balsa core hull,or NOT!

[hobbits]

can anybody tell me if a 1972 columbia mk II has a balsa wood core hull?

 

[Shife]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

Columbia built a lot of boats. Gonna need a bit more info. Length/model/etc.

That said, I'd doubt the hull is cored with balsa on a Columbia of that vintage. The deck, cockpit, and cabin top may very well be balsa cored, but the hull is probably solid laminate. Given the year it was probably built overly thick, resin rich, and now suffering from osmotic blistering if it spent much of its life in the water.

 

[hobbits]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

sorry bout that,its a 1972 34 ft.mk II.but thank you for responding.its listed on mccuddys marina boats for sale.im a beginner so not really sure what more info you would need.

 

[andgott]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

Try the columbia owners assn:

http://www.columbia-yachts.com/

There is surely someone there that knows!

 

[Shife]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

sorry bout that,its a 1972 34 ft.mk II.but thank you for responding.its listed on mccuddys marina boats for sale.im a beginner so not really sure what more info you would need.

Hire a competent surveyor skilled in sailing vessel inspections. Ask around your local sailing clubs to get a name of someone who will do a good job. Do not buy a vessel of this type without a survey unless you really know what you are doing. Sailboats require massive piles of cash to keep safe and operational when they are in good shape, let alone old and abused. There are free sailboats out there that are beyond the financial means of most people, so get a good survey done, create a realistic budget, and don't become one of the countless dreamers that end up languishing in the boat yard and never see water.

 

[hobbits]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

good advice,thank you.ive lined up a surveyor,but thinkin this wont be sea worthy enough for open ocean no matter how much i pour into it.back to shopping around i quess,but thank you.

 

[Shife]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

That Columbia 34 is a fine Bill Tripp design and perfectly suitable for extended blue water use. You will need a mountain of cash to maintain and operate any sailboat of that size. The costs increase exponentially with length in the sailing world. With any used sailboat you can pretty much expect to have to replace the standing rigging, running rigging, and updating just about every system on the boat. If not in the first year you will have to face those issues in at the most the first five. Expect to be lied to. Expect everything to break or need replacement. Expect the current sail inventory to be good for nothing other than drop cloths. Expect the auxiliary to need an overhaul. Expect the wiring, hoses, and thru-hulls to need replacement. Expect chainplates to work loose. Expect bulkheads to be rotten. Expect the deck core to be soft. Expect to re-bed the keel. Create your budget from there. If you plan on racing triple your budget.

Can you tell I've been through this before?

 

[hobbits]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

yes i,d say youve been there done that.thnx.maybe i should just give up and go buy a rad skateboard,lol.

 

[Shife]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

I'd never want anyone to give up on their dreams, but I also hate to see them spend thousands just to sit in the boat yard and rot away or cause a divorce. Happens way too often.

Find the racing scene in your area. Spend some time with them and they'll point you in the right direction.

 

[jonesg]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

That Columbia 34 is a fine Bill Tripp design and perfectly suitable for extended blue water use. You will need a mountain of cash to maintain and operate any sailboat of that size. The costs increase exponentially with length in the sailing world. With any used sailboat you can pretty much expect to have to replace the standing rigging, running rigging, and updating just about every system on the boat. If not in the first year you will have to face those issues in at the most the first five. Expect to be lied to. Expect everything to break or need replacement. Expect the current sail inventory to be good for nothing other than drop cloths. Expect the auxiliary to need an overhaul. Expect the wiring, hoses, and thru-hulls to need replacement. Expect chainplates to work loose. Expect bulkheads to be rotten. Expect the deck core to be soft. Expect to re-bed the keel. Create your budget from there. If you plan on racing triple your budget.

Can you tell I've been through this before?

Good post.
Bad news always seems to carry proof of its own veracity.
Theres more truth in pessimism.

I see so many half restored sailboats on craigslist.

 

[hobbits]

Re: balsa core hull,or NOT!

wow thats a nightmare picture.ive hired some friends who are avid sailors to help me continue my search thank you for replies i really appreciate them