Tartan 27

[Tom Javor]

Anybody hav any experience with a Tartan 27? There is a 1967 that has just shown up listed in the area - curious as to people's thoughts before I take a lookat it - anything special I should be on the lookeout for?

As always, thanks.

[Ancient Race]

Tom -

**Edited to ask if this is the boat you're asking about?

They're great boats - they'll go anywhere in any conditions and bring you home to exaggerate the tale.

Most of the things to look for are pretty much characteristic of that era of plastic classics:

1) Balsa cored decks. Look for softness in the foredeck and side decks, particularly around cleats and stanchions.

2) Chainplate knees. For some reason that escapes logic, Bill Shaw - who designed the boat for Sparkman & Stephens - and the builders encapsulated the stainless chainplates in fiberglass, thus compromising the stainless qualities. Usually the chainplates remained solid, but the 3/8" stainless through-bolts rusted out. Check in both the head and hanging locker for signs of rust colored stains emanating from the chainplate knees. If you can, drill a small hole at the bottom of each knee to check for water or rotten wood.

3) Cabin sole. Although like other marques, Tartans could vary greatly from Monday to Friday in any given run, many of the early era boats had parquet soles. At this point, most of the boats I've seen lost their soles (forgive me) and many were carpeted to more effectively trap moisture.

4) Centerboard. Many of the centerboards were steel encapsulated in fiberglass. Over the years, wear and moisture entered and rusted the steel core, expanding the boards and rendering them too thick to drop. Other centerboard issues included POs who lost the boards and decided the boat sailed just fine without it (which it does, if your demands to windward aren't great); and centerboard pendants that have cut through the opening in the centerboard trunk.

5) Also, if it's accessible, check the foundation for the mast step. Although the mast step itself is a cast fitting, it was sometimes bedded on a wooden base that wasn't always impregnated sufficiently to make it impervious to rot caused by moisture traveling down the mast and into the bilge.

Those are the major issues specific to T-27s. Other than that, as with every older vessel, the general condition of an individual boat is totally dependent on its care and maintenance under previous owners.

If this hasn't answered your questions, feel free to ask; my familiarity with at least one early T-27 is more intimate than I'd at one point hoped.

Greg

[Rachel]

I think 1967 would be solidly in the middle of the first generation T-27s, right? If so, some of these notes don't apply, but....

*Early T-27s had external ballast pigs with keel bolts (and maybe bronze centerboards? -- not sure about that part).

*At some point during the generation 1 run, they may have switched over to more teak veneer on bulkheads and such

*Some (few) T-27s were built by Schock in California; they have a number of differences but I won't drone on about them here unless you end up looking at a Schock boat. The most obvious sign is the aluminum-framed, slightly more "camper-ish" fixed port frames.

*Later on (near 1970?) the changed to the second generation T-27, which had the galley aft/starboard and a higher bridgedeck (for starters).

*Even later on there was a generation three, which had a raised deck mold and lost much resemblance to the original.

A couple of other feature -- not that they're things to look out for, but more just musings:

--The T-27s have a nice, mini-bulwark all the way around
--The first generation cockpit benches are basically at deck level, with a short coaming (as opposed to being sunken). Earliest models had non-flush cockpit locker lids
--Some yawls were made
--Mast (as noted above) is keel stepped.

Rachel

PS: The quest continues.... :)

[Tom Javor]

Yes Greg, the CL listing you linkd to is the boat that has sparked my interest in the design. There is also another one around.

Rachel mentions that the cockpit seating is at close to deck level in some - when I look at the pictures in the posting this one appears to be that. I'll have to take a look at the boat to get a feeling for how comfortable that arrangement is (or isn't). I'll keep folks posted.

[BristolJonny]

I was at the marina in westport point where my boat is kept today and the marina owner was telling me that there is a tartan 27 for sale just a few boats down the row! I checked it out and it actually looks pretty nice. I'd say they're all worth checking out..... nice looking classic boats :)

[Bluenose]

There might be some fun reading here if you have some time to kill before checking out the boat.

http://www.tartanownersweb.org/models/t27profile.phtml

The Tartan 27 group used to have a pretty nice forum. I can't find my old link, but maybe they moved over to yahoo (link on above page).

A search of "Tartan 27" on the sailnet buying a boat forum

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/buying-boat/

would provide you with some much reading you wouldn't have time to buy a boat.

Happy hunting.

And hasn't the thread gone on long enough without pictures?

[Rachel]

That second photo almost made me buy a T-27 yawl :) What a cloud of canvas on such a wee boat!

(Not that there's anything wrong with buying a T-27, but the one I was looking at had been completely re-done in knotty pine. Even the anchor platform...)

Rachel

[Seafarer]

The Tartan 27 (at least the original ones), were/are wonderful boats. I believe they were designed by Sparkman and Stephens, and are to my eyes, among the most graceful small cruisers of their era.

You might want to look for the book, The Coast of Summer: sailing New England Waters from Shelter Island to Cape Cod by Anthony Bailey. Its about a lengthy summer cruise aboard a T27. Great Read.

[One Way David]

That second pic got my attention also. Think of a wishbone gaff in addition to what's there!

http://plasticclassicforum.com/viewtopi ... =26&t=4217

Dave