Columbia 26 Mk II Buyer's Guide
The Columbia 26 Mk II makes a sensible used-boat search for a sailor wanting a beamy Tripp-designed fin-keeler from the late sixties and seventies, with 950 built between 1969 and 1977 before the short-lived 26 K closed the run. She is a masthead sloop of solid fiberglass with lead ballast, and the bubble-top deck gives her a recognizable profile among used Columbia 26 Mk II s.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Mk II came as a standard shoal-keel boat at 5,900 pounds with 2,500 pounds of ballast, or with the optional shoal keel at 6,600 pounds and 3,200 pounds of ballast, both on the same 25' 7" hull and 8' 6" beam 0. The final production years were badged the 26 K, which kept the identical interior but added a fabric overlay in the saloon and switched to smaller plastic-framed windows, a bolted aluminium toe rail, and coarser hand-applied nonskid 0. A buyer comparing two boats should note that a bare hull stripe denotes a K, since every Mk II carried a colour stripe from the mould 0.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
From the factory the Mk II offered a 9.5 hp OMC gasoline thru-hull drive or a 5 hp Patter diesel as optional inboards, with many owners instead fitting outboards such as a 10 hp Chrysler 0. The 310-square-foot masthead rig takes a 135% genoa to lift SA/D from 15.2 to 18.0, and a racing rig with double lowers was a documented option over the single-lower standard 0. Original running rigging is well catalogued—80-foot mainsheet, 60-foot jib sheets, and ~29-foot halyard wires—so a re-rig to spec is straightforward 0. Thirteen gallons of water and an optional 9-gallon fuel tank set the baseline for any cruising upgrades 0.
What to Inspect
On a specific hull, confirm whether you are looking at a Mk II or a 26 K by checking the toe rail and cabin windows: the K has a bolted aluminium extrusion rather than moulded fiberglass and smaller plastic-framed windows. Run a hand over the deck nonskid—a coarse hand-applied texture signals the K, while the Mk II has a smoother moulded waffle 0. Weigh the displacement claim carefully: early brochures said 5,000 pounds, but late literature and weighed 1969 boats show 5,900 or more, so a seller's "light" figure is worth verifying 0. If an inboard is fitted, identify whether it is the OMC gasoline or Patter diesel, as both were factory options and affect engine-access expectations 0.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The search is best run broadly. Before you commit:
- Confirm Mk II versus 26 K from toe rail and window details
- Feel the deck nonskid for moulded waffle versus coarse K texture
- Verify displacement against late-spec 5,900-pound figure
- Identify any factory inboard as OMC or Patter
- Check rig for single versus double lowers if raced
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Columbia 26 Mk II. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 1 | $12,500 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $4,500 | -64.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 28 Mk II | 29.42' | $ 32,900 | 68 | 14 |
| Catalina 22 Mk II | 23.83' | $ 28,500 | 25 | 6 |
| Pearson 26 | 26.12' | $ 6,750 | 8 | 1 |