Captain's Blog
My Boat from Siskiwit 5/9/2007 12:51:05 PM (0 comments) Login to Add a CommentI have owned my Columbia 24 since 1996. I bought mine from a yard where the previous owner was not paying the bills, so I got mine for cheap. (About $1,200.00) My boat is a 1964, hull #126. I still don’t know if mine was built in Cosa Mesa, CA or Portsmouth, VA.
It needed restoration, as you might imagine. I got it good enough to sail and then used the boat for a couple years in its ugly state. I’ve been working on the the boat ever since, starting with painting the hull and decks.
After ten years, I still think the Columbia 24 is a great boat. I prefer the CCA style boats for aesthetic reasons, and for the nice ride. Here in Michigan our fresh water waves tend to be short-period and square. My previous boat (a trailer sailor) got slapped around too much in the Great Lakes. The Columbia 24 in contrast has a very nice ride for its size. I once enjoyed watching a group of fishing boats rolling around in 25 knots of wind while I brewed a pot of coffee and let the autopilot drive. (2 reefs)
I use a long-shaft 5 HP Honda in the well (under the lazzerate hatch). This allows a clean silhouette, and keeps the prop in the water. In addition, it is very quiet. At idle, I cannot hear it running. I decided to let the standard motor handle poke through the bulkhead in order to simplify the installation. I cut a square hole about 4” x 4” next to the existing access door. This works nicely, as the motor required no modification. I attached a rod that pokes through a hole in the cockpit bulkhead to the shift lever. One of the shortcomings of the motor well is that it will spill some water into the lazzerate under sail. I built a cover plate for the top of the well, fitted to the shape of the motor, and this helped a lot. I am hoping to design a bottom cover similar to landing gear doors on an airplane. I hope this will completely solve the water problem and streamline the water flow.
I find that 5 HP is a little light on power, but perfectly adequate most of the time. Conversely, there is less drag from the smaller motor. I bought the “power prop” with lower pitch, and this helped. I have heard that the bigger 4-stroke motors don’t fit. (Prevents the hatch closing). I’m happy with the 5. When I have to motor to weather, I hoist some mainsail. This adds some Weatherly-ness (?), and stops that nauseating rolling.
I have read that others have had trouble with rotten bulkheads, especially with the ones to which the chain-plates are bolted. I’m concerned about mine (mostly when beyond 40 degrees of heel), but they seem solid. I would recommend re-bedding all deck hardware to prevent leaks. This is especially true of the chain-plate cover. The decks have a plywood core that could be at risk from moisture. I’ve been chasing a deck leak since I bought the boat. I believe I finally found it at the running lights. (On my boat these are located just aft of the V-berth port lights.)
What I like about the Columbia 24 is the standing headroom (Crouching headroom?) I’m 6’3” so it’s still a little marginal, but better than most. Because the lead keel is encapsulated it should never require any maintenance, and she is fast off the wind. She likes to heel more than the current designs. I figure that 30 degrees is about optimal for this hull when beating.
I’ve added a full-batten main sail, lazy-jacks, autopilot and wind vane. These were all a huge success as I sail single-handed a lot. I also added an inboard sail track to reduce the sheeting angle of the working jib. I am still not sure if this was worth the effort. I also replaced the wire halyards with Sta-Set rope. This required replacing the masthead sheaves. I don’t know if this was really necessary.
I modified a trailer so I could get her home for the paint job. This was easier than I thought it would be. (See article in GoodOldBoat magazine.)
I have finished all the wood with varnish. To me, nothing looks better. I made sun-covers for the hatches and hand-holds out of Sunbrella cloth. This was also easier than I thought it would be. The sun covers keep the varnish looking great for years. For the parts that I cannot easily cover (toe-rail, seat hatches, etc.) I have used Sikens Cetol. This has worked well too.
My Siskiwit has lots of bronze parts. These might look like junk on an old boat but will shine up nicely with a buffing wheel and jeweler’s rouge. I like the traditional look that varnished teak and polished bronze give a boat. No chrome-plated Zamak for me, please!
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