Tartan 455 Buyer's Guide
The Tartan 455 is a Lake Erie–born pilothouse cruiser from Tartan, designed by Tim Jackett with a Solent double-headsail rig and a full inside steering station. On the brokerage market she appears in both two- and three-cabin layouts, with ex-charter examples not uncommon. A shopper should understand the structural facts, the typical equipment clusters, and the inspection points before committing.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common on the used market, but both plans are available. The three-stateroom version places guest cabins to port and starboard and an owner's suite forward with an attached head and stall shower; the two-stateroom layout trades the third cabin for a large guest head and a wider port-side double. A raised deckhouse with 360-degree windows and a forward pilot station defines the saloon, with the galley to starboard and a large dinette to port. Cherry joiner work was standard, though teak and maple were offered, and much of the furniture came from northeast Ohio's Amish mills.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the market carry a self-tacking jib, electric winches, radar, AIS, autopilot, chartplotter, air conditioning, heating, inverter, furling main, bow thruster, and hot water as commonly fitted gear. For a buyer, the power and energy cluster — inverter, heating, air conditioning, hot water — determines whether the boat supports off-grid living without immediate upgrades. Navigation and steering aids such as radar, AIS, autopilot, and chartplotter mean the inside helm is already a working station. Sail-handling equipment including the furling main and electric winches reduces short-handed effort, and the bow thruster assists in tight marina exits.
What to Inspect
The hull and deck are a vacuum-bagged infused epoxy sandwich with foam core and balsa anchor, and the joiner work is integrated into the structural grid, so a survey should confirm the laminate and the autoclave-built rudder post. The split hydraulic backstay and drop-down transom should be cycled, and the cable-controlled Jefa wheels plus hydraulic interior ram checked for free movement. Wide side decks, the outboard ramp, and abundant handrails are design features rather than wear items, but verify the Leisure Furl in-boom furler and Harken electric winches operate smoothly.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts are typically found in the United States. A buyer's short checklist: confirm whether a three- or two-cabin plan suits the intended use; verify the commonly fitted power, navigation, and sail-handling gear is operational; inspect the infused laminate and autoclave reinforcements; cycle the transom and backstay; and confirm the dual steering runs without slack. The 455 rewards the cruiser who wants a sheltered pilothouse without sacrificing deckhouse comfort.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Tartan 455. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 2 | $849,000 | — |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $849,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Tartan 455 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $849,000 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanse 455 | 44.46' | $ 279,618 | 113 | 33 |
| Catalina 445 | 44.42' | $ 299,500 | 62 | 16 |
| Hanse 445 | 44.36' | $ 256,827 | 48 | 14 |
| Dufour 455 Grand Large | 45.14' | $ 168,936 | 32 | 2 |
| Dufour 445 Grand Large | 44.29' | $ 215,406 | 29 | 0 |
| Tartan 4300 | 43.08' | $ 362,500 | 18 | 7 |
| Tartan 4400 | 45' | $ 349,000 | 14 | 0 |
| Tartan 40 | 40.25' | $ 89,900 | 13 | 3 |
| Tartan 395 | 39.5' | $ 535,000 | 11 | 3 |
| Passport Vista 545 | 54.5' | $ 845,000 | 10 | 0 |
| Tartan 455You are here | — | $ 849,000 | 1 | 1 |