Since her introduction in 2000, the Tartan 3700 has proven very popular with 100 hulls produced to date. Here you'll find a collection of photos and projects submitted by owners. Click any thumbnail to open a larger image in a new window.
Interior and Exterior Photos
Photos courtesy Tartan Yachts and Jim and Michele Rowan, owners of Dream Catcher II, T3700 #1.
Project Photos
Cockpit Table photos courtesy Mike Musen, Elan, T3700 #17.
Anchor Windlass Installations.
Lofrans, Lewmar and Muir windlasses are shown. There are some interesting differences between the installations apparent in the photos.
It appears that the Bruce 33, with its shorter shank, would be much safer to deploy and retrieve than the CQR. This is a critical element to consider when choosing ground tackle on the 3700 owing to the forward location of the windlass.
As seen in the Lewmar photos, there is plenty of room in the locker for a second anchor. The deck wash connection, just forward of the foot switches, is well chosen. However, the lack of a control box guard on the Lewmar installation will cause problems downstream. Similarly, the lack of a drain hole in the Lofrans installation is also a concern.
The Muir windlass installation aboard Muckle Coo provides the added feature of a chain stopper, positioned using a custom teak chock to provide a fair lead to the gypsy.
Lofrans Anchor Windlass
Lewmar Anchor Windlass
Photos showing a Muir Windlass installation with chain stopper, courtesy Tom Starke, 2002 T3700 #44, Muckle Coo. Note the custom teak chock which provides a fair lead to the gypsy.
Muir Anchor Windlass
Helm Seat Backrest courtesy Jim and Michele Rowan, owners of Dream Catcher II, T3700 #1.
One of the things that is probably true of almost all sailboats is the lack of back support for those times you are motoring for long distances on cruises. Typically the helmsman is seated behind the wheel with a view of the nav instruments and a good field of vision of current conditions.
The Tartan cockpit design incorporates a comfortable angle for port and starboard seating conditions - the helmsman, however, is always left out. He relies on the lifelines for comfort - and we all know how comfortable they are and how well positioned they are for back support. They are an extension of the transom railing and were not designed for another purpose.
Michele is almost always at the helm, and often complained about the lack of a solution. We first added the Lifeline Cushions available from West Marine - they helped, but were not the answer. One day we had just come off our boat at Hellier's dock and walked past a New Island Packet. One thing caught Michele's eye - it had a helm seat back support. Here's our version:
We of course asked Vin Petrella if we could cannibalize his boat! The spacing was perfect for alignment on the 3700. I thought of ways to attach this without making it a permanent fixture and screwing up the swim platform. Upon some reflection I asked Vin if he had some extra bimini rail clamps I could borrow. I wanted the hinged type that had only one screw. I used eight of them - two on each side of the railing and two on each side of the Packet backrest. They worked like a charm - I needed to opt for 1 ¼" long pins instead of the typical 1" variety since they were going through two sets of clamps. Michele got her sewing machine out and made a sunbrella cover and here it is. It works GREAT and is as strong as the railing.
Aft Cabin Storage courtesy Jim and Michele Rowan, owners of Dream Catcher II, T3700 #1.
There never seems to be enough storage space on a sailboat - at least not for your personal items and clothes. You can find spaces behind settees, under bunks and floor boards and all sorts of little niches to store food or water for a cruise, but an area needed for clothes needs to be more accessible and clean.
On our T-3700 we decided that Tim left a nice amount of usable space on the outboard starboard side of the aft-cabin just aft of the hanging locker and double doored cabinet. We decided that we could continue the cabinet line - with shorter cabinets - all the way to the aft bulkhead. We sketched out our plan and decided that we should use the raised panel doors to continue the "New 3700 Look". We talked to Vin Petrella and George Gulden and ordered two sets of galley doors for use on the proposed cabinetry. Vin recommended a local cabinetmaker in New London which we hired to lay in our design and utilize Tartan's doors as the final step. The cabinetmaker did a great job of joining the new unit with the existing one and continuing the cabinet line. If it wasn't pointed out, you would think it was factory installed. This helps provide some additional space and looks a bit like the layout on the 4100.
Galley Improvements courtesy Jim and Michele Rowan, owners of Dream Catcher II, T3700 #1.
Since we cruise often, we do make use of all the boat's facilities. The stove and oven are key components of the galley. We felt that two things in the galley needed improvement. One was to enclose the spice cabinet over the stove and the second was to install a light over the stovetop to assist in cooking. We utilized Tartan cabinetry and again talked to Vin about a door which could serve the dual purpose of keeping all the spices intact but out of view, and also be a splash shield for cooking. It is much easier to clean the face of a cabinet door than to try to keep cooking residue from twenty spice bottles. The additional light was definitely also needed - while there are lights on each side of the stove - neither provides sufficient light directly over the stove. I routed a piece of cherry to provide backing for the light and also hide the wiring.
Cockpit Grate courtesy Larry and Nancy Venezia, VenChar, T3700 #96.
I recently completed a four piece teak cockpit grate that is easily removable for cleaning. Cost was very reasonable; $48.00 plus cost of wood screws. Tools used were, jig saw, table saw, compound miter saw, Skil saw, router and router table, two portable drills, T-square, tape measure, pencil, #8 screw counter-sink, 80 and 150 sand-paper, and several wood clamps. It was a simple and fun project and should help keep the cockpit clean and free of foot prints, etc. I purchased four boxes of slats originally cut for teak benches. They were variable lengths and 3/4 inches thick by 2 and 3/4 inches wide. I cut them to 2 and 1/4 inches wide and one half inch thick so as to fit the pattern for the cockpit. The source of the teak was St. Angelos Hardwoods in Bristol, R.I. (they have a website).
