Tanzer 22 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The cabin plan centers on a molded fiberglass liner that builds in the berths, cabinets, and sole while stiffening the hull. Forward is a sharply tapered V-berth; a narrow quarter berth and small starboard galley sit opposite a port dinette that folds to a double but is too small for real dining and inadequate as a berth when converted. Headroom is capped around 4 feet 6 inches, and the cabin house extends to the sheer to keep the space from feeling boxed in. Above, the cockpit runs the full beam — over 7 feet long, seating four comfortably and six in a pinch — but there is no bridgedeck to the cabin, a layout fact with direct flooding implications addressed below.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

All Tanzer 22s carry an outboard on a transom bracket, and a six-horsepower motor is enough for adequate propulsion, so engine condition is more about corrosion than power. The class allows a 375-square-foot spinnaker, and a spinnaker is an often-seen addition on the used market for those wanting one-design or casual weekend speed. The mast is a cabin-top, tabernacle-stepped aluminum spar with a small main and a large genoa; the owner-developed replacement rudder is a known upgrade over the original foil that ventilated when heeled. Either keel version needs at least 5 feet of water to float off a trailer, worth knowing for launch logistics.

What to Inspect

The cast-iron keel is the recurring sore point: it rusts, and one owner found no primer beneath the factory bottom paint, so check coating integrity and any scale at the hull joint iron keel is a sore point. The cockpit is too large to drain quickly, and with no bridgedeck, an unusual amount of water can spill into the cabin and flood the boat — verify hull-to-deck flange sealing and any evidence of past intrusion an unusual amount of water would spill into the cabin space and flood the boat. Original portlights used sponge-rubber inner and hard-rubber outer seals; confirm they remain watertight. The original rudder's tendency to lift and ventilate when heeled is best resolved by the aftermarket replacement, so note which foil is fitted.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Tanzer 22 is typically found in the United States. For a buyer, the short list is: confirm keel coating and primer history; inspect the hull-deck flange and cabin for water intrusion given the missing bridgedeck; verify portlight seals; check for the improved rudder; and assess outboard and trailer depth needs. A large owner association and school fleet speak to a durable, well-supported design for protected-water sailing.