1984 Tayana 55 Boat in Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 US
55
1 Engine (Perkins)
55 feet
Diesel
Fiberglass/Reinforced
The Tayana 55 represents an era when offshore yachts were built with uncompromising strength, elegant proportions, and genuine blue water capability. Designed for serious passage making and crafted with the robust construction standards that made Tayana legendary among circumnavigators, the Tayana 55 remains one of the most respected world-cruising yachts ever built. Every detail reflects the philosophy of enduring quality - from her heavily-laid fiberglass hull and solid teak joinery to the practical deck layout designed for confident handling in all conditions.
Conceived as a true long-range cruising yacht capable of crossing oceans in safety and comfort, "Kuma's" moderate displacement and deep forefoot provide a remarkably comfortable motion at sea, while the cutter rig offers exceptional balance and versatility across a wide range of wind conditions.
She tracks with authority offshore, inspires confidence in heavy weather, and rewards sailors with effortless mile-eating performance. Her protected center cockpit provides excellent visibility and security while underway, while the yacht's directional stability makes her particularly well-suited for self-steering systems and short-handed voyages.
This is a yacht built not for marina hopping, but for Alaska, the South Pacific, Cape Horn, or a trade-wind crossing to the Caribbean.
Step below and the Tayana 55 reveals the craftsmanship that established Tayana's reputation worldwide. Rich teak cabinetry, hand-finished joinery, solid doors, and beautifully fitted interiors create an atmosphere more reminiscent of a traditional yacht club than a modern production boat.
Unlike many contemporary designs, the Tayana was built with longevity in mind. Heavy-duty systems, substantial tankage, oversized hardware, and thoughtful engineering make the vessel not only beautiful, but eminently practical for extended cruising or liveaboard life.
The interior layout offers exceptional livability, with generous accommodations for owners and guests alike. A spacious salon provides warmth and comfort underway or at anchor, while the well-equipped galley is designed for sustained offshore use. Multiple private staterooms including a generous owner's stateroom aft with centerline queen berth ensure comfortable long-term cruising and living aboard.
"Kuma" is a capable ocean home, a passage maker, and a yacht built for sailors who appreciate heritage, craftsmanship, and the romance of true offshore cruising.
For those seeking a vessel of substance, character, and proven blue water pedigree, the Tayana 55 remains one of the finest cruising yachts of her generation.
Design Background:
The Tayana 55 was designed by Dutch Naval Architect Pieter Beeldsnijder, who brought a distinctly European influence in the design. Compared with earlier Taiwan-built cruising boats that leaned heavily toward full-keel traditionalism, the Tayana 55 combined classic offshore aesthetics with more modern underbody thinking; a fin keel, a skeg-hung rudder, better balance under sail, and stronger light-air performance. His designs are known for elegant and timeless proportions, strong offshore capability, comfortable motion at sea, efficient use of interior volume and refined detailing and practical cruising layouts. The Tayana 55 became one of the signature examples of the "golden age" of high-quality Taiwanese yacht building in the 1980's. Only about 65 were built, making them a scarce commodity on the used boat market.
Builder Background:
Founded in 1973 by the Chen Family of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Ta Yang translates roughly to 'big ocean' and the Ta Yang Yacht Building Company developed one of the strongest reputations of any Asian yacht builder of the 1980s. What made them different was that they were never really a mass-production builder in the modern sense. Their boats were closer to semi-custom yachts. Buyers could work with them to specify layouts, systems, rigs and interior finishes and they became known as one of the premium builders alongside names like Ta Shing and Queen Long. The Tayana 55 in particular represented the yard at its peak. Introduced in the early 1980s it was intended as a flagship-level offshore cruiser with more refined sailing performance than earlier heavy double-enders.
"Kuma" has been well cared for by her owners and is the beneficiary of many upgrades and an extensive equipment list.
Highlights include:
- Decks removed and replaced with new bonded 5/8" teak planking in 2001 and reconditioned in 2021
- Sails and standing rigging replaced in 2021
- A 2025 survey onboard and available for review by serious buyers
- Hard to find assumable moorage on Bainbridge Island
- Onboard scuba tank compressor
- Immersion suits
Electronics:
- AIS: Furuno GP-32 (2023).
- Autopilot: 2 units - Robertson AP300X plus repeater in Salon.
- Compass: Ritchie.
- Computer: Built into Nav Station.
- Depth sounder: Raymarine.
- Flat Screen TV
- GPS: 3 units.
- Log-Knotmeter
- Navigation Station Plotter: NavNet C-Map NT MAX.
- Radar: Furuno 36 mile.
- Radio: Furuno - HF-155-B.
- Repeater(s): I70s Raymarine
- VHF: IC-M-604.
- Wi-Fi: Booster unit in Salon.
- Wind Speed and Direction
Rigging:
- The standing rigging was replaced in 2021 and features heavy-duty stainless-steel stays with mechanical terminals for ease of inspection and replacement while out cruising;
- Spinnaker Poles
- Steering Wheel with Leather wrap
Inside Equipment:
- Air Conditioning
- Battery Charger
- Deep Freezer
- Electric Bilge Pump
- Fresh Water Maker
- Heating
- Hot Water
- Manual Bilge Pump
- Marine Head
- Microwave Oven
- Oven
- Refrigerator
- Sea Water Pump
Outside Equipment
- Cockpit Shower
- Cockpit Table
- Davit(s)
- Outboard Engine Brackets
- Radar Reflector
- Swimming Ladder
- Teak Cockpit
- Teak Sidedecks
Covers:
- Bimini Top: 2021
- Cockpit Cover: 2022
- Mainsail Cover
Electrical Equipment:
- Generator: Onan 8 MD80 (3,138 hrs)
- Inverter: Heart Interface Panel
- Shore Power Inlet (30a)
Accommodations:
Gorgeous teak hatch boards welcome you to the main salon. Steps from the cockpit put you right at the navigation station to port. This is a VERY spacious main salon with custom solid teak table to port behind the nav station. The table can extend out to seat additional crew for meals.
To Starboard is the additional settee and 32-inch Samsung tv, Sony AM/FM CD Player with 10-disc CD changer which feeds speakers in Main Salon and Cockpit.
The vessel features 3 cabins, 3 heads. Lee cloths for offshore passages are fitted to berths.
The forward Starboard Cabin is laid out with lower berth and an upper berth outboard.
The forward Port Cabin has a double berth and head situated forward. A custom chart storage was built to accommodate paper charts along the inboard bulkhead.
Sail locker is forward of the starboard side quarter berth, as well as access for the anchor locker.
The Galley is along the starboard side passage just aft and a step down from the Main Salon.
Owner's Stateroom is a gorgeous centerline berth, full beam just aft of the Galley. It also includes a sea berth/settee to starboard as you enter the stateroom and counter space along the port side.
To port forward of the double berth is the ensuite head and shower.
Lockers surrounding the stateroom provide excellent storage for extensive cruising.
Galley:
The Galley was upgraded in 2011 with granite counters that match the oval table in the salon. Cold plate storage for food as well as crisper and fresh food storage is abundant.
- Fridge-Freezer system - Grunert 115v with holding plates. Additionally, a complete set of spare holding plates is included with the vessel. This includes pressure gauges and spare bottle of refrigerant to top up your system.
- Fresh water making capability is provided by the Village Marine 400 gallon per day system.
- Double sink, bright port lights, stainless counter over the aft galley counter.
- The aft end of the Galley Counter houses the freezer below the stainless countertop.
- Additional insulation for the cold locker below counter helps improve performance
Center Cockpit:
The 8ft+ cockpit is well protected by a dodger and Bimini providing protection from the sun and elements.
The Bimini is affixed aft to a custom 2" stainless steel bar which provides a secure additional hand hold/support.
Cockpit Electronics include:
- Autohelm wind, depth speed and remote GPS display instrument system with remote at nav station below.
- Furuno 1834C 36-mile color Radar/Plotter mounted in custom lockable aluminum enclosure in cockpit - centerline over companionway facing aft to the helm.
- Probe forward Scanning Depth Sounder in cockpit.
- Two Simrad autopilots with spare hydraulic ram with control heads in cockpit and at nav station.
- Icom M601 and M403 VHF radio with command mic in cockpit.
- 4 new Raymarine instruments at the helm electronics pod.
- Ritchie compass with new glass. Rebuilt in 2020 - looks new!
Cushioned seating on both port and starboard sides completes the cockpit.
The port seats lift up giving access to the standup engine room below decks.
Covers for winches.
Navigation Electronics:
The Nav station provides secure seating underway for the navigator to access the Main Electrical Panel, the Nav Computer, Nav Repeaters, Main Electrical Breakers, and Onan Remote Start Panel, Radios and monitor batteries. Other instrumentation includes:
- RayNav Multi Repeater display for wind/depth/speed.
- Icom M802 SSB radio with Pactor III e-mail modem.
- Kenwood 602 Ham Radio.
- Simrad color AIS Class B transponder (new late 2022).
- Remote 7" display for Furuno Radar/Plotter.
- 2 Furuno 394 GPS units with remote display in cockpit and 1 Garmin GPS at nav station (Total of 5 GPS units aboard).
- 2 Amp hour meters for monitoring four banks of T -145 Trojan six-volt house batteries
- Icom MA-510TR AIS - (2023).
- Remote controller/monitor for Xantrex 2000-watt inverter. (also has spare inverter/charger) .
- Bilge pump switch with counters, High and Low water.
- AC/DC panels with breakers.
- Built in Dell Computer with 18 inch flat screen display. Comes with 23,000+ C-Map electronic Charts of the world.
- Electrical Panel - Color coded Orange for AC circuits and Red for DC circuits
Sails:
The sails are all heavy-duty Dacron by Rolly Tasker built in Thailand and include:
- 120% genoa on roller furling
- Staysail on roller furling
- 11oz mainsail with three reef points with Harken Batt car system
- Lazy Jacks
- A spare North blast reacher for up wind passages.
- Two tri-radial spinnakers: a 1 & 3/4 oz and a 1oz for downwind running
Sail handling equipment
- Aluminum spinnaker pole and an aluminum Forespar whisker pole mounted on deck.
- Spinnaker reaching strut is mounted on the stanchions.
- ProFurl Nl52 and a LCI42 furlers and standing rigging were installed during the major refit in 2000-2001 of the Cutter Rig's 2 roller furlers.
- Rigging terminals are mechanical Staylock type
- Split back stay is insulated and serves as the SSB and Ham radio antenna.
Note: Brand new set of Sails since 2021. Main, Jib, Staysail
Winches:
Winches: 12 total
Cockpit:
- 2 Lewmar ST65 Genoa.
- 2 Lewmar 48ST Secondaries.
- 2 Lewmar 48ST Main Sheet (new in 2000) and 1 Lewmar 43ST traveler winch.
Mast:
- 2 Lewmar 43 self-tailers.
- 2 Lewmar 40.
- Lewmar 40 self-tailing reefing winch.
Running Rigging:
All running rigging is in very good condition. Running back stays are secured forward when not in use by line controls from the cockpit.
Deck Equipment:
In 2001 the original teak decks were removed and replaced with brand new 5/8-inch teak planking rather than the standard 1/2 inch. The teak was bonded onto the fiberglass subdeck without the use of screws to prevent leaks. Current condition is very good.
In 2020-2021 teak decks were reconditioned and appear to be in excellent condition.
Additional Features & Equipment:
- Mounted on the aft deck are two large fiberglass deck boxes; the 8-person Avon life raft canister and two Igloo ice chests. All these items have their own Sunbrella covers.
- The aft deck features 2 opening deck hatches.
- Two fender boards are secured in stainless steel mounts on the aft starboard stanchions. These mounts are suitable for carrying a surfboard/paddle board as well.
- On the aft port side is a radar pole/outboard hoist for the two outboards:
- 2012, 9.9hp Mercury - with hour meter - 50 hrs+ reported; and a 2000 15hp Yamaha which are mounted on the stern rail. Less than 30 hrs reported - with hour meter.
- Aft Deck Locker - this hatch centerline houses dive tank storage and room for additional storage of lines, etc.
- Stern shower on swim step.
Port Lights and Hatches:
All eight deck hatches are Guiot cast aluminum with Lexan lenses replaced in 2001. 1 fore hatch opens to the sail locker; 2 hatches open into each forward stateroom; 2 hatches open into the main salon: 2 hatches open into the aft master stateroom, and 1 large hatch opens into the aft lazarette.
The hull & cockpit have 17 Guiot portlights which are equipped with one half inch Lexan storm cover lenses in addition to the original lenses producing an exceptionally seaworthy watertight system.
Engine Room:
The engine can be accessed through the port cockpit lazarette via a ladder. A small work bench in the engine space with a vice provides a practical area for maintenance and repair projects while underway.
A dive compressor is located outboard of the engine and there is standing headroom to the port side of the engine.
Excellent Service Access is possible to all sides of the engine:
- Port side of the engine is serviceable from the engine room.
- Starboard side is accessed behind the pantry in the galley.
- Forward side access is available from the panels behind the main salon stairs.
- Aft access is from the Owner's stateroom.
The Dometic hot water system can be heated from the engine, or electric.
The Onan 8kw generator is below the work bench. This has a new starter and fuel solenoid. In addition, a spare starter and fuel pump is part of the extensive spare parts inventory onboard.
The Perkins 130 hp engine has been serviced and documented very well by the prior owners who had tremendous experience and a deep knowledge of this engine and how to keep it in top shape. Their documentation shows this attention to detail and the extensive spares list allows a new owner to learn these parts early on and have on hand if service is needed without hunting down manuals for part numbers and sourcing them.
A Direct Drive shaft with Aquadrive turns a 3 blade MaxProp (Serviced 2021).
Generator and Charging System:
- The genset is an Onan 8Kw unit with sound shield. Start-up is on the unit itself in the engine room with remote start panel in at the Nav Station outboard behind the ships chart monitor. Main Battery breakers are also located at the Nav Station, as well as Shore to Generator switch.
- A Xantrex 2000 Inverter is located at the Nav Station. Included is a spare 2000 watt inverter/battery charger.
- DC System: T-145 deep cycle batteries (8) for 1,000 amp hours in four independent banks.
- 200 amp hour start battery.
Charging for batteries is: shore power, the (2) 120-amp engine alternators, or the Onan 8kw genset.
AC System:
- Shore power 110v 30a or the 8kw genset provides power.
- For international voyages a 3Kva step-down transformer 220V to 110V is located in the aft lazarette for marinas with 220/50 cycle service.
Both AC and DC panels are mounted at the Nav Station. A smaller remote panel indicator for the starting battery condition is also in the Owner's Stateroom next to the berth.
New since 2020:
- Full Set of Sails - Main, Jib, Staysail (2023).
- Rocna Anchor - Galvanized 73 lb.
- 3.5-gal Alum fuel tank under dingy seat (2023).
- Fuel filter in dingy to engine.
- New Bimini (2021) and Dodger (2022)- with windshield covers.
- Onan generator service 2024.
- New Fuel solenoid in 2024 - with spare.
- Icom 510 AIS in 2022 integrated with chart plotter and computer displays.
- Deck Paint in 2020- shows very well.
- Rebuilt Injectors and high-pressure pump.
- 2023 New running backs and furling lines replaced.
Inventory & Owner Exclusions:
Personal Art and small items excluded.
Most tools will go with the vessel including extensive spares for most onboard systems.
A large array of charts worldwide is also available.
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
Price History
| Date | Event | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 6/11/26 | Initial price | $189,000 |
1984 Tayana 55 Video Tours
Overview from around the web 1984 Tayana 55
The 1984 Tayana 55 has garnered praise from numerous owners and sailing enthusiasts for its classic design and robust performance on the water
Here are some common themes highlighted in customer feedback: 1. Build Quality: Many owners appreciate the solid construction of the Tayana 55, often noting that the fiberglass hull and attention to detail in craftsmanship contribute to its durability and seaworthiness. 2. Comfort and Space: The interior layout is frequently described as spacious and comfortable, with ample room for living aboard. Customers enjoy the well-appointed cabins, generous storage options, and a functional galley, making it an ideal choice for long voyages. 3. Sailing Performance: Sailors have commended the Tayana 55 for its impressive sailing characteristics. It handles well in various conditions, offering a smooth ride and stability that instills confidence in both novice and experienced sailors. 4. Aesthetic Appeal: The classic lines and elegant design of the Tayana 55 are often highlighted, with many owners appreciating its timeless aesthetics that remain appealing even decades after its initial launch. 5. Community and Support: Many owners mention the supportive community surrounding the Tayana brand, with a wealth of resources and fellow enthusiasts available to share advice, modifications, and cruising experiences. Overall, the 1984 Tayana 55 is celebrated for its combination of craftsmanship, comfort, and sailing performance, making it a treasured vessel for many sailors.
The Biggest Pros and Cons
Pros
Quality Construction: The Tayana 55 is renowned for its durable and high-quality craftsmanship, featuring solid fiberglass construction and a traditional design that withstands the test of time.
Spacious Interior: With a generous layout, the boat offers ample living space, including multiple cabins, a well-equipped galley, and comfortable saloon, making it ideal for extended sailing trips or liveaboard lifestyles.
Performance: The Tayana 55 is designed for both comfort and performance, with a balanced hull that provides excellent sailing capabilities. It handles well in various sea conditions, making it a favorite among cruising sailors.
Long-Range Cruising: The boat's robust build and substantial fuel and water tankage make it suitable for long-range cruising, allowing for extended voyages without frequent stops.
Customization Options: Many Tayana 55s are equipped with various upgrades and customizations from previous owners, giving buyers a range of features, finishes, and setups to choose from.
Cons
Age Considerations: Being a 1984 model, potential buyers should be aware that some components may need updating or replacement due to aging, which can incur additional costs.
Weight: The sturdy construction, while a positive, also means the Tayana 55 can be on the heavier side. This may affect its speed and maneuverability compared to lighter modern cruising yachts.
Maintenance Requirements: Older boats often require more upkeep, and the Tayana 55 is no exception. Regular maintenance of its systems and fittings is necessary to ensure optimal performance.
Narrower Market: As a classic model, the Tayana 55 may appeal to a niche market, which could affect resale potential compared to more contemporary designs.
Limited Modern Features: Depending on the specific boat, some may lack modern amenities and technologies found in newer models, which could be a consideration for those accustomed to contemporary conveniences.
Made For
The 1984 Tayana 55 is designed for discerning sailors and adventurers who seek a blend of performance, comfort, and classic aesthetic in a bluewater cruising yacht. This boat is ideal for seasoned sailors looking for a robust, ocean-capable vessel that can tackle long passages while providing a spacious and inviting living environment. With its generous interior layout, the Tayana 55 accommodates families or small groups, making it perfect for those who enjoy extended cruising or liveaboard lifestyles. The combination of ample storage, well-thought-out amenities, and a fully equipped galley ensures that both sailing enthusiasts and casual cruisers can appreciate the experience on board. Additionally, its timeless design and handcrafted finishes appeal to those who appreciate the artistry of traditional boating, while its strong construction and reliable performance attract sailors who prioritize safety and durability. Whether you're planning a leisurely journey along the coast or an ambitious ocean crossing, the 1984 Tayana 55 is the perfect companion for your nautical adventures.
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Contact Olympic View Yachts about 1984 Tayana 55
Liberty Bay Marina, 17791 Fjord Drive NE, Suite # 210, Poulsbo, WA, 98370











