Tartan 3500 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Below the waterline the 3500 carries a powerful high-lift fin keel offered in both deep and shoal versions, paired with a large elliptically shaped balanced spade rudder on a massive 3-inch stainless steel post anchor. The hull itself is hand laminated with alternating layers of strand mat and locally reinforced with unidirectional E-glass, while a 4-millimeter vinylester backup layer behind the gelcoat guards against blistering. Tartan further backed its hulls with a five-year warranty against osmotic blisters. For panel stiffness the hull is partially cored with Baltek balsa, but it is solid glass at the deck flange, through-hull fittings, chainplates, and keel installations—the same discipline applied on deck, where balsa coring is used except beneath high-load hardware, and the deck is joined to the hull with stainless fasteners tapped into aluminum receiving plates molded into the hull flange and chemically bonded. Bulkheads and floors are taped and tabbed directly to the hull skin rather than floating on a molded liner, and the externally fastened keel uses stainless bolts. The visible stainless chainplates are secured to the hull via a molded pod behind the settees.

Rig and Handling

The 3500 is a masthead sloop carrying a double-spreader Kenyon mast with an air draft of 53 feet, and the traveler sits forward of the companionway for extreme midboom sheeting. A sail area-to-displacement ratio of 19.4 and a displacement-to-length ratio of 188 make her easily driven, responsive, and well mannered, with documented success in PHRF fleets around the country. Owners report she is at her best reaching in a stiff breeze with speeds upward of 8 knots, and the deep-draft version is preferred for outright performance. The T-shaped cockpit seats four plus the helmsperson comfortably, with inclined seatbacks and foot cleats for the helmsman, while the stern evolved over the production run from a reverse counter without a swim step to a swim step and finally a flat stern with an opening drop-down step for easier swimming access.

Accommodations

Inside, the 3500 delivers two true double cabins separated by the main saloon and galley. The forward cabin has a large double berth with a hanging locker and four storage drawers, while the aft quarter-berth cabin carries a full-sized double berth with its own hanging locker, shelves, and drawers. The main saloon seats four for meals or six in a pinch around a centerline table with opening leaves on both sides, finished in teak-and-holly sole and, on many boats, cherry joinery that was unusual for the era. The galley to starboard includes a large single sink, icebox or fridge, three-burner stove, and ample counter and storage, beside an aft-facing nav station tucked behind it. Opposite, to port aft, sits the head with a separate shower stall. Ventilation is generous through two Hood overhead hatches and ten stainless Hood portlights. A beefy teak toerail and a good-sized external anchor locker with single roller complete the deck outfit, with Harken 46.2STC primaries and Harken genoa tracks and cars rounding out robust deck hardware.

Known Issues

A number of 3500 owners cite water entry at the forward hatch as a fault, and there are also reports of the rudder bearings swelling. Reviewers also found on more than one boat that cherry interior trim did not hold up well to the inevitable dousings of water, with joiner work poorly aligned, doors that would not close properly, and even wood rotted after only several years. On a three-year-old example a surveyor measured dampness within the balsa-cored deck near various deck fittings, a reminder that deck coring demands vigilant sealing.

Refits and Ownership

The engine is Yanmar's 27-horsepower 3GM diesel, installed in a box below the companionway steps; removing the box exposes the entire forward part of the engine, and access is better than on most boats of this size, though reaching the aft end means pulling quarter-berth cushions and panels. The aluminum fuel tank holds 25 gallons—modest for serious cruising. The 3500's capsize screening ratio of 212 is a bit high, but the boat remains a popular choice for sailors seeking a performance-oriented family cruiser well into its production life.

The Verdict

The Tartan 3500 is a thoughtfully engineered performance-cruiser that delivered a genuinely roomy two-cabin layout without sacrificing sailing ability—a rare balance in the 35-foot class. Its structural logic, accessible engine, and club-racing pedigree make it a sound used-boat prospect where the known interior and deck-coring weaknesses have been addressed.

Pros