Hughes Columbia Columbia 36 For Sale & Buying Center

"On my C-36, the hull plate is easily found. Go to head, take a seat (with or without reading material), turn head 90 degrees to the right, your nose is pointing at it.

Doug Thomas

Scott St. Clair writes:

Years ago, when I was interested in buying a C-36, I talked to Bill Crealock, the designer. He said that when the boat was first offered, it had something like a Scheel keel to give it shoal draft. He had misgivings about the design of the keel and did the design with the understanding that, if it were not successful, Columbia would fit a more traditional keel to the boats.

As it turned out, the ""Scheel keel"" didn't work very well and was replaced by a traditional design after some number of boats. I don't know how many, but it was something less than 50.

How does this relate to the ""shoal draft option"" you are inquiring about? I don't know that either, but maybe the're related.

In May 1968 Columbia ads were still touting the ...advanced underbody concepts that include the latest in today's drag-reducing hydrodynamic achievements. By January 1970 Columbia brochures showed the inverted shark fin keel and 5' 3"" draft."