Upgrades to Tartan

[brncman]

I am looking at several Tartans, a 30C and a 34C. This would be my first cruising boat. Looking to cruise SE coast. Chesaeake, Pamplico Sound, etc.

I would want to change out the Atomics for a diesel. Anyone have a ballpark for a new diesel for a boat this size?

My wife wants air conditioning. Can these boats handle a generator and AC ? I assume this would require some kind of ductwork. Anyone tried adding air conditioning to these boats? What is involved, including $.

Thanks.

[Pblais]

Conversion from gasoline is possible but the details I'm not sure are so easy to deal with off the top of my head. In a 30 or 34 fitting a inboard generator probably is not practical. Best suggestion is buy a boat with a diesel already in it. These boats are not worth enough to spend the extra add ons. You'll double the cost of the boat quickly.

Even a 36 can be too tight. I would install an AC powered air conditioner something in the 9000 BTU range would work well for a 34 ft boat in August plugged into a single 30 amp panel. The cost is a lot of installation items you'll need to make probably two outlet runs with duct and have a suitable location for the inlet. You'll need a through hull and good sea strainer as it can load up with jelly fish in the saltier warm waters. I would spend the extra money on a good one like a Groco. If you check out the AC web sites you can download the install manual to get a better idea of how the installation needs to be done. It's not a simple project.

They do make suitcase styles that are OK for a 30 ft boat but as you get bigger they are not large enough to cool enough.

[tartansail]

Originally Posted by brncman

I am looking at several Tartans, a 30C and a 34C. This would be my first cruising boat. Looking to cruise SE coast. Chesaeake, Pamplico Sound, etc.

I would want to change out the Atomics for a diesel. Anyone have a ballpark for a new diesel for a boat this size?

My wife wants air conditioning. Can these boats handle a generator and AC ? I assume this would require some kind of ductwork. Anyone tried adding air conditioning to these boats? What is involved, including $.

Thanks.

I'm a Tartan 34c owner. (Full disclosure. Boat is under agreement, but that's a long way from sold.) I agree with Pblais that, if you want a diesel, you are better off buying a boat with one in place. The cost of swapping is likely much greater than the price premium.

I also agree that these are very small boats to put a generator in. I haven't heard of anyone doing it. Physically, there may be space under the cockpit, but the shift in trim, the effort to vent properly and to build in all the associated cabling would be a bear of an upgrade. I have heard of people using AC units that were plugged to shore power and were put over the forward hatch at the dock. I don't know whether you could find a place for a compressor and associated conduit inside a boat this size (especially if you used the largest available space for a generator).

There are a lot of Tartans on the Chesapeake. You might be able to hear more direct experiences from the Chesapeake Bay Tartan Sailing Club (Home - Chesapeake Bay Tartan Sailing Club). You may also find useful information from owners on the tartansailing listserv at tartansailing@yahoogroups.com or on the Tartan 34c owners' site: Welcome to the Tartan 34 Classic Association.

[Bash]

On the used boat market, you would be well advised to buy a boat for what it is, not for what you want it to become. If you want a boat with a diesel, buy a boat with a diesel. Same goes for such things as air conditioning and a generator.

That said, you're not going to find many boats in that size range with generators. They simply haven't got enough room.

[doug86]

Originally Posted by Bash

On the used boat market, you would be well advised to buy a boat for what it is, not for what you want it to become. If you want a boat with a diesel, buy a boat with a diesel. Same goes for such things as air conditioning and a generator.

Great advice. Why are you shopping for a boat that isn't equipped the way you want?

[brncman]

Thanks to all for the replies. Good advice, which I will take.

As for the question from Doug86: Why am I shopping for a boat that's not equipped the way I want it? The answer is simple. I didn't know any better.

That's why I signed on to this list, and it's already paying off.