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View Full Version : Bowriders: Stepped Z22 versus Stepped Z20



richardoren
09-19-2006, 06:31 AM
I am seeking to buy one of these family pocket rocket bowriders, and wondered what is different between the 2 hull lengths?
From photos all I could see was a slightly shorter aft cockpit and a similarly sized bowrider bow. Do they have the same stability at speed? Due to their slight weight difference they've got slightly different drafts. Anything else dissimilar?
If you have any leads, thanks for letting me know:
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=46699
TIA. :cool:
Richard

richardoren
09-19-2006, 12:45 PM
Maybe you can spot difference which escaped me?

Here is a yellow Z22 on its trailer:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/richardoren/2002DonziZ22atLakeTahoeMarine1.jpg

Then there's a red Z20 on its trailer too:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/richardoren/DonziZ20inCT01.jpg

richardoren
09-20-2006, 02:32 AM
Yup - the wife wants a roomy bowrider and the
kids want to ski. Daddy wants to tear up coastal waters with a dry go fast boat.

Should I forget a bowrider and go straight for a 78mph Scorpion or try to locate an elusive 81mph 22ZX Daytona?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/richardoren/Donzi22ZXScorpioninKY9.jpg

I'm stuck with the 22' length due to the taxes on longer boats where it will be docked in the Med. At 22' there are zero taxes => more money for fuel. I know that twin Scorpions are huge gas hogs. But a single Scorpion on this heavy a hull shouldn't use that much gas, right?

And are these single stepped 22 footers DEATH TRAPS ?!?

Here is what Macklin had to say about them in the Speedwake forum:

The 22ZX's with a single step have a terrible problem with hooking. Two members of our boat club experienced it first hand in separate occurrences. May be why Donzi quit making them.

jeddski
09-20-2006, 09:20 AM
Richard,

We have owned (2) Z20's over the last couple years. Both were 5.0L carb'd mercs.
The first one was a 1999 that we owned for 2 years. We sold that one to buy a supercharged 7.4L 22ZX... After a season of go-fast boating the family wanted to get back into a cruising/skiing boat so we sold the 22ZX and found another Z20 (this one a 2000) that we kept for another 2 years.

LONG Story shorter, over this past winter we traded in the 2000 Z20 on our 27ZR. If they still have the boat I'd check in with Frank Civitano @ Typhoon Performance Marine. http://www.typhoonperformancemarine.com/sales.htm

Ours was White and Yellow, and was kept in excellent shape. These Z20's are great boats and excellent values when you start comparing them with the other 20' bowriders that we tested. They are perfect for cruising around and are very comfortable skiing boats. The stepped hull gives great handling and speed, yet has a nice ride when it starts to get choppy.

I'm sure there are others on this board who will share their opinions of the stepped 22ZX's. We loved the blown 22ZX that we owned. It was always a blast being able to break 80mph. One thing that we noticed, is that these are not the best waterskiing boats. Ours would want to come off plan around 30mph which is 8-10mph quicker than you'd probably want.

richardoren
09-20-2006, 10:53 AM
Hi Jed,

I guess that is why the Z22 is wider and lighter (engined) than the 22ZX, to allow it to plane at slower speed?

Shame, as I'm looking at a 22ZX which is awfully tempting... (377hp).

Couldn't a guy put a Smaller prop on a Scorpion Bravo1 and considerably lower planing speed? This would give wave busting torque when cruising coastal waters, low out of the hole speed for waterskiing, and more economical mid-range cruise - even if at the expense of top speed. I don't really need to go 80mph+ in the rough.

Thanks to those with PROP know-how for sharing your secrets.

:cool:

Richard

mikev
09-20-2006, 12:12 PM
i would love to upgrade my regazza one day to a z22 with the 350mag with open exhaust would be an awsome ride espcialy if you supercharged the bad boy. but budget doesnt permint so stuffing a 350 in mine if i can ever kill the 4.3 but it just wont die.

richardoren
09-21-2006, 12:13 PM
Mike,

I think the problem with these pocket rockets is that their single engine is drawing a lot of folks who want to downsize from fuel thirsty twins? Might be cheaper one day to buy a bigger boat...

Jed,

Thanks for your helpful advice - it is much appreciated. :cool:

Regarding the ski performance of the 22ZX, I found this write-up in Waterski Magazine:

Just as closed-bow inboard ski boats have found a niche in pulling water skiers at tournaments, the Donzi 22ZX has located its area of expertise too. No, it won't be showing up at the next regional three-event tournament, but it is certainly a boat that falls into a specific category, one that can give speed skiers and thrill seekers the ride of their lives.

While you may find it a bit odd that a boat of this size (over 22 feet long) and configuration (a cuddy) shows up at the WaterSki Magazine Boat Tests, consider that there are a number of our readers on both coasts who actively pursue circle races and offshore jaunts. To them, this is the only real ski boat in this issue, one that delivers exactly what they want: a big hull to flatten out choppy water, plenty of guts under the engine box for training and winning races, and enough style that it turns everybody else on the lake green with envy.

The 22-foot mono-hull cuts down rollers and chop with ease. While we didn't test the ZX in the bumpy waters of the Atlantic, it stood up to the best chop we could find on an inland lake, with no complaint from passengers. As you might expect, it rolled heavily in turns and isn't the quickest boat in its return to a fallen skier. If your skier goes down, tell him to take a blow and you'll be around in a little while to pick him up.

A MerCruiser carbureted 454 Magnum (300 hp) gave our test boat about all it could handle. While acceleration numbers were high (very slow out of the hole), top speed shined. This baby cooks at over 64 mph - it just takes awhile to get there. Varying the propping or going with a Bravo Three twin-prop drive may be just the solution if you're going to pull a lot of skiers. Throttle control at the high speeds is fine; it's the low speeds (between 15 and 21 mph) that required the most effort.
In the style category, we didn't test a boat with more of it. You won't mistake the 22ZX for an entry-level outboard; its statement is bold all the way, from its glossy two-color gel-coat on down to the cavernous padded cuddy area that holds passengers, skis and coolers - all at the same time. Up top, drivers get a wind deflector instead of a windshield, allowing them unimpeded viewing ahead (except on takeoffs, when bowrise is considerable).

Skiers who like to go fast, namely footers, will have plenty of room to showcase their style too. The curl created by the wide boat is spacious and allows for almost any trick. One-foots shouldn't be a problem, since the ZX will bring a footer along at over 44 mph. Other speed mongers, like circle racers or speed skiers, will find familiar conditions in which to play or train. The wakes are too steep at 30 mph to make crossings on a performance-minded slalom ski much fun, but they begin to flatten out over 40 and are crossable on a long line.

The Donzi isn't like 99 percent of the ski boats on the market, and it doesn't claim to be. Like the closed-bow inboard, it has its niche and serves it well. Only this boat flies.

jeddski
09-21-2006, 12:53 PM
Richard,

The article is pretty interesting, they raised a lot of the same points that I had mentioned in my email the other day. The 22ZX is a speed boat that sort of works as a water skiing boat. I forgot about the turn around issues as well. The Z20 will spin on a dime to turn around and pick up a fallen skier, whereas the 22ZX needs a little more time and room.

I cannot imagine offshore skiing at +50mph.

richardoren
09-21-2006, 01:46 PM
Hey Jed, you had it figured all along. :cool:

I don't give up easy, but that article saying that the 22ZX's wake being too high to ski across sort of scares me - aren't they exagerating a bit? Of course above 40mph it STARTS... to smooth out, meaning breakneck speeds for a skier.

I really want the ZX hull to be able to leave the bay despite waves and big rollers. Not so much worried about comfort in the rough as passage making safety.

Another forum member who is a pro at doing boat mods (keeping his ID private to save him from flames) dissuaded me from trying to get slower towing speeds with a duoprop drive. Not cost effective. This knowledgeable Pro suggested instead going with K-planes (280s?) and changing the Bravo1's 4-blade prop pitch to 22" pr 21", cautioning me about the top end speed loss, etc. This would help reduce the bow rise prior to getting on plane, and possibly help reduce planing speed?

Thanks guys for any other mod suggestions. Like the above article said, for those who do offshore jaunts, the 22ZX is the only real ski boat! :checkered

Shanghied Again
09-21-2006, 03:05 PM
The biggest problem with the 22ZX being a ski boat is its stepped bottom unlike the 22Z or the 20Z that are not as aggressive of a step. the 22ZX is set up for performance and will porpous at slower speeds, once the 22ZX gets to 40+ MPH pulling a skier becomes a nightmare because the rooster tail starts getting under the skier. The only way to over come that will be to run a longer ski rope that can be illegal in some states, I know when the have Offshore Ski races with 200ft of ski rope behind them they pull permits, even when my 22ZX was stock she was hard to pull skiers without big water behind me.

Shanghied Again
09-21-2006, 03:23 PM
He has 84 hours and she is clean. you can also see the boat at.
www.typhoonperformancemarine.com

richardoren
09-24-2006, 02:55 PM
The biggest problem with the 22ZX being a ski boat is its stepped bottom unlike the 22Z or the 20Z that are not as aggressive of a step. the 22ZX is set up for performance and will porpous at slower speeds, once the 22ZX gets to 40+ MPH pulling a skier becomes a nightmare because the rooster tail starts getting under the skier...
Hi Frank,

Kind of you to give your expert advice. I know that the ZX hull isn't made for waterskiing. My use will be at least 80% offshore and 20% skiing. Waves encountered will be worst than in big lakes, so while the ZX hull may not want to go fast through them and will slam, it probably won't sink. An extra reason for shying away from a bowrider with a shallower Vee.

Given that for wave duty I'm sort of stuck with a ZX hull, would you agree that propping down to 22" and adding 280 K-Planes could fake it and allow slower planing while towing? This may hurt top speed but I ain't going to flip her at WOT in the big rollers anyhow. Thanks for your expert tuning advice. BTW, saw your 22ZX - looks nice:
http://www.typhoonperformancemarine.com/1998%20Donzi%2022%20ZX.htm

Cheers,

Richard

richardoren
09-24-2006, 03:10 PM
...the 22ZX is set up for performance and will porpous at slower speeds...
What about adding plastic water bladders and a pump as ballast in the engine bay? Wouldn't this reduce porpousing while towing? It might also help reduce the rooster tail by dropping the stern deeper into the water? Might it lower or raise planing speed? :confused:

Crystal Pro
07-15-2011, 12:25 AM
What you realy need is what I have and it is not for sale.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o176/avicontrol/DonziMorning-1.jpg

Donzi_Dude
07-15-2011, 07:44 PM
the Z-Boat is the superior unit!

nice looking boat CP! first one i have seen with that color.