Used Sailboat Review
Tartan 27 - A Classic S&S
If you're looking
for a well bred, classic coastal cruiser costing around $10,000
for a good example, you should look closely at the Tartan 27.
The Tartan 27
was designed by Bill Shaw of Sparkman & Stephens in 1960 and
was S&S's first fiberglass design. The boat was built by Douglass
& McLeod Plastic Corporation in Ohio. The company became Tartan
Marine in 1974.
Between 1961
and 1976 a total of 648 Tartan 27's were built, and between 1976
and 1979 they built 64 27-2's. The only difference between the two
models is that the 27-2 has a different deck mould giving greater
internal volume and a different internal layout.
specifications
The 27 and 27-2
are 27 feet overall, 21ft 5in on the Loaded Water Line, have a beam
of 8ft 7.5 inches and a displacement of 7,400 lbs of which 2,400lbs
is ballast. Both carry a sail area of 376 square feet. Originally
the 27's were fitted with an Atomic 4 gasoline engine. The 27-2
was fitted with a Farymann 2-cylinder 12hp diesel.
The 27
(and 27-2) has a shoal draft keel with a centerboard. It draws 3ft
2inches with the board up and 6ft 4 inches with it down. This lets
you sneak into anchorages that are closed to deeper boats, but with
the board down, you'll get adequate windward ability.
The 27 was designed
under the Midget Ocean Racing Conference (MORC) Rule which tended
to produce real sea-boats with reasonable accommodation. The 27
is a roomy boat for its size with almost 6ft headroom, but the layout
of the 27 was immproved dramatically with the 27-2. However, that
aside, the 27 is still an excellent sea-boat and a good choice for
a coastal cruising couple.
possible
problems
 The
youngest 27-2 is now nearly 30 years old, and unless the boat has
been well maintained, there will be some problem areas to be repaired
and upgraded, although there should be no "dealbuster"
faults with these boats.
The main concerns
are
1. Engine.
The Atomic 4 engine will need replacement with a more modern diesel.
The 14hp Universal Model 18 Diesel would be a good choice as it
slots straight into the Atomic engine beds.
2. Thru-hulls.
The boat was originally fitted with gate valves and brass thru-hulls.
These should be replace immediately with proper thru-hulls and seacocks.
3.
Cockpit drains. Larger cockpit drains should be fitted if you're
doing any coastal cruising.
4.
Exhaust system. Replace the existing iron exhaust system with
a modern fiberglass or stainless steel waterlift system.
5.
Backing plates. You should install backing plates under the
deck to distribute the loads from deck hardware. The plates can
be of epoxy coated marine plywood or aluminium. You may need longer
bolts for the hardware.
6. Navigation
lights. All nav lights should be upgraded to modern standards
cosmetic
concerns
Extensive
crazing of the gel coat (alligatoring) can be a problem with the
27's. This is a cosmetic problem only usually caused by the gel
coat cracking because its too thick and cannot expand and contract
with the heating by the sun and cooling at night. This is best cured
by painting the whole deck and hull with a 2-part polyurethane.
And
you know how to do that now don't you ;-)
If
the non-skid is badly worn, a new non-skid surface can be laid,
or the existing non-skid improved by adding sand to the final paint
coat.
owners
forums
There
are several owners forums for the Tartan 27 and big fleets in the
Chesapeake Bay and Lake Erie.
Chesapeake
Bay Tartan Sailing Club
Tartan
Owners of New England
Tartan
Owners
Tartan
27 forum
There
is a Tartan 27 Handbook that you can buy here.
It contains articles and suggestions from Tartan 27 owners. You
can see the Table of Contents here.
If
you're considering a Tartan 27 this would be a great place to start.
It's only $28 a copy.
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