The Columbia 40 is an American

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

that was designed by Charles Morgan as a racer-cruiser and first built in 1964. The design was based upon Morgan's ''Sabre'', a one-off racing boat that was successful in competition, winning Class C 1964 Southern Ocean Racing Circuit (SORC) and second place overall. ''Sabre'' was derived from the racing ketch ''Paper Tiger'' which was the overall winner of the 1961 and 1962 SORC racing series.

Production

The design was built by Columbia Yachts in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The company built 55 examples of the type from 1964 to 1969.

Design

The factory sales brochure described the design goals, "A real yacht designed to go to sea in comfort while giving top performance." The Columbia 40 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...

, with wood trim. It has a steel frame molded into the fiberglass structure. It has a masthead sloop rig, or optional

yawl A yawl is a type of boat. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put. As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast p ...

rig, with the additional of a

mizzen mast The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall spar, or arrangement of spars, erected more or less vertically on the centre-line of a ship or boat. Its purposes include carrying sails, spars, and derricks, and giving necessary height to a navigation ligh ...

. Features include a

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, a raised counter

transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...

, a keel-mounted

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...

controlled by a

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...

and a fixed long

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

with a hydraulically raised, retractable

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 ...

. It displaces and carries of ballast. The steel tube frame was designed to take the standing rigging loads and pass them through the steel structure to the hull bulkheads and the deck structure. This allowed very high tensions on the cabling, for example on the forestay and allowed a very precise sail shape, providing better performance in light and heavier winds. The boat has a draft of with the centreboard extended and with it retracted. Being hydraulically actuated, the centerboard was intended to be raised when sailing downwind to reduce whetted area and drag, as in dinghy sailing. The boat is fitted with a

Universal Atomic 4 The Universal Atomic 4 is a four-cylinder, gasoline engine produced by the Universal Motor Company between 1949 and 1984 for use as auxiliary power on sailboats. Both and versions of the engine were produced. Over 40,000 of the engines were pro ...

gasoline engine for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds and the fresh water tank has a capacity of . 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 ...

is located on the port side at the bottom of the companionway steps, and includes a three-burner stove. The

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

is located forward, just aft of the bow "V"-berth, and has a privacy door. Additional sleeping accommodation is provided in the main cabin, including a dinette table that can be dropped to form a double berth, and a single berth. The

Columbia 34 The Columbia 34 is an American sailboat that was designed by Wirth Munroe and Richard Valdez as a cruiser and first built in 1966. The Columbia 34 is a development of the Columbia 33 Caribbean, using a deck adapted from the Columbia 40. The ...

was created in 1966 with the addition of a deck adapted from the Columbia 40 mated to the hull of the

Columbia 33 Caribbean The Columbia 33 Caribbean is an American sailboat that was designed by Wirth Munroe as deep water cruiser and first built in 1963. The Columbia 33 Caribbean is a development of the Arco 33, which was built by Crystaliner, who completed 15 ...

design. The

Columbia 38 The Columbia 38 is an American sailboat that was designed by Charles Morgan as racer-cruiser and first built in 1965. The Columbia 38 is a development of the Columbia 40. Production The design was built by Columbia Yachts in the United Stat ...

was also developed from the Columbia 40.

Operational history

The design was used to win the 1966 SORC Miami-Nassau race and also took second, third and fifth places in SORC Class C.

References

{{Columbia Yachts Keelboats 1960s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Sailboat type designs by Charley Morgan Sailboat types built by Columbia Yachts

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References