Tartan 27 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is a solid laminate of mat and woven roving in polyester resin, built to heavy scantlings that run three-quarters of an inch at the keel, with tabbed bulkheads and glass-reinforced stringers stiffening the structure. The deck is balsa-cored with plywood substituted under hardware, and the original deck joint was described in period brochures as mechanically and chemically bonded; leaks from that joint are rare, and Practical Sailor notes complaints about leaking through it are notable for their absence. Early boats carried external lead ballast, but in 1966 the keel was encapsulated and ballast grew by 350 pounds. The first dozen 1961 hulls had bronze centerboards, with later boats using steel sheathed in fiberglass. An outward-turned hull-to-deck flange, not a detail the survey publication favors, does at least help keep the deck and cockpit drier.

Rig and Handling

A low-aspect masthead rig carries a large mainsail over a modest foretriangle, and racing calls for overlapping headsails up to 176 percent LP. The boat’s 21-foot-5-inch waterline lets her sail faster than her length suggests, particularly on a reach. She heels readily to about 20 degrees before stiffening, and is best kept on her feet for windward work, with early reefing the wise move. Balance is a hallmark: she will steer herself in moderate conditions by shifting the centerboard alone, though overpowered she develops a heavy weather helm. The Atomic 4 reportedly drives her at hull speed with the throttle half open, while backing down remains an adventure with the prop sheltered in the long-keel aperture.

Accommodations

The original saloon plan places a small dinette to port opposite a midship galley, with a somewhat exposed quarterberth aft and an unusual icebox to port overhanging the settee with hatches both inside and in the cockpit. Forward is a good-sized V-berth, but the head behind it is quite tiny. The fixed stove and an outboard sink that floods when heeled to starboard render the galley marginal under way. In 1977 the sheerline was raised and the cabinhouse lengthened and rounded, yielding the 27-2 with an aft galley opposite an icebox-nav desk, two long settees, and a larger athwartship head — a more conventional and livable arrangement, though still cramped by modern measure.

Known Issues

The wood maststep over the keel eventually rots and needs replacing, a failure several owners tie to water leaking around the mast partner and damaging nearby bulkheads. The most often cited problem is delamination of the balsa-cored deck, especially around the chainplates. The rudder post lacks a bearing and wears sloppily against its tube; the tiller head fitting is called perhaps the weakest point on the boat. Wear at the pivot can let the centerboard fall free on its lifting cable, and the pennant itself can chafe through its tubing. Gate valves on brass through-hulls should be swapped for proper seacocks, and the original build omitted backing plates beneath deck fittings. Some fuel tanks leak and colored gelcoat topsides have badly chalked with age.

Refits and Ownership

Critical replacement parts — centerboards, tanks, hatches, rudders — are still sold by the builder, which eases the ownership calculus considerably. The 27-2’s raised sheer without a new hull mold forced a more vulnerable outward-facing deck joint, a trade worth knowing if shopping the later configuration. Production of the original run ceased in 1980 after a 1972 fire year produced none; 63 to 65 of the redesigned boats were built before the line stopped in 1979.

The Verdict

The Tartan 27 is a well-balanced, durable centerboarder that punches above her length under sail and benefits from ongoing factory support for key components. Her weaknesses are concentrated in dated deck joints, wood-inway-of-mast rot, and a handful of retrofittable hardware omissions rather than fundamental structure.

Pros