Design and Construction
Ta Shing built the 56 to Lloyd's Register specifications with hand-laid solid fiberglass below the waterline, foam-filled longitudinal stringers, and PVC-foam-cored transverse floors; the outer three laminate layers used vinylester resin to resist osmotic blistering. Decks and cabin structures were end-grain balsa cored, swapped for marine plywood where hardware loads concentrate, and the deck was bonded to the hull's inturned flange with 3M 5200 and stainless thru-bolts. The rudder rides a partial skeg, a choice that permitted a midpoint bearing and a slimmer rudder stock partial skeg rudder. Ballast is sealed inside the GRP fin, and the hull's moderate plan view with a 212 displacement-length ratio marks her as a heavy bluewater cruiser rather than a light-displacement racer.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig carries 1,389 square feet of sail area for a sail-area-displacement ratio of 16.71, a moderate figure suited to offshore work rather than sprinting. Sheeting is end-of-boom, a configuration the design review called the best way to go for control and sightlines end-of-boom sheeting. The wetted surface spans roughly 839 square feet, and the theoretical hull speed is 9.2 knots; the capsize screening value of 1.81 places her firmly in the offshore-safe band. Standard draft is 7 feet 6 inches with a 6-foot shoal keel option, while loaded draft runs about 7 feet 7 inches. A Yanmar 4LH-TE diesel of 100 horsepower drives her on a direct shaft.
Accommodations
Three interior plans were offered — A, B, and C — all sharing an expansive owner's stateroom aft with minor head and dresser variations. Layout B gives three staterooms each with a double berth and two heads with private shower stalls, a practical arrangement for two couples. Layout C claims the largest galley of the three, favoring the liveaboard cook. The deck carries a small raised doghouse that adds light and sitting headroom without inflating the profile.
The Verdict
The Taswell 56 is a thoughtfully engineered Dixon design built by a yard known for laminate discipline, with a cutter rig and three adaptable layouts that suit long-range cruising. Her moderate ratios and internal-ballast fin suggest steadiness over speed, and the partial-skeg rudder is a structurally conservative choice.
Pros
- Internal lead ballast in a solid GRP fin with vinylester outer layers for blister resistance
- Three distinct interiors sharing a large aft owner's stateroom
- Partial-skeg rudder allowing a reduced stock diameter
- Cutter rig with end-of-boom sheeting and 1,389 sq ft of canvas
Cons
- 7'6" standard draft limits marina access
- Moderate SA/D of 16.71 is underwhelming in light air
- Shoal keel option trades 18 inches of draft for unspecified performance change
