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1
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2833
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Mon May 18, 1998
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administrator
Administrator
Registered: January 2000
Location: maryland
Posts: 1841
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Review Date: Mon May 18, 1998
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 0
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Note: the following remarks apply to my 1987 Tartan-built version. Folklore has it that Soverel-built versions were more spartan.
Light, fast and handy.
Sails exceptionally well short-handed, but can handle a herd on the rail. Fairly tender and sensitive to heel, given light weight, so short-handed requires reduced sail (family sailing on Buzzard's Bay is usually single reef and #2 or 3). Beam allows for excellent powering-up with a rail herd (10 people is enough ). 15/16ths double spreader rig gives flexibility of fractional boats, with masthead-like spinnaker size, while staying small enough to allow for end-for-end jibes. Main is quite large, so attention to main trim is imperative, as is easy reefing ability. Large rudder means excellent helm authority (even in reverse under power), minimal helm with rig raked to maximum allowed by adjustable mast step. Tiller steering, Autohelm 1000 is a lifesaver while short-handed. Use of check stays/runners mandatory upwind above about 15kts true to prevent mast pumping. Rig is very tunable, quick vang, good purchase on controls, lines lead to top of coach roof. Yanmar 1 cylinder diesel is enough, even goes well in reverse with Martec prop.
Open transom cockpit makes boarding easy, and gives lots of harbor space. Interior is very open, giving visual space of a much larger boat. Innovative use of materials and design below to reduce weight. Head is forward, where V-berth would be on more traditional cruising boat, also makes excellent sail storage space. Two quarter berths are generous for one, cozy for two, two settees are similar. Tie rods to chainplates interfere somewhat with sleeping on settees. Icebox is big cooler, keeps ice only for a couple of days. Galley sink water source is a 5 gallon jug, as is drain, means no thru-hull, but limited supply.
Boat is set up for sailing from a marina, no anchor locker forward (we keep the anchor below in locker beside engine, keeps weight low and central, but inconvenient), no mooring line chocks forward. Cruising storage is minimal, keeps accumulation of junk down, but makes for somewhat untidy cruising.
Build quality is typical Tartan, i.e. excellent. No blistering below waterline, good quality gelcoat above. Kenyon spars, still in excellent condition 10 years on. Surveyor found only one area of suspected poor core bonding, about 4" in dia, in low-load area, not a worry for me. Rudder is dry, which I found astounding. Wiring installation is fairly shoddy, which might reflect more on past owners than on Tartan, but still needs help. Lightning grounding is excellent.
All in all, it's more boat than I expected. I was excited to find one, and am glad I didn't go with one of my other choices (Evelyn 32, J29, J30, Tartan 33) when it came time to buy.
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