The Story of Kim

Since I came back to California, I’ve been working on rehabilitating a 24-foot sailboat (a 1964 Columbia 24, sail number 132) named Kim.

I’ve put together here a few pictures of the boat, in addition to one that’s several months old. I’ve also added some notes about the work:

7/00 to 8/15/00: Initial assessment, cleaning, finding the eggs

8/16/00 to 9/00: Basic work, refitting, more cleaning, lost glasses

10/00 to 5/01: Kim tacks! Postponement, winter delays, clean bottom, restep mast

More Links

Columbia was sold to Hughes in 1979, and Hughes folded the company’s one remaining plant in Chesapeake, Virginia (many of the boats had also been made in Costa Mesa, California). Since the company no longer exists, owners and zealots have had to exchange information on their own. A Google search turns up various Web resources pertaining to Columbia 24s. A few (the first three all seem to be from the same guy, Eric White):

http://www.columbia-yachts.com/ was created in late 1997 to help collect and disseminate information about Columbias of all sizes and shapes. It’s got a good history page.

http://www.monumental.com/ewhite/lit.html lists some places to find Columbia parts and drawings. (This site seems identical to the one at columbia-yachts.com; I’m not sure whether one is more current.)

http://www.mnsinc.com/ewhite/specs.html offers drawings and specifications for the Columbia series of sailboats.

A Columbia Page lists various notes about many Columbia, plus has some interesting links.

Blair Arden of Detroit, Michigan, has a full manual and drawings online for a Columbia 26, plus a 1971 sales brochure.

Good Old Boat magazine has a list of associations of boat owners, with several under the Columbia heading.

There will no doubt be more missives in the Kim saga. Stay tuned for updates.

Highway 127 . . . Desert . . . Town . . . Football
Balboa Island . . . Ferries and Pavilion . . . Beaches . . . Kim
New Year's . . . Bluesmobile . . . Whaling . . . The Prayer Wheel
Tall Ships . . . Santa Barbara Island Hop . . . Minding the Train

Cali Index


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