# tartan 30 for offshore work?



## deckhanddave (Oct 22, 2006)

In my continuing search for a good solid cruising boat I've come across a Tartan 30 that is pretty much being given away. What are the opinions of the tartan 30 as far as seaworthiness go? Would one of these be capable for offshore cruising? I know Jeff_H has some good things to say about the T30 and I'd love to hear more.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

You might want to try posting to these sites as well:

http://www.tartanowners.org/
http://www.cbtsc.com/cbtsc2000.htm
http://tartan30.org/

Don't know much about the T30, but I can tell you that there are great sites and associations for Tartan owners.

Best of luck


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

The T30 is a solid, fairly stiff boat. The drawbacks that I see are: the companionway doesn't have a bridgedeck, the companionway is only about 5" off the cockpit floor, this obviously invites flooding below in rough weather. Dropboards would have to be solidly attached for any offshore work. the T30 has two belowdecks configurations, side galley and the aft galley. the side galley eliminates a potential leeward seaberth, i think the quarterberth would be pretty uncomfortable in unsettled weather, but may do. While the boat tracks well on most points of sail, in large following waves it seems to require alertness on the part of the helmsman, this would probably be tiring on a long passage if the autohelm couldn't handle it. we don't have a autohelm on our boat so I don't know how one would respond to these conditions. I think that most boats around 30' would have their strong and weak points for off shore applications and would guess, assuming that the boat is sound, that the T30 would do as well or better than a lot of boats this size and vintage. I would be curious to hear the opinions of more experienced offshore sailors. Jim L


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I am curious, what do you consider "pretty much being given away" ? How old is she? 

That floodable companionway would be a deal killer for me if it couldnt be rectified. Heavy weather isnt an if, its a when.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Just a word of warning... most boats that are "being given away" are going to cost you far more in the long run than buying one that is in saleable/sailable shape. The repairs and upgrades to a "free/low-cost" boat are often more expensive than getting the same model boat in good shape.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

All our little catch phrases mean something different to everyone, so I was wondering what he meant about"being given away" . To me that'd be about what the hulls worth. To save storage costs.

To someone else it could mean 60 thou. 

Also wondering the year, that could be a big reason. Did older Tartans have cored hulls ? I have recently read of a number of Tartans sailing all over the gulf.


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

Cored construction stated showing up in the late'70s, the Tartan 30 started production in 1971, so no cored hull. IMHO the Tartan 30 is a very sturdy and well designed boat, the best example of the "70s production racer/cruisers. Most boats designed from the late '70s and on have cored hulls, although some manuafacturers even up to today have never made a production cored hull boat - Cal, Hunter, Catalina, Beneteau come to mind.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Tartan 30 for offshore work*

To get a good boat, you must have a good, fundamental design --- Sparkman & Stephens designed a great model in the Tartan 30. Tartan has been building quality sailboats for decades and continues to do so through 2006.
Thie t-30 will hold together better than some other production boats and yes, they do have an active orgainization throughout the U.S.
If the survey comes out well, go for the Tartan 30. You could do a lot worse with some other sailboat manufacturers.
Enough said.


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

*being given away*



deckhanddave said:


> In my continuing search for a good solid cruising boat I've come across a Tartan 30 that is pretty much being given away. What are the opinions of the tartan 30 as far as seaworthiness go? Would one of these be capable for offshore cruising? I know Jeff_H has some good things to say about the T30 and I'd love to hear more.


I don't know what Tartan you have been looking at, but this http://web.mac.com/bicgreen1/iWeb/Site/Home.html is a Tartan that is being given away, even though its not cheap...!!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

This one is a beauty, but, that low companionway to cockpit sole is a scary one, even with new boards in the companionway. I'd be thinking of wanting some 2" cockpit drains before going far out with her. A solid beam wave will make that interior pretty wet.


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

JakeLevi said:


> This one is a beauty, but, that low companionway to cockpit sole is a scary one, even with new boards in the companionway. I'd be thinking of wanting some 2" cockpit drains before going far out with her. A solid beam wave will make that interior pretty wet.


Jake,

That is a valid point but I think only one of many you would find in evaluating most any 30' for offshore use. I bet the T30 probably only has a 30 gallon water capacity...etc. Offshore isn't what these boats were designed to do, although I'd say the T30 is more capable than most other 30'...But for the daysailing and cruising that represents how 98% of owners use these boats, this is a beauty.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Well theres offshore and theres offshore, if youre ten miles out trying to scoot for shore before that storm catches those beam waves are going to start looking higher and higher.

I havent seen a T30, have seen a Triton and the cockpit is higher where the companionway opens, and the drains are pretty generous. That said, this is still a pretty boat, but I'd want to triple check the drains size, and tight fit on those boards.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

Having sailed both boats in tough going, I'd take the Tartan 30 any day over the Triton. The Triton in stock form was a miserable boat in heavy going. (Yes I know about Atom, but rememeber she was heavily modified and sailed by a very skilled sailor.) Even in moderate conditions the Triton did not track with a darn and frankly had a pretty uncomfortable motion by any objective comparason of boats of better design. 

I don't know where you came up with the idea that the Triton had pretty generous drains since the Triton used the same Wilcox Critendon cockpit drain fitting that the Tartan 30 used on its slightly smaller volume cockpit well. 

Either boat should be fitted with catches that would hold the lower companionway hatch slides firmly in place in rough going. And it is not just the companionway that needs attention before going offshore. In the case of the Triton in stock form, modification should deal with the the Triton being subject to downflooding through its sail lockers, lazarette and its cockpit located toploading icebox. Both boats need additional tankage and better deck hardware if they are going to spend any real time offshore. having owned a Pearson built in the period of the Triton, build quality just was not that great on these boats and so care should be taken to beef up and repair the various design and deficiencies inherent in these boats.

Jeff


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hi Jeff

Your comments on having experience with both helps.

I said I hadnt seen the Tartan, but in the photos the companionway looks like it sits lower in the cockpit then the Triton. 

Good to know about the sail lockers and lazarette. I hadnt thought of a connection there other then doging hatches properly.

I just got John Vigors book The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat and there are a lot of them out there that either need to be avoided or a lot of deficiencies removed to make them good offshore boats. My thoughts on all of them are in a flux.


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## deckhanddave (Oct 22, 2006)

I seem to have forgotten about my own question! I now own the boat and will be completely refitting her this spring. In the works are removal of some liners (and building in aditional bulkheads and stringers) to open up storage and add additional tankage, making a bridgedeck, adding 2 more drains to the cockpit, replacing all ports, bigger dorades, better sealing drop boards (the standard ones are only beveled at a 45º instead of tounge and groove!), and a whole bunch more (there really is a lot to do on her). Thanks for the input all.


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