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Garage, Galley & Hangar
GG&H
Technical Owner's Manual
Vessel Profile29.92'Photograph pending
FIG. 1
29.92'
TARTAN MARINE
Tartan 30
The Complete Owner's Reference
REV 1.0 · 135 PP
SAILBOAT · 29.92'
GARAGE, GALLEY & HANGAR
9 chapters · 97-term glossary · 57-entry index
Sailboat · Tartan Marine

Tartan 30

A Sparkman & Stephens design built by Tartan Marine in Grand River, Ohio from roughly 1971 to 1979 (about 600 hulls), the Tartan 30 is a wholesome, overbuilt fin-keel club racer/cruiser that will still win a club race and cruise a family for a week. It suits the coastal sailor who wants big-boat accommodations and honest S&S manners without a big price. Just go in knowing it is a wetter boat belowdecks than most, and that leaks (chainplates into the main bulkhead, water down the keel-stepped mast) plus the original Atomic 4 gasoline engine are where an easy classic can quietly turn into a project.

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A sample of what's inside

Specifications

Length overall29.92 ft (29 ft 11 in)
Beam10.0 ft
Displacement8,750 lb
Keel / rigFixed fin keel, masthead sloop; 4 ft 11 in draft (standard), 5 ft 6 in (tall/Competition)
EngineUniversal Atomic 4, 30 hp gasoline (Yanmar 2GM20 a common repower)
Used market~$8k to $25k, condition-driven (price is deceptive; condition dwarfs it)

Known issues, covered honestly

  • Chainplates leak and rot the plywood bulkhead they bolt to, the boat's best-documented structural weak point (worst cases replace a whole side bulkhead).
  • Groundings and rain down the keel-stepped mast loosen floor timbers, rust the 1-inch keel bolts, and open the keel-to-hull joint into a widening smile.
  • The foam-filled skeg rudder takes on water, rusting the internal stock and seizing the sleeve bearing until the blade develops play and the tube leaks into the hull.
  • The original Atomic 4 demands strict gasoline-fume discipline and is now a purchase-blocker for insurability, on a steel tank prone to rust.

…and the full survey guide, service schedules, systems, and parts sourcing in the complete volume.

Custom Edition

Make it your boat.

We fold in your year, your engine, your electronics and refits, your hull number, and your vessel name and your own boat's photo on the cover. The book stops describing the boat that left the factory and starts describing the one in your slip.

$260
personalized to your vessel