I think I have identified some choices that fit my budget and expectations:

Tayana 37- Great selection available; and they seem to be quite nicely laid
out.
Valiant 40- Not so many out there, but what is available is very reasonably
priced.
Pacific Seacraft 34/37- Available, but expensive. Cabin layout is a bit
spare.
Ta Shing Panda 38- I really like this boat, teak decks notwithstanding. Not
many out there, but it has great appeal.

I'll be taking a close, on-board look at the Pacific Seacraft and the Tayana
tomorrow morning; here are the links to the boats: (include the "&" in the
url)

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...17&slim=quick&

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...34&slim=quick&

The Panda just seems like an awfully nice boat. I wish there were one
available here...

Thoughts/opinions are certainly welcome!!

Wendy

Of the four boats you have listed, IMFO, the Pacific Seacraft, then the
Tayana. I could be wronng but I think the Panda was built in the same yard
as the Tayana. In either case or if you go with the others, Find a good
surveyor who is working for you and has you interests in mind.. Don't ever
go with a survey provided by the seller or with a surveyor who is
recommended by the broker..

Ask around among friends in your area and make sure he is into sail boats..
(I once had a surveyor, recommended by my insurance co. who had never owned,
operated or been underway on any kind of boat.. Worked in a boat yard for 8
years.)

Anyway, once you find a surveyor that you can trust to do a good job, tell
him/her what you concerns are (teak decks, hull or deck core saturation or
seperation, hull blisters, etc). If the surveyor knows you have these
concerns, he will have a hard time ignoring them (as some do).

However, I guess it's too early to be considering survyors..


--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Steve wrote:
I could be wronng but I think the Panda was built in the same yard
as the Tayana.

The Panda was built by the Ta Shing yard who also made the Baba,
Tashiba, Taswell, and (I think) Mason lines. The Tayana was a
different yard (Ta Yang?). We have a Baba 30 and love it. The
construction is outstanding. Any issues with these boats will be
most likely caused by previous owners.

Cindy


--
the return email is a spam trap
send legit emails to cindy_at_ballreich_dot_net

Thanks for the correction Cindy.

The Bruce Bingham Fantasia was also built by the Ta Yang yard.

Interesting how these Tiawan boats are still around and enjoy a good
reputation. There was much skepticism when they started competing with the
Cheoy Lee and US made boats.

If I'm not mistaken, Pacific Seacraft is now having their boats built in
Tiawan. I was told that they build the plug, mold and the first hull in the
US and then turn over production to the Off Shore yard.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Steve wrote:

Interesting how these Tiawan boats are still around and enjoy a good
reputation. There was much skepticism when they started competing with the
Cheoy Lee and US made boats.

Well, there are yards and then there are yards, if you know what
I mean. As we looked for our boat we saw a lot of asian built
boats that were terribly constructed. Of course we also saw a
couple of North American boats that were victims of poor
construction (Valiant 32?) As I said, we've been very happy with
the construction on our Baba. Ta Shing builds a nice boat. If we
ever move to a bigger boat, we'll probably consider a Panda or a
Tashiba.

Cindy

--
the return email is a spam trap
send legit emails to cindy_at_ballreich_dot_net

as a "general rule" boats built in Taiwan have a terrible repuation for
quality, with certain specific boats excepted. You need to ask around.

generally, all the hulls were good, but a lot of them were built with
inappropriate materials (interior grade plywood, screws hammered in, screws
instead od bolts, no backing plates, wooden masts that fell apart, wrong
strainless steel used, etc.) You need to ask around, for some -- not as many
as you might hope -- Taiwanese boats were excellent. Most were not.

Interesting how these Tiawan boats are still around and enjoy a good
reputation. There was much skepticism when they started competing with the
Cheoy Lee and US made boats.

Well, there are yards and then there are yards, if you know what
I mean. As we looked for our boat we saw a lot of asian built
boats that were terribly constructed. Of course we also saw a
couple of North American boats that were victims of poor
construction (Valiant 32?) As I said, we've been very happy with
the construction on our Baba. Ta Shing builds a nice boat. If we
ever move to a bigger boat, we'll probably consider a Panda or a
Tashiba.

Cindy

--
the return email is a spam trap
send legit emails to cindy_at_ballreich_dot_net

as a "general rule" boats built in Taiwan have a terrible repuation for
quality, with certain specific boats excepted. You need to ask around.

generally, all the hulls were good, but a lot of them were built with
inappropriate materials (interior grade plywood, screws hammered in, screws
instead od bolts, no backing plates, wooden masts that fell apart, wrong
strainless steel used, etc.) You need to ask around, for some -- not as many
as you might hope -- Taiwanese boats were excellent. Most were not.

Interesting how these Tiawan boats are still around and enjoy a good
reputation. There was much skepticism when they started competing with the
Cheoy Lee and US made boats.

Well, there are yards and then there are yards, if you know what
I mean. As we looked for our boat we saw a lot of asian built
boats that were terribly constructed. Of course we also saw a
couple of North American boats that were victims of poor
construction (Valiant 32?) As I said, we've been very happy with
the construction on our Baba. Ta Shing builds a nice boat. If we
ever move to a bigger boat, we'll probably consider a Panda or a
Tashiba.

Cindy

--
the return email is a spam trap
send legit emails to cindy_at_ballreich_dot_net

Steve wrote:

Interesting how these Tiawan boats are still around and enjoy a good
reputation. There was much skepticism when they started competing with the
Cheoy Lee and US made boats.

Well, there are yards and then there are yards, if you know what
I mean. As we looked for our boat we saw a lot of asian built
boats that were terribly constructed. Of course we also saw a
couple of North American boats that were victims of poor
construction (Valiant 32?) As I said, we've been very happy with
the construction on our Baba. Ta Shing builds a nice boat. If we
ever move to a bigger boat, we'll probably consider a Panda or a
Tashiba.

Cindy

--
the return email is a spam trap
send legit emails to cindy_at_ballreich_dot_net

Pacific Seacraft builds their boats completely at their facility in Southern
California, from molds through to the to finish work. It's a great shop,
but since I had them build me my PSC44 (hull #16) a couple of years ago, I'm
kinda biased. I sail out of Sausalito (San Francisco Bay), took her to
Hawaii and back last summer, and love the boat.

-Paul
(s/v VALIS)

"Steve" wrote in message
...

Thanks for the correction Cindy.

The Bruce Bingham Fantasia was also built by the Ta Yang yard.

Interesting how these Tiawan boats are still around and enjoy a good
reputation. There was much skepticism when they started competing with the
Cheoy Lee and US made boats.

If I'm not mistaken, Pacific Seacraft is now having their boats built in
Tiawan. I was told that they build the plug, mold and the first hull in
the
US and then turn over production to the Off Shore yard.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Paul, I think that may have changed or changed for certain models..

I wish I could lay my hands on that information but what I came across was
was a Pachific Seacraft that was for sail.. (I review a hundred listing a
month, when I don't have anything better to do.) It was touted as Hull #1
(first out of the mold) prior to the mold being shipped over to Tiawan for
the ultimate production run..

As it was explained to me, the plug and mold were made in the PS, So Cal.
facilities and then the hull and deck fit tested etc. The interior pattern
bulkhead and cabinetry patterns are also developed in So Cal., everything
until the first hull is completed and sea trialed... Kind of a test and
trial project. After that, the molds and patterns were sent to Tiawan..

Now, this may have been a boat that PS ultimately decided they didn't want
to put into production, with their name on it and sold the production rights
to a Tiawan yard.

The advert/listing for this boat high lighted the fact that this was hull #1
and was produced at PacSeacraft while all others were from Tiawan..

I'm not saying that any other Pac. Seacraft boats are made over in Tiawan.
But there seems to be at least on model that was..

Pacific Seacraft, IMHO, is one of the best in quality. Right up there with
Shannon which I also like..

BTW.. Someone mentioned that Crealock was the primary designer of the PS
boats.. Bruce Bingham did some of the smaller boats and may have had a hand
in some of the nice interior designs of others.

--
My opinion and experience. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions