26 ft tanzer sailboat

This pocket cruiser and popular club racer is built for speed and comfort

Opinions vary widely when talk turns to the Tanzer 26, the Canadian-built masthead sloop that was popular in 1970s and 1980s. Some sailors contend the recreational sailboat offers just about everything you might want in a small package—simple rigging, rugged construction, ample room below deck, cruising capability and, surprisingly, speed. Detractors say the boat lacks style and is more akin to a plastic bleach bottle with an unpleasing squatty profile. 

Designed by Johann Tanzer, the boat enjoyed a 10-year production run starting in 1975 at the Tanzer Industries Vaudreuil plant in Dorion, Quebec. With 960 T26s built, the company went out of production in May 1986 when Tanzer Industries filed for bankruptcy. 

During those two decades, the company also built 2,270 Tanzer 22s, its most successful model, which emerged as a popular club racer. Tanzer first found success in 1958 with its Flying Scot and over the years the company churned out approximately 8,000 boats in several lengths, up to 34 feet. 

According to T26 owners, the boat offers qualities that will appeal to cruising families as well as racing skippers. As the Tanzer 26 website puts it, “She provides both speed and responsiveness that is quite unusual for a production boat. But she is not just a fast sailboat that wins races. Her expansive and comfortable interior as well as forgiving nature make her a safe and easily handled cruising boat for the family.” 

First impressions

When discussing the merits of form versus function, the Tanzer 26 could easily be lumped in with the latter. Not the prettiest girl at the dance, the compact pocket cruiser nonetheless has many admirers. It’s a boat absent of traditional sheer, graceful overhangs, or even the openness of a race boat. In two words, the Tanzer 26 is practical and affordable, and that’s what attracts so many sailors. 

Construction

Although the majority of Tanzer boats were built at the home base near Montreal, others were produced in Edenton, North Carolina, and Arlington, Washington, during the height of the company’s success.  

The T26 hull is constructed as a single unit in hand-laid fiberglass with alternate layers of woven roving and mat. Additional layers are applied in high-stress areas. The deck, cabintop and cockpit are also constructed as a single unit, reinforced by sandwich construction to help ensure a rigid, insulated, non-flexing deck.

Latter models featured longer exterior handrails, nonskid deck, and a portal configuration with a single, long window on each side of the cabintrunk, replacing the former array of three or four portals per side.

The boat has a fiberglass hull, fin keel with a draft of 3 feet, 10 inches and transom-hung rudder. Tanzer offered a shoal-draft model as a factory option with a keel draft of 2 feet, 8 inches.

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The Tanzer 26 is a 26.33ft masthead sloop designed by Johann Tanzer and built in fiberglass by Tanzer Industries Ltd. between 1974 and 1985.

960 units have been built..

The Tanzer 26 is a light sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

Tanzer 26 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Tanzer Industries Ltd.

Founded by Johann Tanzer, Tanzer Industries Ltd. was one of the largest sailboat manufacturer in Canada for more than 20 years. The Tanzer line ranged from 16 to 35 feet. The most successful model was the TANZER 22 with more than 2200 built. But other models including the 26 were also built in large numbers. In it’s heyday Tanzer built boats on both coasts of the U.S., but the factory at Dorion, Que., turned out the bulk of the roughly 8,000 Tanzers built. The company was forced into bankruptcy in May of 1986.

Associations

• Quarter Ton Class
• Tanzer 16 Class Association
• Flying Scott (USA)
• C&C Design
• Dick Carter
• Gordon K. (Sandy) Douglass
• Johann Tanzer
• Johan Tanzer
• Johnson/Melges Boat Works
• Joubert-Nivelt
• Raymond Hunt (C.R. Hunt & Assoc.)
• William Shaw

20 sailboats built by Tanzer Industries Ltd.

Flying Scot

Overnighter 16

Tanzer 22 cb.

Constellation 16

Tanzer 10.5

Tanzer 22 T/4

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Welcome to the Tanzer 26 website

Bienvenue sur la page Tanzer 26

"Puissance" Adam Howie's T26 sailing on Grand Lake, Fredricton, New Brunswick. Photo by Jamie Howie

Last Update: 5 avril 2021

since 2018-07-15

Disclaimer: Note that this website is an individual initiative, and it is not affiliated with any business, organization, or association involved with the T26. It should also be noted that while the information provided at this site and all its subsidiary pages is believed to be correct and up to date (as of January, 2015), this site and all its subsidiary pages are not explicitly or implicitly warranted or represented to be free of errors, omissions, or inaccuracies, nor is the information at this site and all its subsidiary pages explicitly or implicitly warranted or represented to be suitable or fit for a particular purpose, or for use in relation to any kind of boating or sailing activity. In other words, like most everything else on the web, use the information provided at this site entirely at your own risk.

© Carter Brown, Jonathan Roy & Julien Bertrand 2000 - 2015 . Individuals are welcomed to download and reproduce material from this site for their personal (non-commercial) use. This site located at URL:  http://www.tanzer-26.com/index.html

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> > Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. 26-05-2017, 10:07   inboard . 2 included. Needs . Needs a tiller. and need deep . of $500 includes launch. Seems to be at a boatyard. Says it has many little extras. Also has a and supply. Porta potty was thrown out. Was told it has a group 27 house . Is there a seperate or battery bank? I was also told I could the while it was up for launch. I did a search of Tanzer on the forum. Great from everyone. Great starter from what I gathered. Will have around $1200 cash invested plus several hours of sweat equity which is fine by me. Nothing in that range near me so going 425 miles to get the . I know most will say to spend my on a more ready to go boat. I dont want to spend much more than $1000 on my first sailboat. In fact there are a few free in the area of the $500 Tanzer. A 22ft Seafarer is free no . Currently in the . Ad said it needs little and and to be ready to sail. Didn't say exactly what it needed other than the ob. I want something a tad larger. A 26 ft Westerly Centaur is also close for $250 but needs extensive most likely. It's been in the water 15+years with the up. While I would prefer the Centaur, I believe the Tanzer to be the wiser choice. Thanks all for any input. Bill 26-05-2017, 11:22   to sail. I looked at West but didn't see tillers for the Tanzer. I could make one out of ash or something similar. I would prefer to take as much stuff the boat needs on my initial trip as I am not familiar with the area it's located. 26-05-2017, 11:50   , means it works for you. The only thing you need to start out is a boat that doesn't fill up with water faster than the can get rid of it, a pole that's secure enough to hold a piece of cloth, a piece of cloth that will catch some and a flat stick to steer it. You might want a bit more than that if you plan on sailing it 450 miles back to your home. Where are you looking at going to pick up the ? Maybe someone on the forum can go take a look at the three or so boats you have in mind and help you a little. 26-05-2017, 12:30   helps me learn better and helps me retain information as well. I love the example. The 22 ft Seafarer is a bit small for my taste. It's located in Allen MD. The 26 ft Tanzer is in Solomon MD and the 26 ft Westerly is near DC. Locating or making a tiller for the Tanzer is likely to be the most difficult part. Painting and updating the while time consuming, should be rather easy in comparison. The next big issue is to sail. Shouldn't be problematic either. I am debating on getting a slip or near the boat or doing the great loop back to Lake Erie. I understand that there is much to see in the NE. Thanks for the positive response. 26-05-2017, 12:50   Boat: a sailing boat 26-05-2017, 12:51   and cleaning. However, I am not sure I want to see what 15 years of buil up might look like. I guess it's still worth considering. The needs gutted. I read that the Westerly boats had problems with . Not a huge deal. But I don't have anywhere to do extensive on it. The Tanzer being out of the water makes it easier to assess in my opinion. It may need the interior gutted. Just going by the owner that it is in dire need of cleaning. My main concern about the Tanzer is cleaning the sails. I am going to try soaking them in a solution of powdered brewery wash and water. That stuff is amazing. I think it will be easier to sell the Tanzer when I want to upgrade vs the Westerly. Thanks 26-05-2017, 12:54   26-05-2017, 12:55   26-05-2017, 12:56   Boat: PSC Orion 27 26-05-2017, 13:04   as that's who I was told had them. 26-05-2017, 13:12   or tamer? Should I order a tiller cove or will and be sufficient? 26-05-2017, 13:39   Boat: PSC Orion 27 finish looking better, but they're easy to make. Don't get too far ahead of yourself, you might not like the boat. They are fairly well built and do make a great starter boat. The Centaurs are really nice too if you can find one in decent shape. 26-05-2017, 14:08   up since early 2000. New motor in 2000. At some point it had taken in about 6 inches of water. All 4 need replaced. One for starting and 3 house. It is roughly the same cost to start sailing. $1200 plus sweat equity. The and halyards need replaced also. Not a huge deal there either. 26-05-2017, 14:14   26-05-2017, 14:15   Thread Tools Rate This Thread : Posting Rules post new threads post replies post attachments edit your posts is are code is are are are Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post Sambama Monohull Sailboats 6 14-09-2019 01:24 Davidhoy Deck hardware: Rigging, Sails & Hoisting 138 28-09-2016 02:25 Hugh Walker Deck hardware: Rigging, Sails & Hoisting 1 16-02-2012 05:05 guysnell Multihull Sailboats 38 01-01-2012 12:54 niel12 Multihull Sailboats 35 05-12-2011 19:50 - - - - - - - Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. Forum Listing Marketplace Advanced Search About The Boat Boat Review Forum SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more! Tanzer 26 - "Starter" or "Build like a tank" Add to quote I looked at a Tanzer that seemed like a good deal - $5000 for an 85' that's in good shape with new equipment. I've read everything I can find about the boat but I'm still having trouble putting it in perspective. I've seen some owners say "it's built like a tank" while others have said the opposite and called it a "starter" boat. Any other opinions? It's a solid fiberglass (no balsa or plywood) boat that struck me as being pretty solid, what details would say otherwise? Lead keel? I'm buying a first boat but I want to buy something thats worth the time and money I'll have to put into keeping it up.   I am also looking at a Tanzer 26 although it looks a bit different than that one. Looks good and is well within my price range. From the looks of it it is a stable and comfortable cruiser. The attached file is an image of an identical boat.   Attachments Thanks for the advice! Me being very short-sighted didn't even think about that at the time. Might just have to go take another look especially since they just pulled it out for a yearly inspection.   Most people reading this thread will already know, but just to be clear, the Tanzer 26 is NOT "a.k.a. the Tanzer 7.5". They are similar but significantly different in size; the 7.5 is ~24.5' LOA.   Just purchased a 1980 Tanzer 26, Hull 355 for $8600. Why did I pay so much? 1. $4000 was spent the month before on a complete redo of the hull below the waterline. Keel was power sanded to bare metal, two coats of metal primer and a 3rd coat of an epoxy. Bow edge was restored then two coats of bottom paint. 2. She came with a low hour 2014 20 HP Yamaha four stroke. Sounds overpowered but because the boat is heavy to begin with, the 100 lb engine doesn't change the way she lies a bit. She can do 10 knots+ at full power 3. All wood work was restored in 2017 and 2018 interior and exterior 4. Three jibs. Roller Furler Jib, Storm Jib, Original working Jib 5. ST1000 Auto Tiller (this is a must have for single handling) 6. All safety equipment (flares, extinguishers,VHF,Life Jackets) except life ring 7. Interior cushions new about 10 years ago 8. Exterior cushions very good condition 9. New Depth Meter Transducer with hull redo 10. Local Chart 11. Two shakedown cruises 12. Only had to move the boat 100 yards from slip to slip 13. Marine head and waste bladder removed (cant use in coastal waters), New powered porta potty still in packaging included 14. New West Marine Battery 15. Boat rewired in 2012 What was missing/needed. A. Genoa B. Stove (I added two burner coleman propane camp stove that fits nicely) C. 50 ft Shore Power cable D. Swim Ladder (improvised a four step temporary out of thick wall PVC and 3/8 mooring line) E. Mast head light OOC (circuit good, bulb out) All things considered Very Happy. Looking for a Tanzer 26 owners manual. Have the T22 Manual. Working on a Bimini of my own design. Don't like the high above boom versions. Going with 46" H from the mounts,67"W. Still deciding on length. Looking for a low cost dodger. Sailor Fred Hilton Head South Carolina   I have no experience of the Taner 26 but I owned a Tanzer 22 on Grand Traverse Bay for several years and participated in the Tanzer forums. I can tell you, they ARE built like tanks. I had her on Lake Michigan, Traverse Bay, Lake Charlevoix, at one time in waves that were 10 ft. She always managed. Once when I was singlehanding, with everyting strapped down, I put the mast down to the water; as soon as I released the sheets, she came right back up. No damage, except to my pride. Sounds like you both got a great boat!   ?             176.9K members Top Contributors this Month : 207 Tanzer 26 The URL for this page is 26 Added 08-May-2014 © 2001-2024 ./)   . . ./)   . . 428 IMAGES SailboatData.com Tanzer 26 Tanzer 26 sailboat for sale 1975 Tanzer 26 sailboat for sale in New Jersey Tanzer 26 1984 Tanzer 26 VIDEO "Gust Adjust" Jens for the Sunfish Sailboat Vela One Meter Sailboat Tanzer 22 Sailing Lake Tahoe sailboat tanzer 22 restoration Single Handed Sailing on a Tanzer 22 COMMENTS TANZER 26 Tanzer 26: Download Boat Record: Notes. Most 26s were outboard-powered, though an inboard Yanmar diesel was an option. Sailboat Forum. View All Topics: ... CSF = Beam/Disp (cubic ft)^.333. The displacement in cubic feet can be found by dividing the displacement in pounds by 64. S#: Tanzer sailboats for sale by owner. Tanzer used sailboats for sale by owner. Home. Register & Post. View All Sailboats. Search. ... Tanzer 26 Sailboat: Length: 26' Beam: 8.2' Draft: 3' Year: 1978: Type: daysailer: Hull: fiberglass monohull: ... 31' Seafarer 31 ft MK1 Gulf Coasts Carrabelle Florida, Florida Asking $8,000. 39' Beneteau Oceanis 393 Tanzer 26 Tanzer 26: Boat; Draft: 3.83 ft (1.17 m) Hull; Type: Masthead sloop: Construction: Fibreglass: LOA: 26.33 ft (8.03 m) LWL: 22.50 ft (6.86 m) Beam: ... The Tanzer 26 is a Canadian sailboat, intended for racing, day sailing and cruising. It was designed by Johann Tanzer and first built in 1974. The design is out of production. Tanzer 26 Tanzer 26 is a 26′ 4″ / 8 m monohull sailboat designed by Johan Tanzer and built by Tanzer Industries Ltd. between 1974 and 1985. Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. Sign in to save them permanently, access them on any device, and receive relevant alerts. ... Tanzer 26. 1974 — 1985 Tanzer 26 Opinions vary widely when talk turns to the Tanzer 26, the Canadian-built masthead sloop that was popular in 1970s and 1980s. Some sailors contend the recreational sailboat offers just about everything you might want in a small package—simple rigging, rugged construction, ample room below deck, cruising capability and, surprisingly, speed. PDF Standard equipment and specifications 26'4" 22'6" 8'8" ... 1,950 Ibs 33 ft 11! L.O.A L.W.L. Beam. Draft. Displacement. ... Ballast. Vertical clearance Sail Areas 143 sq.ft 117 sq.ft 127 sq.ft 265 sq.ft 195 sq.ft ... Jib. 30.15 ft 10.58 ft 25.25 ft 10.25 ft J p E DesiQner: Johann Tanzer TANZER INDUSTRIES LTD.ccc-- : P.O. Box 67, Dorion, Quebec, Canada, J7V 5V8 TANZER YACHTS :-"c ... Tanzer 26 The Tanzer 26 is a 26.33ft masthead sloop designed by Johann Tanzer and built in fiberglass by Tanzer Industries Ltd. between 1974 and 1985. 960 units have been built. The Tanzer 26 is a light sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat. Information about Tanzer 26 The demize of Tanzer industrie An article about the final days of Tanzer Industries Ltd Tanzer_26_Brochure.pdf Download the Tanzer 26 Brochure T22Manual.pdf While this is the T22 owner and operators manual, most of this is perfectly usable when it comes to the T26. Tanzer 26 Website for Tanzer 26 owners. ... 1 Sailboats / Per Page: 25 / Page: 1. 0 CLICK to COMPARE . MODEL LOA FIRST BUILT FAVORITE COMPARE; TANZER 26: 26.33 ft / 8.03 m: 1974: ShipCanvas. KiwiGrip. Bruntons. Rudder Craft. SPW Non-BR. Pelagic Autopilots. Boater's Closet Non-BR. EWOL ... Tanzer Industries Ltd. Founded by Johann Tanzer, Tanzer Industries Ltd. was one of the largest sailboat manufacturer in Canada for more than 20 years. The Tanzer line ranged from 16 to 35 feet. The most successful model was the TANZER 22 with more than 2200 built. But other models including the 26 were also built in la... Welcome to the Tanzer 26 website Bienvenue sur la page Tanzer 26 Bienvenue sur la page Tanzer 26 visitors "Puissance" Adam Howie's T26 sailing on Grand Lake, Fredricton, New Brunswick. Photo by Jamie Howie. Last Update: 5 avril 2021. TANZER 26 Blue Water Surf Value Rank (BWSVR) 6029 Pros and cons of this Tanzer 26 please I love the example. The 22 ft Seafarer is a bit small for my taste. It's located in Allen MD. The 26 ft Tanzer is in Solomon MD and the 26 ft Westerly is near DC. Locating or making a tiller for the Tanzer is likely to be the most difficult part. Painting cleaning and updating the maintenance while time consuming, should be rather easy in ... Tanzer 26 They are "solid" but their engineering is no more advanced than any other smaller sailboat of their era. Thicker is not always better, sometimes it's just thicker. Mr. Tanzer designed a wicked-awful rudder for the T-22, and the owners' assoc. had a much better one designed later. Not sure about the T-26 (aka the Tanzer 7.5). PY 26 (PACESHIP) 26.33 ft / 8.03 m: LWL: 22.50 ft / 6.86 m: S.A. (reported): ... In the early 1980s, Tanzer Yachts obtained the molds for this boat and manufactured and marketed it as the TANZER 27. ... Kelsall Sailing Performance (KSP): Another measure of relative speed potential of a boat. It takes into consideration "reported" sail area, displacement and ... Tanzer 26 Tanzer 26 Specifications: L.O.A.: 26' 4" (8.03 m) L.W.L.: 22' 6" (6.86 m) ... Close to 900 Tanzer 26s were built, and they are popular and easy to find in central Canada. ... People sailing is shallow waters will be happy to note that the Tanzer 26 has a draft of 3 feet, 10 inches, which isn't all that deep for a 26 footer with a fin keel. 1979 Tanzer 26 sailboat for sale in Wisconsin 1979 Tanzer 26. $8,500 The Tanzer 26 is a well built, stable and easily sailed pocket cruiser/racer with a large and active owner's group and website; google Tanzer 26. I bought this boat in 2009, sailed it on Lake Winnebago '09 - '11 and moved it to Green Bay/Lake Michigan for the '12 - '13 seasons. Tanzer Industries Ltd. Founded by Johann Tanzer, Tanzer Industries Ltd. was one of the largest sailboat manufacturer in Canada for more than 20 years. The Tanzer line ranged from 16 to 35 feet. The most successful model was the TANZER 22 with more than 2200 built. But other models including the 26 were also built in large numbers. In it's heyday Tanzer built boats on both coasts of the U.S., but the factory at ... Tanzer boats for sale Type of yachts by Tanzer. This boat builder presents a variety of hull types: . These hull variations are commonly employed for cherished and time-honored on-the-water activities like a variety of commercial and recreational boating activities. Tanzer equips models listed with inboard drive power options, available with diesel propulsion systems. TANZER 27 The TANZER 27 was originally known as the PACESHIP PY26. Shoal draft: 3.25'/.99m. Keel/CB: Draft - BU 2.58 ft; BD 6.58ft Disp. - 6700lbs Ballast - 2750 lbs catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat trimaran yacht