I Need a bigger boat

[Sagbay32]

How is the ride in the 22zx? My family says they want more freeboard than our 18' classic. I guess I shouldn't have tried those 3 foot waves last weekend. So here I sit trying to stay in a Donzi yet get more boat under me. The bad part is the 18' classic I bought has only 50 hours on it and is mint. I will be very lucky to find a boat in this condition that isn't over priced and far away. Any advice?

Thanks for listening

[marcdups]

Seat belts may help keep your family in the boat and you keep the 18, the 22 does look sweet though, LOL :D :D

Marc

Damn boating industry, laid off today :( :rolleyes: :(

[Blewbyu]

:mad: Well..........that SUCKS Marc.Wish you well.BTW-the cell phone industry is really HOT if you have any tech skills,or know your way around a computer well.In our area,all the dot.coms went T.U.,and the cell phone outfits have ads all over. :mad:

[JP BRESCIA]

sagbay, Any work done to your motor/dash? I think Phillip47 (sp?) is looking for an 18. Are you out there Phil?

[Shanghied Again]

I own a 22ZX and love it, The room is a great feature and the V berth is also a nice feature. She handles the rough stuff pretty good. The boat runs best in 1 to 2ft chop. The stepped hull like it that way! The only thing is forget what you know about triming a boat. Go the opposite way when you turn never tuck your drive in on a turn with a stepped bottom boat and never turn them as tight as you would with a classic V, They will spin out. They are very safe and stable boats if you know how to drive them. and I take my boat anywhere, You will se mine on Speedvision on the Hudson city Poker run I ws running an Average speed of 72mph with no sweat. :D

[Sagbay32]

The boat looks mint. It is a '95 and the only way you can tell is the red stripe on the deck has faded a little.The people I bought it from......older couple.... had it in storage and someone stole the bottom half off the lower unit so they had a new one put on. I had it taken apart by a mechanic and he said it was brand new.....no wear on gears. It runs perfect. I wish I lived on one of those giant reservoirs down south, but I prefer to be on the Saginaw bay....love the big water. I guess I will look for a bigger boat or a smaller family..........just kidding honey!

[Moody Blu']

heck if you dump the family off in the deep water, you could spring for a 33zx with all th emoney youll save :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[harbormaster]

I have ridden in a both a 22 classic
and a 22zx. I prefer the classic. the freeboard was about the same to me and felt roomier. the ride i felt was better in the classic also.

[Philip47]

I'm all ears and still looking for a 18

[HP 600SC]

HarborMaster is correct and right on the money.

[Sagbay32]

I guess my eyes have been deceiving me. I have looked at both boats. I thought the 22zx was a wider more stable boat. The classic looked a little to much like the 18, being narrow. I might have to......dare I say switch brands....I hate myself already for saying it.

[Forrest]

If you get a bigger Donzi, you should keep the 18 anyway. The 18 is so easy to tow and drop in the water anywhere. I just towed mine from North Florida to Virginia Beach in a day, tossed it to the water at a less than perfect ramp and ran it on out into the ocean. Once in the Atlantic, I anchored out just behind the waves in front of a friend of mine house on the oceanfront and had a good old time on the beach and out in the X-18 for the entire day. That night, I just parked it into a regular parking space and I was done. The 18 is just a breeze to deal with. I would have liked to have brought my 27 Magnum but it weighs three time as much as the 18 and you've got to have a good ramp with deep water to launch it. Also, often times there is no place to park a big boat once on land.

[Sabercr]

I have a 22zx for sale in excellent condition. It is very fast and great in the chop but tight turns can make you fly through the air and say your prayers quickly. You have to know how to work the tabs and be careful with the bud.

[Sagbay32]

That is very true Forrest. I just built a new house last year and it fits in my garage with the Wife's Trailblazer thats in a 21x21.5 space. Try that with a 22. My neighbors are A$$ es about things being parked in the driveway.....Damn subdivision association!
How much does a 22 classic weigh anyway?

[FASTEDDIE]

22 Classic is 3400 lbs dry weight :cool:

[Sagbay32]

3400 lbs.........at least I won't have to buy a new tow vehicle. I think I could pull that. I did look at a 22 classic I saw the other day. It was good from far....but far from good. I was very dissapointed to see that it looked like it had sat out side uncovered for a quite a while. No way I would sell my immaculate 18 for a beater 22.
I will have to weigh all my pros and cons.
Keep the opinions coming. I can still be swayed. :D ;)

[blackhawk]

I may be wrong here but I thought the 22' Classic was 3400 pounds without the engine/outdrive? So a 22' Classic with a 502/Bravo would weigh about 4600.

[Bryan Tuvell 33ZX]

I am way behind on my reading, well, it is boating season and I am not broke!
Great topic, so I will chime in as a 22ZX owner. The Classic and the ZX are both sweet boats and both easily towed. I take mine all over the place from VA, the KY trip for the AOTH was almost 1500 miles round trip, I use a Grand Cherokee to tow. She is almost 3600lbs with a bag of gas and a cuddy full of stuff. The ZX cuddy is nice for storage but needs modification, it is just a berth, no cabinets or lockers, I recently modified mine to hold 2 boat boxes and a 55qt cooler, it keeps the cuddy free of ski ropes, jackets and sand toys etc... so when it rains my kids (and wife) usually head for cover.
I echo all that was said on turning and being safe, I spun mine in KY and will never turn without looking at the trim gauge first! Once you've owned one awhile you "feel" certain things when turning, even 45 degree turns at speed.
If your buying new the ZX will be cheaper. They do prefer a bit of chop with the step, mine actually floats on air in the real smooth stuff and above high 50's she is almost to agile and will chine walk if trimmed to high.
The flying a small classic looks like fun, watching FORREST last week made me think of a boat doing wheely stands! Looked way cool too.... I personally (and momma) am to old for a high speed beating in the unforgiving Chesapeake Bay every weekend.
Good points made here by all, good luck to you.
Bryan

[RickR]

3400 Dry w/engine and drive
Then add gear, fuel and tralier weight for your towing weight.
That will put you up around 4400#s

[RickSE]

If you switch brands you may end up disappointed. Not many people building boats like Donzi and absolutely no one building small 20 footers like Donzi. I have yet to see a boat of equal quality and design to the 22ZX, 22, 18 & 16 Classics. I run on Lake Powell with a lot of 18-26 foot boats and have never been passed by anything in that size range. They just can't keep up with the little Donzi in the rough stuff.
:D

Stick with Donzi and find yourself a good used or new 22ZX. Sounds like your family will enjoy the ZX more than the Classic.

[Ranman]

SagBay32,


If you're up in White Lake, do you ever make it out to Lake St. Clair? I go out there quite a bit. I've got a nice '97 18 Classic. I'm in the registry under Randy Oak. I tied up with some guys out at Gull island a few weeks ago and they had a pretty nice 18 too. Let me know if you make it out there and I'll meet you sometime.

[Sagbay32]

Hey Ranman,
The only time I have been on lake St. Clair was on my buddies boat. I am a transplant from the Saginaw-Bay City area and am unfamiliar with the water down here. I have been running up to Saginaw Bay on the weekends cuz I know the water. It is about the same distance for me as well. Where do you run out of when you go to St. Clair? I have heard that it is shallow and a high traffic area so I have steered clear. Maybe I will have to check it out. Do you ever get up to Bay City?