Thoughts on a 1962 Columbia 29

[Don C L]

Hey padave29, there are a few of us out here who have the great Columbia 29! I got mine last summer, hull #37, and I have some info on them if you are interested. There is an active Columbia Yacht Owners group in Yahoo groups too. Which hull # and interior configuration did you get? Like mine, yours probably has the 3120# of ballast. Though I haven't sailed a later model with the added 1000# of lead, I am happy with the performance of my configuration. To my mind, it is hard to go wrong with the 29. They were built well, they are sea-worthy and sea-kindly. The ONLY weak point to my mind is the mast step as that will probably need to be reinforced or rebuilt. But, the boat is 50 years old, so if it is sailing well now, chances are it will still for quite a while. Here is a great link for the genesis of the Columbia 29 (and the company.)

Columbia 29: Lawrence Walters Memories - Waves « Jordan Yacht Brokerage


C-29 "Pythagoras"
Hull #37

[frozenhawaiian]

columbia's may not be the fastest or prettiest boats out there but they were built heavy and very durable

[Don C L]

Ouch! Not the prettiest? Well, how about those Sparkman and Stephens lines below the waterline, eh?

[padave29]

Thanks, Don! It sounds like I'm in good company! Yes, my mast step was beginning to collapse a bit, too. Now she's undergoing a TOTAL refit. I have a blue water cruising friend, who is also an expert at restoration and painting. I wish I could do it with him, but I live about 5 hours from the coast - so Len and his wife are working on Skye (my Columbia 29) through the winter and spring. I hope to have her cruise-ready by late this spring, providing my funds hold out! lol

I have some "during" pictures he sent me recently of her totally gutted. Yikes!

[appick]

Hey Padave,
Congrats on the purchase. We've enjoyed our boat for the years we've owned it. She is a great sailor if a bit slow with a phrf of 222. They move pretty well in light airs, but do once your reaching or pointing she starts to come into her own. When you start heeling while pointing the helm starts to balance nicely and you'll feel her start to slip along and through waves up to about 4ft (Lake Michigan waves for me so short and steep) with no problems.

Ours had the mast step reinforced with a stainless steel tube and plates fabricated up below the mast in front of the bulkhead by the head/ water closet. This tube goes through the floor then terminates on a step on the keel. It's incredibly sturdy and we can tune the rig without worrying about the mast step. According to some guys I've talked to that owned them when new. A few owners into club racing tightened there rigs past specs and ended up busting the mast step support.

If you've still got the Atomic 4 be sure and check it out good. Mine still runs like a top. The two best things I've done to it are a PCV kit from Indigo Electronics, and put in a new fuel tank. We have electronic ignition too which is the single best thing you can do for them. Also consider putting an automatic fire extinguisher in the engine compartment (Safety first).

Good luck with the refit! Do think about keeping the mahogany veneered interior. It's what I love most about ours, but you have to do what works for you too.

So you like blue and gold eh? How about this?

[appick]

Opps photos didnt take

[appick]

One more

[appick]

One more

[Travelnik]

Don & appick, very nice!

[Don C L]

Hi padave,
If you have someone who knows these boats you probably don't need too much advice, but I would recommend bolting plates to the bulkhead to support some kind of arch under the mast the directly connects to the base instead of having the mast sit on top of combination of glass and wood that can get squeezed. After scrutinizing mine that seems the best option because you want the load to go directly to the bulkheads firmly. Then you'll never have to worry about it for at least another 50 years. Mine was strengthened by the former owner but eventually I'll rebuild that. I'll send a shot of that. You may also want to consider adding a lower shroud, I've heard that helps to avoid mast "pumping" and adds a bit of extra security, but it's not a deal-breaker. That color scheme is beautiful, by the way. It really matches the "old-school" beauty of the design. If I lived near the Great Lakes I would have bought Blue Bottle, appick! She looks like you have done a beautiful job on her. I would love to do a more extensive refitting, but my boat's piggy bank is pretty empty. I have been able to find some good stuff for not much money though through Bacon Sails in MD, Minney's Yacht Supply in CA, and of course craigslist. Maybe Texas has a good used boat stuff outlet. Send some pictures! Did you get a chance to sail her before she was gutted? Here's another photo of mine out of the water. The interior of mine was not altered since it was built so I have the original "cruising" layout, though I do like the dinette version.

Don

[Don C L]

padave, If you haven't yet you may want to see these websites for info on the 29s:

Columbia Yacht Owners Association

That one has a registry but I don't think it is being updated lately.

Sparkman & Stephens: Design 1508 - Columbia 29

The Columbia 29 Sailboat : Bluewaterboats.org

Atom Voyages - Good Old Boats List


I also have some sail plan info and lines from S&S along with some the sales brochure and prices from when she was purchased by the original owner if you are interested. If you join the Yahoo group you can see some stuff I posted there too.

Best, Don

[padave29]

Hey!

I would love to keep the mahogany. Unfortunately, there was a lot of rot in mine, so the entire interior requires replacement. Gonna have it done in mahogany and blue gum (lighter wood). The contrast between the dark and light is VERY attractive.

If you're curious, the rest of the refit list is currently as follows:

Gonna insulate the roof of the main cabin, and wainscot the ceiling. So far as the mast step, gonna use stainless steel plate, shaped to maintain the original arc, with a stainless elbow that will be attached to the main bulkhead there below. My head has been removed, so gonna replace that, and possibly make that area a head/shower. My atom runs fine, and already has an electric start, but an auto extinguisher is a pretty good idea. Gonna put hatches in the cockpit benches, and put in extra water tanks below both, where the 1/4 berths are. Gonna put in a chart table/electronics area, just into the cabin on the port side, where the fwd part of the 1/4 berth is. Refit a larger bunk, where the current dinette setup is, add a sea water pump to the freshwater pump, for use when out. Gonna move the galley a few feet aft (using the starboard quarter berth room), adding some more counter space, larger sink and a fridge unit. Removed the alcohol stove (know anyone who wants to buy one?), and adding a gimbaled gas range. Last, I'll have a tiny tot just aft of the main bulkhead.

Let's see, exterior: my beautiful teak hatch leaks like a sieve, and the wood underneath is rotted. So that'll be replaced (not the hatch), and a new sea hood, with extra storage compartments will be added, as well as new teak lazarette hatch. Oh, gonna put gas tank (and possibly small honda generator storage in the lazarette) New vents amidships, and over lazarette. Forward mooring point will be reinforced, and manual winch added. Chain plates are coming out of the deck and going to be remounted on exterior bulkheads. New (much larger) scuppers in the cockpit seats. Of course new life lines and new paint (blue w/ gold trim, as above).

I'm sure there's more, but that is all that comes to mind at this point. And, naturally, I will NEVER recoup anywhere near what I spend on her, but she sure will be nice! lol

[padave29]

Hey, thanks, you guys! Those are BOTH beautiful boats! I'm definitely not a hater of white - just seems like EVERYONE does white, and I like variety. But you definitely have a beautiful boat, Don. And appick, how inspiring! I love the blue and gold! Haha! Where in the country are you guys? I doubt on the East Coast (my luck).

Dave

[Don C L]

to padave, I am out here in CA, Channel Islands harbor. All I can say is WOW! as far as your plans for your boat! I am green with envy. Nobody ever recoups what they put in monetarily, but you will in enjoyment. And what a work of art you will have when it's done. This boat is a solid basis for refitting. You won't be putting lipstick on a pig. Some people like to go to Vegas and lose thousands and call it "fun." Those of us smitten with this boat thing have a lot of fun spending money too. I really hope you will post lots of before and after photos. Sounds like you have the dinette version. I don't have hatches cut into the cockpit seat either, but I think I will keep them that way; I like that the cockpit is waterproof. BTW you may find some C-29 owners closer to you on the Yahoo group. I would think that the Defender, C-24 and C-26 (MK 1) crowd shares similar knowledge, interests and enthusiasm as all the boats were produced at the same time in the same way.

Cheers,
Don

[padave29]

Thanks, Don! Yeah, I know it's a labor of love (or rather the cost of it in my case). lol I do have some recent pictures of the interior demo work. I'll post them up.