When Boating is in Your Blood…

Story and Pictures by Andy Hoffman and ACBS Sponsor, Classic Boat Collective

Donn Beck’s family bought a cabin on an Island on Buckeye Lake, which is just outside of Columbus, OH, in 1957. When they bought the cabin a Chris-Craft 22 Sportsman was included in the sale. Donn and his family enjoyed the boat until 1974, when his father passed. A year later the family decided to sell it, and like others, moved to a fiberglass boat. Donn loved boating and in 1976 started working at his local marina. Over time he worked at a couple different boat dealerships until he ended up buying his own dealership in the 90’s and was the Bayliner dealer among other brands over the years. 

Donn inspecting his new boat.

In 2019 Donn sold the dealership as he was having issues with his site and over time Donn lost his vision. He remained a boater at heart and owned the family cabin, which he had renovated into a beautiful family lake home on the island. Donn still liked to boat and had many boats over the years, but he remembered the 22 Sportsman his family had for those many years.

Donn came to us this spring looking for a 22 Sportsman, like the one he remembered from his past. Conveniently one of our customers had just contacted us to sell his 22 Sportsman and before the boat got listed on our site Donn had made a deal to buy it. The boat was located in Hartwell, GA and the seller, ACBS Blue Ridge Chapter member, Bryan Wheeler, was kind enough to drive the boat to Columbus and deliver it to Donn personally. Since Bryan was driving right past my house, I met him on the highway and followed him the last 2 hours to help with the delivery.

Bryan unwrapping the power cord from the boat house rafters.

Although Donn is blind you could see the smile coming to his face when he first touched the boat. He walked around it to feel all he could, the vents, the cleats, and especially the Chris-Craft chrome logo on the side of the boat.

Donn got into the boat with Bryan and they went through the entire boat together. I launch Donn and Bryan, parked the truck and trailer and hopped in the boat for the maiden voyage. As the boat got on plane and the wind started blowing from the speed of the boat, you could see the smile on Donn’s face. We got to the Island House and pulled the boat into the covered slip that it would now preside in.

I helped Bryan hook up the front chain hoist but the one for the rear lifting eye was too short. The power cord was wrapped around the rafter of the boat house and had the get unwrapped to give us enough cord. Bryan volunteered to climb into the rafter to unwrap the cord to give us the length we needed. According to Bryan, the only thing that has been in those rafter for years, besides him, is birds and the dropping they had left behind.

The 22 at home in it’s new boathouse.

We got the boat set and lifted with the hoists and as we got our ride back to the truck on their pontoon boat we looked back to see that 22 Sportsman happily hanging in its new home. Donn is a great example of how the love of boating stays in us all. Even if you can’t enjoy it one way there is always another! We wish Donn and his 22 Sportsman all the best for many years to come.