1967 Tartan 27

[SkiprJohn]

What kind of engine? $5250 begs of a $4500 offer. From your last post I see nothing to run away from but I'd spend a little bit to get a good marine survey so that you are not surprised. Gelcoat cracks in an old boat are usually just cosmetic but something you'll want to repair.
You've gotten good advice about the head. Get a good quality head and do a super good job on installation and you'll have some happy girl crew.
Good luck on your decison.
kind regards,

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by CarlF

The head - Your four women will be much happier on a boat with the best possible head. Buy a shiny clean new one. Carl

[Pete7]

If you buy it, I would put a MSD in rather than faff around with a toilet, pipes and holding tanks etc, especially in the short term. At least they can easily be removed taken home and given a good clean out once in a while.

Have a search on here for MSD:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post681885

Pete

[tartansail]

+1 on some kind of head. If the boat doesn't have a holding tank and you're planning to pull the old head, a port-a-potty isn't a bad solution for the first season. We used one on our Bristol 27 for years. It fit right into where the WC head had been. That could get you out sailing this year, keep you legal, and still keep the ladies happy.

It's probably tempting to not get the boat surveyed at this price point. However, unless you're very experienced, it's worth having someone ensure that the rig is going to stay up by looking at the chainplates and knees. While they're at it, they can assess the gelcoat cracks. However, they're common on older Tartans and not usually a big deal.

Is the diesel a repower? If so, what is it and how many hours? The boat sounds like it may have been a little neglected in recent years. Diesels like their preventive maintenance. Having someone check it over could save some misery down the line.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Not personally familiar with a T27 (wrong part of the world) - but from the links looks pretty much spot on for someone looking to get there feet wet (albeit not litteraly ) - Big enough to be (fairly ) idiot proof without scaring the bejesus out of the new skipper / crew. and all without having to financially crucify yerself

As a first time boat owner / sailor having online support from an Owners Association is a big plus, and given the age of the design and boats you will find that other owners have tackled most model specific matters already - which is a big help when your wotsit seperates from your thingy-ma-jig (sp? ).......at least for tea & sympathy

Price? less is more , especially when it comes to you later selling - don't know what the market is in your area but $5k sounds reasonable, and even if you later get caned on resale then 50% is only a couple of K. not in the 10's

As a broad rule, anything you spend on her (to repair or enhance to your spec) won't be coming back to you so take care not to over-capitalise (i.e. a sail repair or a s/h sail rather than a new Main etc.......nor get sucked into remodelling the whole boat into something it was not / can never be - like a luxury 12 berth RV with a walk in freezer ) - also have half an an eye on the next boat, shiny toys are all the better when you can take them with you (and without the boat you are selling then looking like it's been machine gunned ).

Although I am sure he is a sweet old fella, age don't make everyone a soft touch when it comes to selling - but if you can talk him into a few lessons might make the sale a bit easier on the pocket.

[ddmoir]

I have a Tartan 27 of the same vintage, Hull 236 built in 1966.

Overall, it was one of finest little centerboard/keel cruiser/racers ever designed and built. It was Bill Shaw's project (he who was behind many of the Pearson designs which were not by a bigger name like Alberg) when he worked for Olin Stevens to take Steven's classic Finnisterre Bermuda race winner and turn it into a Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) family racer. First he came out with the Shaw 24/Dolphin, which at 24 feet looked and sailed very well on the MORC circuit, but lacked adequate interior headroom and a private head. With the Tartan 27, so named because it was to be built by Douglas and McCleod of Thistle and Highlander day sailer fame, the compromise of a great hull form and good sail plan with a boxy cabin yielded a good sailing and practical little cruiser that would be most at home racing and cruising in estuaries (Cheasepeake, Cape Cod/MA south shore, Great Lakes) but also capably of longer distance sailing (as long as you didn't mid the centerboard rattling around in the hull.)

Tartan 27s came in 3 runs. The first and most populus run 1960-'72 was built on Olin and Rod Steven's original design inside and out. The interior work is probably the best in that more lockers were provided, there is a porthole in the forward cabin, etc. With the second run the cockpit was enlarged but the icebox shrunk and a porthole removed. The 3rd run redid the cabin design totally, raising the decks and adding space below and probably nicer teak, but made the whole boat look kind of weird.

They are wonderful family boats that are perfect for sensible teenagers to voyage the world with or without parents.

There are several very informative web sites on the boat, and a committed family of owners happy to help solve problems.

On one web site, a prosective seller of a T27 posted his entire professional survey of is boat. Most interesting: estimated sales value = $10,000; estimated replacement value = $100,000. Recently I have seen T27s "finding a new home" for less than $5,000. Since this boat has an upgraded Diesel rather than the Atomic 4 gas engine, the owners are looking for little more money, but in this market and with some kind communication you could probably get it for less than the original asking price. Where is it for sale--markets vary?

T27s are easy to work on and fix, but they need more or less work depending on their past life. Originally they were built very well with thick fiberglass, so even if the balsa decks have gone soft they are not going break any time soon (the gel coat was put on too thick,thus the crazing). But a boat yard repair job could easily run $5 - 10,000. Owners have found a 15 gal holding tank that can fit under the port forward birth with minor carpentry work. Alternatively, a Portable MSD can easily fit in the head and be a simple solution for day sailing and weekending (I recently got back from 4 days on Martha's Vineyard with no problems.)

T27s are kind of like the Labrador retrievers of the sailing world: friendly, dependable, capable, very sea kindly, can be balanced beautifully going up wind, reasonably quick (compared with Cape Dorys and Pearsons of the day) especially down wind with the board most of the way up and surfing at 7+ knots (yee-ha!), very well built (compared to O'Days or J boats or...) with a design the can go ANYWHERE without objection, easy to keep in the back yard and work on and fix with simple tools, but also kind of frumpy, not a floating condominium rather more like a lavish pup tent, and getting a little old and creaky (rather like their owners!).

Good luck with your decision.

David Moir

T27 Piper out of Cotuit Bay, Cape Cod

[ddmoir]

Regarding your original question regarding whether one should be concerned about the T-27's hull because it is in the water and hard to inspect, the simple answer is "probably not". the T-27's hull is built like a tank, up to 1"+ thick!!
It is the other systems you should ask about and inspect.

[Lino Garcia]

I just purchased a 1975 Tartan 27 belong to an older couple friends of my parents we're too old to sale now and want to pass her on. My only real problem is the centerboard all I had the Rusted piece of Steel with all the epoxy and fiberglass peeled away. And I don't even know where to start. Can anybody suggest videos that I can look at. Arrest of the boat is an excellent condition no soft spots on the deck which is a common problem for Tartan 27 any Interiors in superb condition. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it thank you very much.

[Lino Garcia]

I just purchased a 1975 Tartan 27 belong to an older couple friends of my parents we're too old to sail now and want to pass her on. My only real problem is the centerboard all I have is the Rusted piece of Steel with all the epoxy and fiberglass peeled away. And I don't even know where to start. Can anybody suggest videos that I can look at. Arrest of the boat is an excellent condition no soft spots on the deck which is a common problem for Tartan 27 any Interiors in superb condition. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it thank you very much.