panda 40 sailboat

Bluewater Sailboat – Baba 40

Also called: tashiba 40, panda 40, quicksilver 40, ta shing 40.

This classically designed full-keel double ender by Robert H. Perry’s design team originally went by the name Flying Dutchman 35, but it is now more commonly referred to as the Baba 35. One of Perry’s most attractive double-enders, it has exquisitely proportioned lines that make many people fall in love with it.  In terms of both size and flavor, she falls between the three Baba boats. The Bluewater Sailboat Baba 40 serves the role of the swift and opulent traveler, while the Baba 30, being the chubby go-anywhere liveaboard. 

Ta Shing, Taiwan’s top boatyard from the 1970s to 1980s, is the maker of all of these vessels. They have established a solid reputation for decency at sea, sturdy construction, and some of the highest-quality interiors available aboard cruising yachts even today.

• (AS PER TASHIBA 40 CATALOG)
• LOA: 39′ 11″ (excluding bowsprit) *
• LWL: 34′ 6″ *
• Beam: 12′ 10″
• Draft: 6″ 0″
• Displacement: 29,000 lbs.
• Ballast: 10,000 lbs. *
• Sail Area, Cutter: 865 sq. ft.
• Sail Area, Ketch: 910 sq. ft.
• Sail Area, Pilothouse: 848 sq. ft.
• Headroom: 6′ 5″
• Engine: Volvo MD21A Diesel
• Fuel, Cutter: 100 US. Gal.
• Fuel, Pilothouse: 125 US. Gal.
• Water, Cutter: 150 US. Gal. (85 port, 65 starboard)
• Water, Pilothouse: 200 US. Gal
• Year Introduced: 1980
• Year Ended: 1996
• Designer: Robert H. Perry
• Developer: Bob Berg (Quicksilver Corp.)
• Builder: Ta Shing, Taiwan
• * The Baba 40 catalog differs with LOA 39′ 10″ / LWL 36′ 3″ / Ballast 12,000 lbs. It is believed the Tashiba specifications listed here are more accurate.
• Also Known As: Tashiba 40, Panda 40, Quicksilver 40, Ta Shing 40

The Bluewater Sailboat Baba 40’s history actually begins with the Baba 30, which brought together the talents of three successful individuals: designer Bob Perry, developer Bob Berg, and Shing Sheng, a then-unknown Taiwanese boatyard. Shing Sheng began his ascent to dominance in the boatbuilding industry with the success of the Little Baba 30 and the Baba 35. They had changed their name to Ta Shing by 1979 and had relocated to a new, specially designed plant. In order to complete the range, Berg hired Perry to create a brand-new 40-foot model.

Perry was dissatisfied with simply improving his earlier Baba 35 design, which was a stretched version of the 30 in and of itself. Instead, Perry dusted off the lines of his renowned Valiant 40, whose radical fin keel and separate skeg-hung rudder had only five years earlier created the “performance cruiser” category, in search of increased boat speed. He created the Baba 40 by deriving a brand-new full keel design from the Valiant 40 hull form. The Baba 40 proved to be a significant improvement over early Babas, according to Perry, who described it as having a completely distinct stable personality. At first, it was stiffer, considerably faster, and perfectly balanced.

Tim Ellis, who was in charge of the project, remembers the harmonious collaboration between Berg’s development and administration, Perry’s design, and Ta Shing’s undeniable skills as a craftsman with nostalgia. He remembers Berg’s strict attention to detail.

“They created a work of exquisite artistry. During the time that Baba designs were being developed and built, Bob Berg made at least thirty or more trips to Taiwan, and he and I would spend hours, days, and even longer sitting on each yacht to perfect shapes, appearances, important and minor details, and fix the annoying problems that other less well-traveled people had. It was my responsibility to put Bob’s suggestions and corrections into practice. During each visit, my list of things may reach the hundreds, and on hull number one, it would likely be much, much longer. A weaker builder would have baulked since Bob left no room for doubt in the pursuit of his ideal.”

In 1980, the Baba 40 was made available to the public. Berg sold the yacht as the Panda 40 in 1983 after severing ties with the Flying Dutchman dealership, which had the Baba trademark. This moniker did not endure long, and in 1984, Ta Shing, who was then a major player in Taiwanese boat construction, began marketing the vessel on their own under the name Tashiba 40. There have been rumors that this was a play on the names “Ta Shing” and “Baba.”

There were 115 boats manufactured in all, and production ceased in 1996. Although hull numbers can be obtained up to #182, there is a space between #33 and #101.

Ta Shing finally established an exclusive partnership with the California-based PAEI, whose in-house designer was Al Mason. Sadly, several of Ta Shing’s molds, including the Baba 40, were destroyed when PAEI turned its concentration to motorboats years later.

The Baba 40’s lines trace their origins to classic Scandinavian double-enders. Under the waterline, the boat has a full keel with a cutaway forefoot. Like many other full keel designs by Perry, this one doesn’t have the customary “wine glass” portion blend where the keel meets the hull’s bilge. Both characteristics lessen wetted areas. The moderately beamy hull form provides adequate interior capacity. On most boats, a cutter rig and bowsprit combination are used, however, it’s thought that two boats had the option of being built as ketches. A pilothouse design, with its two cozy cabins, was another significant modification; roughly eleven pilothouses were constructed.

The Baba 40’s hand-laid GRP hull is solidly constructed; its thickness increases from 0.41″ at the topsides to 0.57″ at the waterline and 0.90″ at the keel. Both the deck and the cabin trunk are cored with high-density closed-cell foam and end-grained balsa. Though at least one boat was built with lead ballast, the ballast is cast iron and enclosed in GRP.

Under Berg’s strict supervision, the interiors were meticulously detailed, with many Taiwanese man-hours being spent. Berg was renowned for his ability to fit functionality into every available square inch of a boat. Perry also regarded it as one of his greatest, adding that the layout and workmanship are nearly flawless and seem “correct.”

A stateroom with a double seagoing quarter-berth is located on the starboard quarter. There is a well-designed U-shaped galley to port. A two-settee berth configuration with a pilot berth to port was available in the saloon as an alternative to offer more seaworthy accommodations. There is a double berth offset to port in the forward cabin. It has a spacious 6′ 5″ headroom.

Ta Shing claims that the Tashiba 40 boats featured less detailing due to cost-cutting initiatives, including less teak trim, fewer portlights, and no longer having butterfly hatches.

Performance

This Bluewater sailboat is a lot of fun to sail and has a lovely feel at the helm, especially as the breeze increases. Some owners have even had success racing their Baba 40s against contemporary fin keel rivals. Michael and Elizabeth Kramer in S.V. Cambria traveled 396 miles in 46 hours while broad reaching down the Sea of Cortez with 35 knots of wind, an outstanding average speed of 8.6 knots.

Owners frequently comment on how sturdy their Babas feel. The Baba 40 has the ability to continue sailing in bad weather when many other boats are heaving-to. This Bluewater Sailboat can encounter a tremendous amount of adverse weather, which is noteworthy. She might suffer breakages throughout such a journey but remain a sound sailboat.

Quick Notes

Have your surveyor inspect elements like chainplates and portions of balsa coring for rot, as is common with many boats older than 25 years. Since the original mild steel fuel tanks were found to be prone to corrosion, most Bluewater Sailboats have replaced them.

Now you can also precisely calculate the expenses related to boat ownership to make smart choices based on your budget and sailing needs. Use this bluewater Sailboat Calculator to explore different options and make the best decision.

If you’re looking for a used sailboat for sale, check out the Bluewater sailboat data and specs to make an informed decision. Ocean Wave Sail has data for over 10000+ boats that can help you select one to meet your sailing needs.

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• Sailboat Guide

1988 Ta Shing Tashiba 40

• Description

Seller's Description

Introducing the timeless beauty of the 1988 Ta Shing Baba 40, an iconic Robert Perry design that embodies the epitome of sailing elegance and performance. This meticulously crafted sailing yacht is a masterpiece that harkens back to an era of unmatched craftsmanship and nautical artistry.

THIS IS THE NICEST TASHIBA/BABA 40 TO COME TO MARKET IN QUITE SOME TIME.

FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO THE FULL LISTING WHICH INCLUDES A VERY DETAILED DESCRIPTION, NUMEROUS PHOTOS AND LINKS TO WALKTHROUGH AND UNDERWAY VIDEOS

Please find the full listing at this link

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

The Baba 40, also known as the Panda 40 and later the Tashiba 40, is the third of the Baba lineup of boats involving developer Bob Berg, designer Bob Perry, and the Ta Shing boatyard. One can arguably consider the Baba 40 a full keel reincarnation of the Valiant 40 , the boat that put the word “performance” next to “cruiser”. Knowing that I guess it’s not so surprising to find the Baba 40 inherits a good turn of speed – owners even trumpet around-the-buoys racing victories in these serious blue water cruisers. They are beautifully balanced with a wonderful feel at the helm, and what’s more, they have some of the best interiors to be seen in production cruising yachts.

The story of the Baba 40 really starts with the Baba 30 which brought together a winning combination of talents – developer Bob Berg, designer Bob Perry , and what was then a little known Taiwanese boatyard called Shing Sheng. Through the success of the little Baba 30 and the Baba 35 , Shing Sheng started on the road to become a force in the boatbuilding world. By 1979 they had changed their name to Ta Shing and had moved to a new purpose built factory. It was in this year that Berg commissioned Perry to design a new 40-foot model to fill out the line.

Perry was not happy with merely evolving his earlier Baba 35 design, which in itself was a stretched version of the 30. Instead, in search of more boat speed, Perry dusted off the lines of his famous Valiant 40 with its radical fin keel and separate skeg-hung rudder had defined the “performance cruiser” category only five years earlier. From the Valiant 40 hull form he derived an all-new full keel design which was to be the Baba 40. It proved to be a huge step forward over earlier Babas with Perry describing the Baba 40 having an entirely different stability personality. It was stiffer initially, beautifully balanced and much faster.

Tim Ellis who oversaw construction fondly remembers the symbiotic partnering of Berg’s development and management, Perry’s design, and Ta Shing’s undisputed capabilities as builder. He recalls the exacting attention fostered by Berg.

“They produced a design of sublime artistry. I think it is no exaggeration to suggest that Bob Berg made at least thirty or more visits to Taiwan during the years Baba designs were under development and construction, and he and I would sit on each yacht for hours, days and more to fine tune shapes, appearances, major and minor details, and resolve the niggling issues that plagued others less well traveled. My job was to take Bob’s advice and adjustments and translate them into action. My list of items might run into the hundreds during each visit, and many, many more on a hull number one. In pursuit of his ideal, Bob left no room for equivocation, and a lesser builder would have baulked.” – Tim Ellis

The Baba 40 was introduced to the public in 1980. In 1983, when Berg left his association with the Flying Dutchman dealership who owned the Baba trademark, he marketed the boat as the Panda 40. This name did not last long and by 1984, with Ta Shing now a contender in Taiwanese boat-building, marketed the boat by themselves using the name Tashiba 40. It’s been speculated this was a play on the words names “Ta Shing” and “Baba”.

Production ended in 1996 with a total of 115 boats being built, although hull numbers can be found that run up to #182, there is a gap between #33 and #101.

Ta Shing eventually formed an exclusive relationship with the Californian based company PAEI who had Al Mason as their in-house designer. Sadly, years later when PAEI shifted focus to power boats, many of Ta Shing’s molds including the Baba 40 were cut up.

Configuration

The lines of the Baba 40 follows its ancestry back to traditional Scandinavian double-enders. Under the waterline is a full keel with a cutaway forefoot and as with many of the Perry full keel designs, the keel meets the bilge of the hull without the traditional “wine glass” section blend. Both features reduce wetted area. The hull shape is relatively beamy offering good interior volume. A cutter rig plus bowsprit combo is employed on most boats though it is believed two boats were optionally built as ketches. Another major variation was a pilothouse model with its two comfortable staterooms; about eleven pilothouses were built.

Belowdecks the quality of workmanship is superb, many Taiwanese man-hours were used in detailing the interiors with the close guidance of Berg who was known for his ability to squeeze function into every square inch of a boat. Perry also considered it one of his best, noting that it feels “right” with near perfect detailing and a layout with no apparent compromise.

On the starboard quarter, there’s a cabin with a double seagoing quarter-berth. To port there’s a well laid out U-shaped galley. In the saloon, a two-settee berth layout with pilot berth to port was offered as an option to provide extra sea-going berths. In the forward cabin, there’s a double berth offset to port. Headroom is a generous 6′ 5″.

The Tashiba 40 boats had less detailing which has been attributed cost cutting measures by Ta Shing – less teak trim, less portlights, and gone are the butterfly hatches in the Baba 40.

Construction

The Baba 40 hull is solidly built in hand-laid GRP, with hull thickness growing from 0.41″ thick at the topsides to 0.57″ at the waterline, and 0.90″ at the keel. The deck is cored with end-grained balsa, as well as high density closed-cell foam in the deck and cabin trunk. The ballast is cast iron and is encapsulated in GRP, though one boat at least was built with lead ballast.

The boat has a wonderful feel at the helm and is a fun to sail, especially as the breeze picks up. Some owners have even raced their Baba 40s against modern fin keel competitors successfully. As a testament to the boat’s speed, Michael and Elizabeth Kramer in S.V. Cambria covered 396 miles in a 46 hour passage down the Sea of Cortez broad reaching in 35 knots of wind; an impressive average of 8.6 knots.

Owners often describe their Baba’s to have a feel of solidity. In heavy weather conditions the Baba 40 has the capacity to keep sailing when many other boats are heaving-to. Of note is Jeff Hartjoy’s solo passage from Peru to Buenos Aires via Cape Horn in 2009 where he experienced an immense amount of bad weather. On that passage he reported a lot of breakages but commented about the soundness of his boat.

Buyers Notes

As with many boats older than 25 years, have your surveyor check items such as chainplates and areas of balsa coring for rot. The original mild steel fuel tanks have proven to be susceptible to corrosion and on most boats, these have been replaced.

Overall, the Baba 40 has aged well, a testament to its build quality. Most examples on the market tend to be in excellent condition and priced accordingly. As of 2010 asking prices are in the range of $160k-$200k USD.

Links, References and Further Reading

» Yacht Design According to Perry: My Boats and What Shaped Them , by Robert H. Perry (p89-p95) » Baba, Panda, Tashiba sailboat Yahoo Group,  information and owner discussions

For their assistance in the writing of this article, thanks goes out to Tim Ellis who supervised the Baba line of yachts built at Shing Sheng / Ta Sheng during 1977-1987 as well as owners from the Baba Association.

This listing is presented by SailboatListings.com . Visit their website for more information or to contact the seller.

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The Panda 40 is a 39.91ft cutter designed by Robert Perry and built in fiberglass by Ta Shing Yacht Building Ltd. since 1983.

The Panda 40 is a heavy sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is very stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a heavy bluewater cruising boat.

Panda 40 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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PANDA 40 Specifications

Hull Type: Long Keel Rigging Type: Cutter LOA: 39.91 ft / 12.16 m LWL: 34.50 ft / 10.52 m S.A. (reported): 859.00 ft² / 79.80 m² Beam: 12.00 ft / 3.66 m Displacement: 29,000.00 lb / 13,154 kg Ballast: 12,000.00 lb / 5,443 kg Max Draft: 6.00 ft / 1.83 m Construction: FG First Built: 1983 Builder: Ta Shing Yacht Building Ltd. Designer: Robert Perry

Hull Speed: 7.87 kn

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Just a few years ago, it would have been very unusual for a sailboat distributor to brag about his Far Eastern supplier. In the early '70s the image of Taiwanese boat building was, needless to say, foreign, and the reputations of their products were by no means enviable. That is certainly no longer the case. The Tashing yard (more correctly the Ta Shing Yacht Building Company, Ltd.), our builder for the PANDA 40 and the PANDA 40 Pilothouse, has earned its place among the world's top pleasure boat builders through hard work, integrity, and a dedication to quality.

Tashing began producing yachts in the midst of the "first" oil crisis, early in 1975. The parent company for the yard, Ta Shing Sheng Dockyard, had thirty years of experience constructing commercial craft for the region's fishing industry, and they could see that the increased price of energy was going to cool the demand for fishing boats. The logical step was to move into pleasure boat construction. Fortunately for sailors all over the world, Tashing took their work boat attitudes with them into the pleasure boat business; the attitude that Tashing boats shouldn't break down (no fishermen will buy a known unreliable boat), that people were indeed staking their lives and futures on Tashing's products, and that there was no future in trying to fool consumers into buying an inferior product. In fact, Mr. C. M. Roan, the president of the commercial shipyard oversees the day-to-day business of the yacht building facility.

The new yard also had some fortuitous circumstances on its side,and they went right along with their unusual attitude about boat building. They became the prime builder for the new boats that Bob Berg was developing for the American market. These were boats that Bob Perry designed, and they drew heavily on the two men's knowledge of the Taiwanese boat building industry, its strengths and weaknesses. It was a pleasure to discover all the strengths at Tashing, and they soon landed the contracts for the Baba 30 (so-named because of the workers' pronunciation of Bob Berg's name), and went on to produce an expanded line of Perry cruising boats in addition to designs by Al Mason. The combination of these good designs and a very high standard of workmanship made the fortunes of Tashing.

Today there are over 200 skilled builders working at Tashing, from the lay-up crews, to finish carpenters, to ships mechanics. They produce yachts at a 9,500 square meter facility that is complete with its own log curing shed, its own sawmill for processing whole teak logs, and climate controlled fiberglass and gel-coat application shops. The yard has no equipment manufacturing interests, so they use the most efficient American, European, and Australian components available. Since they build yachts almost exclusively for these markets, they are always ready to review and inspect the yachts that are underway, ready to meet our particular standards as well as their own. There may be as many as eighteen yachts underway at any one time in the Tashing yard, but with our long association, we know that every Panda 40 receives the closest possible attention. When you inspect the Panda 40 for yourself, we know that you will see the results of that attention, too. That's why we like to brag about our builder.

regarding this site 251 COMMENTS PANDA 40 - sailboatdata Designed to determine if a boat has blue water capability. The CSF compares beam with displacement since excess beam contributes to capsize and heavy displacement reduces capsize vulnerability. The boat is better suited for ocean passages (vs coastal cruising) if the result of the calculation is 2.0 or less. The lower the better. Ta Shing boats for sale - YachtWorld Some of the most popular Ta Shing models currently listed include: Baba 30, Baba 40, Panda 38, Ta Shing Mason 43 and Tashiba 31. Various Ta Shing models are currently offered for sale by specialized yacht brokers, dealers and brokerages on YachtWorld, with listings ranging from 1977 year models up to 1988. Ta Shing Baba 40 boats for sale - YachtWorld Find Ta Shing Baba 40 boats for sale in your area & across the world on YachtWorld. Offering the best selection of Ta Shing boats to choose from. Panda 40 — Sailboat Guide Panda 40 is a 39′ 10″ / 12.2 m monohull sailboat designed by Robert Perry and built by Ta Shing Yacht Building Ltd. starting in 1983. Bluewater Sailboat – Baba 40 - OceanWaveSail.Com The Baba 40 is the third boat in the Baba range developed by developer Bob Berg, also known as the Panda 40 and later the Tashiba 40. 1988 Ta Shing Tashiba 40 — For Sale — Sailboat Guide This meticulously crafted sailing yacht is a masterpiece that harkens back to an era of unmatched craftsmanship and nautical artistry. THIS IS THE NICEST TASHIBA/BABA 40 TO COME TO MARKET IN QUITE SOME TIME. 1985 Ta Shing Panda 40 Pilothouse - YachtWorld View pictures & full details of ABRI, a Pilothouse built in 1985 by Ta Shing Panda 40 Pilothouse and available for sale. Panda 40 - sailboat data sheet The Panda 40 is a 39.91ft cutter designed by Robert Perry and built in fiberglass by Ta Shing Yacht Building Ltd. since 1983. The Panda 40 is a heavy sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is very stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. PANDA 40 Sailboat Specifications, Characteristics PANDA 40 Specifications. Hull Type: Long Keel Rigging Type: Cutter LOA: 39.91 ft / 12.16 m LWL: 34.50 ft / 10.52 m S.A. (reported): 859.00 ft² / 79.80 m² Beam: 12.00 ft / 3.66 m Displacement: 29,000.00 lb / 13,154 kg Ballast: 12,000.00 lb / 5,443 kg Max Draft: 6.00 ft / 1.83 m Construction: FG First Built: 1983 Builder: Ta Shing Yacht ... Tashing History - Baba-Panda-Tashiba Sailboat Website The Tashing yard (more correctly the Ta Shing Yacht Building Company, Ltd.), our builder for the PANDA 40 and the PANDA 40 Pilothouse, has earned its place among the world's top pleasure boat builders through hard work, integrity, and a dedication to quality. catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht