columbia 27 sailboat review

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Columbia 27, vic, 598 posts.

Hi folks; I'm new to this forum and newish to keelboats, hope you can help. I keep hearing conflicting things about Columbia 27's While some say they are pretty hopeless, go sideways in a blow etc, I've also heard others say that they are surprisingly good, and their bad rep is due to them frequently being "first boats" sailed by newbies, poorly trimmed with baggy sails etc. I guess I'd like to hear from anyone who has sailed one of these out on the blue in a decent blow, and sailed some distance upwind. Tks

12311 posts

QLD, 12311 posts

Ta Cisco; The evidence against the Columbia 27 keeps mounting each time I talk to someone, so it's pretty much dropped off the list. Shame, as there's a really nice one listed with the broker at Sandringham complete with mooring. I sailed it and was impressed with the package - just not the right boat. Currently planning to look at a couple of Top Hats - they seem like a pretty good place to start for the price: smalll but allegedly pretty bulletproof in big blow.

"Columbia 27" started by wongaga

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Columbia 27

The columbia 27 is a 26.67ft masthead sloop designed by william tripp jr. and built in fiberglass by columbia yachts since 1970..

The Columbia 27 is a moderate weight sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is very stable / stiff and has a good righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a coastal cruiser.

Columbia 27 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Five classic (and affordable) fiberglass mid-sized cruising boats

By: Pat Reynolds Cruising Tips , Sailboats

We have chosen to omit the word “top” from this headline. There are so many cruising boats and so many opinions, anointing rank is probably not a good idea. However, these boats are definitely very popular for good reason and worth singling out for their virtues.

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• Sailboat Reviews

Affordable Cruising Sailboats

Practical sailor reviews nine used boats over 35 feet and under $75,000..

In a search for a budget cruiser, Practical Sailor examined a field of used sailboats costing less than $75K and built between 1978 and 1984. We narrowed the field to boats with sufficient accommodations for four people and a draft of less than 6 feet. One way to approach a used-boat search is to look for sailboats with informed, active owners associations and high resale values. Practical Sailor’s quest for recession-proof cruisers led us to the Allied Princess 36, Bristol 35.5C, Endeavour 37, S2 11.0, Freedom 36, ODay 37, Niagara 35, C&C Landfall 38, and the Tartan 37. The report takes a more in-depth look at the Tartan, C&C Landfall, and Niagara.

Let’s say you’re looking to buy a boat for summer cruising along the coastal U.S. or on the Great Lakes, one that, when the time is right, is also capable of taking you safely and efficiently to Baja or the Bahamas, and perhaps even island-hopping from Miami to the West Indies. Like most of us, your budget is limited, so a new boat is out of the question. Let’s set more specifics:

• Passes a thorough survey by a respected surveyor and has been upgraded to meet current equipment and safety standards. (These are old boats, after all, prone to all sorts of potentially serious problems.)
• Fun to sail inshore (which means not too heavy and not too big).
• Sufficient accommodations and stowage to cruise four people for two weeks.
• Popular model (active owners support group for help and camaraderie) with decent resale value
• Under $75,000.
• Monohull (multihulls violate the price cap, anyway).
• Draft of less than 6 feet (for the islands, mon).

In the February 2008 issue, we examined 30-footers from the 1970s , which is just above the minimum length for the Big Three: standing headroom, enclosed head, and inboard engine. Too small, however, to satisfy our new criteria. So we need to jump up in size. As we culled through the possibilities, we found a fairly narrow range of boat lengths and vintages that satisfy the criteria. Of course, there always are exceptions, but basically it is this: 35- to 38-footers built between 1978 and 1984. Bigger or newer boats that meet our criteria cost more than $75,000.

Heres the list of nine models we came up with: Allied Princess 36, Bristol 35.5C, C&C Landfall 38, Endeavour 37, Freedom 36, Niagara 35, ODay 37, S2 11.0, and the Tartan 37. All were built by reputable companies in the U.S. or Canada, with underwater configurations ranging from full keels with attached rudders to fin keels and spade rudders. Displacements are mostly moderate.

Below we present notes on six of the finalists. Details of our 3 favorites are linked to the right of this page.

ALLIED PRINCESS 36

Allied Yachts developed an excellent line of cruising sailboats in the 1960s, including the first fiberglass boat to circumnavigate, the Seawind 30 ketch, which later was expanded to the 32-foot Seawind II. The handsome Luders 33 was the boat in which teenager Robin Lee Graham completed his historic circumnavigation. Arthur Edmunds designed the full-keel Princess 36 aft-cockpit ketch and the larger Mistress 39 center-cockpit ketch. None of these boats are fancily finished, but the fiberglass work is solid and well executed. They’re ocean-worthy, and affordable. The Princess 36 was in production from roughly 1972 to 1982. Wed look for a later model year; prices are under $50,000.

BRISTOL 35.5C

Bristol Yachts was founded by Clint Pearson, after he left Pearson Yachts in 1964. His early boats were Ford and Chevy quality, good but plainly finished, like the Allieds. Over the years this changed, so that by the late 1970s and early 1980s, his boats were between Buicks and Cadillacs in overall quality. This includes the Ted Hood-designed 35.5C. Its a centerboarder with a draft from 3 feet, 9 inches board up to 9 feet, 6 inches board down; a keel version also was available (named without the “C”).The solid fiberglass hull was laid up in two halves and then joined on centerline. It had an inward-turning flange on the hull, superior to the more common shoebox hull-to-deck joint. The 35.5C is very good in light air, but tender in a breeze. Pick one up for around $60,000.

ENDEAVOUR 37

The Endeavour Yacht Corp. was founded in 1974, and its first model was a 32-footer, built in molds given to it by Ted Irwin. Yup, the Endeavour 32 has the same hull as the Irwin 32. Its second model was the Endeavour 37, based on a smaller, little known Lee Creekmore hull that was cut in half and extended. Its not the prettiest boat in the world, and not very fast, but heavily built. Owners report no structural problems with the single-skin laminate hull. It has a long, shoal-draft keel and spade rudder. What helped popularize the Endeavour 37 was the choice of layouts: an aft cabin with a quarter berth, a V-berth and quarterberth, and a (rare) two aft-cabin model. Production ended after 1983. Prices are around $50,000.

After the Halsey Herreshoff-designed Freedom 40 that reintroduced the idea of unstayed spars, several other designers were commissioned to develop the model line-up. These included David Pedrick and Gary Mull; the latter drew the Freedom 36, in production from about 1986 to 1989. While the early and larger Freedoms were ketch rigged, models like the 36 were sloops, which were less costly to build and easier to handle. To improve upwind performance, a vestigial, self-tacking jib was added. Thats the main appeal of these boats: tacking is as easy as turning the wheel. The 36s hull is balsa-cored, as is the deck. Balsa adds tremendous stiffness, and reduces weight, which improves performance. The downside: Core rot near the partners on this boat could lead to a dismasting and costly hull damage. Interior finishing is above average. These boats sell right at our price break: low to mid-$70s.

This low-profile family sloop was second only to the ODay 40 in size of boats built by ODay under its various owners. Founded by Olympic gold-medalist George ODay to build one-designs and family daysailers, subsequent ownership expanded into trailer sailers and small- to medium-size coastal cruisers. Like the others, the 37 was designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates. The center-cockpit is a bit unusual but some prefer it. The cruising fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder are well suited to shallow-water cruising, and the generous beam provides good form stability. The hull is solid fiberglass, and the deck is cored with balsa. Owners report it is well balanced and forgiving. Early 1980s models are on the market for less than $40,000.

Built in Holland, Mich., the S2 sailboat line emerged in 1973 when owner Leon Slikkers sold his powerboat company, Slickcraft, to AMF and had to sign a no-compete agreement. The 11.0 was the largest model, introduced in 1977. The designer was Arthur Edmunds, who also drew the Allied Princess 36, though the two are very different. Edmunds resisted some of the bumps and bulges indicative of the International Offshore Rule (IOR), but still gave the 11.0 fine ends, and a large foretriangle. Two accommodation plans were offered: an aft cockpit with conventional layout of V-berth, saloon, and quarter berth and galley flanking the companionway; and an unusual center-cockpit layout with V-berth forward immediately followed by opposing settees, and then galley and head more or less under the cockpit. The master suite is in the aft cabin, of course. The hull is solid fiberglass and includes the molded keel cavity for internal ballast; the deck is balsa-cored. Overall construction quality is rated above average. Prices range from about $30,000 to $50,000.

NIAGARA 35: a handsome cruiser with Hinterhoeller quality.

Austria-born George Hinterhoeller emigrated to Canada in the 1950s and began doing what he did all his life: build boats, first out of wood, then fiberglass composites. He was one of four partners who formed C&C Yachts in 1969. He left in 1975 to again form his own company, Hinterhoeller Yachts. The company built two distinct model lines: the better known Nonsuch line of cruising boats with unstayed catboat rigs, and the Niagara line. About 300 Niagara 35s were built between 1978 and 1995.

Canadian naval architect Mark Ellis designed the Niagara 35 as well as all of the Nonsuch models. He gave the 35 a beautiful, classic sheer with generous freeboard in the bow, swooping aft to a low point roughly at the forward end of the cockpit, and then rising slightly to the stern. The classic influence also is seen in the relatively long overhangs; todays trend is to lengthen the waterline as much as possible, with near plumb bows, discounting the old belief that overhangs were necessary for reserve buoyancy. So the Niagara 35 has a somewhat shorter waterline than the others in our group of nine, but as the hull heels, the overhangs immerse and sailing length increases. The short waterline also accounts for the 35s moderately high displacement/length ratio of 329. There is a direct correlation between the D/L and volume in the hull, and for a cruising boat, there must be sufficient space for tanks and provisions. Unfortunately, tankage in the 35 isn’t that much: 80 gallons water, 30 gallons diesel fuel, and 25 gallons holding tank.

The cruising fin keel is long enough for the boat to dry out on its own bottom should the need arise, like drying out against a seawall in Bali to paint the bottom. (Sorry-just dreaming!) The spade rudder seems a little unusual for a cruiser. When asked about it, Ellis said that it provides superior control to a skeg-mounted rudder, and that skegs, which are supposed to protect the rudder, often aren’t built strong enough to do the job. Circumnavigator and designer/builder/developer Steve Dashew agrees that offshore, in nasty conditions, spade rudders are the way to go.

Construction

George Hinterhoeller and his associates at C&C Yachts were early advocates of balsa-cored hull construction, because it reduces weight, increases panel stiffness, and lowers costs. The worry, of course, is delamination of the core to the inner and outer skins should water penetrate through to the core. This is why quality builders remove balsa coring wherever through-hulls or bolts pass through the hull or deck, and fill the area with a mix of resin and reinforcements. Hinterhoeller was such a builder, but core integrity still deserves close inspection during a pre-purchase survey.

All bulkheads are tabbed to the hull and deck with strips of fiberglass, and this is an important detail for an offshore boat. Many mass-produced boats have molded fiberglass headliners that prevent tabbing bulkheads to the deck; rather, the bulkheads simply fit into molded channels in the headliner, which do not prevent them from moving slightly as the boat flexes in waves.

Hardware quality is good. One owner described the chocks and cleats on his Niagara as “massive.” Hatches are Atkins & Hoyle cast aluminum, which are about as good as you can buy. And the original rigging was Navtec rod. Owners report no structural problems.

Performance

With its moderately heavy displacement, conservative sailplan, and relatively large keel, the Niagara 35 is not a speed demon, and does not point as high as a boat with a deep, narrow fin keel. But thats not what were after here. The 35s specs are just about what we want for a versatile cruising boat. Owners say performance picks up quickly as the breeze fills in. If the sailplan were larger, for improved light-air performance, youd have to reef sooner, and reefing is work.

The long keel has another advantage, and that is improved directional stability over shorter keels, which means less effort at the helm. We tend to think that a powerful below-deck autopilot can steer any boat, but autopilots struggle, too. A boat thats easy for the crew to hand steer also is easy for the autopilot to maintain course.

A lot of Niagara 35s were equipped with Volvo saildrives rather than conventional inboard diesel engines. Advantages of the saildrive: improved handling in reverse and lower cost. Disadvantages: potential corrosion of aluminum housing and not as much power. Various inboard diesels were fitted: Westerbeke 27-, 33-, and 40-horsepower models, and a Universal M35D, all with V-drives. Owners rate access somewhat difficult.

Accommodations

Two interior layouts were offered: the Classic, in which the forepeak has a workbench, shelves, seat, and stowage instead of the usual V-berth; and the Encore, which has an offset double berth forward, and quarter berth and U-shaped galley aft. The saloon in the Classic, with settees and dining table, is farther forward than usual; the head and owners stateroom, with single and double berths, is aft. Both plans have their fans.

Headroom is 6 feet, 4 inches in the main cabin and 6 feet, 2 inches in the aft cabin. Berths are 6 feet, 7 inches long; a few owners say berth widths are a bit tight. A couple of thoughts on the double berths offered in these two plans: V-berths are subject to a lot of motion underway and so do not make great sea berths, but at anchor, ventilation via the forward hatch makes them far more comfortable than a stuffy aft cabin, where its much more difficult to introduce air flow. Offset double berths do not waste outboard space like V-berths do, but the person sleeping outboard must crawl over his/her partner to get out of bed.

Thirty-year-old boats should be surveyed thoroughly. Nothing lasts forever, but boats well maintained last a lot longer. Pay particular attention to the balsa-cored hull and deck. If either has large areas of delamination, give the boat a pass, because the cost to repair could exceed the value of the boat.

A few owners expressed concern about the boats handling off the wind, which surprises us somewhat. A test sail in lively conditions should answer that question.

We much prefer the inboard. If you prefer the saildrive, look for signs of corrosion and get a repair estimate.

Niagara 35 Conclusion

The Niagara 35 is a handsome, classically proportioned cruising sloop from one of the best builders of production boats in North America. It is not considered big enough these days to be a circumnavigator, but certainly large enough for a couple to leisurely cruise the Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, and South Pacific. We found asking prices ranging from around $54,000 to $89,000, with most in the $60,000 range.

C&C LANDFALL 38

As noted, George Hinterhoeller was one of four partners who formed C&C Yachts in 1969, at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. The others were Belleville Marine, Bruckmann Manufacturing, and the design firm of George Cuthbertson and George Cassian. From the beginning, the emphasis was on performance. Indeed, the 40-foot Red Jacket won the 1968 Southern Ocean Racing Circuit (SORC).

In 1973, Cuthbertson retired to his Ontario farm, citing burn-out. Eight months later, he was back as president of C&C Yachts, telling staff that they ought to pursue more multi-purpose racer/cruiser models. C&C became the dominant boatbuilder in North America, with models ranging from the C&C 24 to the C&C 46, with models just about every 2 feet in between. The Landfall cruiser series was introduced in 1977, with the Landfall 42. It was followed by the Landfall 35, 38, and 48. Production of the 38 ran from 1977 to 1985, with about 180 built.

The C&C Landfall 38 is directly related to the earlier C&C 38. We wrote in our original 1983 review that the older hull design was “…modified with slightly fuller sections forward, a slightly raked transom rather than an IOR reversed transom, a longer, shoaler keel, and a longer deckhouse for increased interior volume.” The spade rudder is not everyones first choice on a serious cruising boat, but it does provide superior control. And the Landfalls have a higher degree of finish inside, along with layouts more suited to family cruising.

The Landfalls perform very well, thanks to lightweight construction and speedy hull forms. The Landfall 38s displacement/length ratio of 272 is the lowest of the three compared in this review.

Notable drawbacks: a V-berth that becomes quite narrow forward, and as noted in the 1983 review, “a hull that rises so quickly aft that C&Cs normal gas bottle stowage at the end of the cockpit is eliminated.” This on a cruising boat no less, where a hot meal is often the highlight.

Like nearly all the C&C designs, the Landfall 38 is attractively proportioned with sleek lines and a modern look, even several decades later. It appears most dated in the raked bow, but this better suits the anchoring duties on a cruising boat anyway.

Materials and building processes used in C&C Yachts are very similar to those of the Niagara 35, namely because of Hinterhoeller. Practices he established at C&C continued after he left, at least for the short-term. So what we said about the Niagara 35s balsa-core construction also applies to the Landfall 38, where it is found in the hull, deck, and cabintop.

The hull-deck joint is through-bolted on 6-inch centers, through the teak toerail, which gaves the Landfall series a more traditional look than the distinctive L-shaped anodized aluminum toerail Cuthbertson designed and employed on the rest of the C&C models. The joint is bedded with a butyl tape, which does a good job of keeping out water, but doesn’t have the adhesive properties of, say, 3M 5200. On the other hand, if you ever had to remove the deck-heaven forbid!-it would be a lot easier.

Deck hardware is through-bolted with backing plates or large washers, although some of the fasteners come through on the underside, where the core transitions into the core-less flange. We also saw this on our old 1975 C&C 33 test boat. It means two things: water migrating down the fastener after the bedding fails can contact a little bit of balsa, and uneven stresses are placed on the fastener, which above deck can cause gelcoat cracks.

Proper bronze seacocks protect the through-hulls, and hoses are double-clamped for added security. The mast butt is not deep in the bilge where it can corrode in bilge water, but rests on two floor timbers in the sump, above any water that would typically collect.

The external lead-ballast keel is bolted through the keel sump in the hull. Its run is flat, and the boat can sit on its keel, allowing it be careened against a seawall for bottom painting, prop repairs, or other work in locales where boatyards are rare.

In our earlier review, we noted that the engine compartment has no sound insulation, despite its proximity to the owners berth, but gluing in some lead-lined foam is within the capability of most owners.

Despite being 2,000 pounds heavier than the C&C 38, the Landfall 38 is still a quick boat. Its old PHRF rating of 120 is just a little higher than the Cal 39 at 114, and less than the Tartan 37 we’ll look at next.

The mast is a little shorter than that of the C&C 38, but as with most boats of the IOR era, the Landfall 38 has a large foretriangle of 385 square feet. A 150-percent genoa measures 580 square feet, which is a handful for older crew. Roller furling with maybe a 135 percent genoa would be a logical way to minimize the effort required to tack this boat.

Strangely, the Landfall 38 did not come standard with self-tailing winches; a highly recommended upgrade. The main halyard, Cunningham, and reefing lines are led aft to the cockpit, while the headsail halyards run to winches on deck near the mast.

The boat is stiff and well balanced. Owners like the way it handles and appreciate its speed.

The standard engine was a 30-hp Yanmar diesel. The early Yanmar Q series had a reputation for being noisy and vibrating a lot. At some point, C&C began installing the Yanmar 3HM which replaced the 3QM. Power is adequate. The standard prop was a solid two-blade. Engine access leaves a lot to be desired.

The interior is pushed well into the ends of the boat to achieve a legitimate three-cabin accommodation plan. The standard layout was a V-berth forward with cedar-lined hanging locker. The berth narrows quickly forward so that tall people might not find enough foot room. Moving aft, there is a dinette and settees in the saloon, U-shaped galley and large head with shower amidships, and a double berth in the port quarter, opposite a navigation station. In rainy or wild weather, youll want to close the companionway hatch and keep weather boards in place so that water doesn’t spill into the nav station. Installing Plexiglas screens on either side of the ladder will help.

Oddly, there is no place to install fixed-mount instruments outboard of the nav table; that space is given to a hanging locker, but could be modified. Other than this, about the only other shortcoming is that the toilet is positioned so far under the side deck that persons of average size cannot sit upright. And, the head door is louvered, which compromises privacy.

There is not a lot to complain about with the Landfall 38 that we havent already said: the V-berth forward is tight, theres no sitting upright on the toilet, theres no place to install electronics at the nav station, and the nav station and aft berth invite a good soaking through the companionway.

Construction is above average, but have a surveyor sound the hull and decks for signs that the fiberglass skins have delaminated from the balsa core. Small areas can be repaired, but our advice is not to buy a boat with widespread delamination.

Landfall 38 Conclusion

The Landfall 38 is an excellent family boat and coastal cruiser. Its popularity in the Great Lakes region is not surprising. Island hopping to the Caribbean is also within reach, but any longer cruises will likely require more tank capacity and stowage. Standard tankage is 104 gallons water and 32 gallons of fuel. Prices range from around $55,000 to $65,000.

TARTAN 37: shoal draft and S&S styling.

In the early years of fiberglass boat construction, the major builders-Columbia, Cal, Morgan, Tartan, and others-commissioned well-known naval architects to design their models. Today, this work is more often done by a no-name in-house team over which the company has more control. Tartan Yachts of Grand River, Ohio, relied almost exclusively on the prestigious New York firm of Sparkman & Stephens; they’d drawn the Tartan 27 for the company’s antecedent, Douglass & McLeod, and were called on again to design the Tartan 37, which had a very successful production run from 1976 to 1988.

The Tartan 37 has the modern, clean, strong lines that typified S&S designs. The bow is raked, and the angle of the reverse transom is in line with the backstay-an easily missed detail that nevertheless affects the viewers impression of the boat. Freeboard is moderate and the sheer is gentle. In an early review, we wrote: “Underwater, the boat has a fairly long, low-aspect ratio fin keel, and a high-aspect ratio rudder faired into the hull with a substantial skeg.” In addition to the deep fin keel, a keel/centerboard also was offered. A distinctive feature is how the cockpit coamings fair into the cabin trunk. Its displacement/length ratio of 299 and sail area/displacement ratio of 16.1 rank it in the middle of the 9-model group (see table, page 9), so while it looks racy, its not going to smoke the other nine.

From its beginning, Tartan Yachts set out to build boats of above average quality, and this can be seen in both the finish and fiberglass work. Some unidirectional rovings were incorporated in the hull laminate to better carry loads; like the vast majority of boats of this era, the resin was polyester. Vinylester skin coats, which better prevent osmotic blistering, had yet to appear. Some printthrough is noticeable, more on dark-color hulls. The hull and deck are cored with end-grain balsa, which brings with it our usual warnings about possible delamination. The hull-deck joint is bolted through the toerail and bedded in butyl and polysulfide. Taping of bulkheads to the hull is neatly executed with no raw fiberglass edges visible anywhere in the interior. Seacocks have proper bronze ball valves. One owner advises checking the complex stainless-steel chainplate/tie rod assembly, especially if its a saltwater boat.

Shortcomings: Pulpit fasteners lack backing plates. Scuppers and bilge pump outlets have no shutoffs.

Under sail, the Tartan 37 balances and tracks well. As noted earlier, its not a fireburner, but not a slug either. Its no longer widely raced, but the few participating in PHRF races around the country have handicaps ranging from 135-177 seconds per mile. The Niagara 35 now rates 150-165, and the C&C 38 126-138.

The deep fin-keel version points a little higher than the keel/centerboard because it has more lift, however, the deep draft of 6 feet, 7 inches is a liability for coastal cruising.

Because of the large foretriangle and relatively small mainsail, tacking a genoa requires larger winches and more muscle than if the relative areas of the two were reversed. For relaxed sailing, jiffy reefing of the main and a roller-furling headsail take the pain out of sail handling.

The 41-horsepower Westerbeke 50 diesel provides ample power. Standard prop was a 16-inch two blade. A folding or feathering propeller reduces drag, thereby improving speed. Access to the front of the engine, behind the companionway ladder, is good. Unfortunately, the oil dipstick is aft, requiring one to climb into the starboard cockpit locker-after you’ve removed all the gear stowed there.

The layout below is straightforward with few innovations: large V-berth forward with hanging locker and drawers; head with sink and shower; saloon with drop-down table, settee, and pilot berth; U-shaped galley to starboard; and to port, a quarterberth that can be set up as a double. To work at the navigation station one sits on the end of the quarterberth. This plan will sleep more crew than most owners will want on board, but its nice to have the option. Pilot berths make good sea berths but often fill with gear that can’t easily be stowed elsewhere.

The fold-down table, like most of its ilk, is flimsy. Underway, tables should be strong enough to grab and hold on to without fear of damaging it or falling-thats not the case here. And the cabin sole is easily marred trying to get the pins in the legs to fit into holes in the sole.

Finish work in teak is excellent, though this traditional choice of wood makes for a somewhat dark interior. Today, builders have worked up the nerve to select lighter species such as ash and maple.

Eight opening portlights, four ventilators, and three hatches provide very good ventilation.

The standard stove was alcohol, which few people want anymore, owing to low BTU content (which means it takes longer to boil water), the difficulty in lighting, and almost invisible flame. Propane is a better choice, but there is no built-in stowage on deck for the tank, which must be in a locker sealed off from the interior and vented overboard. (You could mount the tank exposed on deck, but that would not complement the boats handsome lines.)

Theres not much to pick at here, but we’ll try. Centerboards come with their own peculiar set of problems: slapping in the trunk while at anchor, broken pendants and pivot pins, and fouling in the trunk that inhibits operation.

Often what sets apart higher-quality boats from the rest of the fleet is the cost of materials and labor in making up the wood interior. They look better than bare fiberglass, work better because they have more drawers and stowage options, and are warmer and quieter. The unnoticed flip side is that the joinerwork tends to hide problems, like the source of a leak. When all the fasteners are neatly bunged and varnished, it takes courage to start pulling apart the interior!

Checking engine oil is unnecessarily difficult, and to operate emergency steering gear (a tiller) the lazarette hatch must be held open, which could be dangerous. Lastly, the companionway sill is low for offshore sailing; stronger drop boards would help compensate.

Tartan 37 Conclusion

The enthusiasm for this boat is strong. In fact, theres a whole book written about it, put together with the help of the Tartan 37 Sailing Association (link below). You’ll pay in the mid- to high-$60s, which ranks it with the Niagara 35 and Freedom 36 as the most expensive of our nine. While Tartan 37s have made impressive voyages, and are as capable as the Niagara 35 and C&C Landfall 38, like them, its not really a blue-water design. We view it rather as a smart coastal cruiser and club racer. Good design and above-average construction give it extra long life on the used-boat market.

Classic Cruisers For Less Than $75,000

Niagara 35 Sailnet Forum

C&C Photo Album

Tartan Owners

Tartan 37 Sailing Association

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

27 comments.

Great article, but why did you leave out your namesake build – Camper Nicholsons Nicholson 35. Very similar to the Niagara 35, except that it trades the (less than useful – my opinion) quarter berths for two GIGANTIC cockpit lockers. And I find the transverse head on the Nic a civilized alternative to telephone booth head/shower combinations.

While the Nic claims 6 berths, you’ll never find that many on ours. Cocktails for 6, dinner for 4, sleeps 2 is our mantra

This is great information and a good guideline to go by. Thanks for the heads up on theses vessels.

Every time Practical Sailor does a review of boats in the 35- to 38-footers built between 1978 and 1984, they always leave out the Perry designed Islander Freeport 36 and 38. Many people are still cruising in these great boats, and among Islander Yachts designs this one is a wonderful cruiser.

I was also sad to see that. We sail a ’79 I-36, and it is stiff, fast, forgiving, and a very comfortable cruising platform. While many of the 800+ built are ready for the wrecking ball, there are some excellent, well cared for boats available. They are lovely sailors.

Couldn’t agree more, with Islander Freeport 36 & 38 raised coachroof that opens up all sort of possibilities and transom based swim ladder, her utility is unmatched.

These are all nice boats. I have sailed most of them. I owned a Tartan 37 for 4 yrs. As A US Sailing Cruising instructor, I have sailed and cruised hundreds of boat. This is one of the best balanced and behaved boats that I have sailed. She will sail on jib alone with no lee helm and sail main alone with minimal weather helm. Few boats will do this. She tracks quite well in a seaway. There are only 2 instances that you need to put the centerboard down: clawing off a lee shore or racing upwind. Otherwise she is just fine with board up. I have not had problems with the board slapping in a rolley anchorage. I keep the board up tight all the way and no problem. And my boat a 1983 had a built in propane vented locker. Also my dipstick was forward port and easy to reach, but not so for the filter so I remote mounted it forward. S & S did a great job on this design. And a 4 foot draft is wonderful and special feature for a boat that sails so well.

Surprising that the author did not address the obvious question, “if you had to pick one of these for a bluewater cruise, which one would it be?”

I too would appreciate the author’s response to this question.

Every time I star liking one of these I see the word ‘balsa’

Why did you not look at the Catalina 36. They are sea kindly; easy to repair and get parts; there’s a lot of them; and newer ones are in the price range you are talking about.i.e. my 2002, well fitted, is $72500.

Good article, thanks.

Pearson 365 conspicuously missing from this list.

Excellent article with factors that almost all of us who own vintage older cruising sailboats have considered at one time or another. However, when making my choice and before putting my money down, I also included PHRF as a factor. Without degenerating into a large discussion of pros and cons of PHRF (or any other indexes of performance), I think that you should consider performance in the equation. While livability is important (and I am a comfort creature), the ability to run away from a storm or handle tough conditions, is also important, you don even mention it. Paraphrasing Bill Lee, “faster is fun”. After weighing all of the factors discussed above, and adding considerations for performance, I purchased a 1984 Doug Peterson designed Islander 40 for $65,000 and am still in love with the boat 15 yrs later. It still is a “better boat than I am a sailor” and is also very comfortable. The only drawback is that it draws 7’6″ which in SF Bay, is not a problem. On the “right coast” that might be a problem, but on the “correct coast” it has not been.

Hate to be picky but you left out of this old list a high quality design and blue water capable cruiser designed and made by quality Canadian company–Canadian Sailcraft, namely CS 36 T. A Sailboat 36.5 feet with all the necessary design and sailing numbers needed to be attractive , safe, and fast.

No one likes to see their favorite boat left off a list like this, but it must be done. But my Ericson 38 has almost none of the cons of the boats in this article, and most of the desireable pros. After 13 years of ownership, it hasn’t even hinted at breaking my heart. Great design pedigree, glassed hull/deck joint, ahead of its time structural grid, points high, extremely liveable interior, and the list goes on…so much so that I’m glad I didn’t buy ANY of the boats in the article instead.

Missing are the CSY 37 and 44. Ernest M Kraus sv Magic Kingdom CSY 44 walkover cutter

Very useful article. Thanks! I’d love to see the same framework for a selection of length 40′-50’ft coastal cruisers.

I know that it is hard to include all boats, but you missed a boat that fills all the requirements. I’m speaking about the Bob Perry designed and Mirage built 35. It has all the capabilities and handling characteristics that you would want in a capable cruiser and the speed of a steady over-performing racer-cruiser. It has 6’5″ headroom and all the standard features that are a must in a strong well built beauty with 5 foot draft, light but rigid and strong. Great for the Chesapeake bay or other depth challenging bodies of water.

Great publication through the year’s. Still miss my print version to read on rainy day. Owned a Cal 27 T-2 and Irwin Citation over the years. Sailed on the Chesapeake. The Irwin ended up in Canada. JA

We have a Swallow Craft Swift 33. The boat was made in Pusan Korea in 1980. For a 33′ boat it is cavernous. We live aboard 1/2 the year. I thought it might be a boat you would be interested in looking at. I call it a mini super cruiser.

How about the Pearson 367?

Surely this is a joke. I’ll put the Nonsuch 30 Ultra against anyone.

Good article, but another vote for the CS36T. No better value for an offshore capable, fast cruiser and built to last.

Great article

The list looks familiar to the list I was working with back around 2004. Back then the prices were even higher of course. To fit my budget, I got a great boat… Freedom 32. That is a Hoyt design from TCI. All I really gave up was some waterline. Below deck, the boat is as roomy as many 35-36 footers due to the beam. I find it to be a great boat for me. I do not see a move up to the sizes on this list to improve my lot. I could be tempted by a Freedom sloop over 44′ but that is retirement noise.

which edition of month/year of the PS Magazine is this covered in please, it would be great to know?

A great article, but what about the Young Sun 35 Cutter! a great offshore boat that I have sailed single handed from Canada to Hawaii and back, single handed, in rough conditions, but which was an incredible 30 days each way. Overall 40 ft. and 11 ft. beam. I believe also built by Bob Perry!

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Top Hat 25 or Columbia 27

Post by CruiserPete » Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:46 am

Re: Top Hat 25 or Columbia 27

Post by Cooper » Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:59 am

Post by CruiserPete » Sat Oct 24, 2015 11:26 am

Post by Furstin » Sat Oct 24, 2015 1:50 pm

Post by Cooper » Sat Oct 24, 2015 8:30 pm

Post by Furstin » Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:09 pm

Post by Cooper » Sat Oct 24, 2015 10:22 pm

Post by Cooper » Sun Oct 25, 2015 2:55 am

Post by Shaun » Sun Oct 25, 2015 4:57 am

Post by Cooper » Sun Oct 25, 2015 5:01 am

Post by lockie » Sun Oct 25, 2015 9:23 am

Post by ozsailer » Sun Oct 25, 2015 4:22 pm

Post by INMA » Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:33 am

Post by INMA » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:04 am

Post by Shaun » Mon Oct 26, 2015 9:10 am

Post by Furstin » Tue Oct 27, 2015 3:31 am

Post by sailboatmike » Tue Oct 27, 2015 6:25 am

Post by INMA » Tue Oct 27, 2015 8:13 am

Post by lockie » Sat Oct 31, 2015 2:44 am

Post by Cooper » Sat Oct 31, 2015 4:09 am

Post by colect149 » Sat Oct 31, 2015 8:53 am

Post by INMA » Sat Oct 31, 2015 9:54 am

Post by mees » Sat Oct 31, 2015 10:44 am

CruiserPete wrote: Hi all, I've recently sold my refurbished Farrier TT680 and as it seems I have a knack for refurbishing boats and then selling them. 2013 - 2014 Year long complete removal of ALL equipment FULL refurbishment of my Investigator I563 - sold it 2014 - 2015 Year long complete removal of ALL equipment FULL refurbishment of my Farrier TT680 - sold it I've given up on Trailer Sailers and have gone to the Dark Side Cheers all, Pete

Post by Cooper » Sat Oct 31, 2015 11:24 am

Post by sailboatmike » Sun Nov 01, 2015 8:58 pm

colect149 wrote: I think had the Web been around in the hey day of the Columbias there would have been Columbia Bashers. There was a clutch of them at St Kilda Marina in the eighties, it seemed more of a social thing than sailing.

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• Sailboat Guide

Columbia 27

Columbia 27 is a 26 ′ 8 ″ / 8.1 m monohull sailboat designed by William H. Tripp Jr. and built by Columbia Yachts starting in 1970.

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)

Similar to the CORONADO 27 and built under license by International Marine in Melbourne, Australia during the 1970s. As with the CORONADO, it appears to be based on the same hull design as the COLUMBIA 26 MK II. See CORONADO 27.

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Review of Columbia 27

Basic specs..

The Columbia 27 is equipped with a finn keel. A boat with a fin keel is more manoeuvrable but has less directional stability than a similar boat with a long keel.

The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.65 - 1.75 meter (5.41 - 5.71 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Columbia 27 is 1.85, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.3 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Columbia 27 is about 117 kg/cm, alternatively 656 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 117 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 656 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is a Ballast Ratio?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 21m 2 (226 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Columbia 27 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

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Columbia 30

• By Ralph Naranjo
• Updated: April 7, 2006

Not only is the Columbia Yachts logo back in business; Vince Valdes, the son of Columbia’s founder, now heads the company, and his new boat is faster and more fun to sail than its predecessors.

This boat is anything but your father’s classic Columbia 34. Introduced at the 2004 U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, the trailerable Columbia 30 is a no-nonsense sportboat that can serve as a club racer or a performance cruiser that trades amenities for sailing thrills. The berths are comfortable, and there’s a head, a small dinette table, and a rudimentary galley, but under sail is where this boat shines.

Initially, I was a little disappointed when I put the boat on a close reach in 10 to 15 knots true. We only managed to stay even with a particular 37-foot cruiser not known for alacrity. We luffed up, and two Chesapeake Bay crab-pot buoys surfaced. Free of this handicap, the Columbia 30 vaulted by the cruiser and picked off large cruising multihulls on a reach. The tiller had a fingertip feel, and foot chocks provided a comfortable position when heeling. It was clear this boat would appeal to a performance-oriented cruiser looking for an agile sloop that excels in the light summer conditions found in many of North America’s popular sailing venues.

Designer Tim Kernan leveraged such go-fast attributes as a carbon spar, a retractable keel with 2:1 purchase, and a retractable carbon-fiber bowsprit. There’s a 1,400-pound lead bulb at the tip of the keel foil and a hoisting mechanism that reduces the 7-foot draft of a weatherly performer to the 2-foot draft of a trailer-sailer.

For the hull, Columbia uses bias-biaxial fiberglass that’s vacuum bagged to a PVC foam core and infused with vinylester resin. The deck is built from balsa-core sandwich and reinforced with a carbon-fiber space frame that helps to spread rig and keel loads.

In many ways, the boat behaves like a blend between a sportboat and a pocket cruiser. Its light displacement, substantial sail area, and easily driven hull shape actually simplify sailing. The Columbia 30 has a simple sail plan, with a dominant main and a small jib on a roller-furling headstay. The retractable bowsprit allows a shorthanded crew to cope with an asymmetric spinnaker and will coax a fun sail out of 5 knots of breeze.

Down below, simplicity reigns with two comfortable quarter berths, a forward V-berth, an enclosed head, and a small galley space with a sink and a one-burner stove–perhaps all you need if your preference is marina-based daysailing and dining out.

The standard auxiliary is a 9.1-horsepower Yanmar 1GM10C with saildrive that produces adequate thrust in a calm. An optional 18-horsepower two-cylinder Yanmar diesel is available. The Columbia 30’s streamlined styling alludes to the bubble top and bullet window that typified earlier Columbias.

This boat is all about blistering performance and simple, practical accommodations. If you really like to sail fast, and your cruising isn’t about all the comforts of home, it’s worth going for a ride aboard the new Columbia 30.

Circumnavigator Ralph Naranjo has written extensively about boat design and performance.

COLUMBIA 30

LOA 30′ 0″ (9.14 m.) LWL 27′ 0″ (8.23 m.) Beam 9′ 6″ (2.90 m.) Draft (board down/up) 7′ 0″/2′ 0″ (2.13/0.61 m.) Sail Area 443 sq. ft. (41.2 sq. m.) Displacement 3,900 lb. (1,773 kg.) Water 9 gal. (34 l.) Fuel 12 gal. (45 l.) Engine 9.1-hp. Yanmar (18-hp. optional) Designer Tim Kernan (Waterplane Design) Price $131,250

Columbia Yachts (714) 227-9212 www.columbiayachts.com

• More: 21 - 30 ft , before 2000 , Coastal Cruising , keelboat , monohull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Cascade Yachts - 27' Cascade "pocket cruiser"

• Thread starter Cascade27
• Start date Apr 11, 2020
• Tags 27 foot cascade yachts pocket cruiser sloop
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

Hello all! I'm relatively new to the forum and a relatively new sailor/cruiser although I've driven ski boats all my life. It wasn't until later that I fell in love with sailing. It's a life changing experience and having the love of water already apart of me sailing has made me feel that much more connected to the sea. Last August 2019 I bought a 1980 27' Cascade and have spent many days sailing my local waters in the South Puget Sound ever since. Of course I will be sailing as much of the Puget Sound as possible and then this summer venturing up to the San Juan Islands. Eventually I would like to explore Victoria B.C. and the surrounding islands and inlets, then one day sail to Alaska and explore. I would love to share some pics and get any feedback on the boat. I know Cascade Yachts were built in Portland, OR and were the product of lead designer Robert Smith who took hull #1 and won his division in the Swiftsure Race. She handles well although has a rather narrow beam at 8.83ft. She's a Masthead Sloop. Fin w/spade rudder and displacement of 6,400 lbs. Any thoughts, feedback or anyone else with a Cascade would love to hear from you. Cheers!  

Attachments

Welcome. Nice looking boat.  

David in Sandusky

Looks good to me. But that doesn’t matter. What counts is how you feel on her. The cabin looks like two max for a meal. I’m curious about how many you can sleep. We spend most of our time on our h27 in the cockpit. But it’s good to be able to retreat to the cabin in cold or foul weather. We’ve sailed twice in the San Juans, and a cozy cabin is a plus there. Good luck on her this summer!  

Cascade Owners Unite

• Waggoner’s Guide. Waggoner Cruising Guide - From south Puget Sound to Ketchikan, Alaska including the west coast of Vancouver Island, this popular annual guide—called the “bible for Northwest cruising”
• NWCRUISING.NET Nautical Miles in the Pacific Northwest, Olympia to Queen Charlotte Strait
• SalishSea Pilot. Salish Sea Pilot

That boat is a Sharp Dressed Man!!  

DrJudyB said: Welcome. Nice looking boat. Click to expand

David in Sandusky said: Looks good to me. But that doesn’t matter. What counts is how you feel on her. The cabin looks like two max for a meal. I’m curious about how many you can sleep. We spend most of our time on our h27 in the cockpit. But it’s good to be able to retreat to the cabin in cold or foul weather. We’ve sailed twice in the San Juans, and a cozy cabin is a plus there. Good luck on her this summer! Click to expand

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Buying a Columbia 10.7 - yea or nay?

• Add to quote

Hi All, my husband and I are considering a 1979 Columbia 10.7. Thirty years ago we sailed a Columbia 8.3 on Lake Erie and for many reasons had to let her go. While prowling around marinas we found our dream boat, the 10.7 which happens to be for sale. We are officially seniors and have a few reservations about sailing a larger boat [mostly the docking part]. Would welcome any thoughts or concerns about the 10.7 or sailing at this season of life. Thanks  

I don't know the boat but I know about the size of boats. The bigger the better. More comfort, better liveability, often better sailing performance. The first time you get on a boat you think is too big you think "it's tooooo big". Next time you get on you only think it's a little too big. After a while it feels just right. Parking à big boat can be a little more tricky the first few times but then it's OK. Finally, remember, your too big is someone else too small. Go big. Welcome to SailNet! 😊😊😊😊 BTW how big is a 10.7? Mark  

MarkofSeaLife said: BTW how big is a 10.7? Click to expand...

The Colombia 10.7 looks to be a very sturdy built boat. I am sure it will survive and come out on top of any docking misfortune that may occur. Now the wise crack is aside, practice, practice, and more practice is the key to safe docking along with approach speed, only as fast as you want to hit the dock. It happens. There are plenty of you tube videos on docking. Pick a calm day no current and then practice, him handling lines with you at the helm then switch. And really big fenders help.  

Since you owned an 8.3, then there will be little about the 10.7 that surprises. They are the same hull designs, rigging, etc, and have similar sailing and handling characteristics. The build quality of Columbia was never in the top tier, and these model boats were made when Columbia was cutting corners right before going out of business. 30yrs on, these boats could have some issues that require a good surveyor to really pay attention to. Docking will never be done without complete attention and some optimistic hope, but you should be familiar with this from the 8.3. Sailing will never be sporty, but again, 8.3. It's biggest feature is the interior volume for a boat this size (at least in the day). I'm not bashing Columbia. I've owned 2 of them, and lusted after a couple more, but unless this boat is really inexpensive, you can do better with something a bit more enjoyable to sail and easier to handle. On the other hand, if you want a nice livable boat to putter around in, this could fit that bill. Markofsealife is correct above - no matter how big and scary the boat looks when you first start using it, it becomes smaller every time you use it, and you very quickly stop thinking of it as big at all. Mark  

If your previous boat was inboard powered, then transitioning to the bigger boat should be easy. Maneuvering any inboard powered boat is all about knowing how. IMO, until we're talking about a ridiculous size (somewhere over 50 feet), bigger boats are generally easier to maneuver than smaller ones, because they don't get moved by the wind quite as easily as smaller boats. I just sold a 35 sloop that I sailed and raced singlehanded and with crew and docked singlehanded at age 79. When I came to the Chesapeake and bought my 35, I didn't know anybody locally, and realized that I had no choice but to learn to handle it by myself, at least until I made friends locally. While you're learning, take it slow. If you hit something at slow speed,you're not likely to do any damage. Also, keep an extra long boat hook in the cockpit during docking. It extends your reach. If your previous boat was outboard powered,then you'll need to learn the techniques needed to maneuver an inboard boat. If you can learn just two techniques,you'll be fine.You need to know how to rotate the boat and how to back into a slip.  

Sailormon6 said: If your previous boat was inboard powered, then transitioning to the bigger boat should be easy. Maneuvering any inboard powered boat is all about knowing how. IMO, until we're talking about a ridiculous size (somewhere over 50 feet), bigger boats are generally easier to maneuver than smaller ones, because they don't get moved by the wind quite as easily as smaller boats. I just sold a 35 sloop that I sailed and raced singlehanded and with crew and docked singlehanded at age 79. When I came to the Chesapeake and bought my 35, I didn't know anybody locally, and realized that I had no choice but to learn to handle it by myself, at least until I made friends locally. While you're learning, take it slow. If you hit something at slow speed,you're not likely to do any damage. Also, keep an extra long boat hook in the cockpit during docking. It extends your reach. If your previous boat was outboard powered,then you'll need to learn the techniques needed to maneuver an inboard boat. If you can learn just two techniques,you'll be fine.You need to know how to rotate the boat and how to back into a slip. Click to expand...

Been a long time since i skippered a 10.7 but I don't remember anything hard about docking one. the thing I would be aware of is the sailing of a boat with a very large mast head genoa, are you up to handling those large head sails. does it come equipped with a roller furler and electric winches would be nice. they can keep you wanting to sail for many more years  

In sailing, as in other pursuits, you can work hard, or you can work smart. If the helmsperson and the jib tailer each do their own thing, the tailer will grind until becoming arm weary. If they coordinate with each other, the helm can make the tailer's job much easier. Most helms over-steer each tack. Consequently, the jib becomes heavily loaded with wind, and the tailer has to grind hard to bring the boat up to closehauled. If the helm stops the turn when the jib is streaming close along the gunwale, the tailer can pull in all but about one foot of the jibsheet, hand-over-hand, while it's still slack and before the sail becomes loaded. When the helm bears off to load up the jib, the tailer only has to grind in a foot or two of jibsheet. The problem helms have is in knowing exactly when to stop the turn. They can use the apparent wind indicator, if they have one, or they can watch the wind vane atop the mast, or they can just watch the jib. After they have stopped the turn, they need to watch the tailer, so that, as soon as the jibsheet is tailed in, they can bear off and load up the sail. I learned how to do this by studying videos of world class racers. I figured they knew some things that we didn't. Electric winches are wonderful, but I never needed them for my 35, or even for 40-45s that I crewed on. If you buy them, Westmarine used to have an annual 2 for 1 sale on Lewmar winches. Don't know if that has changed since covid.  

The Harken Rewind Electric winch is by far the best. it lets you wind in and out with the push of a switch . it is the only one that does all the others wind in with electric but have to be eased by hand. really take a lot of work out of fine tuning when single or short handed. at my age I consider it a safety device. i can sail a lot longer in higher winds without getting tired.  

Thank you for the Harken suggestion it sounds like a winner.  

For docking, there's nothing like taking a sailing class that focuses exclusively on docking. I can't recommend this highly enough, might be the best $500 I spent on the boat. Doing nothing for two days but practice docking to really calm your anxiety about it. Everything can still go wrong but you'll be able to handle it much more calmly and with more confidence after learning some techniques and getting lots of practice.  

Fear Not ! The Columbia 10.7 took Fatty Goodlander and his wife ( columnists for Cruising World) many nautical miles for many years. I single handed my Columbia 36 for 14 years. As in any endeavor you need to think ahead and have an alternative plan when docking any boat. I was forced to sail into my upwind slip a few times, but realistically almost every docking situation is under power. Like a good billiard shot, it doesn't have to be fast. Lifeline gates open, fenders down, lines under the lifelines, and the jib luffing but ready to be sheeted if needed and ready to step to the dock to cleat at least one line while the engine idles. Being under power means you can slow and reverse if needed, but the boat will hold herself adrift while you tie her up. Call me a curmudgeon, but power winches on anything below 45 feet is superfluous and another thing to go wrong. Once you get the feel of your boat you will be very comfortable knowing she won't just gallop away with you.  

Col45Escape2.0 said: Fear Not ! The Columbia 10.7 took Fatty Goodlander and his wife ( columnists for Cruising World) many nautical miles for many years. Click to expand...

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