Columbia 5.5 is a 32′ 4″ / 9.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Sigurd Herburn/Columbia Yachts and built by Columbia Yachts between 1963 and 1965.
- Designer
- Sigurd Herburn/Columbia Yachts
- Builder
- Columbia Yachts
- Associations
- ?
- # Built
- 50
- Hull
- Monohull
- Keel
- Fin
- Rudder
- ?
- Construction
- FG
Dimensions
- Length Overall
- 32′ 4″ / 9.9 m
- Waterline Length
- 25′ 0″ / 7.6 m
- Beam
- 6′ 3″ / 1.9 m
- Draft
- 4′ 3″ / 1.3 m
- Displacement
- 4,500 lb / 2,041 kg
- Ballast
- 2,800 lb / 1,270 kg (Lead)
Rig and Sails
- Type
- Sloop
- Reported Sail Area
- 312′² / 29 m²
- Total Sail Area
- ?
Mainsail
- Sail Area
- ?
- P
- ?
- E
- ?
- Air Draft
- ?
Foresail
- Sail Area
- ?
- I
- ?
- J
- ?
- Forestay Length
- ?
Auxilary Power
- Make
- ?
- Model
- ?
- HP
- ?
- Fuel Type
- ?
- Fuel Capacity
- ?
Accomodations
- Water Capacity
- ?
- Holding Tank Capacity
- ?
- Headroom
- ?
- Cabins
- ?
Calculations
- Hull Speed
-
9.1 kn
Classic: 6.7 kn
Hull Speed
The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.
Formula
Classic hull speed formula:
Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL
A more accurate formula devised by Dave Gerr in The Propeller Handbook replaces the Speed/Length ratio constant of 1.34 with a calculation based on the Displacement/Length ratio.
Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio.311
Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL
- Sail Area/Displacement
-
18.3
Sail Area / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.
Formula
SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64)2/3
- SA: Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
- D: Displacement in pounds.
- Ballast/Displacement
-
62.2
>40: stiffer, more powerful
Ballast / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.
Formula
Ballast / Displacement * 100
- Displacement/Length
-
128.6
100-200: light
Displacement / Length Ratio
A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.
Formula
D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
- Comfort Ratio
-
22.0
20-30: coastal cruiser
Comfort Ratio
This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.
Formula
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam1.33)
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
- LOA: Length overall in feet
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
- Capsize Screening
-
1.5
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages
Capsize Screening Formula
This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.
Formula
CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
Notes
First advertised (1963) as the COLUMBIA CLASS.
The COLUMBIA 5.5 has it’s origins with ‘Carina’, a 5.5 METER designed and built by Sigurd Herburn of Norway, winner of the 1958 Scandinavian Gold Cup.
It is said that Columbia used this boat as a plug, (with a few modifications) to build it’s own fiberglass version. Though a development class, no fiberglass 5.5 meters had been built at this time. The International 5.5 meter governing body decided that it did not conform to the class rules. The COLUMBIA 5.5 was raced as a one design class on the west coast US for a few years.
Later it was modified and received a new model designation COLUMBIA SABRE, a cruising version with a trunk cabin, bunks for four and other amenities. Between 300 and 400 SABRES were built between 1963 and 1969. A similar version was also built by Ericson Yachts as the SCORPION 32 (almost certainly from the same molds).
