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Glander Tavana 33

58K views 86 replies 23 participants last post by  Sand piper 
#1 ·
Hi,

We just purchased (as in about two months ago) a Glander Tavana 33 to convert into our cruising boat of the future. Does anyone know of more info on these. She seems to be very solid. We have sailed her a couple of times and are very pleased with her sailing characteristics. Of course, for the price we gave for her, she definitely fits into the "fixer-upper" catagory. The deck needs repainting, the cabin had old (1970''s era) carpet on the ceiling (gawd how it stank when we removed it), the wiring is a spagetti factory. It will take awhile to get her into "livable" shape, but she will definitely be worth the effort.
 
#28 ·
Help on Mainsail

Well, I really hope Tavana owners are reading this blog.

This weekend, we managed to sail our 33 Tavana sloop for the first time since we undertook her as a project of love. I have quite a few years of sailing experience but I felt like a complete amateur because I could not get her to sail well. I suspect that the existing mainsail is wrong for the boat. Can anyone out there tell me what were the original sloop rig mainsail dimensions.
Thanks
John.
 
#31 ·
Hi I am new on here and not very familiar with this site or how to post new threads. I am 26 years old and been dreaming of sailing for a long time. I have spent alot of time in or around water and have worked on shrimp boats. But still know nothing about sailing and I am absolutely willing to learn as soon as I find somebody willing to teach me. Now comes my main question..... I have found a 1968 Glander Tavana 33 in fixer-up condition and owner is willing to sell. I dont know that much about Glanders and cant seem to find much info online. So now I am reaching out to fellow sailers for some guidance. What can you tell me? Will any Tavana owners give me some pointers?
 
#32 ·
I have inspected one of these boats and found them quite pleasant and useful for shallow water sailing. They seem strong although somewhat crudely put together. In other words, messy fiberglass work. However I found no structural
problems.
The one I looked at had two masts and I am not sure that is a good thing as the boat was a bit small for a ketch. This also presents one with a lot of sails & rigging to tend to. Hope this helps.
 
#33 ·
What I want to know is there any manual or specs. diagrahm for the original hull? Something that tells me the exact lenght and height of every room or what size motors can fit or anything of that nature. I know that Glanders were sold as kit boat in which customers had to complete and finish the build to their liking. I know that it has a yanmar engine but dont know if it runs yet. I was trying to find that particular engine online for a rebuild kit or a possible replacement. Just checking all my options. How do I find a VIN # or hull # on the Glanders? I dont know where to look. She is a very beautiful boat with alot of potential to be back in ocean one day but as of right now when I look at her all I see is a big fat "question mark"..... I am in major need of some guidance at this point lol
Thanks everyone for your input...
 
#34 ·
All right you guys. I need some serious help and quick......not sure if I am in the right place on here but I will try anyways. I am trying to purchase and 1968 GLANDER TAVANA 33. I have not yet paid a dime on it. I wanted to see the title first and see if it matched the numbers on the hull. I cannot find the numbers at all. I searched till it got dark. If anyone can please tell me where these numbers are (or where they should be) I would extremely appreciate it. I dont want to pay it off with a few payments and then get the title and the numbers not match. Somebody please tell me what to do.
 
#35 ·
Hola!

We're Tavana owners as well, in the process of refurbishing.

A little background... Tavana's were sold as "affordable, race-worthy, family boats." in order to make them affordable, you could buy them in various stages of completeness - from bare hull to fully appointed. so, you'll want to look for signs of skill in terms of how it was finished. It may be trashed now, but does the interior look like it was installed skillfully at one time? Electric? sail hardware?

The Tavana's are ridiculously solid boats. Thick hulls. The drop keel makes them fun for near-shore sailing, while also solid if you are off shore. This is a hull that was made to play in the Keys one day and circumnavigate the next. And yes! --Tavana owners have taken their boats around the world.

You can read the original Tavana sales documents on our website: Us Too. » Blog Archive » Four Page Tavana Brochure and a hull diagram is attached to this post.

If you max out the prop size, the optimum engine HP is ~20. We put in a brand new yanmar 3GM20 and are very happy with it. Steve Lien, also on this thread, did all the homework on engine prop size vs HP and is definitely the guy to talk to. you can see his boat here: Good Old Boat - DockWalk: Glander Tavana

Our hull # is on the bulkhead. I don't know if there is much standardization among the placement of hull #'s.
 

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#36 ·
I wouldn't worry too much about the hull number since its such an old boat. There were only around 130 hulls built, and yours is one of the earliest - Glander may not have been numbering at that point, or someone has glassed over the number. The likelihood that you're being sold a title for a different Tavana is very very small since there are so few out there. Just make sure it is indeed a Tavana -- look at photos of other tavanas and look at her lines. it the boat is a tavana, and the title states she's a Tavana... I think you are good to go. After you've bought it, make a plaque with the hull # and plunk it on the bulkhead!! I think that is what the past owner of our boat did, since our hull number plaque doesn't look original.

just my two cents.
 
#37 ·
thank you latitudes for your help. I will go back and check every inch of the bulkhead in case I have missed it. I was looking all over the transom and every inch of the outer hull.
as far as the shape she is in .....the hull looks great. It just needs a fresh coat of paint. She needs a good cleaning first. The interior is shot. I will have to go thru and make a list of the things that need to fixed or replaced. I have the mast and rigging but no sails. I am not sure on the status of the engine yet but I know it is a Yanmar. I will try and get some pics soon.
 
#38 ·
okay now I am a little concerned. I just reviewed the title. on the title the measurements and engine info boat length and year match but under "make" there is nothing and under "model" it says glasstream. there is nothing on the title that actually says "Glander Tavana"..... But I swear that it is. I have looked at all other Tavanas online and her lines looks like all the others. I dont know what to do now. I am not getting a good feeling about this. Should I walk away or should I pursue???? I will still check for the hull numbers first chance i get. I really really want this boat. It has potential and not a bad deal if the owner wants only a 1000 dollars for it. What do you guys suggest in light of this new development. could it be possible that the boat is so old and that somewhere along the line somebody might have entered the wrong info?
 
#39 ·
oh and latitudes,
i have been reading your site about "Us Too". sounds really awesome and I wish deep down that I could see your boat in person. I admire what you guys are doing and I wish to be doing the same soon. The black and white brochure photos were very interesting and the galley in the boat i am looking at has the same exact galley set up and steps as the one in the pic.
 
#42 ·
I loved sailing my 33 foot yawl rigged Glander. I had it in Key Largo for 10 years and it's perfect for the shoal waters there and in the Bahamas. Centerboard up I only drew 3 feet but still could not come in 1 1/2 hours on either side of low tide I don't remember the hull # but the name was "La Tica" . Dooley Glander and I made the mold for the cockpit and as I recall, mine was the first all fiber glass. Last I heard she was in Coquina Key in St. Petersburg, Florida. Great boat
 
#44 ·
Not sure this topic is still alive... I requested couple of month ago, then again last week to join your group "Glander Tavana 33" on Facebook as well... Anyone already member by any chance ?

Do you guys still own your Tavana ???

Please keep me posted if the group is still running... I have a Tavana myself and I'm working hard on it to make it a classic... I would love to post and share ideas with other owners...

Let me know !

Thanks,
 
#45 ·
On my way to buy a Tavana 33 Yawl tomorrow. There's been a lot of great info on this thread. A hearty thank you to all those who have contributed and I hope there are still folks checking back every now and then. I have a feeling I may need a support group for my new life's work:)

John
 
#50 ·
Thought I would mention a little more about this boat....

It is a 1975 Glander Tavana 33. That being said, there is almost nothing that is 1975 about this boat. There is quite an unusual story here. This is what I was able to discover from the previous owner and others at the boat yard in Mobile.

In about 1995 a local doctor took the boat to a boat yard there in Mobile to be redone (don't know how long he owned the boat before that.) with the intention of creating a stable, well equipped boat to sail single handed through the Bahamas and Caribbean. (The boat was originally designed for this purpose. It is shoal draft, drawing only 3 foot of water with the board up.) The boat was gutted down to the hull with the cabin roof and all of the decks removed. Then it was rebuilt with new specs (smaller cockpit, redesigned interior, higher ceilings, larger tankage, etc.). I was told it took about 2 years to complete and that it cost over $80K. Everything you could squeeze into a 33 foot boat was included such as, top of the line radar, gps, autopilot, SSB, VHF, self-tailing winches, rack & pinion steering, A/C, freezer, full batten mail sail, roller furling, double back stays and head stays, 4 Bomar hatches, a new Westerbke motor, you name it. (Keep in mind that all of the technology stuff was all 1995 technology, but everything put into was top of the line at the time.)

Then, (I’ve heard several stories as to why) the boat sat for 20 years. A year or so before I got the boat a retired diesel mechanic as told that if he could get it running again they would give him the boat. He did and not long after he got it realized that getting it back up to shape was a bigger project than what he wanted to undertake. So, he sold it to me. Since then (October 2015) we have continually upgraded and worked on restoring this unique boat. All of the electronics have been updated, all lights replaced with LEDs, all of the systems revitalized and working and the boat sails beautifully! As of this writing I still need to repaint the hull. It just takes time.

If anyone is interested in more photos of the boat, just email me and I will send you a link.
 

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#52 ·
Wow your boat looks in great shape the interior is really good looking. My boat is a 73 and with the exception of the engine is pretty much original. I'm working slowly to improve and repair her but as you eluded to it takes a lot of time. here is a picture of her. as you can see I have the lower cabin top with a yaw rig. I have a long list of things that need doing but sailing her is always on the list.
 

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