Columbia 43 article in Sailing magazine

Here's a post that I wrote months ago. I don't know why I never posted it. Keith, a neighbor on A Dock, gave me a copy of the Sailing magazine issue the article is in. I love it.

There was a nice article in Sailing magazine about the Columbia 43. Here's the link:
http://www.sailingmagazine.net/boats/6-used-boat-notebook/1287-columbia-43

Here's the comment I wrote about the article:
Thanks, Mr. Liscio, for an excellent article. I purchased a 1971 Columbia 43 in July and I'm continuing a big remodel and refit that the previous owner started. Almost nothing inside the boat is original. The previous owner stripped out everything, including the hull liner the bulkheads! The engine, a Perkins 4-107, which I understand was original to the boat, is newly rebuilt. All new bulkheads and furniture are installed and painted. There's still a lot to do, but the new interior design is perfect for a cruising couple.

I hope to have her in sailing condition by next summer. The comments from current and past owners of the 43 on the sailing characteristics got me very excited. Once she is ready, my wife and I plan to sail our Columbia 43 to Mexico and Polynesia before returning to the Northwest.

I noticed a couple of facts that didn't jibe with what I've read about the boat:
* You say "The MkIII version of the Columbia 43 had its hull lengthened by six inches, a taller mast for more power and a lead-ballasted keel instead of iron" The mast and the keel part are right (the mast is six feet taller on a Mk III), but I think the hull stayed the same length.
* You said gas engines were standard. I think the standard engine was a Perkins 4-107, but some racing enthusiasts pulled the Perkins and put in an Atomic 4 to make the boat lighter.
* Tanks: you said it was 45 gallons of fuel and 35 gallons of water. In my owners manual it says it was 50 gallons of each. (My boat has new water and diesel tanks, 100 for water, 110 for diesel.)

The important thing is that you captured the essence of this wonderful boat. Tripp was a master and created some of the most beautiful boats of the CCA era.

I blog about my boat at: http://hagothlog.blogspot.com/

Thanks again for the good article,
Brandon Ford
SV Oceanus, Newport, Ore.