Tartan 34

welch · #1 (**permalink**) 04-17-2003

As my wife and I look for boats to cruise Florida, Bahamas, and Caribbean it has been suggested we look at Tartan 34. Does anyone have experience with these? I understand some models are center-boards and we have no experience with them. Engine access looks great. Many opening portlights, that''s great also for warm wx cruising. The price fits our budget also. We would appreciate any comments or help- good or bad.
Dave

Jeff_H · #2 (**permalink**) 04-17-2003

I have always liked these boats. As far as I know they only came as keel/centerboard boats. They were well constructed and sail very well upwind in a breeze. While not as fast as newer designs, none the less they offer very good performance for their time. There was a tall rig and a long and short boom model. For Florida and the Bahamas I would want the tall rig, long boom version.

Jeff

mattf · #3 (**permalink**) 04-17-2003

I like these boats as well. But I believe that they came as Centerboarders, fin keels, and scheel keels as well.

Matt F

paulk · #4 (**permalink**) 04-17-2003

Just to make sure you''re talking about the original Tartan 34, and not the newer one that was offered with an optional Scheel Keel. There are several of the older boats at our club. They seem to hold up well and look good because they have nice lines. (Rather than some boats that look good only because they''re shiny. When the shine wears off...hmmm) The cockpit is about the right size for rough weather too. The newer model T34 (also represented at our club) also looks pretty good, but offers a good deal more room below because of the higher freeboard and greater beam. One drawback on the newer 34 is the forward cabin/head setup. The doors and passages seem awkward to me on the ones I''ve seen. The fold-away dining table has some good solid hinges and opens up the salon a great deal when you''re not eating. Either way, Tartans are nice boats in general.

welch · #5 (**permalink**) 04-18-2003

Thanks for the input. Engine access looks good? All portlights open? Does the CB take up storage space or produce a ''shallow'' bildge? What is a Scheel keel? I have looked on owners site and found not much help- maybe I''m not looking in the correct place. Again, thanks for the help. I unfortunately don''t know much about Tartans- but I''m learning.
Dave

Jeff_H · #6 (**permalink**) 04-18-2003

Maybe I missed something. There was a later Tartan 34 that was built in the late 1980''s that was available with a Scheel keel. A Scheel Keel is a specialized form of a bulb keel that is shaped on top to act as an "end plate" and shaped on the bottom to reduce vortexes and wetted surface. This increases the stability of a shoal draft keel and generaly is thought to permit a reduction in draft of roughly 15% to 20% with only minimal loss of upwind performance. There is some loss of performance in light air or downwind due to the greater surface area and frontal area.

If you are looking at the earlier Tartan 34 with the K/CB, the CB trunk does not show on the interior.

Jeff

welch · #7 (**permalink**) 04-18-2003

Thanks Jeff. You have been great help.
Dave

Silmaril · #8 (**permalink**) 04-18-2003

The later versions with the scheel keel were Tartan 33''s, an S&S design. They were available with both scheel and deep keel''s but I don''t think many, if any, opted for the deep keel config. In addition, the Tartan 33 is a fractional head rig, don''t hold me to this but I think it was 7/8''s. I single handed one from Nantucket, Martha''s Vin, Block Island and LIS, spinn and jib, it was a nice, easy handling boat. I have to agree with another poster''s comments, the head/v-berth was awkward, at best. They lose about 5-10 degrees of pointing with the scheel keel though. I think you can find Tartan 33''s in the mid 30''s to mid 40''s. The older 34''s were a very ruggedly built boat, not the fastest, but strong. I still have reservations of cruising "Hard Bottom" locations with a centerboard. You can hit a coral head with a scheel keel and mostly bounce, but a centerboard....? But that''s just me...

RD

Jeff_H · #9 (**permalink**) 04-18-2003

There was also a Tartan 34 see link

http://www.yachtworld.com/listing/yw_listing_detail.jsp?checked_boats=1082938&curren cy=USD&units=Feet

welch · #10 (**permalink**) 04-18-2003

Thanks for the help. The possibility of ''ripping'' the CB off by grounding or rubbing the bottom does not appeal to me. Maybe I should re-think a few options. I saw a few Morgan 32 that were in my range, but they were fin keels. Being a fairly new sailor is it in my best interest to stay with full keel boats?
Dave