Columbia Sabre 32-foot sailboat - original owner

Description

Up for sale is my father's Columbia Sabre sailboat. He bought it new in 1966 and it has been in the family ever since. But with his passing this boat is (sadly) up for sale.
The Columbia Sabre is a 5.5-metre class racing hull with a cabin on top. Very sleek and fast, yet can sleep four comfortably for weekend overnights. It's a fun daysailer with a big cockpit, or use it for racing.
This particular example is in solid condition. Boats of this vintage usually have soft, 'spongy' decks because the balsa-cored deck becomes waterlogged and loses its strength. The result is often a death-knell for the boat.But not this Sabre. Back in the 1980s we re-cored the deck by peeling back the fibreglass deck (we didn't cut out any sections - all deck skins are intact), removing the water-logged balsa-wood coring and replacing it with closed-cell Klegecell hi-density foam. Yes, it took a LOT of time and effort - but the results were worth it! This was profiled in the March 1994 issue of "Yachting" magazine (Google "yachting wennerstrom replacing a cored deck").
At that time we also replaced the teak toe-rail with aluminum using new stainless fasteners, and replaced the stock, single-hoop 'generic' bow pulpit with a custom angled double-hoop model, rendered in stainless-steel and designed to match the sleek lines of the boat. We also replaced the original single life-line stanchions with stronger, double life-line ones. Finally, the original teak hatches were replaced with custom dark Lucite.
On the inside, and soon after my father bought the boat, he dressed up the stock spartan interior with custom-made teak cabinets and trays. The cabin roof (a weak point of this design) was buttressed with a teak bulkhead and columns to carry the mast loads.
The result has been a solid boat that has raised a family and seen many fine weekends.
Several years ago the interior was repainted, the cushions recovered, the mainsail replaced (all other sails are original - no rips or tears), and a new 4-stroke 6-hp Mercury outboard purchased. Last fall the hull was scraped down to the original surface, imperfections filled, and 5-coats of barrier bottom paint applied.
In recent years as my father aged the boat has seen some benign neglect. Topside could use cosmetic clean-up, such as where the gelcoat is wearing thin, the Lucite hatches need polishing and the teak hatches need to be recoated (see pictures). The head is not working. The window frames are original and should be replaced soon, and the halyards are probably due. But even still it's ready to sail!
The sale includes everything in the pictures, including* Five sails - Mainsail (w/rolling-reefing boom), Storm Jib, Main Jib, 150% Genoa, 170% Genoa, and Spinnaker.* 6 HP Mercury Outboard* Ten life preservers (most adult size, some smaller)* Four sets of foul-weather gear (Large and Medium)* Sea Swing stove* Winter Storage gear - 5 metal boat stands, canvas cover, old hatches, Kover-Klamps framing system (pipes for frame itself are not available)* plus all miscellaneous parts and supplies
The boat is currently in the water in Connecticut at Norwalk Cove Marina. It must be out of the water by December 12th. Buyer would have to arrange for dry storage at Norwalk Cove or sailing or trailering to another port.