Tayana 37 ketch

[Mikea132]

I'm interested in the Tayana 37 ketch and would like to hear the good, bad, and ugly about them from any owners. Any input would be appreciated.

[rbk]

Try Tayana Owners Group for Tayana specific questions, might pick up a few replies here but will get meaningful feedback on the active owners group. We have a cutter so similar build. Careful of wood spars, teak decks, black iron tanks and original standing rigging fittings. Most of these components are old enough now that they have failed and/or been replaced but watch out in case they haven’t.

[Mikea132]

Thanks for the input RBK. I've put in a job request with tognews and their Facebook group, but haven't heard back yet.

[Mikea132]

Join request. Not job. Stupid autocorrect

[Bobby Lex]

Never owned a Tayana, although for a long time it was at the top of my "dream boat" list. I did charter one for a bit, which only confirmed to me that it would be a great boat to own. They have their known flaws, but so does every boat in one way or another.

Tayanas are well-built, well-designed, perform well, and are very easy on the eyes (at least to me). Your biggest issues will probably be related to the boat's age. Obviously the key for you will be to get a good survey, so you know ahead of time what you're getting into.

I just wanted to address the rig on the particular Tayana you are looking at. A ketch rig on a Tayana 37 would be deal-killer for me.

For many years I owned a 36' cutter ketch, similar in size and displacement to a Tayana 37.

There were many drawbacks to my ketch rig, and I would never again own a boat in that size range with a ketch rig. The mizzen mast located in the middle of the cockpit was a huge problem. It interfered with moving around in the cockpit. The mizzen boom was head-high (I'm not particularly tall at 5'10"). But I was constantly bumping my head on the mizzen boom. Same for my guests. The mizzen mast and boom also interfered with installing a proper bimini. We could have raised the boom and had the sail re-cut, but that would have reduced the sail area of an already-small sail to almost storm-sail size, rendering it practically useless. (It was arguably practically useless at its original size to begin with). We ended up throwing a tarp over the mizzen boom to use as a sort of bimini 90% of the time while sailing. So 90% of the time we never used the mizzen sail.

Add to that, that a ketch rig has an additional sail to raise and lower and trim and tend (and to store and maintain and eventually replace), along with an additional set of spars and rigging and chainplates to maintain and eventually replace.

I'm not trying to start a "ketch-vs-cutter" debate here. I know that ketch rigs have some advantages. I'm just expressing my personal experiences having owned a ketch rig on a boat that size, and why I would never go down that road again. And I would also point to the fact that, other than a custom or semi-custom build, you don't see ketch rigs on sailboats being designed and built today in the 30' to 40' size range. Probably for many of the same reasons I've pointed out above.

Just something to think about in your boat search.

Bob

[Mikea132]

Hi Bob. Thanks for the reply. I'd be interested in what model of cutter ketch you had.
So far my experience with ketches is on an Allied Seawind 2 and I've noticed some of the same drawbacks that you mentioned. Especially the bimini issue and head bumping. With that in mind I absolutely loved the way it sailed, which is why I'm considering the Tayana ketch. Thanks again.

[Bobby Lex]

We owned a classic Cheoy Lee 36 Clipper Ketch. She sailed great. Comfortable, stable, safe. Also a very dry boat. I remember doing an overnight with our buddy boat, a Cape Dory 36. We spent all night beating upwind. My friend and his crew were in their weather gear">foul weather gear. Soaked. Meanwhile, my wife and I were dry as a bone in shorts and t-shirts on our Cheoy Lee. No lie.

But, OTOH, my friend with his taller sloop rig and bigger headsail, could always point higher than we could. That was another reason I wanted my next boat to be a cutter rig instead of a ketch.

As they say, every boat is a compromise. In my opinion the Tayana 37 (cutter rig) was the best compromise for me. She performed surprisingly well for a full keel boat -- I'm guessing due to the cutaway forefoot and a relatively taller rig. But she was also solid and and stable and dry and safe like my Cheoy Lee. And the joinery and craftsmanship below decks was gorgeous to me. (And, of course, rigged with a single mast, I could have a proper bimini to shield me and my guests from the harsh sun here in Florida where I did most of my sailing.) That's why she was at the top of my boat wish list for a long time.

Bottom line, I don't think you'll be disappointed with how a Tayana 37 cutter sails.

Bob