BoatsTartan Marine 27

Tartan Marine 27

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · 1961–1980

A Sparkman & Stephens keel-centerboard sloop that launched Tartan Marine and enjoyed a 19-year production run

Designed by Sparkman & Stephens.

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

See her sail

The Tartan Marine 27, 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.

Shoal draughtDraws 0.97 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 moderate beam gives 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.77
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 336
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.9
TenderStiff

32% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 32%

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

  • Heavier than ~89% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 567 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Tartan Marine 27, 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 27 is a Sparkman & Stephens-designed masthead sloop, built by Tartan Marine and Douglass, McLeod from 1961 to 1980. It was the first boat produced by Tartan Marine, with an updated version, the Tartan Marine 27-2, introduced in 1979. The boat measures 8.2 meters LOA, with a 2.6-meter beam and a 1.9-meter draft, displacing 3356 kg. Early models had external ballast, which was changed to internal and increased by 400 lbs in 1967.2:51 Some Tartan Marine 27s were built by W.D. Schock on the West Coast USA. The Tartan Marine 27-2 variant features more freeboard and a retooled deck and coach roof.

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
32.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.9
Displacement / length
336.1
Comfort ratio
28.1
Capsize screening
1.77
Hull speed
6.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
660
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1961–1980
Units built
712
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens
Builder
Tartan Marine, Douglass, McLeod

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.

Deltania Yachts 267.92 mSame hull family0.3 m shorter
She Bought a Sailboat Instead of an Apartment to Live In | #SAL #3576:33from Hashtag Sal
Paceship Yachts Westwind 247.29 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA Ted Hood-designed masthead sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, built for versatility in shoal waters
Fiberglass Over Old Thru-Hulls — Permanent Repair!!from BoatworksToday
O'day 329.63 mSame hull family1.4 m longerA 9.6-metre masthead sloop with a deep-draft keel-centreboard configuration designed for versatile coastal cruising
Walking the Boat Yard With a Pro Sailor11:00from The Mariner
RS 216.40 mSame hull family1.8 m shorter
Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37from City Sailing
O'day 23-26.93 mSame hull family1.3 m shorterA masthead keel-centerboard sloop produced in Brazil and the U.S. for over a decade as a popular coastal cruiser
The Taxi Driver and the Pharmacist Who Decided to Live on a Sailboat | #SAL #1602:29from Hashtag Sal
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family1.5 m shorterA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
You NEED to Keep Your Boat Receipts. Here’s Whyfrom Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Tartan Marine 27 YawlA rare yawl-rigged version of the Sparkman & Stephens classic, featuring a keel-centreboard hull for versatile cruisingTartan Marine 27-2A Sparkman & Stephens masthead yawl featuring a raised sheer and centreboard versatility for shoal-water cruisingTartan Marine 28A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop designed for balanced performance with a stiff 43% ballast ratioTartan Marine 30A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop offering versatile interior configurations and a choice of standard or tall rigsTartan 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 configuration

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