land locked wrote:

Anyone have any experience with Columbia Yatchs? (Yes DSK I'm still looking
at projects )

Odd you should mention me right off. By coincidence, I am relatively familiar
with these boats. I like 'em. Unfortunate name, but who in 1965 knew what it
would come to mean almost forty years later?

BTW - thanks for all the great links you sent.

You're welcome.

I've found
this 24' raised deck at a reasonable price, needs interior wood work and
sails; haven't seen it up close. (looks better than the Schock). All the
wood needs replacement and I'm concerned about the keel attachments, looking
at a plan for one of their 26' models, it appears to be a glass/ply/glass
sandwich. If the sandwich is rotten then it would be a major fix. Any
advise on this condition in other boats? SHort of taking a awl to it I
don't know if there would any indication at the floor or hull interface that
the ply had given out; I guess the keel might start to separate from the
hull and be loose.

Yep. All those are problems. You can get some idea what's going on inside
fiberglass encapsulated wood with a small diameter (like 3/32 or less) drill.

By "reasonable price" did you mean, 'haul this boat outta my yard and you can
have it?' That's what my cousin paid for his, and it was probably in better
shape than the one you describe.

But the Challenger is a nice sailing little boat. Not as speedy as the new
sports models but it stands up to rough stuff pretty well. One great feature of
my cousin's is that you could make a pot of coffee without getting out of your
sleeping bag on chilly mornings.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King