Annapolis Boat Show

[Adamastor]

Hi everyone...

And no sign of the new Tattoo 22?

[tek]

On my 2010 the hinge, ballast valve, engine linkage and cabling are all on the port side with the ladder the lone item on the starboard. I would think the access seems the same just a mirror image. Also my understanding is some items such as the ladder may have been dealer installed, the factory might not have decided where they were installed in all cases.

Perhaps the reversing of the sides is more for aesthetics?

I think the best improvements are the lines led aft being standard and the dinette cubby.

Did anyone else notice the improvements to the electrical system? Mine came with a 4 circuit panel, the new version has 6. That also appears to be an LED light from the factory, an improvement over our old incandescent.

[Russ]

On my 2010 the hinge, ballast valve, engine linkage and cabling are all on the port side with the ladder the lone item on the starboard. I would think the access seems the same just a mirror image. Also my understanding is some items such as the ladder may have been dealer installed, the factory might not have decided where they were installed in all cases.

Perhaps the reversing of the sides is more for aesthetics?

I think the best improvements are the lines led aft being standard and the dinette cubby.

Did anyone else notice the improvements to the electrical system? Mine came with a 4 circuit panel, the new version has 6. That also appears to be an LED light from the factory, an improvement over our old incandescent.

The Tat appears to have the steering linkage on the starboard side and ladder on the port. Opposite my 2008 M. As mentioned, the ladder was a dealer add and location was mounted at the discretion of the dealer. Now it's standard as it should be. IMO a boarding ladder shouldn't be an option.

They improved the electrical panel slightly adding 2 more switches, still looks like the cheap Seadog fuse panel. How many of us have broken the fuse holder trying to figure out how to get one out?
Still an improvement to have LED fixtures and pressure water. Probably why the larger panel.

I really like the new finish of the galley top. Hard to tell from the photo, but the sink looks shallow. Wish they would have made a double door front for the galley. I did and it's much more functional.

The pedestal looks totally redesigned and stronger.

Dinette table compartment is nice, but I really prefer the split table BWY offered.

The broken raccoon stripes is a big improvement IMO.

Overall, the boat has many improvements. Nice to see the molds being used to keep this lineage going past Roger's retirement.

[kmclemore]

Hi everyone...

And no sign of the new Tattoo 22?

I discussed that with Paul and Laura and the news directly from them is "stay tuned!" They are extremely enthusiastic about the new 22, but they want to keep the details close to the chest for now. About all I am able to tell you from what they told me is that the new boat will be an exciting new addition to the Tattoo line - I can't wait to see it. Meanwhile, the 26 is a heck of a great boat for the money, as we all know, and they are doing all they can to keep up with the orders (which are many!).

[DaveB]

Km,
Many of us are looking at the New M/T 26 that has changed in what way? I have seen pictures and looks like a interior fiberglass liner, like the MacX.
If they had the new model at Boat Show and pictures taken,, would love to see them.
Dave

Hi everyone...

And no sign of the new Tattoo 22?

I discussed that with Paul and Laura and the news directly from them is "stay tuned!" They are extremely enthusiastic about the new 22, but they want to keep the details close to the chest for now. About all I am able to tell you from what they told me is that the new boat will be an exciting new addition to the Tattoo line - I can't wait to see it. Meanwhile, the 26 is a heck of a great boat for the money, as we all know, and they are doing all they can to keep up with the orders (which are many!).

[Seapup]

Good Pics!

We are heading up tomorrow morning, looks like hopefully the weather will finally be cleared.

[kmclemore]

No, Dave, they did not have the new 22' boat at the show. They only had the Tattoo 26 this time. My bet is that next year you'll definitely see the 22.

[seahouse]

Brian, the only thing changed at the stern was the seat hinge was flipped to the other side. The steering cables, linkage, etc. are still on the right (starboard) side. By moving the hinge now the seat also flips to the right side, leaving a nice clear passage to entry on the same side as the ladder. Makes sense!

As for the ladder, I didn't note any protective coatings... It was just a very wet day and I expect there may have been wax on some of the stainless bits causing the water to bead up.

Hey Kevin –

You might be habituated to seeing the layout of the X? You probably pieced together since my last post that the Tattoo 26 in fact does have the locations of the steering arm, engine harness pass-through, seat hinge, and ladder switched port to starboard from the previous M, which allowed clear and unencumbered access to the cockpit from the ladder without the (quite minimal) interference from the ballast valve or its handle that the Tattoo has.

So to the end user, the way it was made previously also made good sense, if we are comparing (and I'm not, I just have an inquiring mind that needs to know these things ). At least from the viewpoint of the customer.

My point was that there must be something that we don't know from the manufacturer's viewpoint as to why this is so, because it took some degree of effort on their part to make these changes, so there must be a good reason that motivated them to do it. Maybe when the 22 debuts it will provide that clue with shared steering parts, easier integration with auto-helm, or something similar.

Sorry - I didn't make the ladder thing very clear either – I was referring to the wooden treads of the companionway ladder, which on previous models came in unfinished mahogany. The bare wood picked up dirt in a hurry I found, so I put a quick wipe with oil finish on it (so as to not make it slippery). The one in your picture looks like it has a nice glossy clear finish on it, or maybe it's just wet from the rain.

- B.

[RobertB]

I looked over the new Tat26. Nice and neat but while I was looking, my wife was listening to the other show goers. The main issue, that most of the people on this board can get around, is that Tattoo really needs to show what the boat can be - not a bare shell. Many people who briefly looked at the boat never gave it a second look because it was so spartan among all the really nice looking boats. How to do this requires some imagination - two boats side by side (costs alot more to show), or a display showing neat upgrades? Also possible is just bringing a tastefully optioned boat. I really want to see them succeed but the presentation can be improved.
One comment heard was about trading up to a Hunter (someone who owned an ).

Note, I loved the table but it is not an easy retrofit into an . I was not a big fan of all the vinyl upholster covered access ports (where I have mirror plastic). Simple colored panels or starboard or even wood may look cleaner.
I did appreciate the switch to LEDs and the larger fuse panel - but here I would appreciate as a new buyer an option for a breaker panel.
I did not look at the steering linkage and would appreciate any pictures others may have taken.
The freshwater tank was installed up front - mine as installed by Mike Inmon is under the rear table seat. Wonder how this difference in weight distribution works one way or the other?
Did anyone else notice how they ran wiring up the companionway ladder tubes?

[BOAT]

Brian, the only thing changed at the stern was the seat hinge was flipped to the other side. The steering cables, linkage, etc. are still on the right (starboard) side. By moving the hinge now the seat also flips to the right side, leaving a nice clear passage to entry on the same side as the ladder. Makes sense!

As for the ladder, I didn't note any protective coatings... It was just a very wet day and I expect there may have been wax on some of the stainless bits causing the water to bead up.

Hey Kevin –

You might be habituated to seeing the layout of the X? You probably pieced together since my last post that the Tattoo 26 in fact does have the locations of the steering arm, engine harness pass-through, seat hinge, and ladder switched port to starboard from the previous M, which allowed clear and unencumbered access to the cockpit from the ladder without the (quite minimal) interference from the ballast valve or its handle that the Tattoo has.

So to the end user, the way it was made previously also made good sense, if we are comparing (and I'm not, I just have an inquiring mind that needs to know these things ). At least from the viewpoint of the customer.

My point was that there must be something that we don't know from the manufacturer's viewpoint as to why this is so, because it took some degree of effort on their part to make these changes, so there must be a good reason that motivated them to do it. Maybe when the 22 debuts it will provide that clue with shared steering parts, easier integration with auto-helm, or something similar.

Sorry - I didn't make the ladder thing very clear either – I was referring to the wooden treads of the companionway ladder, which on previous models came in unfinished mahogany. The bare wood picked up dirt in a hurry I found, so I put a quick wipe with oil finish on it (so as to not make it slippery). The one in your picture looks like it has a nice glossy clear finish on it, or maybe it's just wet from the rain.

- B.

[Seapup]

Ran up to the show today, the weather was perfect and crowds sparse. It was a fun day.

The new Tattoo was nice, personally I still prefer the X though...There seemed to be quite a bit of interest in it, although most of the people I overheard already owned macs. Overall the show probably reinforced how much we like our boat. There were a ton of beautiful yachts, but none I could really see us on anytime soon. We actually liked the seward 26 better than the 32 which was surprising. We have been thinking of moving to a cat and I was quite impressed with the Tomcat 9.7 a few years ago, not quite as much this time. I also liked the older gemini cats better than the new legacy.

The hunter 27 was actually pretty comfy.

Hunter 27



BIG CAT



little cat

[Seapup]

A few random ones~~~

[Irafatsar]

Where can I get one of those hats? And as for the access to starboard. Think of where the throttle is and its a sound decision. Mt .02 cents

[BOAT]

I don't understand. On 'boat' everything is on the port side: the hinge on the helm seat, the aft light, the radio whip, the fuel line, the motor control cables, the steering linkage, the ballast valve, even the sink drain.

That leaves the whole starboard side unencumbered for the ladder. Is that not how all the boats are?

[Jim Bunnell]

My guess is that all the positioning except the ballast drain reflects the decisions of the dealer who installs the motor and gear. My 2003M has everything on the port side - including the ladder. Starboard is completely clear except for the depth-finder transponder I located there.