With its flat sheer, sleek cabintrunk, moderate freeboard, and fairly beamy hull, the 3500 is among the more handsome contemporary designs of its era. It also carries two genuine double cabins below—an interior breakthrough for a hull that actually sailed well.
Design and Construction
Below the waterline, the 3500 has a powerful, high-lift fin keel, offered in deep- and shoal-draft versions. It is paired with a large, elliptically shaped balanced spade rudder carried on a massive 3-inch stainless steel post.
The hull is hand laminated with alternating layers of strand mat and locally reinforced with unidirectional E-glass. A 4-millimeter vinylester backup layer behind the gelcoat helps guard against blistering, and Tartan backed its hulls with a five-year warranty against osmotic blisters.
For panel stiffness, the hull is partially cored with Baltek balsa. It is solid fiberglass at the deck flange, through-hull fittings, chainplates, and keel installations. The deck follows the same approach: balsa coring is used except beneath high-load hardware. Stainless fasteners tapped into aluminum receiving plates molded into the hull flange secure the deck to the hull, and the joint is chemically bonded.
Bulkheads and floors are taped and tabbed directly to the hull skin rather than left to float on a molded liner. The externally fastened keel uses stainless steel bolts. The visible stainless steel chainplates are secured to the hull through a molded pod behind the settees.
Rig, Cockpit, and Sailing Performance
The 3500 is a masthead sloop with a double-spreader Kenyon mast and an air draft of 53 feet. The traveler is mounted 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 the boat easily driven, responsive, and well mannered. The design has also enjoyed documented success in PHRF fleets around the country. Owners report that it is at its best reaching in a stiff breeze, when speeds can exceed 8 knots. The deep-draft version is preferred for outright performance.
The T-shaped cockpit seats four people plus the helmsperson comfortably. Inclined seatbacks improve support, and foot cleats brace the helmsman. The stern evolved during 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 access to the water.
Deck and Accommodations
A substantial teak toerail runs around the deck. At the bow, there is a good-sized external anchor locker with a single roller. Deck hardware is robust, including Harken 46.2STC primary winches and Harken genoa tracks and cars.
Below, the 3500 provides two true double cabins, separated by the main saloon and galley. The forward cabin has a large double berth, a hanging locker, and four storage drawers. The aft quarter-berth cabin contains a full-sized double berth, along with its own hanging locker, shelves, and drawers.
The main saloon seats four comfortably for meals, or six in a pinch, around a centerline table with leaves that open on both sides. The interior has a teak-and-holly sole and, on many boats, cherry joinery that was unusual for the era.
To starboard, the galley includes a large single sink, an icebox or refrigerator, a three-burner stove, and ample counter and storage space. An aft-facing navigation station is tucked behind it. Opposite, at the port aft end of the cabin, is the head with a separate shower stall.
Ventilation is generous, with two Hood overhead hatches and ten stainless steel Hood portlights.
Engine and Tankage
Power comes from Yanmar’s 27-horsepower 3GM diesel, installed in a box beneath the companionway steps. Removing the box exposes the entire forward section of the engine, giving better access than on most boats of this size. Reaching the aft end requires removing the quarter-berth cushions and panels.
The aluminum fuel tank holds 25 gallons, which is modest for serious cruising.
Known Issues
A number of Tartan 3500 owners cite water entry at the forward hatch as a fault. There are also reports of swelling rudder bearings.
Reviewers found on more than one boat that the cherry interior trim did not stand up well to inevitable dousings of water. Reported problems included poorly aligned joiner work, doors that wouldn’t close properly, and even wood that had rotted after only several years.
On one three-year-old example, a surveyor measured dampness in the balsa-cored deck near various deck fittings. It is a reminder that the deck core demands vigilant sealing.
Ownership Considerations
The 3500’s capsize screening ratio is 212, which is a bit high. Even so, the boat remained a popular choice well into its production life for sailors seeking a performance-oriented family cruiser.
As a used boat, its appeal rests on the combination of sailing ability, two-cabin accommodations, sound structural logic, accessible machinery, and a record of club-racing success. The known weaknesses are concentrated around the interior joinery, deck-core moisture, forward-hatch leaks, and rudder bearings.
The Verdict
The Tartan 3500 is a thoughtfully engineered performance cruiser that provides a genuinely roomy two-cabin layout without sacrificing sailing ability—a rare balance in the 35-foot class. Its structural design, accessible engine, and club-racing pedigree make it a sound used-boat prospect when the known interior and deck-coring weaknesses have been addressed.
Pros
- Two genuine double cabins in a hull that sails well
- Hand-laminated hull with solid fiberglass at all high-stress joints
- Excellent engine access for a 35-footer
- Lively masthead rig with documented PHRF success
Cons
- Cherry joinery can be vulnerable to water damage and rot
- Balsa deck core can suffer moisture intrusion around fittings
- Reported swelling of rudder bearings and leaks at the forward hatch
- Small 25-gallon fuel tank for extended cruising
