Columbia 43 CB Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Columbia 43 means looking at a Tripp-designed light-displacement racer-cruiser that ran from 1969 to 1974, with around 150 built in both full-keel and centerboard forms. These are early fiberglass classics, and the centerboard (CB) version in particular rewards a buyer who wants shallow-draft access without giving up a fin-keel spade-rudder helm.
Layouts on the Used Market
The boat was offered as a masthead sloop with a keel-stepped mast and a 10-foot aft cockpit, and the CB model carries a retracting board within the full-keel or fin-keel family. Below decks the standard arrangement sleeps eight, with the galley to port built around a small sink, alcohol stove, and icebox beneath slate-look countertops, and a head fitted with a full shower. The MkIII revision lengthened the hull six inches, changed the iron fin keel to lead ballast, and added a taller mast for more power — a subtype worth seeking if you want the later refinement.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Original propulsion was a Universal Atomic 4 four-cylinder gasoline engine, though some boats left the factory with a Palmer gasoline engine instead, so confirm which sits in the engine bay. Deck gear is a strong point: the original winches and deck-mounted rigging have held up to the test of time, which lowers the cost of entry for a new owner. A large teak deck box ahead of the mast is a period identifying feature rather than a modern upgrade.
What to Inspect
The defining construction fact is the heavily applied hand-laid fiberglass hull, with most examples also strengthened by matts of hand-laid fiberglass anchor. Check the balsa-cored deck for signs of moisture or delamination, since that material is part of the known build. On pre-MkIII boats, verify the iron-ballasted fin keel for corrosion or past repair, and on the CB model exercise the centerboard mechanism for free movement and trunk integrity. Confirm the galley's original alcohol stove and icebox survive or have been replaced, and check the head's full shower pan and sump for past leakage.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
For a buyer, the takeaway is a short checklist: confirm MkIII status if lead ballast and taller rig matter; inspect the balsa-cored deck and iron keel; verify which gasoline engine is installed; and test the centerboard if buying the CB version. The durable winches and deck rigging are a plus, while the compact galley and 45-gallon fuel / 35-gallon water capacities define the coastal-cruising envelope.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swan 43 | 42.78' | $ 92,857 | 15 | 2 |
| Contest Yachts 43 | 42.65' | $ 186,489 | 13 | 4 |
| Shannon 43 | 43.83' | $ 177,000 | 8 | 1 |