[steveghunt]

[steveghunt]

[steveghunt]

I messed up somewhere with the original e mail. I was very close to buying a new IP420 last week. I then saw the Tartan 3700, I believe it is the only Tartan yacht in the UK, certainly I`ve never heard of them before last week. I like sailing. My wife wants to feel safe. We are about to retire and will mostly do legs of less than 300 miles but want to cross Oceans. I`ve read a lot this last week about how unsuited IPs are to making their way upwind. Any comments? nThis my one and only chance to get the right boat!

[Silmaril]

Are you interested in new or pre-owned? As a company, the original "Tartan" went out of business some time back but the name was resurected in an effort to make some money on their excellent past reputation.

For sailing the seven seas... I would look closely at the Tartan 42 from the early 80''s. A good sailing S&S design with an aft cabin, it is a well built and seaworthy boat.

Another Tartan from the 70''s is the Tartan 41. Concidered by many to be a "Poor Man''s Swan" it is also a very capable ocean traveler. Overbuilt and a classic S&S design to boot!

Either of these can be had in excellent condition around $100,000 US.

Good luck and happy sailing!

[Jeff_H]

There are a very wide range of boats out there than can so what you are proposing. The Island Packet 420 and the Tartan 4100 are but two of them. These boats represent very different approaches to how to cross an ocean. They offer very different comfort, performance and even different quality levels (the Tartan seemingly a higher quality product but a design biased more for coastal sailing while the Island Packet being biased towards being a live aboard.) Both boats would be suitable for what you want to do and each would offer advantages and disadvantages.

Both are very expensive boats. Bought new and equipped to do the kind of cruising that you are proposing these are nearly $400,000 boats. There are a whole lot of amazingly good boats out there that may actually be better boats for your needs than either of these two.

The fact that you have narrowed your choices to such extremely different boats, and I mean this respectfully and not as a put down, suggests that you have a whole lot of research to do in order to determine for yourself what are the critical desirable characteristics in boat that you personally would use for your purposes.

If you had been asking for the difference between an Tartan 4100, a Sabre 426, Hanse 411 and a J-42, it would show that you had done your homework and had narrowed the field to offshore capable performance cruisers, in other words, very similar boats. Or if you had asked about a comparison between an Island Packet 420, Valiant 42, and a Pacific Seacraft 40, then I would assume that you were thinking of boats that were designed for long distance voyaging (or in the case of the IP, primarily as live aboards) and that would reflect another particular thought process. But your two choices reflect such different thought processes that I can only suggest that you need to refine your thinking more about what you personally want out of a boat. We can''t do that for you.

There is no one right answer here that fits all. We each come at this with our own biases, concerns, and experience. While there is no way in hell that I would ever consider buying an Island Packet 420 for what you are proposing, that is solely a product of my expectations out of a boat. There are others who would only buy an Island Packet 420 for what you want to do. That group of people have very different expectations out of a boat as compared to my own and so would be legitimately delighted with their choice. Neither of these two opinions are inherently more correct or more incorrect than the other. They simply reflect differening thought processes. You need to figure out what is correct for your needs and tastes.

Respectfully
Jeff

[steveghunt]

[steveghunt]

[tarmand]

Not to steal Steve''s Thunder, but Jeff, you''ve nailed the four boats I am considering for my next... Between the Tartan 4100, Sabre 426, Hanse 411 and a J-42 I just LOVE the looks and lines of the J-42. I''ve never sailed on a "Big J" before, but have always admired their seemingly effortless motion, speed and classic good looks. BUT, we''re talking about a LOT of money here, so I want to be sure I''m considering all my options. Any thoughts on these or other "performance oriented, offshore capable" crusiers in the 42 foot range?

[steveghunt]

I am trying to find the one size fits all....that`s my real problem. I know the IP and Tartan are different animals. I guess what I am after is something that will satisfy my need to sail and my partner`s demands, understanably,for a safe offshore live aboard. Life is a continous compromise I guess.

[ginotworivers]

Steve: for every facet of sailing there is a boat which will fit the need. The Pardey''s go small, simple and make it work, The Log of Ithaka on the CWBB have a fairly fancy boat and they are happy. They have had to learn what they really need and do not need. I might be a good idea for you to reread all of their columns. They were "green" two years ago and they definitly had a growing process. What they chose then they would not choose today. When you are ACTUALLY out their doing it instead of talking about it: you find that half of the things you could not live without disappear and that you wish your boat was smaller>
Gene