New to me Columbia 34 Mk 2

[Don C L]

I may have missed it but did anyone mention that this time of year the weather can get kinda sketchy? If you keep a close eye on it and plan anchorages/harbors well you could be ok. The old diesel should have the oil changed and run a while I'd say. You'll likely be using it a lot. One anchor is not enough I'd say also. Can you put it off a few months?
If it's ready and well-planned, I'd do it!

[MC2019]

Yes weather can be sketchy this time of year. I have been a commercial fisherman out there so I know what I am against. Delivery will be in April. My route planned has us no farther than 125 miles from any one port. I will have two anchors. The diesel only has 20 hrs on it, and yes I am changing the motor oil and filter as soon as I get there.

Originally Posted by Don C L

I may have missed it but did anyone mention that this time of year the weather can get kinda sketchy? If you keep a close eye on it and plan anchorages/harbors well you could be ok. The old diesel should have the oil changed and run a while I'd say. You'll likely be using it a lot. One anchor is not enough I'd say also. Can you put it off a few months?
If it's ready and well-planned, I'd do it!

[Don C L]

Sounds like you have things well in hand. Of course you know you'll be getting kinda wet for a week; good foul weather gear will be nice. Also, how's the rigging? The sails and rigging will be getting put to the test pounding to windward. Old rigging may look ok but can be brittle from age. I am probably telling you things you have already considered.

[MC2019]

Oh yeah I am an offshore racer, so I am setup with offshore gear. Probably not so for my crew, but they have been warned you have to pay to play.

Won't know anything about he condition of the rigging or sails. That is what my feb 18th trip is about. I am a mechanical engineer with over 40 years of marine experience. My middle name is MacGyver, so probably nothing I can't handle.

Originally Posted by Don C L

Sounds like you have things well in hand. Of course you know you'll be getting kinda wet for a week; good foul weather gear will be nice. Also, how's the rigging? The sails and rigging will be getting put to the test pounding to windward. Old rigging may look ok but can be brittle from age. I am probably telling you things you have already considered.

[Don C L]

I haven't sailed north from SF, only south, so I don't know what coves are along the way to duck into if needed, but if it were me I'd bring 3 anchors, setting 2 at a time and I'd buoy them to be sure I could yank them out if fouled on rocks or sunken ships. But that's just me. By the way is this the shoal drafted version of the 34? In any case it sounds like fun to me! But maybe I have a few loose keel bolts.

[MC2019]

there are quite a few places to duck into, the problem with most of them is they are not accessible when there is weather. So the name of the game will be, watch weather closely, if we think we need to get it, do it at first thought. Not sure if it is the centerboard shoal draft one, but from the pictures I don't think it is. It's going to be a blast. Good food, and I am thinking about buying a used auto pilot to throw on just for the trip.

I will have two anchors with lots of rode and chain. Keep in mind the only reason I am even trying to pull this off because that diesel has 20 hrs on it. I am keeping my fingers crossed that when I get down there in feb that I will find a really nice diesel that just needs a little bit of babying.

Originally Posted by Don C L

I haven't sailed north from SF, only south, so I don't know what coves are along the way to duck into if needed, but if it were me I'd bring 3 anchors, setting 2 at a time and I'd buoy them to be sure I could yank them out if fouled on rocks or sunken ships. But that's just me. By the way is this the shoal drafted version of the 34? In any case it sounds like fun to me! But maybe I have a few loose keel bolts.

[Don C L]

One more: BTW here are a couple of good links in case you haven't seen them. There is also an active Yahoo group of Columbia owners you might tap into also:

Columbia 34 Mk II Specifications

Columbia 34 Mk II Review

COLUMBIA 34 MK II sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

and maybe it is not worth mentioning, but I'd check the rudder and rudder post. I was on a delivery of a big, expensive, racing boat that lost its big spade rudder (it snapped off) after a week of pounding to weather. So now I am not so excited about a spade rudder if you are not racing and/or out of sight of a good boatyard, unless there is a spare rudder arrangement. But people sail all over the world with them. Sounds like you have too.

[Don C L]

Columbia 34 Mark II – SailInfo I boatbrochure.com

[Jim Cate]

Not sure if it is the centerboard shoal draft one, but from the pictures I don't think it is.

Are you serious? You have purchased this boat and are proposing this voyage, and you don't even know if it is a centerboarder?

Good grief...

Jim

[MC2019]

I didn't purchase it, it's been donated to my go-sail.org organization. And I am not delivering up the coast till April. Feb I go down for inspection and motoring around to make sure it is suitable to go up the coast.

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Are you serious? You have purchased this boat and are proposing this voyage, and you don't even know if it is a centerboarder?

Good grief...

Jim

[Stu Jackson]

The weather has been quite calm here since December. If, however, the weather turns to standard winter fare, heavy south winds make Richardson Bay a lousy place to be with its huge opening to the south. A 35# CQR is gonna be like a rock on a rope. Does your uncle know what to do, completely, while you're gone?

The trip up the coast: http://georgebenson.us/

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by mackconsult

I didn't purchase it, it's been donated to my go-sail.org organization. And I am not delivering up the coast till April. Feb I go down for inspection and motoring around to make sure it is suitable to go up the coast.

OK, and fair enough -- a donated boat will likely get less investigation than a purchased one. Point taken.

And I hope that your enthusiasm for your organization does not lead you to undertake the passage in a boat that is not really up to the stress... and it is often a stressful bit of coast to sail up. My own observation is that boats that have been dormant for long periods, as this one seems to have been, often have both obvious and latent problems. No big deal to overcome the obvious ones, and your proposed "shake down", while minimal, should identify many of them. But the ones that hide and wait for some stimulus to emerge... they are the ones that will cause you difficulties out at sea.

Pro delivery skippers know all about these issues, and some of them are damn good at dealing with them in an ad hoc manner. If you read the long saga of Boaties delivery of a big Roberts to Perth a couple of years ago you will see some examples of this. Me, I wouldn't do well in that environment.
You speak confidently of your abilities, and I hope that your confidence is well founded. Some of the queries that you have posted seemed kinda naive for such an experienced person, and they are the basis for my concern.

The reality is that quite a few well prepared boats fail in making the trip north (or south for that matter). Please don't let yours be one of them.

Jim

[MC2019]

that 35 lb CQR will be on chain, and its my friend Charlie Wood who is a training bar pilot will watch it for me.

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

The weather has been quite calm here since December. If, however, the weather turns to standard winter fare, heavy south winds make Richardson Bay a lousy place to be with its huge opening to the south. A 35# CQR is gonna be like a rock on a rope. Does your uncle know what to do, completely, while you're gone?

The trip up the coast: http://georgebenson.us/

[MC2019]

Understood. Don't let a forum thread determine the impression of ones capability or stature. I am not one that takes great risk, and I will not deliver this boat up the coast if I don't feel it will make it.

I am on the boat from Feb 18th-Feb 23rd, 25 miles down the Sacramento river and another 25 miles across the bay to St. Francis. Then at the end of the weekend trip over to Sausalito to anchor up for a few months were my good buddy will keep an eye on it for me. I will be inspecting this boat from stem to stern, and checking everything, while taking notes.


Most likely will report back to this forum with my findings to further let all of you drive some sanity into me

Thanks all for you comments and concerns, its all good stuff.

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

OK, and fair enough -- a donated boat will likely get less investigation than a purchased one. Point taken.

And I hope that your enthusiasm for your organization does not lead you to undertake the passage in a boat that is not really up to the stress... and it is often a stressful bit of coast to sail up. My own observation is that boats that have been dormant for long periods, as this one seems to have been, often have both obvious and latent problems. No big deal to overcome the obvious ones, and your proposed "shake down", while minimal, should identify many of them. But the ones that hide and wait for some stimulus to emerge... they are the ones that will cause you difficulties out at sea.

Pro delivery skippers know all about these issues, and some of them are damn good at dealing with them in an ad hoc manner. If you read the long saga of Boaties delivery of a big Roberts to Perth a couple of years ago you will see some examples of this. Me, I wouldn't do well in that environment.
You speak confidently of your abilities, and I hope that your confidence is well founded. Some of the queries that you have posted seemed kinda naive for such an experienced person, and they are the basis for my concern.

The reality is that quite a few well prepared boats fail in making the trip north (or south for that matter). Please don't let yours be one of them.

Jim

[Jim Cate]

Mack, one final (?) comment: Upon re reading some posts, I'm left with the impression that you expect to motor the entire distance. That's a hell of a long motor trip against the current and apparent wind (often boisterous). I'd guess the C-34 to be doing well to make 3-4 knots over the bottom on that trip, less when the wind and sea are up a bit. That would be a very uncomfortable and very slow journey IMO as well as thrashing the hell out of the engine. There has been no talk of sailing, or of doing much to ensure that the sails are in good nick, the running rigging really runs, or that there are even heavy weather sails at all. Oh, and how long has it been since bottom paint? Even slight fouling will make those speed estimates drop even lower. I'd be considering having the hull cleaned, or better, lift her and spray her off, checking all the underwater stuff at the same time, or better still, giving her some new anti-fouling.

Still a bit worried about this plan...

Jim