Fe eedback on a Tartan 3700

[levenezia]

We''re are considering purchase of a new or nearly new Tartan 3700 and would appreciate other sailors'' comments about the boat. We like the lines of the boat as well as the apparently fine layout and craftmanship. It appears to hold its value as well as be a very seaworthy and quality built boat. The sail plan and design of the boat seems to fit our plans which would be day sailing, cruising and occasional club racing. Our primary use would be weekend cruising.

[mabwjm]

We just purchased a 3500. We looked at the 3700--it''s a beautiful boat. In moving up from an older 30'' sloop, to be honest, the 3700 seemed a bit intimidating to me. Like the 3 bears, the 3500 just "felt right" ;-).

The company and brokers are first class--we had the opportunity to have Tim Jackett on board to share our Christening ceremony. You''ll like the lines and cabin layout--similar between both boats, with the main difference that the aft stateroom and nav station are switched.

Build wise, they''re very well constructed--we have had zero problems with the construction/craftsmanship to date. Epoxy hulls were intro''d in ''03 I think, and carbon fiber masts in ''04 across their line.

Very pleased with the sailing characteristics---our maiden voyage was a 9 hour sail down from Annapolis...very friendly under sail, and all though we didn''t buy for the purpose, very speedy a well--at least compared to our last boat.

Check the Tartan site http://www.tartanyachts.com. The owners and discussion links should provide a lot more info and opinions. Practical Sailor also reviewed the 3700 very favorably.

Hope this helps--

Fair winds,
Bill
"Ngemelis"
T-3500/144

[levenezia]

Thanks for the comeback, Bill. I''m glad you''re enjoying your 3500. We looked at and liked your model as well but thought we''d utilize the extra room. We''ve looked at a lot of boats and keep coming back to the 3700. We live on Cape Cod, about five miles from our slip, so will be able to use the boat a lot. We''ve sailed on other owners boats including extensively on a Sabre 362, but currently have a downeast style power boat, (Legacy 28) that we enjoy very much. We''re really sailors at heart and, since we now have a deep water slip without any bridges to go under, are looking forward to ordering a new Tartan 3700 this fall unless a really nice used, late model, 3700 comes on the market. Enjoy your boat and thanks for the input. Larry V

[tarmand]

levenezia-
There are several almost new 3700s on the market, some are even relatively close to you. Buying an almost new boat is usually a much better deal than buying new since you''ll get the benefit of the initial owner''s fitting out and miss the initial depreciation.

Do a search on 37 foot Tartans at www.yachtworld.com. It is a beuatiful boat, good luck!

[levenezia]

Tarmand, the new Tartans are built with an epoxy hull and carbon fiber mast standard. Do you think these "improvements" are worth paying the extra cost of a new boat versus used, for this particular model? Tartan touts the epoxy hull as a big plus on its new boats. Do you think this is true when one considers these "improvements" over the life of a new boat versus used and taking into account the extra cost of a new boat?

[tarmand]

I''d check to see if these almost new versions have the carbon mast. The epoxy hull has been standard for a while. As far as whether or not the carbon mast is worth taking the "new boat hit" I don''t know. It really depends on how you plan to use the boat.

But I''m not the person to answer this question... Jeff_H, do you want to weigh in on the pros and cons of a carbon mast for levenezia?

[Jeff_H]

I think that a carbon fiber mast is a mixed blessing. In its favor is its lighter weight aloft and so its tendancy towards greater performance and less heeling. On the negative side, there is a shorter lifespan,higher risk of damage, a more difficult time getting insurance and a higher insurance premium.

Whether a carbon fiber mast is worth it or not is somewhat subjective. The performance gain would be small, and frankly the current Tartans offer low enough performance and a deck layout that is not very condusive to performance to the point that I would not consider the carbon mast worth the cost. The epoxy hull on the other hand is probably worth every penny.

Jeff

[jkumin]

Like every decision there are pro''s and con''s. Carbon masts will be an easier call to make in a few years as they get more widespread general use. One factor that convinced us to go carbon on our new boat was a conversation with friends who replaced the aluminum rig with carbon on a Beneteau First 42 after a dismasting. They cruise, not race, and were amazed at how much drier and more comfortable the boat was upwind in a chop. The rig doesn''t pump in a sea like the old one as carbon masts are stiffer than equivalent aluminum (unless engineered to be whippy) and consequently forgiving. The incidence of dropped rigs in the Volvo around-the-world race went way down after carbon rigs were allowed.

If you sail in flat water and light air you''ll see little of the benefits. There are disadvantages Jeff didn''t mention, like the still unknown effects of lightening on carbon rigs. I''ve talked to Hall Spars about this - like many things electrical it is part mystery but they recommend approaches that minimize this risk. Tartan must think it worthwhile or they wouldn''t have gone this route. You don''t need a high performance boat to enjoy the benefits of a carbon spar. Less weight aloft is always a good thing, and something more cruisers should be aware of.

If you like the boat either mast will work very well - don''t let this be a stopper either way.

[mabwjm]

Agree with JKumin...our boat has the carbon spar because...well that''s what she came with--we fell in love with the whole boat.

Our decision to buy new was based somewhat on our experiences "bringing back" an old boat previously. Ngemelis is the boat we plan on keeping, so to us it was worth starting from scratch. At the time we bought, the broker also had an ''02 (alum spar) boat, which was very nice--the prices were close enough that we decided on the new one. Like everything, it''ll come down to a personal choice--

Best of luck!

Bill
"Ngemelis"
T-3500/144