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Old 21-05-2022, 08:40   #1
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30' Tartan vs Newport

I am considering these two boats for cruising the Puget Sound. Any input on which boat is "better" for a newbie sailor? I inspected the both and they are in comparable condition.


1977 Tartan has a Yanmar 3YM20 with 1750 hrs, tiller, composting toilet, Garmin chart plotter, depth finder, hard dodger, no heater, kind of bland inside. Current owner has had it 2 yrs. $17,000



1982 Newport III has a Universal 16hp 5416 with 3500 hrs, wheel, Jabsco head, propane heater, 10 yr old 26 gal diesel tank, no dodger, no instruments other than depth finder, 40 yr old plastic gate valves. Very nice interior. Current owner has had it 22 yrs. $19000



Haven't pulled either so don't know what the bottoms look like. Are they over priced in the current market?
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Old 21-05-2022, 08:48   #2
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

I'm very biased as I once owned a Tartan 30. If properly maintained and equiped I would take a Tartan 30 transatlantic. I and many others have taken a Tartan 30 to Bermuda from New England (about 700 miles offshore crossing the gulfstream They are a S & S design and sail like a 12 meter in a fresh breeze with good sails. They aren't bad in light air either The engine in the T30 you're looking at has a lot less hours and I suspect parts may be easier to get but don't know the age of the engines in either boat.
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Old 21-05-2022, 08:50   #3
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

There were over 600 Tartan 30's built.

Tiller autopilots go for around $450 if it doesn't have one.

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/tartan-30
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Old 21-05-2022, 10:40   #4
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

The two boats are functional equivalents. Nothing to choose between them on design grounds or grounds of fitness for purpose for a newbie learning the ropes in the Salish Sea.

So it comes down to soundness of construction. By reputation the Tartan wins in this department. IMO the Tartan has a better designed keel and a sounder rudder arrangement. For a newbie leaning the ropes in a 30-footer of this nature, the tiller steering has it all over wheel steering on several grounds, some of them related to ease of leaning critical aspects of boat handling, some of them related to sturdiness. The Tartan's skeg hung rudder is MUCH to be preferred to the Newport's cantilever design, particularly in the Salish Sea where the danger, particularly for a newbie, of tangling with sundry lines for crab traps and other such detritus, including "deadheads" (floating, almost invisible logs) is ever-present.

To dicky up a 4 ton boat with wheel steering with all the associated mechanical complexities and expense is best described IMO as "daft". In terms of sailing enjoyment it is simply counterproductive.

The Yanmar beats the Universal hollow. Going without a dodger, and best of all a hard one, in the Salish Sea is also daft. Having a dodger probably doubles the number of days in a year when you can sail comfortably. You don't need a heater. There is no such thing a bad weather — only wrong clothing :-)! Forget about treating the bunks as you would beds. Go to Mountain Equipment Coop and buy an "arctic" sleeping bag that will keep you snug down to forty below!

The Jabsco potty in the Newport is nowt but a stinky nuisance. I should know. I have one. You cannot, as far as I recall, have a pump head in a Washington State boat without having a "holding tank" fitted with a diverter valve that CAN BE LOCKED when you are in waters where pumping is not allowed.

A whizz over the side is the done thing hereabouts. Sailing, because of the long periods of sitting still, conduces to constipation. As a newbie you will likely be day sailing - maybe several days in a row, but day sailing nevertheless, and you will find plenty of facilities ashore. On the Canadian side you can pump when you are 3 miles from shore, and the tide is falling. That includes dumping a bucket. Timing is everything ;-)!

On every count I can think of, the Tartan wins hands down, even to the point of having 9" less beam than the Newport, which is likely to mean than over-pressed in the manner newbies often over-press their boats, the Tartan will be better behaved and perhaps a little more forgiving.

All the best to you :-)!

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Old 21-05-2022, 13:07   #5
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

Having owned a Tartan (Blackwatch) 37. I say hands down, Tartan. I have seen tartan 34's go for $17k., so I'm thinking the Tartan 30 could be had for less money though.
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Old 22-05-2022, 20:23   #6
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

S&S design, low hours diesel, tiller steering, Tartan build quality, WHY IS THERE ANY QUESTION!!
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Old 22-05-2022, 20:51   #7
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

Agree on the Tartan. But both boats sound overpriced to me.
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Old 23-05-2022, 06:21   #8
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

Capt Andy; I dont know Newports, but looked at Tartan 33 & Sabre 34 (late 1970's prior to buying my Bristol....sailed on a friend's 28 off Ventura, CA...stoutly built and breeds confidence when it blows...and sails beautifully with a tiller. So another vote for the Tartan. Currently boat mkt appears to be overheated due to demand, so prices are high, and these 2 listings reflect that. And agree hard dodger is nice where you are....lived on Bainbridge Island for a stretch and it gets cool and nasty on the Sound, so protection nice. thnks
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Old 23-05-2022, 15:42   #9
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

I will definitely go with the Tartan but with a lower offer and see if he'll take it. Thanks for your input.
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Old 23-05-2022, 17:15   #10
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

Hello Andy...Not sure if you are buying it from a private party or a brokerage. Or how long it has been for sale. If you fill in a few of these details, I'm sure the people on this thread that responded could give you a few strategy tips. I know for sure you should do an out of the water survey.
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Old 24-05-2022, 04:01   #11
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

Quote:
Originally Posted by TrentePieds View Post
The two boats are functional equivalents. Nothing to choose between them on design grounds or grounds of fitness for purpose for a newbie learning the ropes in the Salish Sea.
So it comes down to soundness of construction ...
You can use the "Sail Calculator" to look up sailboat dimensions in a large database of boats or enter your own boat's dimensions and compare it to the others. In addition, for any boat you can calculate a set of values that will help you measure how it will perform.
Carl's Sail Calculator v3.55 https://www.tomdove.com/sailcalc/sailcalc.html
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Old 24-05-2022, 08:37   #12
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

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Originally Posted by Celestialsailor View Post
Hello Andy...Not sure if you are buying it from a private party or a brokerage. Or how long it has been for sale. If you fill in a few of these details, I'm sure the people on this thread that responded could give you a few strategy tips. I know for sure you should do an out of the water survey.

It's been on the market 1 month through a private party. I'm trying to line up a survey but the are weeks out.
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Old 24-05-2022, 19:42   #13
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Re: 30' Tartan vs Newport

It's a little tougher with a private party as they usually have some form of attachment to the boat and no broker telling them the reality. Also one month is not enough time to see the reality of the price. But after 4-6 months of tire kickers and no broker to run interference for him, he might become frustrated. Hopefully you can be patient. I cannot see that boat going anywhere for that price.
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