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Koenig
04-29-2004, 01:16 PM
I'm a strange thirty two year old, maybe it's the fact I was born into the wrong generation. I love the classic look of the old wooden sports boats from the 50's. I spent some time living near Lake Tahoe and these boats were well represented. I however only like the look for the interior and the top above the water line. For how it sits and moves in the water nothing beats a classic Donzi. I've wanted and needed one since I first saw an ad in a boating magazine. One of my neighbors had this more modern hull design with mahogony deck sport boat and it looked really sharp. His boat not only looked good it was fast as well, but it just was'nt a Donzi! Did'nt look as good in motion as it did sitting tied to the dock. I've forgotten the name of my old neighbors boat manufactuer, just remember that it was new and almost $100,000 in 1987-88. I found a close same themed boat maker on the net via search engine's:

here is a simular example link:
http://www.kazulinboats.com/gallery/index.htm

So my "project" idea is buy an older classic Donzi and redo the deck in mahogony and carry the theme into the cockpit with nice leather and wood dash and classic "cartier" gauges. I'm looking more for a shell, needs redo, for this project. This may have been done, if not think it would look real sharp with the deep V more modern classic hull. Guess my boat if made will be the boat those fifties "woodies" would have evovled into if they were still made.

So what does the Donzi world think of my ambitious plan?

Morgan's Cloud
04-29-2004, 01:29 PM
I think it sounds like you've got too much time on your hands... or you're a sucker for punishment :biggrin.:

Seriously though.. it surely can be done and if you're reasonably skillfull should be a showpiece when done.
Now all you have to do is find a gutted Donzi hull.
Which one are you leaning towards ? You probably would be better off with one of the higher freeboard models.. Hornet/Gt21/Classic22 .

Your friends gorgeous old boat could have been a Riva .

Steve

Koenig
04-29-2004, 02:09 PM
Sucker for punishment! Plus I just sold my excursion so the extra money in my account is itching to be spent! :biggrin.: On my way home the other night saw a classic 22 and my mind thought of this brilliant idea.Did I mention I'm nuts? Good thing I'm not married, a wife might not understand these male dream projects. A friend since elementry schools father retired a couple of years ago and just happens to be the former chief engineer on our state ferries. My friend was into competitive water skiing and his father's first retirement project was designing and building his own competition ski boat from scratch. Ran my idea by him and he's itching to do this "simple" project with me.

So my game plan is picking the model and mapping out the design in Gmax (3d design program), find gutted hull, or one that needs to be gutted and build it.Plus finding the time from work.

Riva is another good example and the cost of the neighbors boat it might have been.

Fish boy
04-29-2004, 02:35 PM
At first I winced when I read this, however, after thinking about it, the boat could be really pretty. Are you planning on building a whole new deck, of doing a venir? the venir would accomplish the same effect provided you put enough coats of varnish on it since it will not be as thick as the wood and less forgiving should it get scratched.

We redid the cockpit in a sportfishing boat that was all glass with a teak venir and you cannot tell the difference from made of wood.

A hornet might be good choice if you don't already have a model picked out. In fact, I think poodle posted a picture of a hornet in a boat graveyard a few weeks ago... no telling if it is rejoined the living yet.

Fish

EricG
04-29-2004, 04:53 PM
First of all, Welcome to the board! It's always nice to get other people from the NW interested in Donzi's. As I'm sure you've found, Classics are hard to find up here...let alone project boats. (But, wasn't Len trying to sell his bare 16 hull awhile back...it could be a good candidate for a project like yours?).

As far as your project, I think it's a great idea! We have seen some amazing restorations and modifications of classic Donzi's (See Scott Pearson and George Desmond, among others), and I think your idea would be a very cool way to customize a classic.

Your post reminded me of a boat I saw at the Boat show about 10 years ago that I had forgotten about, the Natique Paragon....it was Correct Crafts interpretation of what you are wanting to do.

Natique Paragon (http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=266&yrstart=1991&yrend=1995)

Good luck with your hunt....

EG

Koenig
04-29-2004, 08:31 PM
Yes, classic's are hard finds here. A project was in the boat trader about a month or so ago. At that time my project had not occured yet! So it's probably sold.The Correct Craft is another good sample of the concept. One of the reasons I joined this forum was for help finding the right Donzi for this.

gcarter
04-29-2004, 09:02 PM
A fellow board member, Rustnrot, builds such boats from scratch. He first builds a fiberglass hull, and then veniers the whole hull. One thing for sure, it'l never sink like a lot of restored wood boats do on a regular basis.
Welcome.
George

mattyboy
04-29-2004, 09:10 PM
Welcome,
and you want to do it in Mahogany,oh you're nutz all right ;)
after the time I have seen put into just a mahogany stripe on a 19 cig , you have no time to post get to work now!!!
But let's not forget other projects possibilities like the hood scoop( and if you like wood you could make it out of a pickle barrel :eek:) or the pink flamingo and candy cane striped exhaust stacks oh and the easter egg or the lime green classic with the purple pom pom tassles from the weenie bar :rlol: :tongue:

only kidding but now that you mention wood does look good on a correct craft or a chris craft but on a donzi??? might be cool


Matty

Koenig
04-30-2004, 09:36 AM
Might be cool? That's one question that is in the back of my mind.

more visual of how I think it may look links:

http://www.kw.igs.net/~ptait/pg1c.htm

http://www.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=4515

I'm pretty sure those boats are what my neighbor had! The company changed names once that I can see. The pictures are seperate sources, but the same model. It's a nice boat that would get looks at any dock, same concept on a Donzi would be much nicer, IMHO!

mattyboy
04-30-2004, 10:05 AM
just my thoughts its like putting wood panels on a 429 cobra!!!:eek: they might look good on a tricked out nomad but not on the cobra, I would say Don A. toyed with the idea hence the teak deck on the cigs or the teak stripe. ;)



Matty
splinterless in the north

DAULEY
04-30-2004, 10:19 AM
look in other boats for sale there is a 24 cigarette for sale with teak this might be the one for you . great classic boat with a great hull design
just a thought
good luck
bob

Koenig
04-30-2004, 11:38 AM
look in other boats for sale there is a 24 cigarette for sale with teak this might be the one for you . great classic boat with a great hull design
just a thought
good luck
bob
The cigarette is very close. Someone on that thread posted these links: http://www.sierraboat.com/boats/fiber10/pages/cigarette%203_IMG_JPG.htm

To do that on a Cobra, I would be first in-line to shoot the S.O.B! I'm leaning towards the classic 22. The best car's that fit this idea: Bentley Turbo R or Jaguar XJR.

mattyboy
04-30-2004, 12:13 PM
Koenig,
the 22 18 16 classic are the Cobra that was my point, the correct craft, chris craft are the jaguar.
turn the point around would you try and fiberglass a nice 66 SS chris craft no I think not, ??? plus on the performance side adding weight to the boat
but as Ranman knows I'm stuck in the past :) ;) :tongue:

Matty
i'll give up my 8 tracks when they prove CD's actually work :eek: hehehehe

boldts
04-30-2004, 01:41 PM
Show me more pics of that 24' Cigarette! I like that boat. If you look close, doesn't it remind you of a Donzi 21' GT with wood on top? Oh and BTW, you'd hate that Cobra with wood on the sides until it blew your doors off then you wouldn't care what the owner was thinking when they changed it. I'll bet the SS Chris would be faster too done in fiberglass with a fake wood hull looking original.

Koenig, it's been said before and I still believe it. It's your project and your the one putting out the $$$$. Do it the way YOU want to do your boat. You can never please everyone all of the time. Try putting on a Donzi gathering and just getting everyone attending to agree on which hotel to stay at. Almost impossible :rolleyes: :)

Koenig
04-30-2004, 03:32 PM
Koenig, it's been said before and I still believe it. It's your project and your the one putting out the $$$$. Do it the way YOU want to do your boat. You can never please everyone all of the time. Try putting on a Donzi gathering and just getting everyone attending to agree on which hotel to stay at. Almost impossible :rolleyes: :)
Try going to a Jaguar club meeting with a chevy V8 converstion kitted car! That's real fun, not! :biggrin:

MOP
04-30-2004, 08:57 PM
Here is a teak & holly combo! Some of the Lk. George guys may have seen it in the past, the old name and Lake George can be seen on the transom. According to the owner it was salt wetted only 3-4 times, it does appear to be true.

http://www2.yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_boat_full_detail.jsp?slim=broker&boat_id=1099221&hosturl=taberyacht&&ywo=taberyacht&&units=Feet&currency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=3104&url=&hosturl=taberyacht&&ywo=taberyacht&