Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass, a choice that reflects practical priorities over fashion, and the deck is cored with Core-cell foam for rigidity. Hull and deck meet on a flange, chemically bonded and through-bolted before a rubber bumper is laid over the joint. The hull is locally reinforced in the bow, beneath the stanchion bases, around the mast support, and at the bottom where the stainless keel bolts attach. A seat-level inboard transom carries the rudder post and tiller while leaving an open stern beyond for access, and the cockpit and lockers are self-draining. Positive foam flotation makes the 26 virtually unsinkable, a property that mattered directly to Steve Colgate's insistence that the boat satisfy Offshore Sailing School's insurance requirements. The stout wooden tiller is essentially the only wood on the boat.
The hull form itself carries a flattish forefoot and firm bilges, and the counter stern is carried far aft to form a handy instructor's perch behind the tiller. The standard keel holds 1,050 pounds of lead ballast at a 4-foot-6-inch draft; a shoal-draft option adds 200 pounds of ballast and removes a foot of draft. A ballast-to-displacement ratio of 40 percent accounts for the boat's stiffness upwind, while a displacement-to-length ratio of 145 helps explain her lively off-the-wind performance.
Rig and Handling
All controls for the main and jib lead back to the cockpit, and the small nonoverlapping roller-furling jib is set up so its area can be reduced with a Harken furling unit in heavy weather. The mainsheet traveler runs across the inboard transom for efficient end-boom sheeting and a clear cockpit, with a double-ended mainsheet whose forward end clears to a barney post on the sole. Harken No. 16 self-tailing winches for the jib sit at the aft end of the cabintop, and test sailors found the small headsail could be trimmed by a child even in a blow. The large, well-designed mainsail allows balanced sailing without the jib, and the roller-furling jib when fully out allows comfortable sailing without the main.
A notable feature for a boat this size is the ability to reef the main to control excessive heeling, with double reefs for calmer heavy-weather sailing. Neither the main nor the jib needs removal after sailing; the jib roller furls and the main slides down for slab folding over the boom, and the furled jib carries a leech UV cover. Full spinnaker gear comes standard — pole, guys, sheets, downhaul, topping lift, and halyards — and the boat takes asymmetrical or symmetrical spinnakers, with guy and sheet led through Harken blocks for efficient cockpit trimming.
Accommodations
The cockpit accommodates four adults with ease and offers good leg support, while oversized stanchions and a secure nonskid deck lend security when heeled. Below, the V-berths run 7 feet 3 inches, long enough for real sleep if weather drives everyone below. A portable head, insulated ice chest, optional sink, and alcohol stove make weekend cruising feasible, and once the cushions are out the interior can be hosed down for cleanup. A VHF radio is standard, and a soft solar panel left in the cockpit keeps the battery topped when away.
Performance Underway
Writing in a period review, test sailors found her pointing very high on the wind and tracking cleanly past shoals into deep water. The helm stayed very light, fingertip control on the tiller even when the sea breeze reached 12 to 15 knots, and the boat felt powerful yet completely under control and quite stiff. She sliced through choppy gulf waves without pounding, and the rubrail deflected spray to keep the cockpit surprisingly dry. Owners report a usable wind range of 5 to 35 knots.
Refits and Ownership
The standard sail suite — main, jib, and spinnaker by North Sails — is part of the package, and an asymmetrical model can be ordered with more performance features, its sail area expanding to 782 square feet through Evolution upgrade sails versus the standard 338 from Tartan. An optional UV cover for mainsail and tiller can be ordered in the buyer's preferred color. A bracket for an outboard motor is mounted astern with a cockpit locker built for engine storage.
The Verdict
The Colgate 26 succeeds as a deliberately practical sport boat: solid-fiberglass construction, self-draining cockpit, unsinkable flotation, and a rig that brings real control — including reefing — within reach of novice crews. She is stiff, dry, and easy to handle, equally at home training midshipmen or racing around the buoys.
Pros
- Virtually unsinkable with positive foam flotation and self-draining cockpit and lockers
- Reefable main with double reefs, a rare concession to control in this size range
- Light, fingertip helm and high pointing ability under test
- Trailable at legal beam width; Class I status simplifies ownership
Cons
- Shoal-draft model trades upwind stiffness for reduced draft
- Mostly open stern and training-focused layout limit creature comforts below
