Click here to skip the jive and go to the equipment/modification list)
It is with mixed emotions that I put Shariyat on the market. I have owned her for 10 years and as the many stories will show, it has been a fantastic ride! I have another boat now that I am rebuilding for round the world sailing and I must focus on that.
What is interesting tho is that I find Shariyat a much better boat than my new one for exploring the San Juan and Gulf Islands here in the NW. She is simpler to prepare, easier to get on and off the dock and to singlehand. She is faster, more manueverable and therefore much more fun to sail. The spinnaker is small enuf to be easy to use. The cabin and cockpit is more on one level and so it is far easier to get down below from the cockpit to do something and get back into the cockpit quickly. With her shallower draft (<5′) I can get into places I wouldn’t take the bigger boat and I can anchor inside and closer to the beach than most other boats. She is cheaper to take guest moorage too (although I rarely take a slip).
I bought the boat when I was looking for an inexpensive way to live by myself. The information I found online indicated that the Columbia 26MKII had a very good reputation, however, and I soon found out why. Being a lifelong sailor and shipwright I became enamored with her abilities, so much so that I decided to turn her into a serious along-shore ocean cruising vessel. I had spoken at length with a fellow who successfully sailed a C26II to New Zealand and discussed the modifications he had made to do so (such as the stabilizing fin and rudder strengthening). Much work and modification was done to Shariyat along these lines culminating in the sea-trial; singlehanding up the outside of Vancouver Island. (see "A Sailor Returns Home") This was a very successful trip, so much so (I see now) that it sowed the seeds of moving on to a larger, more serious world cruising vessel.
The best way to get a feel for the work done, and the equipment on the boat is to read the Sailing Adventure Stories on this site and I think you will see why I think Shariyat is the best small (pocket) cruising boat in the NW!
Keep in mind that she can be trailered fairly easily with a good tow vehicle. Imagine taking her to eastern lakes, Sea of Cortes, San Fransisco Bay, etc! or keep her at home in the driveway for the winter to save moorage and maintenance costs.