We couldn't be more enthused by a project than we are about the Columbia 30. We think that a fast, reasonably priced, good looking and versatile 30' sport boat can be a true success in the market. It wasn't that long ago that we introduced our own idea (well, your idea actually) for a 30' sport boat, The Anarchy 30. We received this commentary on the boat, and it does give a good analysis, at least from a view outside the project. We want the 'Lumbo 30 to kick ass, and we think it will. - Ed

The Columbia 30 looks most interesting. However there would seem to be some ends that do not meet. They want to build a 3,400 lb boat with a complicated interior (for a 30 foot sport boat); Lifting keel; cockpit seats; bowsprit; an inboard engine; and build it out of e-glass and vinyl ester laminate and have it weigh only 3400 lbs? Not too likely.

Here are a few examples of existing designs, similar in concept:

Example 1: The Olson 30 - very high quality cored construction; Class minimum weight is 3750 lbs, w/o the battery & outboard motor, etc. etc. Add these rather essential items to the package and the weight is close to 3900 lbs. Without the 1800 lb keel, an Olson 30 weighs 2100 lbs.

Example 2: ULDB 30 footer - Custom built carbon/epoxy/foam/vacuum bagged construction, 4 hp motor, no interior, all up weight 3300 lbs. Without the 1360 lb keel, the boat weighed 1940 lbs.

Example 3: Mumm 30 - 4560 lb displacement w/ 2000 lb keel, very simple cockpit structure, and 310 lb inboard diesel. It is vacuum bagged wet pre-preg epoxy and post cured in an oven. If the Mumm 30 came equipped with a 100 lb 9.9hp outboard motor, the displacement would decrease to 4350 lb. The boat without the 2000 lb keel would then weigh 2350 lbs. A Mumm 30 is actually 31 feet long, and just over 10 feet wide. In a simplistic scaling adjustment to the structural weights, a 30 foot long x 9.6 foot wide Mumm 30 w/o keel would weigh approx. 2160 lbs.

See a trend here? Light weight 30 footers weigh between 1900 to 2200 lbs (w/o keels). The higher tech, simpler, more expensive construction will achieve the 1900 lb number, where the more typical production built 30 footer comes in near 2100 lbs.

The Columbia 30 was originally advertised at 3400 lb displacement with a 100 lb engine (9.9 hp Honda outboard). Now with the change to the inboard, you can safely add 200 lbs to the equation. Take off the 1500 lb keel, and the advertised boat weighs 2100 lbs (less than the carbon boat). The Columbia 30 design also incorporates several complexities that will add weight: lifting keel, cockpit seats, bowsprit, & now the saildrive.

A sport boat that weighs 20% more than "design" will lose many of the benefits of being a light-weight design. Any added displacement will make the boat slower in light air and downwind. The additional weight will also increase the hull's wetted surface to further degrade the light air and downwind performance. In order to maintain the target displacement and Sail Area to Wetted Surface ratio, the typical "fix" is a reduction of the ballast weight, and that's bad for suitable upwind performance.
This is the downside of being too optimistic.

It's far better to deal with a design's displacement realistically from the very outset. The Mumm 30 designers (Farr) were very careful to design the boat to suit the builder's ability to meet the design weight. That's why it ended up at 4560 lbs displacement, and it caries a large sailplan combined with a heavy keel to balance the displacement, wetted surface, & stability for excellent all-round performance.

It also appears that the (now) $68,000, (up from the original $60,000) estimated price for the Columbia 30 may fall into the optimistic category as well.

Having said that, Morelli and Melvin work closely with building light boats, but I believe there will need to be a revision of the more critical numbers before the Columbia 30 becomes real. I hope they have success.