BoatsTartan Marine 34 C

Tartan Marine 34 C

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · 1968–1978

A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop featuring a keel-centerboard hull designed for shoal water and IOR competition

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

See her sail

The Tartan Marine 34 C, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Adventure Can't Wait

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draftDraws 1.19 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28
CoastalBluewater

1.82 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.82
LightHeavy

320 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 320
EasygoingPowered-up

16.9 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.9
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Draws more than ~82% of boats her size on file

Compared with 332 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Tartan Marine 34 C, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Tartan Marine 34 C is a Sparkman & Stephens-designed masthead sloop, built by Tartan Marine from 1968 to 1978, with a keel/centerboard hull, an LOA of 10.5 m, a beam of 3.1 m, a draft of 2.5 m, and a displacement of 5080 kg. The model was later designated with a 'C' for 'classic' to distinguish it from the Tartan 34-2. Aboard *Sailing Adventure Can't Wait*, a Tartan Marine 34 C named *Hariah* completed a 111-nautical-mile overnight passage from Puerto Penasco to Puerto Refugio, maintaining an average speed of 4.7 knots.8:18 The crew of *Hariah* undertook an engine swap, replacing the original Westerbeke with a Beta 25, requiring an improvised come-along lift when the mast was down.7:26 Persistent engine failures, including issues under load after injector and fuel system component replacements, forced *Hariah*'s crew to abandon a planned South Pacific crossing and return to Guaymas, Mexico, for a full repower, relying on a 15-horsepower outboard motor for propulsion.11:09 The crew also converted an existing icebox into a custom-built, insulated refrigerator, installing XPS foam insulation and a NovaCool LT2 unit.12:54 An engine-to-prop-shaft alignment was performed to correct excessive vibration, addressing a vertical misalignment where the engine sat lower than the prop shaft.6:55 A failed 200-watt solar panel necessitated a full array rebuild at anchor in La Paz, leading to a reconfigured bimini-mounted array totaling 620 watts.14:02

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.

Sailing Adventure Can't WaitThe crew of a 1978 Tartan 34c documents the technical challenges, mechanical repairs, and logistical realities of maintaining and sailing their boat in Mexico.

Seen 15 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Tartan Marine 34 C on video

Sailing south in Baja! Prop Shaft Problems Before an Overnight PassageA Tartan Marine 34 C crew aligns their prop shaft to eliminate engine vibration during a Baja passage.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitFirst sail in 18 months! Overnight passage south the day after we splashedA Tartan Marine 34 C completes a 111-nautical-mile overnight passage after 18 months of storage.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitTransporting our sailboat from Utah to Mexico: The Sea of CortezTransporting a sailboat across the U.S.-Mexico border requires careful coordination of customs paperwork and vehicle inspection logistics.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitNew Beta 25 Installed! Prepping our sailboat for transport to the Sea of CortezA Tartan Marine 34 C receives a new Beta 25 engine installation to replace a failed unit.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitBoat Galley Upgrade: Hidden Liquor/ spice rack, New countertop and deep sink install.A Tartan Marine 34 C galley upgrade adds a deep sink, new countertop, and hidden electronics storage.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitThe little things on a sailboat, and life matter, we built a refrigeratorA custom refrigerator build on a Tartan Marine 34 C uses XPS foam and a NovaCool LT2.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitTrying to make a small sailboat feel bigger, is it possible?Recessing galley cabinets and painting interior surfaces white increases the perceived living space on a Tartan 34C.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitStarting to repower our boat. Was it safe to remove our sailboat diesel engine by myself?A 500-lb-rated strap snaps mid-lift dropping a 250-lb Westerbeke during a solo engine removal.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitOur truck broke down transporting our sailboat from Mexico!!A faulty clutch fan causes repeated engine overheating while towing a Tartan Marine 34 C through Arizona.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitWhat could possibly go wrong! Driving to Mexico to pick up our sailboat and transport her home!A crew prepares a keel-stepped sailboat for transport by unstepping the mast and removing the bimini.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitBroken diesel engine. Forced to hip tie the dinghy to push us into the travel lift.Hip-tied dinghy pushes a disabled Tartan Marine 34 C north for nine hours across the Sea of Cortez.Sailing Adventure Can't WaitBroken engine, again! do we still sail to the south pacific?A failing diesel engine forces a 250-mile coastal transit using a side-tied outboard for auxiliary propulsion.Sailing Adventure Can't Wait

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Tartan Marine 34 C may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
44.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.9
Displacement / length
320.0
Comfort ratio
28.3
Capsize screening
1.82
Hull speed
6.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
908
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1968–1978
Units built
525
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens
Builder
Tartan Marine

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

O'day 329.63 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA 9.6-metre masthead sloop with a deep-draft keel-centerboard configuration designed for versatile coastal cruising
Walking the Boat Yard With a Pro Sailor11:00from The Mariner
Pearson Yachts 3510.67 mSame hull family0.2 m longerBoasting the longest production run of any Pearson model, this keel/centerboard sloop remained largely unchanged for 14 years
The ONE Thing We Disagreed on This Entire Refit | Step 494from Sailing Uma
Southerly 11010.82 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop with a swing keel that allows for shallow-water exploration and drying out
Southerly 110from SVN solovelanet
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 3510.67 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Marc Lombard-designed fractional sloop featuring a lifting keel and twin rudders for versatile shoal-water cruising
Ultrasonic Anti-Fouling Test: Will the Seaflo System Deliver?1:32from Sailing Zephyr IV
Pearson Yachts 4012.17 mSame hull family1.7 m longerA 12-meter masthead sloop with a deep 2.87-meter draft and high ballast ratio, built for stability and speed
OPB: Sailing Across the Sea of Cortez in a Pearson 40 (Feb 2026)1:34from keeldragger
Ovni 4012.60 mSame hull family2.1 m longerA 12.6-metre cutter with a high 25.21 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for agile performance during her 1984-1987
Ocean Voyager 40 - A Yacht Delivery from Sri Lanka to Thailand0:49from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Tartan Marine 34-2A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop featuring an extended stern and refined interior based on the Tartan 33RTartan Marine 33A Sparkman & Stephens fractional sloop designed with a shoal-draft keel for versatile coastal cruisingTartan Marine 37 (S&S)A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop derived from the Tartan 38, built for performance with a keel-centerboard configurationTartan Marine 30A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop offering versatile interior configurations and a choice of standard or tall rigsTartan Marine 38A Sparkman & Stephens design featuring a taller rig and deeper fin keel than its predecessor for improved performanceTartan Marine 33 RA rare, racing-oriented masthead sloop from Sparkman & Stephens designed for performance with a high sail area ratio

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