Hi: It's now 2020 and I'm entering my fifth season with my KhaShing 40, "Alameda Star" Here are some macro comments:
1. The boat is very well made and most systems are accessible. I've had to re-bed a few ports, including the main salon windows, which I consider standard maintenance items for a vessel approaching 40 years old. The glasswork behind the ports is nicely finished and impressive, they didn't skimp. The boat has no leaks and my boat came from the factory with fiberglass nonskid decks. The wiring is beautifully laid out and the electric system is robust.
2. The Volvos are fantastic and miserly. They have been the most reliable engines I've ever had on a boat and now have 2400 hrs. I've had a mechanic replace some cooling system gaskets, a water pump, and temp sensor. I had to replace the hydraulic steering station in the flybridge but that had nothing to do with the engines. Regular maintenance includes oil changes, filter changes, etc. They start right up and are quiet. These engines are Volvo-TAMD30A (165hp/turbos). At cruise (2000-2100 rpm) they sip fuel, about 1.5 gallon per hour per engine. Amazing!!!!
3. The KhaShing is very easily handled due to the twin screw arrangement. She actually does not have that much windage (I don't use the enclosure for the sundeck) and is simple to dock. I operate her in SF Bay where is can get boisterous, but she's basically a battleship and just plows through. She doesn't like it on the beam, but I knew that going in. She's slow 7-10kts depending on the current. I don't care because I have had sailboats so this is like warp speed for me. She is very very comfortable underway and exceptionally quiet.
4. The admiral, my wife, loves the boat. Her favorite so far (...we used to have a Grand Banks 32). She loves the cabin and the sundeck. The only problem is that I also have a Downeast 38 sailboat and I can't get her to go out on that anymore!! The KhaShing 40 is fantastic for entertaining. Mine is the two cabin arrangement with a down galley forward so all the spaces are "adult" sized. The joiner work is gorgeous..in fact, I immediately re-bedded the ports so that there would be no water damage on the interior wood.
5. The gelcoat is amazing for 40 years. While the color is a little dated, cream, it retains great shine with just regular waxing. There is just enough teak on the outside to look nice, but it only takes two hours to revarnish twice a year.
6. There are some oddities worth noting. The upper flybridge controls are not synched with the lower station, in fact, the upper controls lock out the lower controls. This is fine once you're used to it, but can be quite disturbing for the uninitiated. The hatches and ports are all. of a very high quality stainless, but the life stanions are not the same quality and they seem to rust. The swim platform is fiberglass over teak...odd and probably saturated with water at this point. These complaints are minor.
Overall the KhaShing 40 is excellent and since they don't have brand recognition they are of tremendous value in today's market!
