Donzi's on Lanier!

[dclassic]

I have some questions for yall boating on lakes such as lake lanier in GA. Wy wife and I are trying to decide if the 18 classic or 22 classic is the better boat for a busy lake like Lanier which is where we will primarily be boating.

We have ridden in both the 18 and 22's but the 18's were on smaller less busy lakes, while the 22's were on Lanier. My wife loved the on the water sensation of the 18 and thought that the ride would be ok. She had a great time and wants to go with the 18. My concern is that we will get pounded with the smaller boat on Lanier. The 22's we rode in on Lanier did give us a bit of a pounding and I am afraid the 18 will be to small and provide a bit more abuse than we want. I think the 22 is the better choice based on the lake conditions.

We found a beautiful 22 we were about to purchase, but after the last ride my wife's first comment was that she liked the 18 better. Do I keep the peace and potentially get beat up, or do we go with the 22 and hope it was the best choice?

If any of yall could shed some light on the situation we would appreciate any thoughts or comments. Will the ride be dramatically different?

Thanks.

[mattyboy]

if towing, docking, docking fees, storage are not an issue bigger is always better.

[RedDog]

I can't really help with your decision but...

I had an 18 and my wife didn't really like it - not enough room and out in the wind more. She likes the 22 I have now. It does have a little more room and does ride better.

The lake I normally boat on is probably smoother than Lanier (from what I have heard about Lanier).

[mikev]

If you plan on using it on the weekends go with the 22. Mine is a 19' and I dont go out on Lanier on the weekends becuase it will beat you to death and mine handles rough water better than any other bowrider of comparable size I have been on. weekdays are just fine thats when we go out on Lanier we go to Hartwell on the weekends.

[boldts]

I too have owned both an 18 and a 22 Classic. My wife and I bought the 22 because we at the time had a 5 year old daughter and felt the larger Classic would be safer for her. (It was faster also which lit my adrenalin) The funny thing about all this was that my daughter much like your wife also liked the 18 better. She loved the wind in her face which she no longer got behind the windshield of the 22. My daughter always sat in the front passenger seat and she wouldn't allow it any other way!

I loved the 22 for the added speed. How-ever, I really missed the nimbleness of the 18 and until I rode in an X-18 at Eufala, I didn't know how much. Once you learn how, you can walk an 18 Classic over any size wave and keep the ride just as smooth as a 22 Classic. The only difference, the 22 Classic just doesn't feel as over-come by those larger waves. I ran my 18 on Lake Erie in 4 to 6s at times. It was just a matter of learning how and when to throttle the boat. If you look at offshore boat racing, those boats are 30 + in length and those guys catch plenty of air at times. That throttle man is the one controling that ride. If he and the driver are not in sync, disasterous results can happen even to a larger boat.

With that said, on most inland lakes, it's not the size of the waves, but the fact that because of the boat traffic, your running in confused waters. Waves coming at you from all directions. Because of this, while an 18 can run these waters, a 22 will in most cases take those mixed waters a little easier.

Probably didn't help you much. It's a personal choice. A unhappy wife means nothing but grief or lonely rides by yourself. You both need to be on the same page here. If your buying brand new? It's even more important. If your buying used, why not start with an 18 Classic. You'll know pretty much in a summer whether your both happy and the boat size is good for both of you. Just be glad you don't also have to decide between the 22 ZX and a 22 Classic. Some ladies have to have that cabin space and for many families with children, it probably is the best choice.

Good luck! Hope you keep all of us informed of your progress and decision. There is a great group of Donzi owners in the Atlanta area. Hook up with them. Very knowlegable and will help you any way they can. Come on up to Lake Cumberland in KY next spring. It's a big lake with plenty of room to let your new Donzi horses run!

[Eugene Nahemow]

Buy both! :biggrin:

[Barry Phillips]

I to started out with an 18 and now own a 22 and I love them both. The 18 handles like a jet ski, great hole shot, on the rails cornering, fun, fun, fun. Down side, wind in the face can get old, when the going gets rough, bigger is always better, a life vest/gear bag will not stow under the low deck. It was not long until I wanted a 22, so when the right deal came along I jumped on it. The 22s’ are much dryer boats, do to higher freeboard and reversed chines for better spray control. Deeper cockpit and room to get under the dash to check gauges, fuses etc. plus stow a gear bag. Although 22s are not as nimble the 18, wind in the face is still there. In terms of towing, I can still pull it around with a mid-sized SUV, in my case a V8 Toyota 4 Runner. Although the hull is 4.5' longer, mine is only 2' longer on the trailer. Also the 22 is no more difficult to launch or reload then my 18. So good luck with your decision.

[tmdog]

I have an 18C and boat on Lake Lanier for many years. I most always boat on the weekdays and it always pleasant. I'll clock 50 miles or so cruising at 45-50 mph and occasionally open it up. Always a pleasure. A week or two ago I decided to take it out on a Sat. what a mistake. Winds were at 10 to 15 and the boat traffic was not bad for a weekend. I really got beat up with the confused water. Left the river part of the lake and headed down a channel to my favorite watering hole for a leak and a cold one. Still rough doing 50 and somewhat gave a decent ride and than hit a good wave and vaulted out of the water w/ engine reving. :shocking: At that moment I remarked to my son that I need a bigger boat. If you intend to boat on the weekend on Lanier think big. I boated in salt water for 30 yrs with a 18c and never was beaten as bad as I was that weekend. Pick the day of the week you intend to go out and let your conscience be your guide for size of vessel. Just to clarify, the wind was not an issue for that boating day.

[dclassic]

Thanks for the responses, much appreciated.

The confused and turbulent water from the traffic on Lanier seems to be the problem as far as the ride is concerned.

I grew up on Lake Erie in 16' - 28' boats. We had more fun in our 18 and 21 footers on Erie than the other boats. The water is more consistent and easier to navigate, even in the smaller boats. You can get into a rhythm and run with it. Lanier is just so confused from all the traffic it is rough even in the 22's. This is what makes me reluctant to go with the 18.

My wife seems convinced that we will be ok in the 18, but I think we will be relegated to off-peak boating times to spare ourselves from the abuse. Hopefully we can come to an agreement shortly. I am just so excited she is ok with getting a Donzi, I don't want to put her in the boat she doesn't like as much. Do we compromise on ride or her fun factor? Thanks again.

[Donzi Racer]

I can't believe that you are so lucky to have a wife that would rather have the 18.
I have the perfect answer for you, split the difference. Buy Bruizilla's 20 Ft. Minx.
Seriously the 20ft minx handles a bit more nimble than the 22 but still handles confused waters very well. They usually have the 350 cu in motors and are more economical to run. There is also a small windshield that has a flip to the top that directs the majority of the wind over your head, you still get the feeling that you are in the wind since you are looking over the windshield instead of thru it. The last point is they are affordable, find you a good one and it should keep it's value very well. There is my 2 cents worth. wish you luck but I will say your life will be much smoother if you keep the wife happy. Tom

[Rodger]

Referring back to Barry's post. He mentions the advantage of reverse chines on the 22. If that's important to you, be sure to get a relatively late model 22. If you go back too many years, it won't have reverse chines. I think that is the only modification to a 22 hull since it's introduction in 1978.

[BUIZILLA]

welp, I didn't want to pound my chest toooo awful much :wink: , but what DonziRacer says is very true about the Minx series. It has the freeboard of a 22, basically the same beam, rides almost as good as a 22, in fact hardly discernable... same basic cockpit area of a 22. The only real difference is the front 2 feet of the hull. The windshield is the best there is, I can wear a hat at 50 mph,, sitting straight up. Extremely economical with it's 350-270 package. At 3200rpm, I use 5.5-6gph at 40 mph. My having an 18, a 20 and a 22, gives me some leverage for opinions. Your welcome to come down and we'll ride all 3, take 1 or 2 home... If you care to talk more 305.592.7070 is my office number.

Jim :garfield: 28 on the radar...

[Last Tango]

Well, let's see... Tomahawk lives on Lanier and has a 22 Classic. Big Grizzly has a 22 Criterion. Bad Tat has a 22 Classic. Joe P has a 22 Classic. Seems to me the consensus for Lake Lanier is a 22. I have an 18 and very much like the 22's but prefer that visceral wind-in-the-face crotch rocket feel of the 18. The badest of the bad do 18's (GEOO). I've done Lanier in my 18, but it would have been more comfortable in a 22... if comfort is your primary concern.
Just my opinion. I could be wrong.

[olemissalum]

I know of a 26ZX that rides like a dream on Lanier that may be for sale right here in ATL. :yes: Will handle anything that Lanier can throw at it.

[sweet 16 1966]

I enjoy my 16 on weekdays and will move to a 22 someday.
My choice would be the 22', hands down!

:boat:

[Rodger]

I agree with Buizilla and DonziRacer. The Minx is really nice. Handles almost like an 18. The 22 is kind of clumsey compared to the Minx. I almost bought a Minx instead of my 22 but at the time, the 22 was much cheaper and had a TRS drive where the Minx was an Alpha. I wanted to install big power; therefore, the 22 won out. Good luck with your decision.

[picklefish]

If you want your wife to be happy, get a boat with a toilet.

[gero1]

was in gainsville ga yesterday, while going across h/w 369 saw a red 18 and a 24 z at a dealer. the water there is just like the water here on dale hollow, all messed up. would not trade my 22 for anything but then again what do i know?? was told at aoth that i have little gimbals and a short drive

[BigGrizzly]

Well now I AM biggrizzly and I still have both a 18Corsican and a 22 Criterion. This weekend I took out the 18 and my wife loved it. The water was rogh in the south lake region, bit the 18 road well and stable. My wife sad it was better than the 22. We road to Tomahawk's house and my wife told Tom and June how nice thw ride was. The thing was that I left the speed at 40mph and never toched the throttle. I just drove the boat. I could drive in and out of the rough waves and never touched the throttle. This will never happen with the 22. Now my wife and me too are going to spend a little more time in the 18. My wife drives both boats too. She had a blast in the 18 this weekend. She no longer wants me to sell it! the only thing is the Criterion is faster and cruises faster 50/60 vs 40/45 for the 18 All this being said the 18 is easier to load unload from the trailer. It docks easier, and trailers well. The only problem is my gas tank is only 23 gallons. the Criterion ia 50 this shortens the cruise between gas stops.