Built from 1970 to 1975, the Mk II was intended as a coastal cruiser and weekender for a family of four or more. Its roomy interior and dry ride suit that role, though modest light-air performance and several structural concerns set clear limits on the design.
Design and Construction
The Columbia 34 Mk II has a 33'7" solid-fiberglass hull, a 10-foot beam, and a displacement of 12,000 pounds. Its standard fin keel draws 5'6" and carries 4,700 pounds of lead ballast. Shoal-draft and centerboard variants were also offered. The centerboard version appeared only in early advertising before giving way to the 3'9" fixed shoal keel.
The hull has an external cast-iron bolted-on keel and a spade rudder. A glued-and-riveted joint connects the deck and hull. A few hulls were built with a balsa core below the waterline, though the factory removed the core around all through-hulls.
The deck-stepped mast bears on a large, solid-teak compression post inside rather than loading the keel directly. This arrangement puts considerable load into the deck. Lower shrouds attach to the deck through large backing plates; a period review noted that this method isn’t as strong as tying them to a bulkhead or the hull.
Bulkheads are widely spaced in the after quarters, leaving the hull rather flexible there. Some boats show permanent oil canning and have a “flexible” feel aft. The spade rudder is handy, but it’s acknowledged as less robust than a skeg-hung rudder or a full-keel barn-door rudder. The boat was never intended as a blue-water passage-maker.
Rig, Sailing, and Motoring
The straightforward sloop rig carries 526 square feet of sail—about the same area as a Columbia 30. A cutter rig was available as a factory option. A tiller came standard, while a Yacht Specialties wheel was optional.
Under sail, the Mk II is no speed demon. Its modest rig and tall freeboard leave it underwhelmed in light air, and it isn’t as weatherly upwind as lower-sided designs. On the wind, it likes to be reefed early. Several surveyed boats have also shown deck compression around the mast step.
Motoring is a stronger point. With the original Palmer engine and a two-bladed prop, the boat typically tops out at 5 knots at 2,000 rpm while burning less than a gallon per hour. The ride is notably dry, keeping water off the deck and out of the cockpit.
Accommodations
The bubble-top deckhouse provides 7 feet of headroom in the saloon and 6'4" forward. The traditional V-berth is generous, with an anchor locker and shelves finished with teak pin rails. Some boats gained drawers or top-access lockers beneath the berth, and a few had optional teak ceiling cabinets. A central gelcoat locker under the berth could be converted into a water tank holding more than 100 gallons.
Moving aft, two hanging lockers sit to port. To starboard, the head includes a teak cabinet, mirror, and overhead deck port. Some boats also have a shower with pressure water.
In the saloon, the starboard U-shaped dinette seats four and converts into a double berth. Opposite, a long settee folds into a second bunk. Some hulls have portlights behind the settees; these are well bedded and seldom leak.
The port-quarter galley has a stainless-steel sink, four teak drawers, cabinets with sliding doors, and a gimbaled alcohol stove and oven. Its top-loading icebox drains into the bilge. The sloping galley floor slightly hinders working at sea. A starboard quarter berth and sliding navigation desk complete the layout.
Systems and Engine Access
Removable fiberglass stairs provide good access to the Palmer engine. The original propulsion details are well documented: the Palmer P-60 used either a 16x11 RH fixed prop or a 16x10 RH Martec folding prop. Left-hand versions were specified for the optional Albin or Perkins diesels.
A 40-gallon fiberglass water tank sits beneath the port settee. The boat’s 30 gallons of gasoline are carried in a steel tank beneath the forward end of the dinette.
Known Issues
The plywood-cored decks very commonly suffer from delamination and rot. Several surveyed boats have also shown compression around the mast step, where the deck-stepped rig places substantial load on the deck.
Keel bolts on 1970s Columbias always warrant a close look. Aft, the sparse bulkheads allow hull flexing and oil canning.
The sinks present another quirk when the boat heels. Both the galley and head drains drop below the waterline past 15 degrees of heel. On that tack, the starboard sink is specifically below the water at 30 degrees.
The Verdict
The Columbia 34 Mk II is a dry, stable coastal cruiser with a roomy bubble-top interior and easy engine access. Its flexible aft structure, rotten or delaminated deck cores, mast-step compression, and heel-induced sink submersion are real ownership considerations.
It isn’t a strong light-air performer and was never intended for offshore abuse. Even so, it can handle long trips and heavy weather.
Pros
- Traditional V-berth and convertible dinette provide sleeping space for a family of four or more
- Dry ride, good motoring range, and low fuel consumption
- Removable stairs provide good access to the Palmer auxiliary
Cons
- Plywood deck cores very commonly delaminate and rot
- Sparse aft bulkheads allow hull flexing; oil canning has been observed
- Sinks drop below the waterline when the boat heels beyond 15 degrees
