Design and Construction
The Tartan 40's hull is laid up with unidirectional fiberglass, balsa coring, vinylester resin in the skin coat, and isophthalic NPG gelcoat, producing a blister-resistant structure with weight and strength placed where it belongs. Her numbers tell the cruiser-racer story: a sail area-to-displacement ratio of 17.1 bears out genuine light-air capability, while a displacement-to-length ratio of about 250 indicates a hull with the interior volume to haul voyaging provisions without compromise. On deck, the wide surfaces carry substantial teak toerails and a hard-core molded nonskid pattern that earns its description.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop, the Tartan 40 balances her 727 square feet of sail area against 17,250 pounds of displacement on a 31.58-foot waterline. The deep-fin and keel/centerboard configurations were offered at launch, with a Scheel-keel version drawing 5 feet 1 inch added later for shallower waters. For offshore work, period test sailors noted the mast would benefit from an inner forestay and runners to support the upper sections — a worthwhile consideration for anyone planning extended trade-wind or high-latitude passages.
Accommodations
Three interior layouts debuted on the Tartan 40, each drawn by Tim Jackett in collaboration with S&S and meant explicitly to go to sea. The Standard Plan A places an aft-facing nav station to port of the companionway and counts four hanging lockers; testers judged it the most seamanlike, with three good sea berths in the port and starboard saloon settees and the quarter-cabin double. Plan B substitutes a wet locker and stowage for the Standard's nav station and moves a forward-facing station ahead of the quarter cabin, while Plan C adds a second head in that quarter cabin. Throughout, handholds are everywhere below and teak cabinetry presents solid yet forgiving chamfered surfaces to break a fall in a seaway. The U-shaped galley to port of the companionway enjoys two opening ports for strong ventilation; the single head in the Standard sits just forward of the dinette, cramped but bright, well ventilated, and easy to clean. One awkward note: the aft nav station gets minimal airflow despite its opening port to the cockpit well, and a fan would be a sensible addition.
Cockpit and Deck Storage
The large cockpit features extremely comfortable coamings, and a single deep vertical locker to port swallows a four-man life raft, bosun's chair, dock lines, and fire extinguisher while keeping them dry. Two deep, dry lazarettes offer ample room for cruising gear. The trade-off is access: reaching the steering quadrant from those vertical lazarettes and the locker would be a real challenge in a seaway, though an access panel cut in the after bulkhead of the quarter cabin would facilitate maintenance and repairs.
The Verdict
The Tartan 40 is a thoughtfully engineered S&S-Tartan passagemaker whose seakindly interior, credible light-air performance, and robust blister-resistant hull make her a serious bluewater candidate. The limited production of 72 boats means she is seldom seen on the market, but those who find one inherit a vessel proven on a 1,500-mile passage in modest winds and a 40-knot front alike.
Pros
- Proven passagemaking capability in varied conditions
- Three seamanlike sea berths in the Standard layout
- Blister-resistant hull with well-distributed strength
- Genuine light-air performance from a 17.1 SA/D ratio
- Deep, dry cockpit locker and lazarettes for cruising stores
Cons
- Steering-quadrant access difficult in a seaway without modification
- Nav station poorly ventilated in the Standard layout
- Single head in Standard layout is cramped
