Columbia 22' Restoration

[mattt6511]

Hello everyone im pretty new to sailing and i just purchased a 1967 Columbia 22' She needs a decent amount of work shes been sitting in the water at the st pete marina in florida for a few years and i just needed some advice from all of you guys who know what your doing as to my game plan. I have limited money for repairs as do most normal people but im trying to keep this on a tight budget. Im going to be sailing the boat about 30 miles to its new home, the current owner said i would be able to now in the condition its in but im not so sure... My plan is the bottom paint is pretty much gone and im pretty sure its full of barnicles after years of sitting there so number 1 i was going to take it out of the water and get a bottom job done over at progressive boatyard in st pete. While its out of the water is this a good time to check the keel bolts and or replace them? Does anyone have a rough idea what it would cost to replace the keel bolts on a 22? $200? $500 ? or more??? Also when i lifted up the deck to see the keel there was water all in there but im assuming its from water coming in from the compaionway or somewhere else.. While shes out of the water are there any other cost efficient things i can look at to make her in better condition that wont cost me too much? After all thats done im planning on rewiring all of the electronics since none of it works and installing a new deep cycle battery a 6 switch dc panel a small 500 watt inverter and making sure all the bulbs and navigation lighting is working. The interior needs tons of work but its pretty much just a cosmetic disaster im more so worried about the integrity of the boat, the deck feels pretty solid there is slight bounce on the forward deck, the standing rigging seems to be in decent shape, the mainsail is brand new, the tiller is pretty much garbage i think i can find a new tiller for pretty cheap.. Any advice on what to check replace or what order to do my repairs would be great!!! Thank you very much!!! Matthew

[roverhi]

IIRC, the mast load is carried by a bridge to the main bulkhead, not a post to the keel. This has been a problem on some boats. You may need to figure out a better way to transfer the load to the bulkhead than the way the factory did it. Possibly a plywood sandwich bolted to the bulkhead.

[mattt6511]

your correct there is no compression post or post going down to the keel just the bulkhead by the v-berth, when you say a plywood sandwich to the bulkhead what exactly do you mean?? just put plywood on both sides of the bulkhead or something??

[roverhi]

It's been ages since I've been inside a C22 but yes, that's basically it. Figure out a way to carry the load of the mast over to the bulkheads. Plywood shaped to follow the curve of the deck and screwed and glued to bulkheads might do it if that is feasible. It's been a long time so don't know if this is a feasible solution, however. This was a problem with boats here in Hawaii with strong winds and big seas. May not be an issue with boats in your area. It is a need for boats that may be sailed hard. Better to take care of it before the mast starts lowering head room in in the cabin.

[SabreKai]

First things first, lift up the deck plates and clean out the bilge. Mop it dry until there is no water at all. This way you will be able to tell if the leaks are below the waterline, ie keel bolts or rudder tube. If the bilge stays dry for a few days, that's a good sign that the leaks are upwards. Could be toe rail bolts, chain plates if they go thru the deck, caulking between the ports and the cabin sides, and the gasketing in the ports themselves. Just about anything that is bolted on deck may be subject to leakage as the caulking fails.

Check the water tank and lines. Fill the tank, with water and food coloring. See where it leaks. You can always flush out the tank later. (good idea too, who knows what life forms are living in there now)

As for the spring on the foredeck, if its a general spring across the entire deck as you walk on it, that's OK. The heavier you are the more it will flex. But if you think you are getting soft spots only in certain areas, it may be core problems.

How bad is the tiller? Varnish gone, starting to split? You might be able to save it by sanding it down, blowing all the dust out of the cracks, and painting the splits with epoxy. Clamping it is a real treat, you need curved shims to put between the clamp jaws. Take a 2 inch piece of 2x4 and drill it end on with a hole saw of the diameter of the tiller at the point you want to put the shim. You will need to drill it from both ends. Put wax paper between the shims and the tiller, then clamp away. Use pieces of rope in a loop around the tiller shims with a toggle to twist them tight. (Spanish windlass). Saves lots of money on clamps that way. Or just keep filling, and sanding until the cracks are filled. My Grampian tiller was a real mess but that fixed it pretty good. For general repairs, you'd be surprised what you can do with a quart or so of 2 part epoxy.

While you have the tiller off being repaired, check the fit between the tiller fitting and the rudder head for slop. If the hole for the bolt is elongated, you may be able to drill it for the next bolt size but be careful to leave lots of meat on the parts.

I'm assuming the electrics don't work because the battery is toast so buy your battery first. Buy a cheap digital multimeter if you don't have one. Check all the fuses, and fuse holders with the meter set for resistance. Clean the fuse holder with a bit of sand paper for good connectivity. Check the wiring from the battery + connector all the way through the fuses and switches. Zero or next to zero on the meter is good. High reading indicates a problem, perhaps a nick or partial cut in the wire. Huge numbers indicate an open (circuit is cut) and you will have to find it and repair. Some meters have setting where they beep if the circuit is good. Then hook the battery up and check the existing electrical system. Check each light and light fitting with the meter, and clean with a bit of sand paper if you get bad readings, then check again.

Get yourself a chunk of #14 wire about 12-15 feet long, and put alligator clips on either end. (Get these at Radio Shack, get the ones with rubber boots on them) This way you can isolate problems to a length of circuit or bypass a switch or light fixture. You may need to bypass a bad section of wire so be ready for that as well. You will want that electrical system up before you move the boat 30 miles to its new home.

While the bottom is being done, check the rudder for rust stains and cracks. Check the play in the rudder tube by moving the rudder side to side and fore and aft. How many years has she been sitting on that mooring? Check for osmosis. If its there, repairing it before repainting will add expense now, but save it later when you don't need to haul out again to deal with it.

That's about all I can think of right now that can be done fairly cheaply. Putting in that plywood cross over under the mast is a good idea too.


Sabre

[mattt6511]

Wow thanks for all the great advice, i will mop up all the water in the bilge and when i do ill take some pictures of it so i can post on here. As far as water tank and lines this boat doesnt have any plumbing at least not that im aware of its not the dinnete style cabin its the cabin with the berths. The spring on the deck seems to be everywhere but i do weigh 230 lbs soo im sure a little spring may be ok. The tiller is in horrible shape the varnish is long gone its starting to rot away bad to the point where it has holes in it, it looks like if i put alot of pressure on it i could snap it right in half. The electronics dont work due to water, the person that owned this boat before just let it sit in its slip for 5 years, the dc panel and ac inverter was places right near the floor on the port side. It looks as if eveytime water comes in the compainionway hatch it would pour all over the dc panel im probably going to replace the panel and i was thinking moving it over the berth making a little wooden housing to neatly place it all and get it off the floor! Do you advise me to replace all of the wiring? Or do u think just relplacing the dc panel and ac invertor and cleaning it up will be enough? I will start thinking of a way to support the bulkhead also! Here is the link to my photobucket I know its in rought shape and needs a decent amount of work so dont be to harsh!! :-) Thanks for all the advice i have gotten so far!! 1967 Columbia 22 project sailboat pictures by mattt6511 - Photobucket Oh yeah as you can see in the pictures the bilge pump is pretty much just sitting on the floor?!?! What do you guys advise me to do or where to put it? the bilge is really narrow and i cant seem to find any bilge pump that will fit in there!!

[SabreKai]

sending you a pm

Sabre

[mattt6511]

I cleaned up most of the water out of the bilges and took lots of new pictures here is the link!! 1967 Columbia 22 project sailboat pictures by mattt6511 - Photobucket

[Vida Pura 777]

Matthew,

I'm considering a 1967 Columbia 22' that appears to be in great condition. Never seen saltwater and has been well cared for...I'd like to know how your boat is holding up and what things I should be looking for going wrong or being worn on this particular boat.

Thanks,

-Joe

[Vida Pura 777]

Sabre Kai,

Great post... thanks for all the info. I'm considering the same boat here in Portland, OR. Apparently it's never seen saltwater and from the pics I've seen looks to be in great condition. It's currently in the water, so I was considering putting a wetsuit and goggles on and swimming underneath w/ a flashlight to check for blistering.

Any other advice for making sure she's watertight without hauling her out?

Any advice helps...

Thanks,

-JV

[islandplanet]

It's way too easy to spend far more than an old boat is worth. The best course of action might be to sell it and buy something that is in good sailing condition. I used to live in Tampa Bay and if I were to keep a 22 footer there, I'd get something on a trailer. You spend a lot of money on slip rent otherwise and having a trailer makes things way easier if you need to prep for a hurricane. Although Tampa Bay is usually pretty safe in that regard, weather patterns are changing.

Another consideration if you are new to sailing is to join a club where you can try out a variety of boats and take a class or two. I highly recommend taking a Basic Keelboat class from a US Sailing certified school.