CD-ROM BY PAT AND PAUL ESTERLE (DISTRIBUTED BY CAP’N PAULEY VIDEOS; $9.95)
REVIEWED BY BEN HOCKER
As the owner of a 32-foot 1979 Columbia 9.6, I was interested in viewing this CD-ROM . It is authored by Pat and Paul Esterle, owners of the 35-foot Columbia 10.7, Bryn Awel, one of the last generation of Columbia yachts.
The CD is stated to be “a compilation of most of the currently known information about Columbia sailing yachts” and covers 41 models. Six others are listed as “lost models” for which no information is available. Also included is a list of additional resources for Columbia information.
The information included for each model varies considerably in quantity and quality. This is not surprising, since these boats are virtually all more than 20 years old, and only small numbers of some models are in existence. For most models, there are specifications, often copies of the original advertising brochures and a layout drawing, sometimes a boat review, and a history of the boat’s production run. Credit for much of this basic information is given to the Columbia Yacht Owners’ Association website maintained by Eric White. In addition, there are recent photos of most of these boats, many apparently supplied by individual owners and others from yacht brokers’ listings.
While the CD did not start automatically on my sometimes-cantankerous PC, it was easily started manually following the instructions on the package insert. It was straightforward to jump from the table of contents to a specific model, and to change pages with the arrow keys. The presentation has a habit of automatically advancing to the next page, sometimes annoyingly before the viewer is ready, but one can manually return to the previous slide.
While the audience may be a specialized one of Columbia owners and others with a particular interest in that manufacturer, this CD-ROM compiles a large amount of information in a single, compact source. At only $9.95, it’s a bargain.
