Design and Construction
The 245 measures 22 feet 2 inches on the waterline and 8 feet 5 inches on the beam. Its length-to-beam ratio of 2.85 makes it genuinely beamy for its size. Displacement is 3,000 pounds, including 900 pounds in the lifting bulb keel. With the keel down, draft is 4 feet; retracted, it drops to just 1 foot 8 inches.
Jackett gave the hull some deadrise through the midsection and carried it aft. Very straight garboards, a fine V-shaped entry, and minimal topside flare complete the shape. The result looks like a modern daysailer rather than a miniature cruiser. A perky sheer gives the boat some visual lift, which one reviewer found pleasing.
The rudder is designed to kick up on impact, a practical safeguard in shallow water and during the kind of grounding a retractable-keel daysailer invites. An open transom reinforces the emphasis on easy access and cockpit-centered use.
Rig and Handling
The 245 carries a fractional carbon sloop rig with swept spreaders. Sail area is 272 square feet, with an SA/D of 21.
Sail controls are grouped forward on the short cabinhouse top. The mainsheet traveler sits on the cockpit sole, just ahead of the helmsman. Jib tracks run along the top of the cockpit coaming to provide a fair lead to the winches, while shorter tracks are notched into the house sides forward of the coaming.
Factory options include a self-tacking jib arrangement and a retractable carbon-fiber bowsprit. The bowsprit broadens the boat’s downwind options without cluttering the bow at anchor.
Cockpit and Accommodations
This is fundamentally a cockpit boat: 60% of the design is devoted to the cockpit, with room for four student sailors and an instructor.
Belowdecks space is more compromised. The keel trunk intrudes through the cabin and frustrates efforts to make the interior comfortable. There is sitting headroom, and a porta potty can be fitted to port, but the 245 is built for sailing rather than living aboard. The cabin serves mainly as shelter and stowage.
Verdict
The Tartan 245 trades cabin comfort for cockpit space and shoal-draft flexibility. Jackett’s hull geometry and the kick-up rudder make it forgiving in thin water, while the fractional carbon rig and optional self-tacking jib help keep short-handed sailing manageable.
The lifting keel is both the boat’s defining asset and its defining compromise. It opens access to shallow creeks and makes trailering easier, but its trunk dominates the space below.
Pros
- Lifting bulb keel provides 4 feet of draft when down and 1 foot 8 inches when retracted
- Beamy hull and 60% cockpit create a roomy sailing platform
- Kick-up rudder protects against impact grounding
- Fractional carbon rig, with factory self-tacking jib and bowsprit options
Cons
- Keel trunk consumes much of the cabin and prevents meaningful belowdecks comfort
- Minimal topside flare and an open transom mark it as a fair-weather daysailer
- Sitting headroom only; a porta potty is the sole concession to cruising
