Tartan 27

[Konacoffee2]

I''m looking at a T27. It is very beat, no engine, abused sails, deck painted with house paint, etc. If I buy it, am looking at it as a total resto.

Questions:
1. What diesel engines will fit without major modification. Have located a Volvo MD1B, Faeryman(sp) single cylinder and Westerbeke 2 cylinder diesels used. Talked to a Universal dealer and he stressed ease of replacement for their 2 cyl. engine. Problem is cost of engine is more than I would pay for the boat.

2. Centerboard cable lift is AFU. In my brief inspection discovered cable attached to something on the center board end but lying free on the upper end. There is a pulley arrangement under the bridge deck which assume is the lift mechanism. Couldn''t see more than the large diameter, wide sheaved pulley without dismantling some furniture. From that limited view couldn''t figure out how it worked. Could someone give me a quick explanation of its functioning.

3. Any known weaknesses that I should be aware of.

Aloha
Peter Ogilvie

[Denr]

AFU...does this mean Awfully Fine Underneath?
Determine the Tartans relative bearing to your current location, add or subtract 180 degrees, and run like hell in that direction. The restoration costs (including your time) will be more than the vessel could ever hope to sell for if it is the basket case you imply.

[JWag]

I agree with Denr. I can''t imagine a boat needing this much work, even a nicer boat like a Tartan, will be able to justify the cost of equipment and materials you will have to put into it, assuming you will be doing all the labor. On yachtworld.com, Tartan 27''s from 1964 to 1978 range in price from $7,000 to $14,000. Unless this boat is free, I would pass. In fact, I''m not sure free is cheap enough.

[dandebruin]

I really like Tartan 27''s but someone would have to pay me to take that one.

You can find them down in Annapolis area for under $4K with engine running and sails. They are good sturdy boats that last a long time.

Dan

[RobGallagher]

I MIGHT take the boat (free) under these conitions:

Current owner pays to have it trucked to my house and set up on stands.

I had nothing better to do for the next couple of years.

I would rather spend 5-7 grand on this boat than buy one for 5-7 grand and go sailing next week.

I enjoy fiberglass, chemicals, and bloody knuckles.

Good luck,

Rob

[paulk]

Practical Sailor''s book on used boats would be a good investment -- before you reel this one in.

[asant2]

Heed everyone''s advice. I am currently restoring a ''76 T27 myself, but it''s not nearly in the condition yours is. Had a dead atomic 4, no mainsail, and AFU c/b. Deck needs some recoring in the future.
But the excellent condition of the hull, rig, & teak have made it worthwhile. I should probably break even or lose a tolerable few dollars when it''s said and done. Mostly just wanted the learning experience.
A better attack is to force yourself to put away the money you''ll be hemoraging into your boat funds and buy a working one later.
Anyway, the c/b pulley you saw was 1/2 of the system. a wire pendant should run from the board to a small wheel, which is attached to the larger wheel you saw. an ordinary line goes from the big wheel through a hole to a cleat in the cockpit. Most T27s weren''t built with much "furniture" in the way of this...
And skip the diesel. working used atomic 4s are everywhere for less than 2k and can just drop in, unlike the diesels (regardless of what the salesmen say).
Good luck!