Design and Construction
At just under 47 feet on deck, with a 39-foot waterline and a beam of more than 14 feet, the 4700 has a light-ship displacement of 28,000 pounds. Its fin keel carries 9,750 pounds of lead ballast.
The hull is an infused, epoxy, foam-cored laminate finished in clear gelcoat, allowing the structure to be inspected for flaws. Owners may choose the topside color from the paint shed. Above the waterline, the deck is a balsa-cored fiberglass-and-epoxy sandwich. Solid aluminum plates are embedded wherever hardware mounts, so fasteners are drilled and tapped into metal rather than bare core.
A raised cabin house with oversize ports fills the interior with panoramic light. The massive bridgedeck extends well fore and aft and does a formidable job of keeping water from reaching the cabin below. It reads as evidence of bluewater intent rather than cosmetic styling.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The 4700 carries what Tartan calls its Cruise Control Rig: a carbon-fiber mast, a sail-handling-friendly carbon pocket boom, and twin headsails arranged Solent-style. The jib is self-tending and hydraulically furled. The stays anchor next to the cabin top, providing tight sheeting angles while leaving a clear route forward along the wide side decks.
Edson rack-and-pinion steering at the oversize helm proved butter-smooth in testing, and the boat tacked through slightly less than 90 degrees. A Cruising World reviewer sailed her to windward through a mild chop on Biscayne Bay at 7 knots in 12 to 17 knots of true wind. In a separate sea trial, she made 6.5 to 7.2 knots closehauled and 7.4 knots reaching.
In stronger air, testers found that she tracked well and came about without hesitation in more than 20 knots. She reached 8-plus knots on a close reach and shrugged off gusts even when the mainsail was eased too slowly coming out of a gybe.
The standard engine is a 75 hp Volvo with saildrive. The test boat instead carried a 110 hp Yanmar with a three-blade folding Gori propeller; it delivered 6.8 knots at 2,700 rpm and 7.8 knots at 3,200 rpm.
Cockpit and Deck
The aft cockpit puts sailing ahead of lounging. Long bench seats are properly proportioned for stretching out, high coamings provide back support, and a fold-down teak table serves for dining. The teak sole proved attractive and secure underfoot.
The cockpit can be enclosed to protect the crew from the elements, as befits a bluewater boat. A small hinged swim platform, set into the slightly reversed transom and incorporated into the stern pulpit tubing, makes boarding easier.
The bridgedeck’s protection comes with a practical cost. It extends so far that testers found companionway access tough with the dodger deployed. The raised cabin top also limits visibility straight ahead when the helmsman is seated.
Interior and Accommodations
Cherry hardwood and paneling feature throughout the interior. In the main saloon, an L-shaped couch wraps around a drop-leaf table to port. A generously proportioned navigation station and desk sit to starboard, beneath large windows that make it easy to watch the weather.
The companionway steps are sized for secure footing, and the narrow passage down should help the crew stay braced in any sea. One tester, however, noted limited headroom beneath the hatch at the final step.
The galley sits one step down against the forward bulkhead and offers deep storage. Its position makes it spacious, but it also creates two drawbacks: serving guests or watch-standers in the cockpit is difficult, and the galley’s distance from the companionway leaves it short of natural ventilation.
A starboard cabin has bunk beds, though buyers can instead specify the space as a pantry or office. Forward, the owner’s cabin includes a centerline island queen, ample stowage, and a roomy shower. A third cabin, all the way aft, also has a queen berth. One tester found the headroom above it cramped, while an intrusive box covering the steering gear projects above the starboard pillow.
Verdict
The Tartan 4700 is both attractive and easy on its crew: a solid, offshore-capable cruiser with a thoughtfully engineered deck structure and a rig that makes short-handed sailing plausible. Jackett’s design balances volume and performance, though the isolated galley, bulky bridgedeck, limited seated visibility, and aft-cabin intrusion keep the layout from fully realizing its liveaboard ideal.
Pros
- Infused epoxy foam-cored hull with inspectable clear gelcoat
- Aluminum plates embedded in the deck core at hardware mounting points
- Solent-style carbon rig with a self-tending, hydraulically furled jib
- Manageable sail handling for short-handed crews
- Strong performance in light air and gusts, with sure-footed tracking
- Bright raised saloon
- Private forward and aft staterooms with en suite heads
Cons
- Galley is far from the cockpit, making serving difficult and limiting ventilation
- Bridgedeck complicates companionway access with the dodger deployed
- Cramped headroom in the aft cabin
- Steering-gear box intrudes above the aft berth’s starboard pillow
- Limited forward visibility when seated behind the cabin house
