Thoughts on a 1962 Columbia 29

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by padave29

Unfortunately, mine hasn't sailed since I bought her a little over a year ago - so i definitely feel your pain. But, I guess that's part and parcel of buying a classic!

Is your hull # 109?

[padave29]

I'm not sure. Will it be on the plate? I'll have to check again - I seem to recall it was difficult to make out.

D

[padave29]

Well I'll be! Yes, I have hull #109! She is CURRENTLY named what the site says she's named (not using the name). I plan to rename her in '16, with the refit. Hopefully I can get her current name out of the list! Thanks for the info!

D

[padave29]

I just looked at her on the site. She looked really nice, way back when! Hopefully I'll be able to say the same in '16!

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by padave29

I just looked at her on the site. She looked really nice, way back when! Hopefully I'll be able to say the same in '16!

Uh, well, I think we ALL looked nice, way back when! At least boats can be made to look like new again!

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by padave29

Well I'll be! Yes, I have hull #109! She is CURRENTLY named what the site says she's named (not using the name). I plan to rename her in '16, with the refit. Hopefully I can get her current name out of the list! Thanks for the info!

D

I am not sure if anyone is minding the list anymore. I have tried to contact them with no luck. Let me know if you do! Oh, and yours is a Mark 1 not 2. Very prestigious!

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by padave29

I just looked at her on the site. She looked really nice, way back when! Hopefully I'll be able to say the same in '16!

Dave, check post 15 in this thread. That was the story I was thinking of. I have not found the book he mentions though.

[padave29]

Thanks, Don - Yes, I realized she was a Mk I at some point, after perusing so many pictures of all you guys' boats. And I do remember reading Post #15 before. And, like you, I was unable to find any mention of the book anywhere - even out of print. Nevertheless, the post was a good read. Regarding the Columbia site: I did email them, though they haven't replied.

I'll also say that the more I learn, the more questions I have, rather than less! lol I don't know if I mentioned that before I bought this boat, I have been a small boat sailor only. And that mostly in light to moderate wind. Never sailed a keel boat, never used a genoa or spinnaker - nada. Never needed to reef a sail even! I just enjoyed the heeling, and I'd sheet it out and dump some air, if absolutely necessary.

So, here I am, with a great boat, learning as I go on how to work on boats, as well as how to sail them! Don, you have been immeasurable help. And if anyone has suggestions to share, on any point, I am MORE than happy to hear them. Likewise, I'd love to see how you guys have rigged your boats, anything you have found to be helpful, etc. Please send! Thanks!

[Don C L]

Well, there is no trick to a genoa. It is just a big jib. Did your boat come with a spinnaker? That's a plus if it did, mine didn't. It is not a necessary sail, but kind of fun when you get the hang of it. Reefing is a matter of lowering the main and setting a new tack and clew. Practicing in the slip in calm weather will settle that in a half hour or so, but we should probably send photos of our reefing line set-ups. I am going with a loose-footed main (took the slides off the track on the boom and off the foot of the sail.) So it is a bit more floppy when I lower it, but I don't tie the foot to the boom, only to itself. I just didn't like the look of all that stress on the reef lines, but that is just me. You can certainly sail this boat without reefing too early but you'll need to ease the mainsheet and let the main luff a bit if you are hard on the wind over 18 knots or so. I think it is fun to let her heel over to the rail, and there she'll be dumping a lot of air out of the sail so she'll balance pretty well at 25 to 30 degrees. Probably making a good deal of leeway but it's still fun. She is 28 and half feet long and a 22 foot water line, but she is not a big boat, so I am sure you'll get comfortable with her pretty quickly. The only thing you'll need to really practice is getting used to how she turns, because any long keel boat with a keel-hung rudder won't spin you like you are used to on a smaller boat with a transom hung rudder. But this is a boat that will take care of you as you learn and get comfortable with more extreme conditions. She is not so big that the forces become overwhelming (you can pull up the anchor without a windlass, or pull down a thrashing sail pretty fast,) and you can easily take her daysailing without firing up the engine, yet she is big enough and capable enough that you can feel confident in her abilities in bigger seas and higher winds. And if you happen to sail over a crab or lobster pot, don't worry you won't snag any lines! And if you happen to run aground, don't panic, she can take it. I think I may be getting annoyingly repititious. By the way I am fairly sure you have one early enough to have the lighter 3120# ballast. I happen to think that is good, it is as S&S designed it and you easily and safely plenty of ballast in the form of batteries, food and water for travelling! Also, being more responsive, AKA "tender" means less stress on the rig too.

[padave29]

Don, you are definitely NOT getting repetitious. Thanks for that last, encouraging post. I have a mentor down at the coast here, and he is very helpful. But, often times, I don't have a CLEW (see what I did there?) what he's talking about! So, I go home and google everything, and read whatever I can find. As experienced and helpful as he is, he sails a Freeport 41 - so I'm still left wondering specifically about my little Columbia.

For example, where do you guys find she sails the best? Like you, Don, I really enjoy having a boat heeled over to the rail - but if I'm trying to get all the speed I can out of her, with as little leeway, where do you all find is her sweet spot?

To answer your question on sails - she only came with a beat up main and jib (tan bark). I got the sails mended, and I think they'll be plenty good for putzing around Corpus Christi bay - but I'll probably get new sails in a couple of years. I did find a gennaker for her in excellent shape, at a swap meet, as well as a whisker pole to fit her. So, I do have a larger head sail, though not a spinnaker. I've read and watched videos on how to use them, and it doesn't look like rocket science - so I'm excited to play with it.

I'll rig for jiffy-reefing. And I really like the way my buddy has his spinnaker pole mounted on the track on fwd aspect of his mast. It stows vertically against the mast, rather than hanging it off the lifeline stanchions or on the deck. You just pull a pin and it's deployed. I plan to mount my whisker pole similarly.

I'm glad you had me re-read that post, because this time I noticed the mention about weight fore and aft. I plan to at least make it to the Bahamas, so I have a pretty long length of chain (can't remember exactly, but it's long), as well as 2 bow anchors and a stern. I'll have to compare how she sails with and without the chain aboard, as well as anchors stowed in the cabin. Fortunately, I DO have a windlass. (I say "fortunately", but I bought the thing, so I should say "fortunateLESSly". Those things are EXPENSIVE!)

And a couple of random questions: has anyone found that the J dimension is long enough to hang a small hammock from the forestay? It'd sure be nice, but I'm guessing it's not long enough. Likewise, has anyone out there put in a cockpit support/cushions to make the cockpit a sleeping area? Might be nice to sleep under the stars (assuming good weather and no mosquitoes).

[Don C L]

For me she sails best between 20 -25 degrees, that's what she is designed for it seems. The old CCA rules penalized waterline so she gains a little waterline on heeling and gains speed. Make sure all your stuff has a secure spot to live in, otherwise you'll have it all over the floor, like I do.

I know folks have talked about our boats "hobby-horsing" but I haven't noticed too much in mine yet. However it is always the best practice to keep weight low and centered. Since you are doing so much interior work you might think of rigging a large PVC pipe under the V-berth to bring the chain back from the chain locker to the bulkhead for storage, although you may have a holding tank in the way, I am not sure. Some folks on larger boats with all chain have a deck plate near the mast and they feed the chain over the foredeck and down a pipe to a place in the bilge on the forward part of the keel. It's a good idea. Might be worth considering. (I started a thread a while back called "how do you distribute chain?" just to get some good ideas for our boats too.) You might consider getting the 1/4" high strength chain to keep the weight down too. You could keep one anchor on the bow and the other stowed. But I wouldn't bother with trying to stow all anchors below or amidships, I don't think the advantage of moving 20lbs or so justifies taking them out of a ready position. It is good to keep the heavy stuff in the middle but I would not get too crazy about it, for sure.

Setting up some boards to cover the footwell in the cockpit is a good idea, The tiller goes up and gives you plenty of room to stretch out. I like that idea! I'm going to copy that. The kids will go nuts over it. Sleeping under the stars with their fishing poles over the side... As for a hammock, I have not tried that but I think there is enough room.

I shop at Minney's in Costa Mesa CA (check websites) for used sails and I got my mainsail form Bacon Sails in Maryland. They were great to work with. They described the sail perfectly, cut a little off the price since it had been sitting around so long and shipped it to me for $45 I think. $500 for a like-new sail, but I had to buy the full battens for it. Still, can't beat it. I can find headsails because I am hanking mine on while most folks have roller furling sails. I prefer hanking on, that's just me.There are some other places, in fact one in Texas but I can't recall the name right now. As for other stuff, craigslist and Amazon have been my other shopping spots. I got a like-new Danforth 20-H anchor for $20 (that anchor would hold a 40 footer pretty well, I sleep very well.) I started a thread a while back called "good stuff for pocket cruisers" or something like that and a few people chimed in with some good ideas too.

[Columbia29]

Dave,

regarding the whisker pole setup I have a different view. It is nice stowed on the front of the mast but unless the blocks and gear to keep it in place have a very snug fit (poles comes in different sizes, more than the available mounting blocks )you will quickly find yourself rigging weird halyard wraps as soon as it gets windy and shaky and the thing starts flying around. My mentor is very fond of the mast setup, but in my experience for longer cruising is a pain in the butt, and I will keep the pole stowed on deck on my boat.

I got all of my sails from Leesails in Hong Kong, their price is reasonable and I found them very accomodating with my requests. All the communciation happened via email, but when I got the sails delivered (free shipping, no import duty, 48hrs air delivery) and I tested them, they fit perfectly. Some people say they don't use the best quality materials but I found nothing wrong with the construction and design. I know that now they use US brokers and that can raise the price a little bit, but since I am previous customer they let me deal with them directly. No need for new sails though, plenty on the used market for our size boat (I heard we can easily fly sails from Catalina 27, that are a huge fleet here in the us).

[Cap Erict3]

Originally Posted by padave29

Don, you are definitely NOT getting repetitious. Thanks for that last, encouraging post. I have a mentor down at the coast here, and he is very helpful. But, often times, I don't have a CLEW (see what I did there?) what he's talking about! So, I go home and google everything, and read whatever I can find. As experienced and helpful as he is, he sails a Freeport 41 - so I'm still left wondering specifically about my little Columbia.

I hope u get to sail it soon. I bought a 1969 Columbia 26 a little while ago that sails sweet.

Do u own a gaff rigged dinghy by chance?

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by padave29

I'll also say that the more I learn, the more questions I have, rather than less! lol I don't know if I mentioned that before I bought this boat, I have been a small boat sailor only. And that mostly in light to moderate wind. Never sailed a keel boat, never used a genoa or spinnaker - nada. Never needed to reef a sail even! I just enjoyed the heeling, and I'd sheet it out and dump some air, if absolutely necessary.

!

I forgot, your comment made me laugh because when I started of course I was only sailing small boats too, I often sailed Lasers and Capris, and then one day I had more friends who wanted to sail and they said, "we'll just rent a bigger one!" I had never sailed a boat THAT BIG, and I had never used a JIB! (It was a Victory 21!) I was so nervous about sailing that big boat and nervous that everyone would realize I did not know what the hell I was doing with a jib! Well, we made it. But I still thought of that 21 foot boat as HUGE, so when I wanted to get my own boat and a family friend had a Columbia 24 to sell I remember going to see it and feeling like it was just such an enormous yacht, and would I ever be able to handle such a HUGE boat? Well, after my first summer I was so cocky I was sailing in and out of the the harbor annoying everyone by tacking in the fairway and missing boats by fractions of an inch. So anyway, sure at first you might be a little white-knuckle, but as you play with it and learn its ways, you'll be more than fine in a half hour or so.

[padave29]

Hey, Eric! Well, yes! As a matter of fact, I DO own a gaff-rigged dinghy. That's an odd question. Why do you ask? Have you seen me or it at Bahia Marina?