Tartan Marine 3800

BoatsTartan Marine 3800

See her sail

The Tartan Marine 3800, on the water

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

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 26 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 26

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.98

LightHeavy

240 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 240

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.8

TenderStiff

44% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 44%

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

Draws less than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2907 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Tartan Marine 3800, 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 3800 is a Masthead Sloop sailboat built by Tartan Marine from 1994 to 1999, designed by Tim Jackett. It features a fin with bulb and spade rudder hull, measures 11.6 meters LOA with a 3.8-meter beam, and has a 1.6-meter draft. The boat displaces 7257 kg. Tartan Marine, known for durable, performance-oriented cruising sailboats, produced the 3800 as one of its well-regarded models, alongside the 372 and 4300.5:55 The company, founded in 1971, has undergone several ownership changes, including an acquisition by a subsidiary of Seattle Yachts in 2020 and a subsequent purchase by Michael Reardon of Daedalus Yachts in 2025, before being acquired by John Dewar of Great Lakes Rigging and Supply in 2026.4:00

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

43.8%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

16.8

Displacement / length

239.8

Comfort ratio

26.1

Capsize screening

1.98

Hull speed

7.5 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1376

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/bulb & spade rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1994–1999

Units built

43

Designer

Tim Jackett w

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.

Moody 37611.53 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bill Dixon-designed center-cockpit cruiser featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stable, comfortable hull form

Selling it All for Waves: The Quest for Our Dream Sailboat Throughout Asia3:26 from Stella Overboard

Sabre Yachts 3811.53 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop designed for performance, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for responsive handling

Sabre 38's Cored Hull - Excellent sailboat, or one to stay away from? - Lady K Sailing - ep 330 from Lady K Sailing

Morgan Yachts 38211.68 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ted Brewer-designed masthead sloop built for offshore stability, featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff displacement

Morgan 382 - The $30K Boat Nobody Talks About from Practical Sailor

Feeling 3911.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for performance cruising

Spearfishing Bounty of Off-Grid Sailboat Living (Days 83 to 95/100 Water World Challenge)0:45 from Adventureman Dan

Ericson Yachts 3811.48 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bruce King-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance

A Gale of Fire Turns our World to Ash from Christian Williams

Hallberg-Rassy 3811.57 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1970s masthead cruiser featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a substantial 43% ballast ratio for heavy-weather stability

HOW TO SAIL AROUND THE WORLD WITH A SOUTH AFRICAN PASSPORT | Strip Searches and Locked up Abroad8:55 from The Paper Boat Project (Stefan Heiberg)

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 372A 1988-1993 masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.08-meter fin keel and a spade rudder for performance-oriented cruising Tartan Marine 3500A 1993 masthead sloop with a 1.98-meter draft and a balanced displacement-to-ballast ratio for coastal cruising Tartan Marine 4300A 13-meter masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.51-meter fin keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio Tartan Marine 4100A 12.57-meter masthead sloop featuring a bulb-fin keel and spade rudder designed for balanced, modern offshore cruising Tartan Marine 4400A 13.72-meter masthead sloop with a moderate 1.68-meter draft, designed for versatile coastal and offshore cruising Tartan Marine 4600A 14-meter masthead sloop with a deep 2.71-meter draft and a powerful sail plan for serious offshore passage making

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Tartan Marine 3800, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Tartan Marine 3800

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue