What were your new boat woes?

[EricG]

Based on several postings from new folks that just bought there first Donzi, I got to thinking about the "new boat woes" that always seem to occur as soon as you pick up a new boat. You've all done it (unless you bought BRAND new), you've got your new baby home, got it all waxed up and ready, and the first trip out - it happens....so, what happened to you?

Luckily, mine was pretty minor, and it actually happened on the 2nd time out. I picked up my "never-been-in-a-speedboat friends" and headed down to the crowded lauch on Lake Washington. We got the boat in the water, parked the truck, got all loaded up and ready to go, and the outdrive wouldn't go down!! How frustrating, driving for an hour+, getting all of the compliments as I launched her, and it runs fine....I just couldn't lower the drive. Turned out it was a broken ground wire in the trim pump...but talk about frustrating.....

So what happend to you?

EG

[mattyboy]

Oh I know how it goes, see my thread shifting problems on the board from earlier this week,

Matt

dry docked for awhile

[EricG]

Matt,

Your shifiting problems were one of my inspirations for this thread....

Hang in there - once you get those early bugs worked out, Donzi-ing (is that word?) just keeps getting better!!

EG

[mattyboy]

thanx Eric,
but when i did get it into gear it was a great run, nothing like it


Matty

[Formula Jr]

Ran it, till it ran out of gas........three miles from shore. But Hey! It didn't break. http://www.donzi.net/ubb/smile.gif

[RickR]

When taking a test drive for the 22 the owner Tommie and I went offshore a couple of miles and she spitted, sputtered and quit!

The owner was talking on his cell phone before we left but when we broke down offshore there was no cell phone, no vhf, no tools, no life jackets or throw cushions http://www.donzi.net/ubb/eek.gif

Price came down in a hurry http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

Finally she started after we had flagged down a tow and we limped back to shore.

Bought her as is. She hasn't missed a lick since. Problem was probably moisture in the distributor cap http://www.donzi.net/ubb/biggrin.gif
Sometimes Murphy's Law works to your advantage!

------------------
RICKR
mailto:riggerb@aol.comriggerb@aol.com</A>

[boldts]

Bought my 18' Classic from a dealer that advertised it has having a brand new rebuilt 302 Ford engine. No problems with her until about August of that summer when the new engine dropped a valve seat. (The valve seats are pressed into the head. This is supposed to be for the use of unleaded fuels and better cooling of the valve seat.) Took her back to the dealer for a new engine block over the winter. Can't remember why, but insurance would not cover the engine and thus on top of making a monthly payment all winter, I got to fork out an additional $3,500 in the spring. Two summers later, the Volvo 250 blew the top gears into many pieces while doing a leisurely cruise back to the trailer after an enjoyable day on the lake. Prop showed indications of possibly hitting a underwater object, but again the insurance turned down the claim. (Changed insurance companies after this incident.) Mechanic doing the work said that the drive and or the prop had hit an object. I have a feeling that the insurance adjuster took one look at the boat and decided that it's owner must have been hot rodding the boat causing the damage to the drive. Funny thing is, in the last 13 years of ownership, there has not been a problem with either one of these items. I have also done all the winterizing and maintance on the boat myself. I have loved every minute that I have owned my Classic.

Scott Boldt

[Sagbay32]

Picked up my first Donzi last week and couldn't wait to splash her. Ran up to Saginaw and picked up my parents for shake down cruise. We got to the launch and put her in the river. Jumped in and turned the key.......nothing. Just then a guy pulls in to launch his 30 something foot Scorpion Offshore. He comes over and asks me if I needed a hand. Now you must realize that we were sitting at the dock with high 90 deg temps along with 99 percent humidity. I basically shook the man's hand off when he dragged out a jumper battery and the Donzi fired up. Ran up to Bay City and back with no problems. Got her on the trailer and could not get the lower unit to come up. I called a buddy of mine who has the same lower unit and he said look for the trailer button (I was never told about the controls by the salesman).I guess I tried to do my homework but failed. I found the trailer button and got her back to the rents house for a few Boat sodas and a "Great boat son".
Come to find out battery was not strapped down by Marina and tipped on side when I took her home. She stayed charged so far....

[blackhawk]

Absolutely no problems for two years and 100+ hours. NONE. So far this year, broke a prop blade clean off and had to idle for 2 1/2 hours back to the dock. K-plane motor quit working. Shifter stuck in forward and wouldn't come back(as I am heading for the dock) forcing me to kill the motor and jump in the water so I didn't "beach my baby" on the cement lauch. Saved the boat but not my feet :mad: OUCH! Well, they say that bad things happen in 3's so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Oh yeah, my gimble ring needs to be replaced also. But, while the motor is out this winter I am going to make a "limited edition" of my own!!! :D

[Sagbay32]

Update:
Talked to my salesman today about my battery not being strapped down. He said bring it by and I will throw you a new one. This is coming from a Marina who brokered, and sold the used boat as is. This salesman has my vote!
I would recomend Mark at Sun and Ski Marina on Cass lake in Waterford for service. Seems like a reliable place to shop.

See ya on the Bay

[blue-z]

Many years ago (8) I was looking for a boat. I had restored cars and thought a boat would be a fun investment since I loved wrenching and had lots of time. After looking at small Chris Craft Scorpions and Regal Velocity I happened upon a bright yellow Formula 255 Liberator. It was dirty down below but clean overall and had hopped up sbc's. I bought it and took it to a marina at the Thames River with the wife. Partied like crazy and ready to come home, I put the boat in gear and the freakin thing is spinning in circles. One of the shift cables let loose and was stuck in reverse. Having never boated ( other than a little Sidewinder with a 150 ob on it), I did alright. Not fun fixing a cable on one of those old controllers.

Another time the boat lost a ram to lift the od. I repaired it and threw it in reverse. The reverse lockout on top of the engine blew and covered us all in hydraulic fluid.

It was a fun boat but a pain in the butt that broke constantly.

I bought my Z-25 and it was turn key for the entire first year. Not one problem. The only problem since was the cooling impeller (recent posts and thanks for replies) and a worn high pressure power steering hose (see my upcoming new post).

My Z has been the brunt of tons of fun and constant compliments.

[Moody Blu']

well, this isnt a new boat woe ,this is more like a old boat that had been sitting for 9 years and I recently put a brand new engine in it woe.
I had started to work on my 18' classic in late april2001( I was trying to get it ready for 4th of july) I bought a new engine and instaled it(if you want to see the goodies the engine has look in the registry) HIN: 1 dbm18886
any how I worked on the boat up until july 5th(didnt make july 4th) first run was a bad test run, with the 302 firing order(lunati told me the 351w custom ground cam I bought ran the 302 firing order -late model)-i had a old model......so.. it ran like crap....sputtering and backfiring,, it was horrible..
I finally called lunati and they told me to use the 351w firing order, ok ,did that, fired up like a race car!!!!
After the engine was in good working order I stripped the hull and re painted it.
Went out with my neighbor to drop it in the water for its 10-15hour break in , left the dock with no problem, my neighbor had driven my truck home(I have a house on a lagoon) as soon as I got about half a mile away from the boat ramp the engine cut out on me.
I ended up being pushed up to the side of a marsh for an hour, trying to flag people down, no one helped, so I calle my dad and he came out and got me in his 26 foot macgregor sail boat(with a 50hp hondaand actually gets on plane) so my dad towed me in. on the way in I was checking the engine.I checked the carb and noticed no fuel was being pumped out of the acclerator pump. so i blew the fuel line out and the boat started up right away!
Any way, this problem kept persisting for at least 7 hours of the break in procedure.
I had to continuously blow air into the fuel line to unclog the tank. AS I DROVE THE BOAT MORE, MORE AND MORE PARTICLES WERE GETTING LOOSE IN THE TANK. :) FINALLY I got a new fuel pick up, took the old one out to find out that the fuel pick up screen was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND, so the pick up kept clogging up with junk!
I changed the fuel pick up with a jhonson/evinrude fuel pick up(from the 6 gallon tank), and now I only have stuttering problems just below mid throttle. that will be over soon, I took the boat out of the water and chaged the oil and work out some bugs, like loose header bolts etc. I will be flushing the gas tank with a radiator flush!
That gas tank problem really was a WOE.
during the gas problem, I kept telling myself how I was killing my starter and battery(which are brand new) I cant deal with a blown starter out in the ocean sso I fixed the problem!!!!
the boat should be going back in this week.
I WILL BE AT THE WATERS EDGE FOR THE DONZI CLASSIC CLUB MEETING I AM SIKED!!!
WOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!

[MR MAGOO]

a few years ago I bought a 33'Fountain and 15 min. into the ride the engine blew :mad: I hauled it out and pulled the motor and sent it to the rebuilder, got it back for the following weekend wrenched all day and night and had it in the water the next day. 10 mins. into the ride the new engine blew up! :mad: :mad: I hauled it out and pulled the blown motor and bought a brand new engine $$$ :eek: After wrenching all week every night after work I was ready to enjoy my new boat. Guess what, the other motor EXPLODED! I spent the following week pulling and installing another NEW motor. The next time out after about an hour of trouble free running a drive blew! Man, my wife wanted to take a chainsaw to the boat! I spent all of our savings fixing that boat! Anyway after these little glitches we enjoyed that boat for 2 years and when we sold it we got all our money back! Our local boating club gave my wife the "most understanding wife award" at the end of summer party.