Tartan 245 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Tartan 245 means shopping a modern Tim Jackett daysailer built around a lifting bulb keel and a cockpit that dominates the boat. At 24 feet overall with a 22-foot-2-inch waterline and an 8-foot-5-inch beam, she is beamy for her length and carries 900 pounds of ballast in a keel that drops to 4 feet or retracts to 1 foot 8 inches. The appeal on the brokerage market is simple: a shoal-draft carbon-rigged sailboat that is easy to trail and easy to day-trip.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every 245 follows the same fundamental plan because the design is 60% cockpit, with room for four student sailors and an instructor. Below, the keeltrunk runs through the cabin and compromises comfort, but sitting headroom is present and a porta potty can be placed off to port. A 4-hp outboard serves as the auxiliary. Buyers should understand that the belowdecks space is a shelter, not a cruising cabin, and the open transom aft confirms the boat's daysailing intent.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Spinnakers and asymmetric spinnakers are commonly fitted, and a gennaker is often seen on boats that have been sailed seriously downwind. The factory offered a retractable carbon fiber bowsprit and a self-tacking jib arrangement, both of which matter more to a buyer than creature-comfort add-ons. A carbon fractional rig with swept spreaders is standard, so most used boats already carry a modern rig; the question is whether the bowsprit and self-tacker were spec'd originally or added later.
What to Inspect
The kick-up rudder is a clever design intended to survive impact, but its pivot and hardware should be checked for free movement and water ingress. The lifting keel mechanism deserves close attention: the trunk intrudes into the cabin and any play or leakage at the trunk bears directly on both performance and the limited belowdecks comfort. With a 4-hp outboard, confirm the bracket, wiring, and tilt function rather than assuming a clean install.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Tartan 245s on the used market are found in the United States. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm the keel lifts smoothly and the trunk is dry; verify the rudder kicks up freely and re-seats; check whether the factory self-tacking jib and retractable bowsprit are present; and accept that the cabin is a sitting-headroom shelter around the keeltrunk, not a place to spend a night.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Tartan 245. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | 4 | $43,900 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $43,900 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Tartan 245 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 5.
Country view
5 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $43,900 | 5 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 24 | 24.61' | $ 20,960 | 27 | 6 |
| Parker Boats 235 | 23.5' | $ 18,344 | 25 | 9 |
| Saffier SE 24 | 26.25' | $ 161,867 | 18 | 2 |
| Ranger Ranger 245 | 24.5' | $ 19,872 | 12 | 1 |
| Tartan 245You are here | — | $ 43,900 | 5 | 0 |