Tartan 10 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a used Tartan Ten means stepping into a tightly documented one-design class built from 1978 through 1989, with about 400 examples produced and a strong concentration of survivors on the Great Lakes. These are racer-first 33-foot sloops, and the smart buyer weighs hull number against every known production change before talking price.
Layouts on the Used Market
Interior arrangement shifted meaningfully at hull #160, when the main cabin moved from berths to fixed berths with a backrest that doubles as a leeboard. Earlier boats have the sparser racing layout with a portable head under the V-berth, a hand-pump sink to port, and no icebox or stove. Headroom stays a constant 5 feet 2 inches, and the cockpit runs 9 1/2 feet regardless of year. Tank placement also divides the fleet: on pre-#200 hulls the starboard quarterberth covered the water tank while the port side held fuel, a reversal after the early 200s that cured a sink drainage fault.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A spinnaker and a swim platform are commonly fitted, and many boats carry an autopilot and a short-handed sail-handling setup suited to solo or two-person racing. The tiller and folding prop are standard, and primary winches are Lewmar 30s. Engine identity splits at hull #309: earlier boats use a Farymann 7.5 hp diesel, later ones an 11 hp Universal. Early hulls with Schaefer booms (first 70) are a step behind the Kenyon booms with clew-slug leech control used thereafter.
What to Inspect
Early hulls hide the serious factory defects. On boats in the first 100, confirm the hollow stainless rudder post was reinforced with an inner post, as the builder states was done to every one. Check the floor grid on the first 90 for flex or poor hull bonding, and look under the compression post for the 5-by-4-by-1/4-inch aluminum load plate added after hull #83; on a mid-150s boat a tester found the post lengthened onto the hull, crushing the grid. Trace the shrouds through the deck and smell for chronic leaks many owners report. Inspect the chainplate tab for delamination or dimpling, corrected by hull #270 with a wider tab and by #200 with core removed; verify tank positions on pre-#200 hulls to confirm the drainage fix. Pre-#200 drivetrains may show coupling failure from vibration, and the first 70 Schaefer booms can have bent reefing hooks.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States.
- Confirm rudder post reinforcement on hulls under #100
- Check compression post plate and grid on boats before #84
- Test for shroud-deck leaks with a flashlight and nose
- Verify chainplate tab width and core removal by hull #
- Match engine and boom type to hull number
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Tartan 10. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $8,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $8,000 | 0.0% |
| May 26 | 1 | $8,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Tartan 10 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $8,000 | 2 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flying Tiger 10M | 32.66' | $ 18,000 | 15 | 0 |
| Adams 10 | 33' | $ 12,539 | 14 | 4 |
| Beneteau First 10 R | 32.75' | $ 79,000 | 14 | 4 |
| Tartan 10You are here | — | $ 8,000 | 2 | 0 |