My New Boat - A Tartan 3800

Sean K · May 10, 2023

Yes, then a solar panel is a smart way to go. I do carry a Lithium Ion jump starter as my back up just in case I mistakenly drain down the batteries. It’s small and strong enough to start my engine. Not sure how long my 50 amp alternator would take to charge up the batteries but running the engine also solves my fuel contamination problem - I don’t even use a full tank of fuel the whole season - which gives me pause. Haven’t had to run the engine yet - just a back up precaution. Sh___ happens!

Sean K · May 10, 2023

Yes, I do use a biocide all the time, but I’d like to burn through at lease one full tank so as not to carry over the same fuel for more than one year.

My batteries are flooded lead acid - maintenance free, deep cycle - 3 total; two - 206AH house and one 135AH starting battery.. So I figure I can draw about 110AH before I need to recharge and about 180AH before I’m jump starting the engine. So I guess the engine alternator will take 2.2 to 4 hours to recharge to full charge. I put the battery switch to ALL with the engine running or while under shore power and the battery charger on. While sailing or not on shore power I use just the house batteries and then if necessary ALL. As mentioned I carry a jump starter to start the engine if needed.

SycloneDriver · May 10, 2023

Be sure to use a stabilizer in the fuel too. I like Power Service Clear Diesel. Not all diesel treatments contain a stabilizer, read the label. I treat, and test, thousands of gallons of diesel fuel yearly.

Sean K · May 10, 2023

Yes, each house battery is 206AH; they’re big and I can run refrigerator, Auto pilot, lights, and all electronics all day and night without draining them completely. My lights are all LED but I do use the refrigerator all day and the auto pilot is on while sailing, active about 50% of the time and on standby 50%. So I use all my electrical items without a problem or concern but I don’t waster energy.
I don’t know the make or model of the regulator, I believe it’s built into the alternatoR not a separator unit.

Sean K · May 10, 2023

To answer the diesel fuel question. When I got the boat the previous owned had a 30 micron primary filter/seperator and the Westerbeke secondary is a 3 micron mounted on the engine. I changed the Racor primary to a 10 micron and I keep several spares onboard (both primary and secondary). So far I haven’t had to drain water from the bottom of the primary separator and I only change out the filter once a year. But note I only burned 21 gallons of fuel last year. I run the engine for about a quarter mile as I leave and enter the harbor, and rarely even reach 2000 RPM. A biocide is always in my tank, not just during the winter off season.

SycloneDriver · May 11, 2023

jviss said:
Other than the obvious answer, "it stabilizes the fuel," what exactly does a fuel stabilizer do?

Thanks,

jv

That a really good question. I'll have to do some digging to get a good answer for you.

A few things I can tell you.
1. It's not bioside.
2. My employer and the lab we use to test our fuel make a big deal about it.

Here are some examples of lab reports.

Sean K · May 11, 2023

I installed a new ProNautic 30 amp smart charger for multiple banks last year.
my 50 amp alternator tops off my batteries relatively quickly-2to4 hours depending on where they are when starting. But you’re right, most nights I’m on shore power.
the alternator can push out over 14.5 volts and up to 50amps depending on the batteries then current charge. As they charge it drops down to 13.2V and only the amps the battery can accept. These lead acid batteries are fully charged at 12.8V. The shore power charger is always on when I’m plugged in. So my sailing day starts at 100%.

Sean K · May 11, 2023

PS: my normal days sailing battery usage is replenished in about 40 minutes of engine running time. Night time on the hook is about the same. Another 40 minutes.

Sean K · Dec 22, 2023

Jviss, how was your 2023 sailing season? The second season with my T3800 was a great one, spent a lot of time sailing her, including a 3 week circumnavigation of Lake Michigan cruise. I now feel I know this boat well, and I’m very pleased with the way she sails, handles and living on board for weeks at a time. Put her up for the winter the first week of November, can’t wait for next season.

Sean K · Dec 23, 2023

Merry Christmas to you and your family, too.
Did you ever install the solar panel, if so how did it work out? I have yet put my true battery power to the test. Even during my 3 week cruise I was under a schedule whereby I traveled every day which meant on the light wind days I did some motor-sailing. The most I went was 2.5 days without the engine or being ”plugged in”. My “house” batteries were sufficient, my engine battery was held in reserve, and as mentioned previously I also had a “Lithium Ion” jumper backup on board - which I did not use as there was no need to. I’m not one to “Leave Lights on” and I’m conscience of power consumption all the time, but my Anchor Watch was on all night as was the VHF, AIS and anchor light when called for.
I was also very pleased with the Rocna anchor, 40’ of chain and 7:1 rode that according to my anchor watch map never moved even in rough weather (one night so rough it was hard to sleep). Setting and retrieving that anchor, single handed without a windless was “a challenge” to say the least. That dance I had to perform must have looked pretty funny to anyone who was watching. Remember I had to set the anchor watch which was at the helm as I dropped the anchor. Then the one rough weather night caused the anchor to set so deep I had to use the engine to “unset” it. - Always fun. Great exercise but I think there’s a Windless in my future. One drawback is that I can muscle it faster than most windlass‘ can retrieve it, and speed is important while single handed, unless I could trust it from the helm.
Still sailing with just the Main and 130 Genoa, my downwind performance is poor but upwind I can out-perform most cruisers my size. Still no whisker pole either so I almost never go directly down-wind. My VMG is to take the wind at my aft quarter. I feel that any kind of spinniker would require crew to handle safely on Lake Michigan.. However I did add a second fore-sail halyard this past winter - just in case I want to try it. - not yet.
Hope to sail Lake Huron’s many islands next season.

mellis · Apr 13, 2024

I just bought a 1998 Tartan 3800. It is cosmetically in great shape, but as with any 26 year old boat there are some issues. I have been reading through your posts and recognized some things. We finally got it out for a couple of hours sailing (delay due to nine grandkids, a new puppy, medical appointments, etc) and were really happy with the performance. There is one issue for which I would like to get your input. My courtesy lights didn't work. When I opened the breaker panel I found the purple wire (power to the courtesy lights) was not attached to the "Courtesy Lights" breaker, but was instead connected to a blank breaker (no toggle on the front of the panel) and there was no continuity between the purple wire and the lights. I then discovered another purple wire connected to a fused 12VDC buss behind the breaker panel. I then discovered a courtesy light buss under the bottom drawer at the nav station, but not powered. In trying to trace out wire paths a purple wire came loose from under the nav station that apparently had corroded off. This wire was a direct connection to the 12VDC fused buss behind the breaker panel. If it was connected to the courtesy light buss under the drawer all the courtesy lights powered on (and without a switch no way to turn off). So I disconnected the purple wire from the 12VDC fused buss and connected it to the "Courtesy Lights" breaker. Now the courtesy lights are turned on and off via the breaker panel. However, I also discovered a rocker switch at the top of the companion way that has two purple wires attached. This makes me think a modification was made to bypass the "Courtesy Lights" breaker and to operate the lights via the rocker switch, but due to a broken connection somewhere under the nav station this no longer worked. My question: Do your boats have a rocker switch at the top of the companion way that operates your courtesy lights?

randydandy · May 20, 2024

mellis said:
I just bought a 1998 Tartan 3800. It is cosmetically in great shape, but as with any 26 year old boat there are some issues. I have been reading through your posts and recognized some things. We finally got it out for a couple of hours sailing (delay due to nine grandkids, a new puppy, medical appointments, etc) and were really happy with the performance. There is one issue for which I would like to get your input. My courtesy lights didn't work. When I opened the breaker panel I found the purple wire (power to the courtesy lights) was not attached to the "Courtesy Lights" breaker, but was instead connected to a blank breaker (no toggle on the front of the panel) and there was no continuity between the purple wire and the lights. I then discovered another purple wire connected to a fused 12VDC buss behind the breaker panel. I then discovered a courtesy light buss under the bottom drawer at the nav station, but not powered. In trying to trace out wire paths a purple wire came loose from under the nav station that apparently had corroded off. This wire was a direct connection to the 12VDC fused buss behind the breaker panel. If it was connected to the courtesy light buss under the drawer all the courtesy lights powered on (and without a switch no way to turn off). So I disconnected the purple wire from the 12VDC fused buss and connected it to the "Courtesy Lights" breaker. Now the courtesy lights are turned on and off via the breaker panel. However, I also discovered a rocker switch at the top of the companion way that has two purple wires attached. This makes me think a modification was made to bypass the "Courtesy Lights" breaker and to operate the lights via the rocker switch, but due to a broken connection somewhere under the nav station this no longer worked. My question: Do your boats have a rocker switch at the top of the companion way that operates your courtesy lights?

Mellis,

Congrats on the boat! We have a 98 as well, hull #37. The courtesy lights have all had to be replaced on our boat except for the vberth. They are a very finicky type of light and the old school bulbs get very hot. Each light has a number crimps behind them that are a potential failure point as well. I believe all of the latter 3800 models had a rocker switch at the companion way. The smaller buss with fuses behind the electrical, mounted to the hull, is an (always on) bus. This is where circuits that always need to be on should go ie bilge pump, courtesy lights exc. These circuits will have a switch down stream from the bus to control them. When you come to the boat, and the entire panel is off, you can still flip the courtesy lights at the companionway to get into the boat. However, Jubilee has a breaker in the aft cabin that is upstream and will completely cut all power to the electrical panel and circuits behind the panel.

I hope that helps. We bought Downtime (now Jubilee)early 2022 and have sailedher from Florida up the east coast to NC, and back down to the Bahamas the last 2 years. She is an amazing boat! We are almost always faster than any of the boats we cruise with (some of them as large as 60 feet), and we almost never run the engine. Our boat was pristine cosmetically, although a couple of years living aboard in the tropics has dropped her down a notch. She was almost all original, which I much preferred so that I didn’t have to chase down issues that the previous owner screwed with. However, that ment that many items need to be serviced or replaced as they were at the end of their life and some failing. New gear includes Windlass, electronics, refrigerator rebuild, lighting, fans, Watermaker, offshore internet/WiFi, solar on the davits/Bimini/ and dodger, 600ah lifepo4 bank for start and house, high output alternator, steering quadrant, among other things. Almost everything else has been serviced in the last 2 years including rudder bearings, engine mounts, all pumps rebuilt, furler and winches serviced, and the list goes on. Currently doing engine compartment insulation, alternator regulator, and control cables. Looking to drop the keel this year or next to inspect bolts and service the joint and start rebedding all of the deck hardware/ports/hatches.

mellis · Jun 30, 2024

Thanks for your reply with regard to the courtesy lights and the rocker switch. Although with my work around the rocker switch still doesn't work, but at least I can turn the lights on via the main panel. Too much effort required to disassemble the nav station to fix the broken connection.

I do have a question about the companion way stairs. Mine are connected to a gas strut that keeps the stairs suspended, but not enough for easy access to the oil dip stick. I have to essentially lay down to get under the stairs. I access the dip stick via the starboard side inside the aft cabin. How high do your stairs raise? Do yours utilize a gas strut and if so do you know what size/model you have?

My New Boat - A Tartan 3800

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