Hi, Someone just gave me a 12' sloop rigged Kolibri sailing dingy that needs some repair and probably a few parts. I haven't found much info on the web yet, but I guess it was made in the 70's in Germany. It may be similar to a US made boat called an "echo" but haven't found anything useful about that. I could use some help figuring out the rigging as it's not as simple as my sunfish Thanks, Mark
Glenmore Sailboats in Canada build a 12 ft boat named a Kolibri. Not sure if it's a copy of the German boat or something different but you might want to enquire there for more information.
I've got one of these. The ones made by Glenmore in Calgary are derivative of the German made (and imported to USA in the late 1960's and early 1970's). CL sailboats in ?Ontario makes an Echo which is also based on the earlier German made Kolibri. The Kolibri is also known as the Koralle Jr. and there are a few of them around. I collect photos and info on them. I've got the rigging instructions for mine buried in a pile on my desk.... somewhere. Is yours the earlier (late 1960's) version or the newer one by Glenmore? The "original" German dual shell of polyester resin, not laid fiberglass. There is space though not much between the cockpit floor and the bottom of the hull. Let me guess...the wounds to your Kolibri / Koralle Jr. are perhaps cracks in the hull or cockpit? I'm about to repair a crack in the hull I got. It's not separated, but a very distince crack. There's a crack in the cockpit floor and the hull (bottom), as if some silly person jumped into it as it was on land or over a rock in a shallow area. I'm going to use two-part epoxy to repair mine. Glenmore folks are very helpful and gave me some ideas. They have some of the older Kolibri parts, but I they didn't have any of the old chainplates and they use a different rigging system on their new Kolibris. Is your boat Lime green, deep pastel blue (swimming pool blue on drugs), orange or yellow? The older one were made in what I think of as late 60's "Psychedelic" colors. Well, I guess they skipped the hot pink The mast for mine is a two-piece anodized (gold colored) aluminum. The daggerboard and rudder are mahogany veneer marine plywood. It has oars, and oarlocks, a sail bag, a drain with plug at the stern, a mainsail with a red hummingbird (kolibri means hummingbird) and a jib. Mine was missing (looks like it never had) the hiking straps. It didn't come (used, 3rd hand) with the reefing claw either. It does have a tiller extension. The two part mast is just set into a slight dimple in the cockpit and held in place by the stays. The mainsail has 3 or 4 battens, the uppermost one going from leech to luff. BTW, if you need this replaced, as I did, be sure you get the size right so that it is longer than the leech to luff distance. It's supposed to hang outside the pocket about an inch. This will allow you to shape your sail for the wind conditions. Sorta neat. (When the batten is in all the way and secured with the ties through the leech end, it creates a curve in the sail.) I'm getting another chainplate or two fabricated for mine, and mending the cracks with epoxy. I hope to get in into the water soon. I've heard they do okay for a small, lightweight boat. Send photos of your boat if you have some. Have fun! Oh, maybe I'll try to attach a few photos. The one with text is mine, the others borrowed from various web sources.
Greetings Petrel, Thanks so much for the information, and the cool photos. Mine I believe is the early German one, in deep pastel blue. I am missing the seat (easy enough to make) and some various hardware, to be determined. I think my sails are okay though. Some parts are non original, like the tiller handle (no extention) And it does have a broken hiking strap that may have been added later. I just got an e-mail today from Glenmore, they sent me a scanned version of the original Kolibri rigging manual! I'll send you a copy if you send me your e-mail address, mine is Journeyend@earthlink.net. Not quite sure when I will have a chance to fix the hull, maybe not until next spring. Where are you located? Best, Mark
