Design and Construction
The Tashiba 31 didn’t start with a blank sheet. Its hull shape is a variation on the Baba 40, itself a full-keel descendant of the fast, fin-keel Valiant 40.
On the 31, Perry pushed the modified full keel’s leading edge farther forward, tightened the turn of the bilge, and fine-tuned the bow entry. Reviewers called the resulting boats the best ever designed with modified full keels.
Build quality is superb. The Tashiba 31 displaces 13,790 lbs and carries 4,705 lbs of standard ballast, or 4,100 lbs in the pilothouse version. It is a solid, lead-ballasted cruiser with a 10-foot-8 beam and a 25-foot-10 waterline.
Rig, Machinery, and Handling
With 550 square feet of sail area, the Tashiba 31 is quick, close-winded, sturdy, and well balanced. Its handling reflects the refined modified full keel: the boat rewards attentive steering rather than demanding it, while the fine-tuned bow and forward-raked keel lead give it directional steadiness that is rare in a sub-36-foot double-ender.
A 27 hp Yanmar 3GM30F provides auxiliary power. Tankage comprises 35 gallons of diesel and 90 gallons of water. Standard draft is 5 feet, with a 4-foot-6 shoal option also available.
Accommodations
Ta Shing offered three versions of the Tashiba 31. Two had aft cockpits. The more popular of these included a seagoing quarter berth, while the other placed the stateroom forward and the head aft.
A pilothouse version—unusual on a boat of this length—was also offered, though only two were built. Despite the compact deck and modest cockpit, the interior is surprisingly generous, roomy, and richly finished. That opulent treatment belowdecks is typical of Ta Shing and continues to surprise visitors when they step aboard.
Identity and Availability
The Baba 30 and Tashiba 31 are often confused as variations of the same boat, despite the years between their designs. Limited production adds another complication: only 26 Tashiba 31s were recorded, making them scarce on the used market. The two-boat pilothouse version is effectively unobtainable.
The Verdict
The Tashiba 31 is a short-run, Perry-designed double-ender that distills bluewater pedigree into a 31-foot hull with a lavish interior and a refined modified full keel. It is a collector-grade small cruiser rather than a volume-production boat, best suited to a buyer who values build integrity and good helm manners over fleet availability.
Pros
- Bob Perry’s final full-keel production design, with Baba 40 and Valiant 40 lineage
- Superb build quality and an opulent, roomy interior in a small hull
- Quick, well-balanced, close-winded handling with a modified full keel
Cons
- Only 26 built, making the boat scarce on the used market
- Frequently confused with the Baba 30 by buyers unfamiliar with the distinction
- Pilothouse version is effectively unobtainable, with only two built
