Tanzer 22

1970–1986 · designed by Johann Tanzer · built by Tanzer Industries

The Tanzer 22 was designed by Johann Tanzer as an affordable, simply built fiberglass coastal cruiser-racer for Canadian club sailing. It built a reputation as a solid, no-frills small keelboat with large active one-design racing fleets, intended for daysailing, weekending, and informal club racing rather than offshore passage-making.

This is a general read on the Tanzer 22 class — informed background, not a verdict on any individual boat. Condition, refit history, and how a particular hull was sailed and stored matter far more than class reputation. Use it to know what to look for; for a read on a specific listing, run a free FairKeel report on that boat.

At a glance

Hull form: Fin Keel
Ballast type: Bolt On Iron
Rudder: Transom Hung
Mast step: Deck Stepped
Hull construction: Fiberglass
Production: 1970–1986
Built in: Canada

What the Tanzer 22 is known for

Simple, solidly built fiberglass construction typical of a reputable 1970s-80s Canadian production builder.
Very large, active one-design racing class (over 2,000 hulls, ~2,271 built) with strong club support, parts availability, and resale liquidity for a boat this size.
Keel/centreboard option gives shoal draft (board up) and easier trailering/launching versus the fixed-fin version.
Responsive, well-regarded sailing performance for its size, which sustains its racing popularity decades on.

Known trade-offs

Small interior volume and tankage limit comfort for anything beyond weekending; not a liveaboard-capable boat.
Keel/centreboard mechanism (pendant, cable, winch) is an added maintenance and failure point absent on the fixed-fin version.
Fixed fin-keel hulls carry cast-iron keel bolts through a shallow sump; corrosion at the bolt heads is a well-documented issue on this class and should be probed before purchase.
Hulls are now 40-55 years old, so rigging, wiring, plumbing, and deck hardware are commonly at or past original service life unless documented as replaced.
Light, simple construction and small size mean it carries no offshore passage-making pedigree despite being a capable coastal boat.

Age-related quirks to expect

Cast-iron keel bolt corrosion on fixed fin-keel hulls severity: Medium affects: 1970-1986 (fixed-keel option)

Keel/centreboard pendant cable and winch mechanism wear, corrosion, or seizing severity: Medium affects: 1970-1986 (centreboard option only)

Gelcoat blistering/osmosis typical of 1970s-80s production fiberglass layups severity: Low affects: 1970-1986

Balsa-cored deck moisture intrusion around hardware, chainplates, and stanchion bases severity: Medium affects: 1970-1986

Original standing rigging now well beyond typical 20-25 year service life severity: High affects: 1970-1986 (all surviving un-reinspected examples)

Transom-hung rudder pintle/gudgeon wear and corrosion severity: Low affects: 1970-1986

Systems to check before you buy

Cast-iron keel and keel bolts (fixed fin-keel hulls) priority: coastal, weekending, racing

The fixed fin keel is cast iron, through-bolted with a small number of keel bolts; corrosion at the bolts, especially where they pass through the shallow bilge sump, is a documented issue on this class. Probe for rust staining around bolt heads and confirm remaining bolt diameter.

Keel/centreboard pendant, cable and trunk (centreboard option only) priority: coastal, weekending, racing

On keel/centreboard hulls, check the pendant cable, winch, and keel trunk for corrosion, wear, or seizing; confirm the board raises and lowers freely and the cable has been inspected or replaced.

Deck core and chainplates priority: coastal, weekending, liveaboard

Deck coring from this era is commonly balsa; probe around stanchion bases, chainplates, and the mast step for soft spots, delamination, or chronic leaks given the hull's age.

Standing rigging and mast step priority: racing, coastal, weekending

At 40+ years old, original standing rigging is well past typical service life; ask for replacement records and inspect the deck-stepped mast's support/compression point for crushing or corrosion.

Transom-hung rudder and steering priority: coastal, weekending

Inspect transom-hung rudder pintles, gudgeons, and the rudder blade itself for corrosion, wear, or water intrusion/delamination.

How it fits your plans

Coastal: Well suited: a popular, capable Canadian coastal daysailer/cruiser with decades of proven use in that role.
Liveaboard: Not suited: interior volume, tankage, and systems are too small for full-time liveaboard.
Motor: Typically outboard-powered via a transom/stern bracket, so range and redundancy are limited; verify bracket and transom condition.
Offshore: Not designed or generally used for offshore passages; treat any offshore claims for this class with skepticism.
Racing: Strong fit: one of the most numerous Canadian one-design classes, with active racing fleets and class rules support.
Weekending: Strong fit: this is the boat's core use case, as a trailerable-capable weekend cruiser-racer.

This guide is the class. A report is that hull. Paste the listing you're looking at and FairKeel grades every claim in it against what's known about the Tanzer 22 — where the evidence is thin, the red flags worth a second look, the costs likely to land in your first season, and whether the boat suits the plans you describe in a few short questions.

It won't read the photos or put a number on the boat — that's the $249 Deep-Dive, and for the real answer, a surveyor. It will tell you when a Deep-Dive isn't worth buying. Free, no account, usually a minute or two.

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