Tartan 3800 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Tartan 3800 means looking at one of 43 hulls built between 1994 and 1999, a Tim Jackett masthead sloop that Tartan Marine positioned as a performance cruiser with real livability. These boats turn up in the United States and Canada, and because the model was produced in a short run, a careful pre-purchase survey matters more than hunting for a specific boat.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 3800’s teak-trimmed interior sleeps six to seven, with two cabins and two heads in the standard arrangement — one double stateroom forward and one aft, plus a separate shower stall and wet locker in the head area. A reviewed example carried only one head but added a forward-stateroom washbasin, so buyers should confirm which head configuration a specific boat has. The galley sink sits near centerline for draining on either tack, the icebox is large with top and front openings, and the chart table faces forward in a generous niche. Cedar-lined hanging lockers use finger-through-a-hole latches, and the compact cockpit functioned well with five people aboard. Tankage runs 38 gallons fuel, 80 water, and 24 holding.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, these boats commonly carry a spinnaker, autopilot, chartplotter, shorthanded setup, asymmetric spinnaker, electric winches, and dodger, while heating, solar, furling main, and bimini are often seen. Swim platform, dinghy davits, teak decks, cockpit shower, AIS, and life raft appear less commonly as owner upgrades. The original deck plan places Harken 48 self-tailing jib-sheet winches for helmsman or crew, with mainsheet and halyards led to cabin-top winches, and a keel-stepped Offshore Spars aluminum mast with permanent baby stay. Standard equipment included Corian counters and shore power from new.
What to Inspect
Documented known issues are small but worth checking. The stove gimballed 40 degrees on port but only 25 on starboard due to easily remedied trim interference, so verify both limits. Hanging lockers fitted with old-fashioned “finger through a hole” latches may be a concern in bumpy conditions, and the icebox shelf stowage needs forethought for access. The hull is hand-laminated E glass with balsa topside core and solid below waterline, deck cored in balsa with solid backing at hardware, and the deck sealed to an inward flange with 3M 5200; the wood toe rail screws tap into a 6061 T-6 aluminum strip glassed into the hull flange, so check for teak-to-flange corrosion or fastener issues. Bronze seacocks are used throughout, and the 37-horsepower Westerbeke diesel is accessed by lifting companionway steps and through side panels.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Tartan 3800s typically appear in the United States and Canada. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm head count and layout, test stove gimbal both tacks, inspect toe-rail fasteners and aluminum strip, verify bronze seacocks and engine access, and review the furling or slab-reef rig and keel option (shoal 5'4" or deep 6'10"). A surveyed 3800 remains a solid, honest cruising boat with club-racing capability.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Tartan 3800. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 4 | $ 129,000 | — |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $ 129,000 | 0.0% |
| May 26 | 2 | $ 114,450 | -11.3% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $ 128,196 | +12.0% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $ 139,500 | +8.8% |
Where they're listed
Tartan 3800 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 7 (87.5%), followed by Canada.
Country view
8 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 129,000 | 7 | 2 | 87.5% |
| Canada | $ 128,196 | 1 | 1 | 12.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATALINA YACHTS 380 | 38.42' | $ 90,000 | 79 | 31 |
| Tartan 37 | 37.29' | $ 47,900 | 71 | 25 |
| Sabre 38 | 37.83' | $ 49,900 | 45 | 16 |
| Tartan 3700 | 37' | $ 159,900 | 44 | 13 |
| Tartan 4100 | 41.25' | $ 169,500 | 35 | 10 |
| Tartan 4600 | 46.2' | $ 199,900 | 17 | 6 |
| Tartan 4300 | 43.08' | $ 375,000 | 15 | 5 |
| Tartan 4400 | 45' | $ 349,000 | 15 | 7 |
| Tartan 40 | 40.25' | $ 89,900 | 13 | 1 |
| Tartan 42 | 42' | $ 89,000 | 13 | 9 |
| Tartan 3800You are here | — | $ 129,000 | 10 | 5 |