Ta Shing Tashiba 40 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is solid, hand-laid glass reinforced plastic, a construction that is both incredibly strong and resistant to the osmotic blistering that plagued many other yards of that era anchor. Internal structures are heavily glassed to the hull, creating a rigid mono-structure built to handle the stresses of ocean passages. The ballast is encapsulated within the keel, which means there are no keel bolts to rust or fail, and the solid GRP layup is built to survive impacts that might compromise a cored hull. The most distinctive feature of the boat is its traditional canoe stern, and that double-ended form is more than an aesthetic choice: it lets waves split and pass around the hull rather than slapping a flat transom, which greatly improves steering stability and comfort in heavy weather.

Rig and Handling

The vast majority of these boats were built as cutters with an aft cockpit and a 6-foot draft, though a few ketch-rigged versions were produced for those wanting more versatility in sail handling. The cutter rig is the most popular and practical for cruising, allowing the crew to drop the large genoa and sail under a reefed main and staysail when the weather turns foul. With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.1, the Tashiba 40 is a high-wind boat that requires a decent breeze to get moving and is slow in winds under 10 knots; it is not designed for light-wind speed. Its displacement-to-length ratio of 315 ensures it will power through a head sea without being stopped by every wave. With a full keel and large displacement, however, it does not turn on a dime and reversing can be unpredictable. Stability comes primarily from its weight and the depth of its ballast rather than hull shape, and its capsize screening figure of 1.67 gives a significant safety margin for ocean crossings.

Accommodations

The interior is laid out for long-distance liveaboard cruising, with satin-finished teak and solid wood trim throughout. The most common arrangement places a traditional V-berth forward, while some models were built with a more modern master cabin set further aft, just behind the forward heads. The layout is designed for use at sea, with plenty of handholds and a secure U-shaped galley that keeps the cook safe while heeled. The cockpit is small by modern standards but safe and deep, and the wide side decks make moving forward to handle sails a secure affair in rolling seas. Tankage is another strong suit: with the ability to carry significant fuel and water, the boat is a true self-sufficient voyager.

Known Issues

Like many Ta Shing boats, the teak decks were originally screwed down, and over time those screws can admit water into the sub-deck structure. The original black iron tanks for fuel are a documented weak spot that corrodes, particularly where water has rested atop them, and renewal is a costly, labour-heavy undertaking because the tanks often sit under the cabin sole or the engine, demanding significant dismantling of the interior. Crevice corrosion is common in the stainless steel chainplates of this age where they pass through the deck. The seals on the bronze or stainless portlights, while high quality, can fail. Many of these boats now carry high engine hours, and the design as a whole demands more maintenance than a modern production boat, primarily because of its teak decks and older systems.

The Verdict

The Tashiba 40 is a sea-kindly, heavily built blue-water cruiser whose stability and structural integrity make it a premier choice for sailors seeking safety and comfort in all conditions. Its Perry hull and canoe stern give it a soft, slow roll and a motion that reduces crew fatigue on long passages, though it is frankly a slow performer in light air and a handful in close quarters.

Pros