Care to 'talk story'?

[ndutton]

Hey Domenic,

You've been around here a while but only recently I've noticed you mentioned being a designer and boat builder. That's a background that is quite an asset to this forum. Do you have any pictures of previous designs or boat building projects in which you've been involved?

Also given your background I'd like to hear what it is about the Columbia 28 that attracted you in the first place. As I worked at Columbia Yachts, my interest goes a little deeper than most. I'm familiar with their manufacturing techniques, lamination schedules, core materials, hull & deck joints, etc. Those were good times for me.

I recently bared my soul with pictures of my previous boat that I built so I guess I'm looking for the similar experiences of others.

Thanks.

edit:
I shouldn't have limited this to Domenic, it's that his recent posts got me to thinking. Anybody else out there want to share their hands-on boat building stories?

[67c&ccorv]

I carved a wooden boat out of a stick when I was a kid and floated it down the culvert in the front of our house...

...does that count?

[sastanley]

Originally Posted by 67c&ccorv

I carved a wooden boat out of a stick when I was a kid and floated it down the culvert in the front of our house...

...does that count?

LOL - mine is almost as bad, but when I was a youngster, my Dad & I ripped the old failing plastic off our dink (a Sunflower, now called Super Snarks!) and recovered it with glass & resin. I recall we had to use some special type of resin that wouldn't eat the foam hull.

I think my old man finally ditched the dink. I told him I didn't want it when I bought the Catalina, after it had been sitting in the woods for the last 20+ years.

[domenic]

Originally Posted by ndutton

Hey Domenic,

You've been around here a while but only recently I've noticed you mentioned being a designer and boat builder. That's a background that is quite an asset to this forum. Do you have any pictures of previous designs or boat building projects in which you've been involved?

Also given your background I'd like to hear what it is about the Columbia 28 that attracted you in the first place. As I worked at Columbia Yachts, my interest goes a little deeper than most. I'm familiar with their manufacturing techniques, lamination schedules, core materials, hull & deck joints, etc. Those were good times for me.

I recently bared my soul with pictures of my previous boat that I built so I guess I'm looking for the similar experiences of others.

Thanks.

edit:
I shouldn't have limited this to Domenic, it's that his recent posts got me to thinking. Anybody else out there want to share their hands-on boat building stories?

Columbia. I talked to Dick this past year. His son reopened Columbia Yachts. He is building a racing (sic) sailboat. Very long slim keel with all the ballast stuck on the bottom. I figured if that turkey goes to a 45 degree heel, they will lose the keel. The new Columbia Yachts is building boats by order only. I think that’s a hard course to hold in these times.
Things I found wrong with my Columbia. To many air bubbles behind the gel coat. I have been breaking them out, and patching.
Upper Chain plate on port side. The last two bolts were put on the liner before the liner went into the hull. Had to cut an inspection port to reach them. Found dry matt in four spots of the liner. Mast step…now there is a joke. Mast step is wood, stuck in the bilge. Have to replace it. The last owner left water in the bilge. The port bulkhead was non marine ply. I tore it out with my bare hands. It came off like mush. Every hole in the deck had to be resin packed, and re-drilled. I had to dry out the ply core in the deck behind the hatch.
Engine hatch .(cockpit floor.) This was a flush hatch resting on a flange. Any water that went into the cockpit drained via the hatch right onto the engine. Had to build a raised hatch for the cover (deck)to over hangs.
The hull…perfect.
I love the boat. Would buy a Columbia over most other boats. She can take a pounding.

I designed, built the plug, and molds for the Land N Sea houseboat. I broke away from the company when they put a fly bridge on the stock model. The boat was designed to be road legal…8’ beam. I told the company the boat would be unstable at 17 degrees with the weight of the fly bridge, and two people. One capsized in Morro Bay with three people in the fly bridge. Upside down the boat hit the bottom. The three people died.
I designed a 53’ power boat. Went to work for a design Company…did that for two years.
Designed and built a 60’ power cat T-vessel. Most of the stuff I do now is re-design work.
My love is small un-ballasted sailboats. Been in, and out of composite material design.
Tell me, what did you do at Columbia Yachts?

[ndutton]

Originally Posted by domenic

Tell me, what did you do at Columbia Yachts?

Columbia/Coronado yachts in Costa Mesa, California was my introduction into the industry. I was officially the plumber on the Coronado 35 line but that was only part of my duties. I was also responsible for the entire steering system, pedestal to rudder and certain operations required all hands such as mating the hull and deck. As part of a crew, we all helped each other as necessary. I cut my teeth on finish carpentry there, working overtime when available.

All the lines in the plant built a single model except my line. My crew built three different boats: the Coronado 35, the Columbia 34 and the Coronado 30. The good thing was I got more diverse experience, the bad thing was since we were shifting gears all the time we never made our production bonus like everyone else. They all banged out the same boat day after day but not us.

[domenic]

Originally Posted by ndutton

Columbia/Coronado yachts in Costa Mesa, California was my introduction into the industry. I was officially the plumber on the Coronado 35 line but that was only part of my duties. I was also responsible for the entire steering system, pedestal to rudder and certain operations required all hands such as mating the hull and deck. As part of a crew, we all helped each other as necessary. I cut my teeth on finish carpentry there, working overtime when available.

All the lines in the plant built a single model except my line. My crew built three different boats: the Coronado 35, the Columbia 34 and the Coronado 30. The good thing was I got more diverse experience, the bad thing was since we were shifting gears all the time we never made our production bonus like everyone else. They all banged out the same boat day after day but not us.

Neil, here are some owners of Columbia's, and their boats.

Columbia Yacht Owners Association
Welcome to the Columbia Yacht Owners Association website. It is the online resource for classic Columbia yachts.
www.columbia-yachts.com

[ndutton]

As a designer and builder I'd be interested in your opinions of the Columbia hull/deck joining system and their lamination/coring schedules.

[domenic]

Originally Posted by ndutton

As a designer and builder I'd be interested in your opinions of the Columbia hull/deck joining system and their lamination/coring schedules.

The joint can be inspected from the outside if the molding is removed. It can't be inspected from the inside. I know the inside extrusion has to be full of water...I know it...it has to.
When I haul out this winter, I am going to drill a few holes to see how much water there is.
Inside liners restrict a builder from Fiberglassing deck to hull. I don’t like inside liners. I think they look cheap, hide bad workmanship, and compromise the integrity of the vessel. Getting to stuff behind the liner is a bitch.

As to the use of plywood in the core...that is just plain stupid.

Did you ask the question because you know something bad the rest of us don’t?