Tartan 27

Tartan 27

Development
Designer	Sparkman & Stephens
Location	United States
Year	1961
No. built	712
Builder(s)	Douglass & McLeod Tartan Marine W. D. Schock Corp
Role	Cruiser-racer
Name	Tartan 27
Boat
Displacement	7,400 lb (3,357 kg)
Draft	6.33 ft (1.93 m) with centerboard down
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	fiberglass
LOA	27.00 ft (8.23 m)
LWL	21.42 ft (6.53 m)
Beam	8.58 ft (2.62 m)
Engine type	Universal Atomic 4 30 hp (22 kW) gasoline engine
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	modified long keel with cutaway forefoot, plus centerboard
Ballast	2,400 lb (1,089 kg)
Rudder(s)	keel-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	34.65 ft (10.56 m)
J foretriangle base	9.83 ft (3.00 m)
P mainsail luff	30.50 ft (9.30 m)
E mainsail foot	13.50 ft (4.11 m)
Sails
Sailplan	masthead sloop
Mainsail area	205.88 sq ft (19.127 m2)
Jib/genoa area	170.30 sq ft (15.821 m2)
Total sail area	376.18 sq ft (34.948 m2)
Tartan 27-2 → [edit on Wikidata]

The Tartan 27 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Sparkman & Stephens as a cruiser-racer and first built in 1961. It is Sparkman & Stephens' design #1617.^[1][2][3][4]

The design was developed into the Tartan 27 Yawl in 1961 and the Tartan 27-2 in 1976.^{[1][2][5][6][7][8]}

Production

The design was initially built by Douglass & McLeod in the United States, starting in 1961. Douglass & McLeod's production ended when their Grand River, Ohio factory burned down in 1971. Production was then taken over by a new company, Tartan Marine, established in neighboring Painesville, Ohio, in 1971. The Tartan 27 was the new company's first product, as well as the inspiration for the corporate name. Production of the Tartan 27 continued at Tartan Marine until 1980, a 19-year production run. W. D. Schock Corp also built 24 of the boats between 1964 and 1968 in their California plant to serve the US west coast market. In total 712 boats were completed by the time production ended.^{[1][2][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]}

Design

The Tartan 27 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, an angled transom, a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed modified long keel with a cutaway forefoot and a retractable centerboard. It displaces 7,400 lb (3,357 kg) and carries 2,400 lb (1,089 kg) of ballast.^[1][2]

During its lengthy production run, changes were incorporated, including a move to internal ballast, with an increase of 400 lb (181 kg) in the amount of ballast. The cockpit was made longer in 1973, the bridge deck distance increased, and the interior decor changed to teak. Various interior layouts were used, as well.^[16]

The boat has a draft of 6.33 ft (1.93 m) with the centerboard extended and 3.17 ft (0.97 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer, when towed by a vehicle powerful enough to safely accommodate the boat's weight.^[1][2]

The boat is fitted with a 30 hp (22 kW) Universal Atomic 4 gasoline engine for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 20 U.S. gallons (76 L; 17 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 30 U.S. gallons (110 L; 25 imp gal).^[1][2][17]

In a typical layout, the design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, and an L-shaped settee in the main cabin around a drop-down dinette table. The galley is located on the starboard side amidships. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove, an ice box and a sink. The head is located just aft of the bow cabin on the port side.^[1][2]

The design has a hull speed of 6.2 kn (11.5 km/h).^[2]

Operational history

In a 2010 review for Boats.com, Charles Doane wrote, "because of its relatively long waterline, the Tartan 27 does sail faster than you might otherwise expect, especially on a reach, but compared to much lighter, more contemporary boats it inevitably seems a bit slow. It is, however, very well balanced, so much so that one can steer it by letting go the tiller and shifting the centerboard up and down."^[17]

Darrell Nicholson, writing for Practical Sailor concluded, "the 27 has its limitations: a cramped interior, 'age spots' such as scruffy gelcoat, possible deck delamination, centerboard wear, gas engines getting on in years, and, in an age of sailing performance, so-so speed. Virtues and flaws balanced, however, the Tartan 27 strikes us as having most of what we would look for in an older small cruising boat from the standpoint of ruggedness, appearance, function, and equity." Nicholson made extensive recommendations for updating and upgrading the boat.^[18][19]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

Related development

• Tartan 27 Yawl
• Tartan 27-2

References

External links

• Official website