Tartan Marine 30

BoatsTartan Marine 30

See her sail

The Tartan Marine 30, on the water

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

Footage from Lady K Sailing

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 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.94

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 274

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.0

TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Tartan Marine 30, 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 30 is a 9.1-meter masthead sloop designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built by Tartan Marine between 1970 and 1978. It features a fin keel with a skeg-hung rudder, a 3.0-meter beam, and a 1.5-meter draft, displacing 3968 kg.4:26 The model was offered with two hull and interior configurations and a choice of standard or tall rigs; the tall rig added three feet to the mast, 500 pounds of lead, and a 5.5-foot draft. Standard power was an Atomic 4 engine, though some were equipped with a Faryman Diesel.4:55 Lady K Sailing recommends the Tartan 30 as a suitable vessel for Gulf Stream crossings on a $30,000 budget, provided the buyer prioritizes a seaworthy hull and performs significant labor to outfit the boat.0:13

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale

1channel weighed buying one

US$9,000Median asking

A specific boat listed for $9,000, with a potential purchase price of around $7,000
from Lady K Sailingseen July 20234:32

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

41.1%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

17.0

Displacement / length

273.9

Comfort ratio

24.3

Capsize screening

1.94

Hull speed

6.6 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

866

Hull

Hull type

Fin with rudder on skeg

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1970–1978

Units built

606

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.

Spirit 329.48 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop

Singlehanding Through Uncharted Atolls on My Grinde 27'2:07 from Wind Hippie Sailing

Islander Yachts 309.02 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA raised-deck masthead sloop with a shallow 1.12-metre draft, produced briefly as a distinct variant of the Islander 29

FALL BOAT AUCTION 2023: Where to buy a SUPER CHEAP sailboat! - EP316:35 from Sailing Solé

Cal Boats 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series

Left a multinational, house, and car to live on a 30-foot sailboat | #SAL Clip #1451:32 from Hashtag Sal

Granada Yachts 309.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 30-foot fractional sloop with a 1.65-meter draft, designed for balanced, performance-oriented cruising

Capsized in 20-meter waves: Are Wiig on the drama in the Southern Ocean | Bearing on Sailing2:53 from SEILmagasinet

Catalina Yachts 309.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthWith over 6,000 hulls produced, this versatile masthead sloop remains one of the most successful production yachts ever built

Perfect $20,000 Sailboat (Catalina 30 Refit on a Budget) - Ep 358 - Lady K Sailing from Lady K Sailing

C&C Yachts 30-29.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by C&C for balanced club racing

Ep. 33 Interview with Richard1:11 from Sailing Into Oblivion

The family

Boats like this

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

Tartan Marine 28A Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop designed for balanced performance with a stiff 43% ballast ratio Tartan Marine 33A Sparkman & Stephens fractional sloop designed with a shoal-draft keel for versatile coastal cruising Tartan Marine 10A Sparkman & Stephens fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio designed for competitive performance Tartan Marine 38A Sparkman & Stephens design featuring a taller rig and deeper fin keel than its predecessor for improved performance Tartan Marine 31A 1987-1991 production masthead sloop with a 1.83-metre fin keel and a balanced 43% ballast ratio

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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