Tartan

[Solosailor]

I am considering a boat in Mexico based on the Tartan 37. That is to say it has a Tartan 37 hull. I would like to hear from other would know this hull. Do you consider it to be a good blue water cruising hull? The boat needs work but I think it may be a good deal.

[Pete the Cat]

I own a Tartan 37 and have sailed it extensively in coastal and blue water passages including a two year trip from San Francisco to Maine. I can attest to the strenghth and sea kindly attributes of this Sparkman and Stephens design. However, unlike many newer boats whose structural strength is derived from a "pan" that is tabbed to the hull, the older Tartans derive their structural integrity from bulkheads, frames and stringers that are integrated into the furniture below. While Tartan's building process results in what may be a more stable and stronger boat,
I would be cautious about any Tartan that had the internal bulkheads or furniture significantly altered or removed.

[Solosailor]

Pete the Cat: Thank you for your excellent reply. I asked this question because it is a fin keel vs. a full keel. As you know much debate continues regarding the merits of each for blue water cruising. The boat that interests me is a Condor which is built on the T37 hull. It is in fact built to Lloyds of London specs. It has a tall rig and I wonder if this would be a little too slippery down wind for a cruising. They came in three versions, just a hull and deck, partially finished and a completely finished boat. I believe this was a completely finished version.

[Pete the Cat]

I think I recall that a few Tartan 37's were made in England and were called Condors. You might call either Tartan or the folks at Sparkman and Stephens and see what they say. I can't settle the argument about full keel vs fin keel. I prefer a fin keel with a big rudder like my boat has--makes it fast and responsive. I have the deep fin keel T37 version (draws 6' 7") and find it is very stable in a seaway and points higher than any other boat I have sailed (I used to deliver yachts in a former life). I have the standard rig but I do not think that the tall rig would be a problem on the ocean. My boat has a 45% ballast ratio and if the boat you are looking at is the same, I cannot imagine there would be too much sail for the ocean with a slightly taller rig. Another issue might be the depth of the keel. I had problems on the ICW (but doesn't everyone?) but no problems in 2 years cruising Central America.