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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.
 
#2 ·
Glander was a limited production builder in tavernier florida.. most boats were kits and completed by owners. I own a glander cay 23 footer and have never seen two of them that look alike. Quality of the hulls is excellent and he liked to lay them up HEAVY. I think most were rigged as yawls. Great boat for the keys or the bahamas i would say
 
#3 ·
I have had a Glander Tavana Yawl (hull No. 113) for 8 years. Glander built about 130 hulls over a span of about 25 years. Most of them were sold as kit boats. Thus there are very few of them alike. I have seen pictures of about a dozen and so far none have been set up like mine. Some are very crudely finished and some are very nice. You can see the original sales brochure on the Tiki Waters Sports/Glander Boat Works website. It appears that most were sold as yawl rigs. Mine has a plank bowsprit with a removable innerforestay and staysail. Most have tiller steering and a Volvo MD2B. I have been collecting pictures of them for a few years and plan to have a website set up with them soon.
 
#4 ·
Great idea on the website. That is something I am very interested in. As you said, some are very crudely finished out. Ours had 1970s carpet glued to the cabin as headliner. What a stink when we removed it. We are in the process of trying to renovate the interior first, then work on the deck. If you like, I can add pics of our boat to your site when it is up and running.

Henry Flack
 
#7 ·
Two years ago, but I'm still around

And jbh, if you would like a closer look, let me know, we still own her.

A little update... we had to repower in May to a new Yanmar. Geeeeezzz! A little 30 hp diesel cost as much as 5 GMC 350s! Of course, our 33'er would look a little strange with a 350 in her. Still, I wonder what her new top end would be?

While she was out of the water, we did a bottom job (now I know what hull blisters are) and repainted the hull. We returned to the marina on July 3rd. A crowd greeted us with a universal "Hull looks great, when you gonna do the deck?" Soooo, in October, we started doing the deck. Finished just before Thanksgiving. She looks great, on the outside, now. We also put in all new ports. Had to replace two of the lifeline stanchions. The wife said, "We need to replace the others that look so bad." Soooo. We just ordered nine more. We will be doing those when we put a second coat on the deck in the spring.

The interior will be next on the list.
 
#8 ·
I still own my Tavana also. If you are in the upper midwest you are welcome to stop by and see the boat. I sail in the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior.

Like Henry, I have also been painting my boat. I did the bottom two years ago, the topsides last spring and am working on the deck, coach roof and all the teak. My Glander has more teak than any others I have seen. Depending on your point of view that is either a blessing or a curse!

I have started a web page with pictures of the Tavana. It still needs a lot of work but it might help you see the variation in Tavana's.

http://home.comcast.net/~taikolein/yofa.htm

Steve
Yawl of America
 
#10 ·
Glander Cay owner

lars said:
Glander was a limited production builder in tavernier florida.. most boats were kits and completed by owners. I own a glander cay 23 footer and have never seen two of them that look alike. Quality of the hulls is excellent and he liked to lay them up HEAVY. I think most were rigged as yawls. Great boat for the keys or the bahamas i would say
Hi Lars, I just saw your message. I need lots of info on this boat as I'm trying to redesign and rebuild my Dad's. Do you have any pictures of your boat, or websites you could refer me to? I would be very grateful. Thanks!
John
 
#12 ·
Tavana // Glander

Greetings from Steamy Florida -
I built a Tavana from the hull / deck up - worked in Dooleys factory for 6 weeks and laid up the hull & deck - brought it home and finished it in about 3 yrs time - about 40,000 miles later sold her when we had kids -
I am now building another --so - if anyone has questions about the Tavana maybe i can help-
;)
smooth sailing.

wil
 
#13 ·
Tavana Owners -from wilcompton@earthlink.net

Hi _ I am working on building my second Tavana - the first from a hull & deck - the second one I found in a field in HomeStead fl and - uh what a mess but I have turned the corner - If anyone is interested in some info - pictures - layouts etc - i amybe can help-

Smooth sailing - oh and the Tavana is a Great Boat!!!

wil
 
#15 ·
Tavana

Hi Ray - glad to help and I would be glad to send pictures -The layouts are different as are the cb confiurations - there is a full and cut down version -
give me a phone # so i can get your Eaddress and I will send pics
what state are you at with the boat. The one in Albama was on the rocks - there are several in the keys that are more $$ but less work.

let me know

smoothe sailing

wil -
 
#17 ·
glander in key largo

i know the boat very well i own it .it's been to the islands accross the gulf to houston ,mexico, belize, boston all over the keys new sails md2b volvo rebuild teak re done decks repainted if you want pic let me know most people want a boat but to cheap to pay what's it worth ss /brass wood today cost alot but if you want a wreck to fix up buy than work on it all year or go sailing
 
#21 ·
I too have stumbled upon a 33 yawl for sale and am intrigued. The website link does not seem to have the pictures mentioned on one of the posts. Yawl of America, I have PM'ed you.

There certainly is not much info out there on these boats, if any of you can increase my learning curve, I'd love to hear it.

This boat's engine is accessable the traditional way down below and also the cockpit floor comes up. He says he has no leaking issues. He's also the original owner (1967) and has not sailed the boat in over 10 years. Repowered in the 70's and the engine has only 100 hours on her - so who knows how good the ole memory is.

I sail a Westsail 32 now and the cockpit floor comes up on these too, and ther are definitely leak issues for most Westsail owners.

Look forward to hearing all there is to hear - including ideas on the 'value' range.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Hi am thinking of purchasing a Glander 33' for use on Pamlico sound, Florida and the Keys.
I do not know much about these boats other than they seem to fit my needs. Am I to understand that the center board was an owner built device not installed by the companies ? Ballasted boards or light weight ? Just how safe are these boats off shore ? Can someone give me a bal to disp. ratio ?I have not even seen the interiors yet.

Thanks for any help.
Gil
 
#23 ·
Well who knows if you bought one or not, but as this thread comes up in the first few hits on Google Ill toss in my two cents.
The centerboard was factory installed. The boards could be fiberglass or bronze. There might be a few steel ones that have been used for replacements after the fact. Bronze is preferred but it corrodes and bends if abused. Fiberglass shreds and absorbs water. I have not heard of a plywood board on one of these boats. Some boats have a block and tackle to handle the CB pennant, mine has a winch that I replaced the old tackle with and I like it better. These boats sail fine in calm waters without the board. I hardly ever use it, and it needs to be coaxed down anyway after all these years, its fiberglass and probably has absorbed water. Offshore to weather you would probably want it. You can also mess with the trim by adjusting the board up or down. Make sure the board is down if you want to sail an anchor out. The boat will be delighted to do this for you, just make sure you have all your ducks in a row up front with the anchor rode!!!!!
I dont know the exact specs but the boats are HEAVY! They have an easy motion in a seaway. They do not heel excessively. If the covestripe is in the water, your lugging sail. These boats are known for a heavy weather helm. I enlarged the rudder on mine and that helped, along with shortening the foot of the mainsail a few feet. The larger rudder is fine for shallow waters but would not do for offshore work. Most of the later boats were rigged as either a yawl or a ketch. Some were sloops or made into sloops when owners removed the mizzen. The mizzen in the yawl rig is more of a steering sail anyway. The rudder stock is bronze and impossible to locate a replacement. It breaks off right under the counter of the boat. Once that happens, you must either cast a new one yourself, or fabricate one out of stainless stock. I personally hate inboard rudders.
The machinery space is very cramped. Some boats had the stuffing box outside the hull due to space restrictions. Mine did. You would have to dive down to tighten it. They often had atomic 4s in them, as mine did before I tossed it.
Some of these boats are prone to blisters. Mine has them. The hull is so thick it probably does not matter. I fix a few every time I haul out. As stated elsewhere, the finish varies on these boats. Mine was one of the first few, produced by Glander himself, as far as I can figure out. Possibly hull number three or four. The quality of the original woodwork was excellent. Quality of materials are excellent. My boat has all bronze hardware, even the pulpit is bronze. The original spar was a wood box spar, but it suffered rot and had to be replaced with an aluminum one.
The interiours on these boats will be cramped by todays standards. These boats lack the freeboard of todays modern designs. Thats good since they dont compromise sailing ability. Mine has wide side decks that limit interiour space, but the later ones with the fiberglass deck and house, have narrower sidedecks, and a more workable galley then mine has, where it is crammed in the back of the cabin to one side. The fiberglass trunk cabin is ugly though. creative paint and trim work can help.
These boats sail great. They are very similar to the Finnisterre yawl and Doubloon, featured in Heavy Weather Sailing by Aldridge Coles I think.
How safe are they in heavy weather? Not inherently less safe then any other moderate design, and undoubtedly more safe then any number of fin keeled low wetted surface boats. I dont think laying ahull would be my choice. I think id want to keep her moving off the wind, possible with a drogue like the Jordan Series Drogue towed off one quarter. Id keep the board up since it is unballasted anyway.
In nicer weather these boats are perfect ladies. Faster then stuff like Westsails, and better looking (my opinion ^_^) and with shoal draft. (less space though) In calm weather you can row or even swim them around an anchorage. I routinely tow mine with a two horse dinghy engine from one side of the anchorage to another. Mine has no engine and is sailed through the anchorage and up to the mooring without a 2nd thought, with just the main, usually. The larger rudder helps a bit here. In strong winds I have sailed a beam reach with just the mizzen up at around a knot and a half.
The things to look out for are similar to other boats of this age and type.
Rudder stock. Check for pink discoloration that means dezincification.
The rudder blade on mine was attached via long drift pins into the stock.
Id want to check those pins by now.
Hull to deck joint. Bronze bolts probably corroded by now
Centerboard. check for binding, bent board if bronze.
Ballast. Some boats had iron ballast. thats less good then lead.
interiour. Check bulkhead tabbing to the hull. Ive seen some that were coming adrift.
In buying one of these boats, I would avoid anything that looked like it was built by an amateur. Too often they have to be gutted due to use of cheap materials and subpar woodwork.
There was a series of five or so AFT CABIN models built of these boats. These are VERY hard to find and dont come on the market often. They are very cute inside and the work was well done. There were built for an airline company. There are wheel steered. Most Tavanas are tiller steered.
These boats can still be found cheaply in S. Florida if you want a fixer upper.
there is one located by Gilberts Resort near the old Jewfish creek bridge as of 7-'10 that looks like it needs some loving. Some of them can be found tied up behind houses where their aging owners do not sail them any more.
I would rather have a Tavana then just about any similar monohull around.
 
#24 ·
new Tavana owners

Thanks for all the info Ixnay!

We just bought a center cockpit, aft cabin Tavana, perhaps one of the series of five that you mentioned? Where did you hear about the aft cabin series? do you have any more details you could share?

Our boat has had a number of owners with varying levels of competency in terms of maintenance and repair. We're throwing ourselves 150% into our refitting project -- and she's clearly worth the time and attention. Interestingly, she's 8 tons, rather than the typical 6 of the standard Tavana spec. We think she was outfitted to be a 'round the world cruiser, and we intend to modernize her rigging and electronics with that goal in mind.

Thanks again for all the info!
 
#26 ·
My Glander 33

Hi everyone,
My Glander 33 is doing just fine in Palmetto, Florida. Bought it 4 years ago and have enjoyed cruising it on the West coast of Florida. It is a 1985 sloop rig. I'm 74 so put roller furling and lasy jacks. My wife Nancy loves the boat also and would love to here from other owners. I installed a new engine Yanmar 30 and redid the wiring etc.
Anyone still out there reading these posts?
Would like to here from you
Eric
 
#27 ·
Hi Eric.
Yes, we're still reading these posts but it's not the highest priority. I'd like to see pictures of your 33' sloop; ours is a '64, hull number 28 (we think). We just put a new Yanmar 3YM20 in (it had a 3GM30) which clearly can overpower the max prop size. This weekend we will install the Harken boom traveler and hopefully raise the mainsail for the first time since she went back in the water. Check our blog at ustoo.leeward.vi. Stay in touch.
John.
 
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