Tartan 34c vs Morgan 33T vs Catalina 30?

[pianopraze]

I keep falling in love with these three boats as I'm looking (and can afford to pay cash for them).

Love to hear other people's experiences, thoughts on them.

All things being equal (good condition, same price, etc) which would you choose and why?

Plans: sail Caribbean for a few years as live aboard.

[DDabs]

It's not a 34c... but I spent a hot minute on a Tartan 33 just recently, which happens to be for sale here in St. Pete (no affiliation), clean as a button boat, handled extremely well. Wouldn't hesitate sailing her to the Bahamas... the one for sale here is very bare- which can be a good thing... she's a blank slate for your imagination. On the other hand, obviously she's not set up for extended cruising at the moment.

[BBViper]

Tartan. Build quality is better.

[JC Reefer]

No competition. Tartan.

[BBViper]

Also, don't forget the draft issue in Florida and parts of Caribbean. Tartan is 3.5 vs the other two more than 5.

[pianopraze]

Loving the input everyone! Thank you!

Yeah, I fell in love with the Tartans from the beginning. The Tartan has by far been my favorite, but they tend to also be the most expensive! Only read good things about Tartans.

Love the 3' 10" draft also. What worries me is the swing keel:
https://sailboat.guide/tartan/34-c

No love for Catalina or Morgan? I've seen some absolutely gorgeous ones.

[Bill Youmans]

Tartan very good quality. If It’s a live aboard and or more than one person on it I would step up to a 36 or 37 footer. Tartan 37’s a little pricier but in this market you could get it for the same amount no doubt.

[DDabs]

What worries you about the centerboard?

[SofiaB]

Big question for me: Core material below the waterline? If the same, Tartan would hold its value more. I'd go a little bigger, 37' to 40'.

[DDabs]

The Tartan 34 is solid fiberglass hull with a cored deck. The bigger Tartans I think went to balsa cored hulls rather than solid glass.

[Captain Anthony]

My 1980 Tartan 37c is built like the provable Brick Sh--House. Purchased her in 2018, have completes most of the refit and now health has become an issue. Interested? If so. please pm me here.

[Scaramanga F25]

My beautiful Morgan 36T had some very serious keel attachment problems, even with steel floors. Catalinas are not the build quality of the Tartan.

[Tortuga's Lie]

What year Tartan? I know the 34 went through a couple of variations/layouts. I can't say much about the Morgan 33, but a friend had an old 34 from the early 70's and it was a fine boat. The Catalina will give you the most interior space but the build quality won't be quite the same.
I had a Tartan 37 (Sparkman-Stephens)for 20 years and can say that even though the centerboard at times had a few issues, the issues weren't bad and the boat sailed perfectly well without dropping the board, so I wouldn't be too concerned. The 34 and the 37 have similar design parameters.
I now have a Tartan 4100 and it is of the new generation design (Tim Jackett) but the build quality is the same or even better than the 37. I guess I am partial to the Tartans for their sailing ability, build quality and the aesthetics .

[fred4936]

I have to go with Tartan 34C. I love our Tartan 27-2, being such a sturdy and capable craft. Solid, seaworthy, capable, in my prejudiced opinion, more so than the other two. A Tartan 34C was on my list, but marriage being a series of compromises, we wound up with a Pearson 34-2. Don't get me wrong, I like the Pearson a lot, but I am still a fan of many boats, the Tartan 34C being one of them.

[roverhi]

The T34c is a keel center board boat not a drop keel. Centerboards require some maintenance, mainly replacing the pennant occasionally, but not all that much. In any case the T34c will sail just fine without the C/B. The first T37 to circumnavigate actually had the board removed before they began the voyage.

I own a Pearson 35 C/B and have owned a Morgan 35 of similar vintage and seldom put the board down on either boat. Use the board mainly to shorten turning circle maneuvering around the harbor. Board will allow you to point higher hard on the wind but not all that much. Personally try and avoid that as much as possible and have been quite successful in that pursuit.