Columbia 43 Miii Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Columbia 43 Miii means chasing the last and least common of Tripp's three 43-foot generations, built only in the final two years of the model's 1969–1974 run. The Miii is the lead-keeled, skeg-ruddered, tall-rig version distinct from the earlier deep-fin Mk I and centerboard Mk II, and it carries a 64-foot bridge clearance against their 58. The Miii subset is genuinely scarce among used Columbia 43s.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Miii shares the same accommodation shell: a port galley with double sinks and two top-loading iceboxes, a starboard U-dinette for six-plus, and a forward cabin with V-berth and twin lockers. Saloon settees convert to four sea berths. Standard tankage is 48 gallons fuel and 50 water under the settees, but many original boats added a 70-gallon tank under the V-berth — a useful tell when comparing two boats. Headroom steps down from 6 feet 7 in the main living areas to 6 feet 2 in the saloon.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The standard engine was gas, but most original owners paid for the Perkins 4-107 diesel, so a diesel Miii is the norm rather than the exception and a gas example is a flag for original-spec or re-power history. Beyond that, buyer-consequential upgrades cluster around energy and sail handling: the optional fully cored hull taken by some first owners adds stiffness, and any rig work reflecting the Miii's taller mast or shorter boom should be inspected for correct tuning. Navigation and comfort gear varies by owner, but the molded pan interior means less structural modification than on stick-built rivals.
What to Inspect
The molded fiberglass interior pan was not well bonded to the hull, and some owners report it seems to float inside the shell — tap and flex-test the furniture joints on any survey. End-grain balsa decks need probing for soft spots, especially around the plywood-cored mast partners and shroud bases where Columbia concentrated structure. Craig Shaw, an owner, considers the 3-inch rudder stock undersized for the boat's large rudder, so examine the stock and skeg attachment closely.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Cast a wide net along both U.S. coasts where Columbia built the line. For the Miii specifically: confirm the lead-ballasted Miii keel and 64-foot clearance, verify diesel presence, and budget survey time for pan bonding, balsa deck softness, and rudder stock. A clean example rewards the buyer with IOR-era speed and a volume-forward Tripp interior rare in the 43 series.
- Confirm Miii markers: lead keel, skeg rudder, 64 ft bridge clearance
- Test interior pan for movement against hull
- Probe balsa decks and plywood high-stress cores
- Inspect 3-inch rudder stock and skeg
- Verify Perkins diesel or note gas originality
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Columbia 43 Miii. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
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