 
At Tartan Yachts we have set out to excel in one task: to build for the discerning sailor the best handmade sailing yachts in the world. The rich heritage of Tartan Yachts forms the cornerstone of our undertaking. Our expanded manufacturing facility contains all current materials and manufacturing technologies. Our fully integrated inhouse design, engineering and tool making capabilities provide us with the resources to deliver a continuous stream of new and innovative designs and product improvements to the marketplace. Our most important asset is the resourceful people who design, build, service and sell our boats, many of whom have been doing so for over 20 years.
We sell our product through a network of independent dealers who share our commitment to the highest level of customer service and sales support. The purchase of one of our yachts is a milestone in our customers' lifetime, and should be an exciting and pleasurable experience. We work closely with our dealers to fulfill and enhance that expectation.
The marketplace for Tartan Yachts is both mature and sophisticated. It demands sailboats that are thoughtfully designed, carefully built and are safe, fast and well mannered in performance. For over 35 years, Tartan Yachts have consistently built sailboats that have satisfied, and indeed defined these market demands. This tradition will continue because we know that only one thing is certain in this industry, we will be measured by the lasting value of our products.
Tartan emerged on the auxiliary sailing yacht scene in 1960, with Charlie Britton at the helm. As a result of a collaboration with Olin Stephens, Tartan developed the companies first model, the Tartan 27. The Tartan 27 constituted a departure from the existing norms of wooden construction to begin a new generation of quality-crafted fiberglass hulls. Establishing themselves at the forefront of the boat building world, Tartan charged forward with new designs, such as the 34 and the "Blackwatch" 37 and opened a second plant in Hamlet, North Carolina.
Continuing this evolution into to the seventies, Tartan developed ten new models. Each a success in its own right, yet most notable were the Tartan 37, Tartan 41 and the Tartan Ten. As the company entered the 1980's, a strong market following was established in New England, Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes as a result of Tartan's increasing popularity. by maintaining the traditional quality-crafted designs and sailing performance as the top priority, this decade also saw six new models developed and produced in the time-proven Tartan manner.
The market growth experienced in the sailboat segment of the marine industry came to an abrupt halt in 1989. The entire marine industry suffered a significant and precipitous decline in demand for its products. Tartan was not unaffected by these market changes. However, the brand prospered by re-establishing their focus on quality and redefining their production capabilities.
As the industry experienced a recovery in the early 90"s, Tartan continued as a leader by substantially investing in tools and designs for four new models. This investment in the future has reaped the benefits of increased volume and revenue. In 1996, to accommodate this increased demand for products, Tartan established a new facility in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, which doubled manufacturing space and incorporated all current production technologies and methods.
The Tartan name has remained a strong and reputable brand over the years, primarily due to the product and design philosophy instilled by its founders. They believed that the Tartan brand should lead the industry with yachts that provide:
 Strong performance measured in both speed and manner
ound construction to withstand the rigors of the sea
Pleasing aesthetics and contemporary lines inherent to its predecessors
Innovative and practical accommodations that work well at the dock as well as at sea
Each design since the original Tartan 27 has embraced these ideals while combining them with up-to-date product and material developments. The result has been a continual enhancement of the Tartan lineage.
Employing conservative time-tested construction techniques, each component of a Tartan is well thought-out and hand built by skilled craftsmen. A Tartan is quality craftsmanship through and through, from the integrity of the hand laminated hull, the glassing of the structural timbers and bulkheads while in the mold, to fully finishing all cabinetry with backs and trim that are plugged and hand finished.
Perhaps due to this philosophy, over 4,500 Tartan owners have enjoyed a lasting valued envied by others.
Located in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, Tartans are manufactured in the same production facility. Established in 1996, this state-of-the-art facility accommodates both the corporate offices and a highly efficient boat building plant equipped with the latest in construction technologies.
FRP Lamination
The goal of all performance-oriented sailing yachts is to maximize strength and structural rigidity while minimizing weight. Although lesser brands are satisfied with low tech laminations utilizing large amounts of chopped glass fiber, Tartan takes advantage of state-of-the-art manufacturing processes such as injection match molding, vacuum-assisted molding, aerospace developed hi-tensile fabrics and aircraft industry coring materials, and epoxy resin systems. This attention to advanced manufacturing techniques results in lighter, stronger boats, allowing benefits such as greater stability (weight saved in laminate can be added to ballast), greater load carrying capabilities (important to the cruiser and live-aboard), and a more easily driven hull. Only the finest lamination materials are used in the creation of each hull, deck and the interior structures. Sprayed with the best NPG/ISO thalic gel coat and backed with epoxy resin, hulls and decks are laminated with unidirectional "E" glass fabrics, hybrid Kevlar and carbon fiber. Aircraft grade cores produce a high strength, low weight composite structure. Special care is taken in the design and structural installation of all highly stressed components such as engine beds, keel flooring, and chain plate anchors. These are laminated of solid fiberglass and glass taped to the hull skin while accurately held in place by jigs and fixtures.
Assembly
Our yachts are hand-built by skilled craftsmen who cumulatively have amassed hundreds of years of experience in the boat building trades. Their attention to fit, finish and detail assures the buyer of a Tartan yacht, years of prideful ownership.
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