Columbia

Broker A.J. (Alexander James) MacDonald is listing the 43 metre Columbia an American-built replica of the famous racing/fishing Schooner dating from 1923, for sale.

The original was a 141’ classic Gloucester Fishing Schooner built at the historic A.D. Story shipyard of Essex, Massachusetts.

The town of Essex was at the time the centre for North American Fishing Schooner construction.

Designed by the innovative William Starling Burgess, Columbia was bred for speed. In the fall of 1923, she challenged Bluenose, Canada’s legendary schooner, in the International Fishermen’s Cup Races in Halifax.

Doing so she was one of the few American schooners to provide a challenge to Bluenose. 

Nearly winning the title, Columbia was narrowly defeated by Bluenose but nevertheless gained a place in sailing yacht history

This replica dating back to 2014 has been meticulously handcrafted by Eastern Shipbuilding Group based in Panama City, Florida, and offers an opportunity to own a piece of history rebuilt for the modern age with every comfort imaginable.

The broker acting for the vendor is Alexander James MacDonald grew up in England, in the picturesque countryside of The Cotswolds.

In 2000 he moved to the South of France, where he began his career in the yachting industry where he would spend the next 12 years working aboard superyachts, traveling extensively throughout the Mediterranean, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

During that period he acquired an in-depth knowledge of the quality, mechanics, and maintenance of yachts, as well as an insight into client service.  After marrying his wife, a former Yacht Charter Broker and Manager in 2012, they settled down in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and A.J. embarked on the next phase of his yachting career to follow his passion of selling yachts.

A.J.’s attention to detail, market insight, international travel experience, passion for yachting and interpersonal skills all contribute to his professional and client-oriented approach.

A.J. works for IYC alongside his father-in-law John Weller, a 40 year yacht broker veteran, to continue on the successful family business.

They both pride themselves on building long lasting relationships with their clients, offering nearly 60 years of combined yachting experience, complemented with a fresh approach to today’s ever-changing market.

Specifications

• Builder:                     Eastern Shipbuilding Group
• L.O.A.:                         141′ / 43.03m
• Year:                          2014
• Cabins:                      4
• Guests:                       12
• Crew:                         15
• Location:                    Panama City, FL
• Asking Price:              $16,900,000