Columbia 36 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Crealock’s original underbody thinking for the 36 was unconventional. When the boat was first offered, it carried something like a Scheel keel to give it shoal draft, but the designer had misgivings about that keel and agreed to the design only on the understanding that Columbia would fit a more traditional profile if it failed anchor. It did fail: the Scheel-style keel didn’t work very well and was replaced by a traditional design after fewer than 50 boats were built. By January 1970, Columbia brochures showed an inverted shark-fin keel at 5 feet 3 inches draft, and the production boat’s divided underbody carries a swept-back fin that looks like an inverted shark’s dorsal fin with a skeg leading to a spade rudder anchor. The propeller shaft sits at the aft end of that skeg, above and aft of the rudder and nearer the surface than one might expect.

Structurally, Columbia developed what it called the unitized interior—a fiberglass pan forming engine beds, stringers, and furniture foundations, then tabbed to the hull with wet fiberglass, with teak trim screwed into place. The hull-to-deck joint is unusual, incorporating a double-channel length of aluminum into which the hull and deck flanges are fitted; because aluminum has little springback, bumping a piling could permanently dent that channel and cause difficult leaks. The deck was cored, and a molded headliner was glassed in to finish the interior. Early Columbias were sold with a two-year warranty, and the basic structure was reasonably sound.

Rig and Handling

The rig is on the small side for a boat this size and the standard sloop doesn’t carry a lot of sail; one reader noted the spar doesn’t bend much to optimize sail shape. A tall-boy mast was available as an option, as was—surprisingly—a yawl rig. The boat was also offered with a trim tab on the trailing edge of the keel for better control off the wind. Under sail, typical reader ratings are average upwind and above average off the wind, with a PHRF around 162, though owners cite annoying weather helm. The 30-hp Atomic 4 gasoline engine—fitted to most boats—draws from 29 gallons of fuel, but several readers complain it doesn’t move the boat fast, achieving about five knots.

Accommodations

The layout is standard for the era: a V-berth forward, U-shaped dinette amidships, and quarter berths aft. The sideboard galley puts the cook in the way of traffic, and the sink may have difficulty draining on port tack. The most unusual feature is the chart table placed opposite the head, which costs a bit of symmetry but allows two quarter berths instead of one. Readers note the boat sleeps an honest six, with headroom listed at 6 feet 3 inches. The long cockpit rates highly with owners, who say it doesn’t feel crowded even with a crew of eight.

Known Issues

Beyond the keel history, Practical Sailor’s file includes some complaints of deck delamination and various leaks at the windows and hull-deck joint, plus a need for a sea hood at the companionway hatch, described by one owner as a joke. Ventilation is inadequate. The fiberglass pan limits customization and restricts access to parts of the hull, tending to make the interior noisier and damper. Mainsheet and wheel are poorly located, and engine access is very poor—one owner said there was no room even to check oil. The brochure says keels are lead, but at least one reader reported his was iron.

Refits and Ownership

One owner’s Foolish Dreamer completed a solo circumnavigation between 1983 and 1986, and a reader called the Columbia 36 the most underrated boat on the market, buyable at bargain rates. The rudder bushing measures about 2-7/16 inch inner diameter, 2-5/8 outer, slightly less than 4 inches tall, appearing to be nylon with a matching washer underneath the bearing and another atop the tube under the quadrant; the bushing may have started at 2-3/8 inch before wear. The hull plate on at least one boat sits in the head, visible when seated and turned 90 degrees to the right.

The Verdict

The Columbia 36 is a Crealock design of real substance beneath some era-specific quirks: a sound pan-built hull, a quick offshore-capable profile once the Scheel keel was abandoned, and a genuinely sociable cockpit. She is let down by poor ventilation, leaky joints, and a cramped engine bay, but rewards the buyer who values cabin volume and a proven bluewater record over polished detail.

Pros