Ta Shing Baba 30 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Lineage

Perry’s brief was to take a relatively heavy, traditional double-ender and work the hull lines to squeeze speed from them, and the Baba 30 reflects that discipline. The hull carries considerable topside flare for stability and a dry ride to weather, while the bottom was flattened beyond a typical Colin Archer section to suppress hobby-horsing. A full keel with a cutaway forefoot tracks well in a straight line, and the prismatic coefficient of.50 was chosen specifically for light-air performance. At 12,000 lb. displacement on a 24-foot 6-inch waterline with a D/L of 379 and a 10-foot 6-inch beam, the boat is voluminous for its length but never light on its feet.

Construction

The hulls were laid up uncored by hand with alternating 1.5-ounce mat and 24-ounce woven roving — six layers in general, 10 to 12 through the keel region. Early interiors were gelcoated and covered in quilted vinyl; later boats gained sprayed foam for insulation and sound deadening, and newer examples carry teak battens in the saloon and forepeak. The chainplate bolts sit visible from below, so their condition is straightforward to monitor, and surveyors credited the electrical wiring as high-quality, tagged and bundled, with a sound plumbing system. Ta Shing also built the Mason, Panda, Tashiba, and Taswell yachts under Perry and other designers.

Rig and Handling

The Baba 30 carries a tall cutter rig on a 4-foot bowsprit ringed by a stainless pulpit with twin bow rollers and a large bronze winch. Early boats left the yard with a single set of shrouds; after one owner was dismasted, fore and aft lower shrouds were added to the single-spreader rig, and later models adopted a boom gallows. Most were delivered with self-tending staysails, Lewmar 30 two-speed cabin-top halyard winches, and Lewmar 40 two-speed sheet winches in the cockpit. Practical Sailor's test found her an under-performer in very light wind, but above that threshold she works all points with an easy helm. Owners confirm a sea-kindly motion in every condition and a 35-degree apparent-wind angle when trimmed, though backing down under power remains an adventure typical of full keels. A large genoa or light-air drifter is what unlocks downwind pace below 10 knots; above 15, jib and staysail alone will drive her to hull speed.

Accommodations

Two interior versions were offered — a V-berth layout favored on the West Coast and a double-berth version popular in the East. The cabin sole is teak and holly, and nearly every surface is teak aside from the galley counters. The galley sits to port below the companionway as a U-shape with icebox aft, gimbaled two-burner stove, and sink forward; the nav station opposite carries a 28-by-17-inch table and a quarterberth 68 inches long by 30 wide. Headroom runs 6 feet 4 inches. The V-berth fills the bow at 77 by 60 inches, and stowage is generous, with three 20-by-21-by-16-inch compartments per side and a port lazarette. Ventilation came from two hatches, four bronze ports per side, two 34-by-18-inch saloon skylights, a 24-inch forepeak hatch, and a pair of 6-inch Dorades.

Known Issues

Berg acknowledged that some hulls blistered near the waterline, a problem surveyors attributed to the use of isophthalic rather than orthophthalic resin. Chainplate bolts have shown corrosion on some boats. Surveyor Jerry Edwards singled out the steel fuel tank as his main criticism, and owners report the advertised 40-gallon tank may actually hold only 27, with the two 40-gallon water tanks delivering just 50 combined. Some complain that oil-filter changes are an acrobatic challenge despite companionway-step access to the engine. The forepeak admits water and mud with the ground tackle, and the first boats’ single shroud set is a dismasting risk if not upgraded.

The Verdict

The Baba 30 is a thoughtfully evolved small double-ender: Perry’s hull science and Berg’s cruising interior produced a boat that is stout, dry, and calm in a seaway yet more willing than its Westsail rival. It is not a light-air performer, and a buyer must vet chainplates, blistering, and the steel tank. For the right cruiser it remains a benchmark used value.

Pros