There was a stretch during the mid-60s when Columbia made power yachts. Information for these boats is a litte hard to come by, but I have some. The first was the Express 30. An ad I have describes it as "an all-fiberglass express cruiser, sleeping six, that is competitively priced with stock wooden cruisers. Superb performance, spacious comfort in a fun-loving family boat. First in a power line that will include 36 ft. and 42 ft. models."
Dick Valdes said that there were 167 Express 30s made between 1964-66, but the 36 and 42 were never produced. After that the hull mold was sold to Luhrs.
Meridian 48-The hull mold was not made by Columbia, it was purchased from some failed company. I do not remember what the name was but they were located in Santa Ana, California. I will research and see if I can find out who build the hull mold and did the design. Columbia built an interior mold and also a stock deck mold. All of the engineering was done for the stock boat and 1 (maybe 2) were built in Costa Mesa. There was also one built with flush deck single engine work boat configuration, it was designed to be a Gulf shrimper or as a commercial trawler fishing boat for Mexico. There was some connection with people in Mexico for commercial boats but I do not know what it was. It was determined that Columbia was not the "right" builder for the boat and it was shipped off to Bertram/Trojan another division of Whittaker. As I recall the I.D. logo for the Meridian was "Meridian 48" in "arched chromed script" about 3 inches high and 18 inches long. Kelly can probably supply some more information, he would also probably remember some of the early power boats.I do have some specifications on the Express 30. They were provided to me by Ross Hollinger, who is refurbishing one.
Columbia Express 30 Sport Fisher Specs
Length: 30 feet
Beam: 10.5 feet
Draft: 3 feet
Weight: Approximately 11,000 lbs
Engines: Twin Crusader 305's (GM)
Transmissions: Borg-Warner VelvetDrive AS1-71C; Gear Ratio - 1:1
Years Built: 1964 - 1966
Number Made: 167
Designed By: Blaine Seeley
Price (New): $12,995.00
Info from a Columbia Marine Engines Operator's Manual:
model displacement power carb
Col-185, 283 cu in, 185 hp, 2 barrel
Col-220, 327 cu in, 220 hp, 4 barrel
Col-250, 327 cu in, 250 hp, 4 barrel
Col-280, 409 cu in, 280 hp, 4 barrel
Transmission info is size and reduction ratio:
AS2-70C AS2 = 1.52:1 reduction, 70=model 70 with C spline
Warner transmission codes:
AS1=direct drive
AS2 1.52:1 reduction
AS4 2.54:1 reduction
AS5 2.91:1 reduction
AS7 1.91:1 reduction
| MODEL | Col-185 | Col-220 | Col-250 | Col-280 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Type | V8 O.H.V. | V8 O.H.V. | V8 O.H.V. | V8 O.H.V. |
| Displacement | 283 | 327 | 327 | 409 |
| Horsepower at R.P.M | 185@4000 | 220@4000 | 250@4000 | 280@4000 |
| Compression Ratio | 8.6:1 | 8.0:1 | 8.6:1 | 7.8:1 |
| Fuel Requirements | Regular | Regular | Regular | Regular |
| Carburetion | 2-barrel | 4-barrel | 4-barrel | 4-barrel |
Info from a couple ads: Aug '63 ad lists a twin 185 hp V8 option for $9,995. July '64 ad talks about a single Fury 210 hp Chrysler V8 and optional twin 190s. It then states 210 hp Chrysler V8 $10,995 (Twin Option)
Ross tells me that Dick Valdes told him that Columbia eventually sold the power yacht molds to Luhrs.