BoatsColumbia Yachts 45

Columbia Yachts 45

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1971–1976

A raised deck motorsailer offering ketch or sloop rigs and a choice between full keel or shoal draft configurations

Designed by William H. Tripp Jr.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Columbia Yachts 45, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Be The Captain

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 36 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 36
CoastalBluewater

At 1.69 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.69
LightHeavy

272 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 272
EasygoingPowered-up

13.1 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.1
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~75% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2321 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Columbia Yachts 45, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Columbia Yachts 45 is a William H. Tripp Jr.-designed masthead sloop built by Columbia Sailing Yachts from 1971 to 1976. It features a fin keel with a rudder on skeg, measures 13.8 meters LOA, has a 3.8-meter beam, a 2.2-meter draft, and displaces 11339 kg. The model was also available as a raised deck motor sailer, with full keel and shoal draft versions, and an optional ketch rig; it shares its hull with the Columbia 43. A review by Be The Captain notes that the Columbia 45 presents risks due to poor cockpit drainage and hull flexing, contrasting it with other sub-$50,000 offshore candidates like the Formosa 41, Morgan Yachts OUT ISLAND 41, Csy 44 (MID-COCKPIT), Catalina Yachts 38, C&C Yachts 40-1, Gulfstar Yachts 37, Endeavour 37, and Hunter Marine 37 LEGEND.7:44

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
41.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.1
Displacement / length
271.8
Comfort ratio
36.1
Capsize screening
1.69
Hull speed
7.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1520
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
1971–1976
Units built
180
Designer
William H. Tripp Jr
Builder
Columbia Sailing Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Irwin Yachts 43-CC MKIII13.87 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ted Irwin-designed cutter with a shallow-draft wing keel, built for comfortable cruising since 1986
S1, Ep5 We Buy A New Boat (again)!3:51from Sailing Into the Mystic
Amel Maramu 4613.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13.8-metre ketch produced throughout the 1980s, balancing a moderate displacement with a stable, sea-kindly motion
Full SAILBOAT TOUR [Affordable 46ft Am, Comfortable, Reliable, Ocean Sailing Monohull]from Adventureman Dan
Cal Boats 2-4613.87 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthFeaturing a midships engine room and expanded living quarters, this 46-foot cruiser prioritizes interior volume
Is this the ULTIMATE fat-tire, FAST, folding e-bike?from GenXPats - The Sailing Advisor
Beneteau First 45613.87 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop offered with diverse keel and rig configurations for versatile performance
I WENT TO MEXICO TO DELIVER A BENETEAU 560:59from Sailing Solé
Morgan Yachts 45213.72 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead ketch with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, engineered for offshore stability and steady passage-making
Chat 16 Provisioning0:30from Maryland School of Sailing
Formosa Yachts 4613.72 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA lengthened 13.72-metre cutter featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, derived from the Peterson 44 hull lines
Sailing to Two Harbors and Hen Rock - Dana 24 - August 20192:33from keeldragger

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Columbia 43A William Tripp Jr. design featuring a high ballast ratio and a masthead rig, built for offshore performanceColumbia Yachts 45 KetchA 13.79-meter masthead ketch with a deep 2.21-meter fin keel, designed by William Tripp Jr. for offshore stabilityColumbia Yachts 41A 12.34-metre masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and an optional shoal draft of 4.92 feetColumbia Yachts 35A William Tripp Jr. design featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a balanced masthead sloop rig for coastal cruisingColumbia Yachts 56A motorsailer variant of the Columbia 57 hull, also produced in Italy as the Colitalia 56Columbia Yachts 30A William Tripp Jr. masthead sloop designed for offshore stability with a skeg-mounted rudder and balanced displacement

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