With its traditional canoe stern and the exceptional build quality associated with Ta Shing, the Tashiba 40 is firmly aimed at long-distance cruising rather than light-air speed or easy marina handling.
Design and Construction
The hull is solid, hand-laid glass-reinforced plastic. This construction is both exceptionally strong and resistant to the osmotic blistering that plagued many other yards of the era. Internal structures are heavily glassed to the hull, forming a rigid monostructure designed to withstand the stresses of ocean passages.
The ballast is encapsulated within the keel, so there are no keel bolts to rust or fail. The solid GRP layup is also intended to survive impacts that might compromise a cored hull.
The boat’s most distinctive feature is its traditional canoe stern. The double-ended shape is more than an aesthetic choice: it allows waves to split and pass around the hull instead of slapping against a flat transom, greatly improving steering stability and comfort in heavy weather.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
Most Tashiba 40s were built as cutters with an aft cockpit and a 6-foot draft, although a few ketch-rigged versions were produced for sailors who wanted more flexibility in sail handling. The cutter is the most popular and practical cruising rig. When the weather turns foul, the crew can drop the large genoa and continue under a reefed mainsail and staysail.
With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.1, the Tashiba 40 is a high-wind boat that needs a decent breeze to get moving. It is slow in winds below 10 knots and wasn’t designed for light-air speed. Its displacement-to-length ratio of 315 helps it power through a head sea without being stopped by every wave.
That full keel and substantial displacement have predictable drawbacks in close quarters. The boat doesn’t turn on a dime, and its behavior in reverse can be unpredictable. Stability comes mainly from its weight and the depth of its ballast rather than from hull shape. Its capsize screening figure of 1.67 provides a significant safety margin for ocean crossings.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The interior is arranged for long-distance liveaboard cruising, with satin-finished teak and solid-wood trim throughout. The most common layout has a traditional V-berth forward. Some boats instead have a more modern master cabin farther aft, immediately behind the forward heads.
The layout is intended to work at sea. There are plenty of handholds, and the secure U-shaped galley helps keep the cook in place when the boat is heeled. The cockpit is small by modern standards, but it is deep and safe. Wide side decks make it easier to move forward to handle sails in rolling seas.
Tankage is another strength. With the capacity to carry substantial amounts of fuel and water, the Tashiba 40 is a genuinely self-sufficient voyager.
Known Issues and Maintenance
Like many Ta Shing boats, the Tashiba 40 originally had teak decks fastened with screws. Over time, those screws can allow water into the subdeck structure.
The original black-iron fuel tanks are a documented weakness. They can corrode, particularly where water has collected on top of them. Replacement is costly and labor-intensive because the tanks are often beneath the cabin sole or engine, requiring substantial dismantling of the interior.
Crevice corrosion is common in stainless-steel chainplates of this age where they pass through the deck. The seals around the bronze or stainless-steel portlights can also fail, despite the portlights’ high quality.
Many examples now have high engine hours. Overall, the Tashiba 40 requires more maintenance than a modern production boat, primarily because of its teak decks and aging systems.
The Verdict
The Tashiba 40 is a sea-kindly, heavily built bluewater cruiser. Its stability and structural integrity make it a premier choice for sailors seeking safety and comfort in all conditions. The Perry hull and canoe stern produce a soft, slow roll and a motion that reduces crew fatigue on long passages.
The trade-offs are clear: the boat is frankly slow in light air and can be a handful in close quarters. For sailors prepared to accept those limitations—and the maintenance demands of teak decks and older systems—it offers a strong, comfortable platform for serious passagemaking.
Pros
- Solid, hand-laid GRP hull resistant to osmotic blistering
- Encapsulated ballast, with no keel bolts to fail
- Canoe stern improves steering stability in heavy weather
- Rigid monostructure built to handle ocean-passage stresses
- Exceptional teak joinery and a seagoing interior layout
- High capsize safety margin and comfortable motion ratios
Cons
- Slow in winds below 10 knots; not a light-air performer
- Unpredictable in reverse and slow to turn because of the full keel
- Screwed teak decks and black-iron tanks are maintenance liabilities
- Possible chainplate crevice corrosion and portlight-seal failures
- High engine hours are common, and upkeep is greater than on modern boats
