more than comfortable sending a sailor out on any of the Tartan Products.  Most of Tartan's line was penned by none other than Sparkman and Stevens.  They designed very capable boats that sail fast and point well.  The question may be are you ready for such a voyage.  I have sailed the Tartan 30 from Destin, Fl to Key West Fl. (About 492 Nautical Miles) and the Tartan never so much as shook her head. The best bet for you would be to buy the boat and get to know her over the course of a year or 18 months and THEN go out on a more extended cruise.  The boat can handle it  no problem but like anything in this life, you must practice at something before you get good at it.  I just got through delivering another Tartan 30 from Panama City, FL to Pensacola, FL (About 100 Nautical miles) this past summer and the crew was all "Green".  They did fine and enjoyed the trip.  Summing up, the Tartan is a jewel if she has been cared for.  I know they are seaworthy.  Get yourself a copy of Chapman's Small Boat Handling and Seamanship and take a USCGA Boater's Safety Course.  A copy of any of Lin and Larry Pardey's books (Cruising in Talesin and Cruising in Sarrafin come to mind) would also be a great place to start.  Then all there is to do is get your feet wet and go cruising.  I know this answers your questions.

Answer 5

Yes its capable of all that and more, caveat, In the right hands.

Sounds like a great boat to learn on. A 70s boat is fully depreciated and unless is has been kept immaculately maintained you should be getting a real low price. The life jackets and dinghy are usually freebies but the extra sails if they are new are a big plus. Go to some yatch broker sites and do some comparable pricing of similar boats.