How to Buy a Tasar
Tasars are a very tough boat and they seem to last more than a life time. When buying a second hand boat it is not uncommon to see boats that are 20 to 30 years old being traded at good prices. Tasars have been designed to stand tough sailing conditions and considering their life span they represent great value for money.
Tasars are fully fibreglass - this means they are very easy to look after, a bit of a wash after sailing or after the end of the season and it will be ready to go again next season or whenever you have the urge. If you check over your fittings every now and then for wear and tear and replace those suspect bits, you will have trouble free sailing for years.
New Boats
New Tasars can be bought via Tasar Agents. In Australia there are 2, Bethwaite Design in Sydney and JL Sly Boat Builders in Melbourne. Their contact details are on our Website - under Tasar Agents. You can buy your new Tasar in 1 of 2 forms, all finished, or all in bits and pieces for you to finish.
If you want it all finished definitely talk to the agent you choose, about what extra bits and pieces you need. You might need a Trolley, a Road Trailer, a Boat Cover, and whatever else little bits and bobs you think are important for your racing needs.
If you buy a Tasar in a kit form it will take a first timer about 3 weeks on and off to put it all together. If you know what you are doing it can take as little as a long weekend. You may have a bit of to and fro-ing with the agent as you discover extra bits you may need and this will extend the assembly time. Once finished your new Tasar will look splendid and will be your best friend for many years.
A brand new Tasar will cost in the region of $14,000. This figure can also vary by about $3,000 either way depending on what extra bits you want or not.
Pre-Loved Boats
A second hand Tasar can cost as little as $1000 and for that modest investment you will get a boat that will need a small bit of work to get into racing condition. You will probably have to spend a minimum of $500 on ropes and fittings and polish to get it to a basic level to be able to take it safely for a sail. From this level you can spend up to the price of a new boat.
For between $4000 and $8000, you can buy a good racing boat, on a road trailer with reasonably good sails and fairly up-to-date fittings. A boat in this price range will be a good first boat for a person who wants to get into racing. If you want to buy a boat for the occasional club sailing or fun sailing then the cheaper ones are a definite option.
All Tasars have a minimum weight rule of 68 Kilo's. Most newer boats are below this level and have lead in them to make it to this weight and most older boats are just over this weight eg 70Kg's. It is always good to ask the person about the weight - but crew weight also plays a big factor as well in the overall picture.
The condition of the sails is an important factor. Does the boat have Mylar Sails ? Mylar sails were introduced to Tasars in 2006 and are now very wide spread through out the fleet. Mylar sails are a lot easier to sail with than the Dacron sails. Also they look really sporty and smart and make you look like a racing professional.
Checklist
¨ HULL - have a look under the hull for scratches and any bubbles. Rarely you may see a bubble in the surface of the fibreglass. This means the fibreglass is delaminating apart and is a problem that needs to be addressed and repaired quickly. This is rare but should be checked for. Have a look for cracks between the join of the deck and the hull - under the gunwale. Have a look for cracks inside the centre case slot. Have a look for patches of different colours in the hull.
¨ Deck - have a look at the deck, have a look along the seem where the deck joins the floor, any cracks here - this is a result of strain and flexing - if there are cracks here it will need a fibreglass repair to fix it.
¨ Deck Fittings - hows all the fittings - old or new - do they work. Adjust the Side stays, adjust the jib tracks, Toe Straps, Traveller, mainsheet - all look good ? Does the Bailer work ?
¨ Mast - Bottom Section - straight ? Diamonds OK - no rust bits in the wires
¨ Top Section - straight ?
¨ BOOM - look OK ?
¨ C/B and Rudder - Fibreglass, no dents and scratches, nicely polished, do they come in a bag ?
¨ SAILS - are they nice and crinkly and new or really old. Mains are fully battoned and can last quite a while, Jibs take a bit of a hamering. While you are learning it is good to have a few spare sails - especially a Jib so you can keep your newer sails new for as long as possible.
¨ Trolley - does it come with one that is easy to use ?
¨ Trailer - do the lights work, will it easily drive interstate, you Tasar needs to be taken on lots of adventures.
¨ Spares - a sweetner is all the spares the boat comes with - what has yours got, the more the merrier.
Replacement Gear
A significant consideration to the purchase of any Tasar is the amount of Spares it comes with. New bits for Tasars are expensive as they are of good quality and last a very long time. A new set of Mylar sails is going to cost about $1,800, a new bottom section $1,000, a new top section $600 a new Centre Board $800, a complete new rudder and rudder box - $1000. Exact prices need to be confirmed with the agent at the time but this gives you some idea. You don't tend to buy new bits (except for sails whenever you get the urge or a Stimulus bonus comes your way) you typically wait till you have a crash and break something. So it always good to purchase a boat that has a lot of spares - you never know what you may need and you can always sell it later to reduce your buy in cost.
Tasars are a great boat and once you get into the scene you will have many years of sailing fun.