The Columbia 34 Mark II is an American sailboat that was designed by William H. Tripp Jr. as a coastal cruising sailboat and first built in 1970. The Columbia 34 Mark II's hull molds were later used to develop the Coronado 35 and also the Hughes 36 and the Hughes-Columbia 36.

Production

The Columbia 34 Mark II was a new design built by Columbia Yachts in the United States as a follow-on to the unrelated Columbia 34. The company produced 352 examples of the Mark II between 1970 and 1975, but it is now out of production.

Design

The Columbia 34 Mark II is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, a reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller or optional

wheel A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction wi ...

and a fixed fin keel, or optional shoal draft keel or stub keel with a

centerboard A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

. Accommodation includes a bow "V"-berth, a main cabin dinette table that drops to form a double berth, a main cabin settee for a single berth, a quarter berth opposite the

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

. The galley includes a

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

sink, four teak drawers, a gimballed two-burner alcohol-fired stove, a top-loading icebox. Refrigeration and pressurized hot and cold water were factory options. There is a main cabin navigation table that slides out of the way when not in use. Engine access requires removing the companionway steps. An anchor locker is fitted in the bow.

Variants

;Columbia 34 Mark II :This model was introduced in 1970 and produced until 1975. It displaces and carries of iron ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard keel fitted. The boat has a

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gasoline engine of or optional Albin diesel engine, driving a two-bladed propeller. The fuel tank holds and the fresh water tank has a capacity of . ;Columbia 34 Mark II CB :This model features a short keel and

. It was introduced in 1970 and produced until 1975. It displaces and carries of lead ballast. The boat has a draft of with the centeroard up and with it down. The boat is fitted with a Universal Atomic 4 diesel engine. The fuel tank holds and the fresh water tank has a capacity of . ;Columbia 34 Mark II SD :This shoal draft keel model was introduced in 1970 and eventually replaced the Mark II CB in production. It has the same short keel as the "CB", but lacks the retractable centerboard. It displaces and carries of ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard shoal draft keel fitted. The boat has a Universal Atomic 4 diesel engine.

Operational history

A review by Dave Smith notes, "When the ... Columbia 34 MKII first came out it ... it was billed as "The Seven Sleeper for Seven Footers", and "The room of a 38 footer for the price you would expect in a 32 footer". Both slogans capture the allure of the MKII Columbia 34." He notes, " The boat does not have a generous sail plan (about the same sail area as a Columbia 30), so it doesn’t perform well in light air. With the high freeboard, it isn’t as good up wind as some other designs, and it likes to be reefed early when going to windward. A cute little characteristic of the 34 is that the galley and head sinks slip below the waterline when the boat is heeled beyond 15 degrees, so you learn to close these through hull fittings before sailing or risk letting in a lot of water."

References

External links