# New Member



## Jweev (Feb 28, 2021)

Hello, my name is Jay, I grew up in Grand Rapids Michigan, I learned to sail on an 11-foot fiberglass boat with my dad. Using the mast, sail, and boom from the little boat, we built an iceboat that we later swapped wheels on so we could sail in big parking lots.

He later bought a CL16 and we sailed that for a few years, then he got a Hobie 17 and we learned how to sail that. With that boat, I got a friend interested in sailing and he bought a McGreggor 22 that we sailed on Lake Michigan for a couple of summers. My dad got a 1977 Bayliner Buccaneer 18 that I took apart and I glassed in new stringers and flotation foam and repainted the hull for him.

Sailing that boat, I got another friend interested in sailing and he bought a Hobie 16 the next weekend and we had lots of fun on. He started looking for bigger boats and found one for free.

It was a 1968 Columbia 22 that really was ready for the dump. I said, why don't we fix it good enough to have some fun with for a little while. That turned into 8 months of me fixing everything, painting every square inch of it and now it's a sweet boat. I sail it out of Muskegon Lake and on Lake Michigan. Family stuff came up with my friend and the first time out he got really seasick, so I ended up single-handing it. During this, my dad bought a West Wight Potter 19 and he likes to sail White Lake. Here is a before and after of my Columbia 22


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## Krystian1 (May 30, 2020)

Welcome! Great job on restoring your Columbia 22


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## Layla (Feb 26, 2021)

I think you did a great job with your 22. I'm very impressed. Very interested in sailboats that size. Congrats!


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## MoonBeamEstate (Jan 1, 2021)

Welcome Jay


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

Welcome to SailNet. Thank you for posting your story. As others have said, you did a great job on the Columbia. You chose a really good design to fix up. The Columbia 22 was a very interesting design for that era. The Columbia 22 was a particularly advanced design for that time and especially so for Bill Crealock.
Part of the impetuous for the advanced design was that it was a MORC (Midget Ocean Racing Conference) design. MORC produced boats that had an admirable mix of performance, accommodations, and seaworthiness.
I always recommend that people who are willing to invest any amount of time and money in restoring an older boat should seek the best design that they can find. You should be congratulated for having done just that.

Jeff

(I always forget how big Michigan is., I designed a Cadillac Museum roughly a 100 mites away in Hickory Corners)


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## SV Siren (Mar 8, 2013)

Welcome to sailnet Jay! I love that you restored an oldie but a goodie Columbia, doing the same myself, just a different model. I really like the choice in color, looks quite nice. From the picture it looks you are at Torreson, or the neighboring marina. I will be joining you in a year or two as I will be having my Columbia commissioned there.


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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

Nice work Jay!


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## Ina (Feb 26, 2021)

Hi, welcome aboard! It's so gorgeous, Jay! Well done!


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## PhilCarlson (Dec 14, 2013)

Welcome aboard, love that restoration!


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## Annapolitan (Feb 22, 2021)

Beautiful work on her, and welcome from another new member.


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## Jweev (Feb 28, 2021)

Thank you for the compliments, yep, you learn a lot by doing it yourself. I was at Hartshorn Marina, and right now the boat is safely at a friend's house while I am in Central America on another adventure.




  








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## Jweev (Feb 28, 2021)

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## SanderO (Jul 12, 2007)

Awesome... You should be proud of yourself...


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## Layla (Feb 26, 2021)

Hard work!


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