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View Full Version : Help make up my mind....



1996Z15
08-21-2002, 08:24 PM
My wife and I are hoping to be ready to nuy a boat within the next year or so and I have my eye on a few makes / model boats; one of them being either an 18' or 22'classic. The others are a used 20 Cigarette or a Challenger 21'/ Superboat Legend 21'.
I was wondering if anyone could give me some thoughts on each of these and why I would be advised to buy any one over the other.
The Challenger / Superboat is a race proven hull that is very beautiful.
The Cigarette is...well a Cigarette. It's very cool looking and you don't see them at all around here.
The Donzi is something that I've always admired. My friend had an 18' Berkeley Jet powered Donzi and we used to have a blast in that thing. We did, however, get walked by a Challenger in the Atlantic City inlet one day.

I'd appreciate any feedback that anyone could provide as I want to make the right choice the first time.

Formula Jr
08-21-2002, 08:40 PM
You can't go wrong with any of those boats. The question really is one of USE. How will you be typically using the boat. Women will love ya if it has a Porta-potty. How many peole do you take, do you want to tow the boat alot to other destinations, are you mostly running out in the Atlantic? How do you winter the boat? Do you ski?
Are you interested in top end performace or an all around fast off shore design? Would you mind if people ignored or slighted your non-donzi boat at Donzi gatherings? And we would need prices, years, setups on each to make a fair assessment of individual value for your dollar.

Moody Blu'
08-21-2002, 08:58 PM
I know for a fact where there is a 74mph donzi classic for 14,000 about 20 minutes from little egg harbor.
(I live in manahawkin)

total marine has a 80ish 18 footer for sale on cedar bonnet island...where causeway marina is.
'
those three boats narrows it down to PREFERENCE..

but on this site we would prolyl say get a donzi wink

Rodger
08-21-2002, 09:33 PM
I'm familiar with all the boats you've mentioned, although a little less knowledgable about the Challenger. I think all of them are fine boats but just a note on the Cigarette. The 20' Cig. is a a very nice handling boat for it's size but typical of many of their models; it doesn't have quite enough freeboard at the rear. When you sit still in rough water, the back end constantly dips under the surface of the water. I watched a 20' Cig. sink while tied up to a pier along with other boats similar in size and the others had no difficulty staying afloat. My brother has a 24' Cig. and it has the same tendency to dip the rear corners below the surface when sitting still in choppy water. I'll be right next to him in my 22' Donzi... keeping the deck well above the waters surface. What ever you get, I hope it works out good for you. PS- I'm not surprized that a jet- drive got walked by a prop.