BoatsTartan Marine 3800

Tartan Marine 3800

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · 1994–1999

A 1994-1999 production cruiser featuring a shallow 1.62-metre draft and a bulb-fin keel for versatile coastal access

Designed by Tim Jackett W.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

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 Asia3:26from 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 330from Lady K Sailing
Ericson Yachts 38111.43 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn evolution of the Ericson 38, this 11.4-metre masthead sloop features a 1.98-metre draft and a fin-keel hull
Why We Sail--"Rehabilitation in Winter"3:16from Christian Williams
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 Aboutfrom 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
FULL Sailboat Tour [Can Be Beached, Cross An Ocean, Spacious Liveaboard, BEST Modern Sailboat]38:27from 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
Update: Sailing After the Palisades Firefrom Christian Williams

The family

Boats like this

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

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

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