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ragbagger270
01-12-2007, 11:16 AM
Since I assume you asked a serious question, you deserve a serious answer. I have been around the water most of my life. I run 2 boats now, a '96 39' Hatteras Convertible and an '86 Donzi(work in progress). I can assure you that, speaking from experience, the open water is no place for a cheap boat.
The punishment that a boat takes in open water iis indescribable unless you have experienced it.

When you are 25 miles from home in rough seas with deteriorating conditions, that is no place to have saved a little money using less material or hurrying production runs. Quality boats will always take more punishment that the crew except maybe with exotic race boats. I have to slow my Donzi for myself, not because the boat needs to. How many other 21 year old boats are dashing about at 40+ mph?

Hatteras has quit making boats below 50' as they could not build the quality they wanted and remain price competitive in a market filled with cheap knock offs. Cigarette also. Even Bertram has been purchased by an overseas company which has changed the design of their traditional deep V for a flatter ride in smooth water.

Donzi has continued to maintain a quality product in the smaller boat market which is filled with cheap knock-offs.

Deep V's has always taken alot of power to push. Read about some of the mods members here have made to their engines. Would you push something made by one of the larger manufactures with that much power?

Donzi or Hatteras may cost you 25%-30% more, but you get genuine quality
to go with that flashy name badge on the side.

You want a cheap boat, get a Baja. You'll find out what the Donzi mystique is.

Tony
01-12-2007, 12:43 PM
Good job, ragbagger...I felt a little bad for the newbie.
Although he posed his question in sort of an "unusual" fashion, it seems like we were somewhat harsh, and off-topic, with him.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, but a bit of balance is good, too!


:beer:

goatee
01-13-2007, 06:05 AM
i was almost ready to tell him, [I]just stick with the cat, [B] but i could'nt bring myself to do donzi the injustice.

Last Real Texan
01-13-2007, 06:53 AM
RagBagger 270 I could not agree more with what you are saying here..... I grew up in Fla with a Father who owned and fished in the Bahamas with a 60 Ft Hatteras Convertable and Also a 46 ft Bertram. Both top notch boats and I have been iin some serious stuff coming and going across the Gulf Stream. Weather so Bad from an afternoon squal that I do not even ant think about it. Not tomention having to get the boats out of there when an impenin hurricane is approaching and tropicl storms bearing down on the Abacos.

Donzi for the size is a top notch ride evn to day .....nobody should skimp on quality if they are going to run around in an area with any kind of possibly bad weather conditions.

Glad to see you found the Registry and it loks like the 22 classic is coming along nicely, look closely and you can see the stern of my boat in your avitar @ the beach on tobosofkee, it was nice to meet you and good luck with the project. Good to have another Donzi owner in Macon and since you last saw me I have put a little more power under he hatch.........



Bryan

BigGrizzly
01-13-2007, 09:18 AM
Cool another Ga boater within 3 hours, Maybe a Lanier get together and a bigger Eufala event is worth doing.

ATLDONZI
01-14-2007, 06:52 PM
all is very true i was at the atlanta boat show today and all i could do is chuckle when i saw people looking at bayliners...and of all things i heard a salesman say the words value and good construction in the same sentence as i was passing bythe booth......

scott w.
01-16-2007, 06:16 PM
goatee, why wouldn't you tell me to stick with my cat. it is a better ride than any donzi at 22 ft. what boat do you own.

vrod02
01-16-2007, 06:46 PM
LOL's:wink: Did'nt read the "other" thread, but the title to this one sounds like a chain gang "War of the world's". The Bayliner comment has already been said! :bonk: Pass the popcorn!:yes: 16 ft Sweety, 40 ft skater who cares! I've got a Donzi and a Nova clone:bonk:

tiger lily
01-17-2007, 08:23 PM
You want a cheap boat, get a Baja. You'll find out what the Donzi mystique is.

uhmm, having spent more hours than most on both, i will say that baja makes a damn nice boat for the money, if you want to bash them go ahead, but i really like them and most of there owners do also

BigGrizzly
01-18-2007, 08:31 AM
Actually, for the price a Bayliner is a good value so is a Baha .for the dollars. As for the cat ride, remember the 22 classic is a 70s design. in that time period NO cat could out ride it. Today get a 22 foot cat (not a displacement hull type) and and a 22 classic put it in 3 footers than reply to this. No one makes a decent cat that small, for just that reason. Next turn a cat around in less than 100 feet at 40mph. I am not saying cats are bad just they have inherent problems. Getting back to value dollars. Alleson's 21 they dropped of at Honda last week un rigged, no trailer listed at $30,000, no motor no cables no nothing. It will do 70mph with a 150hp and rides like a brick. The boat is good looking and pretty agile and is a stepped design with built in speed rails similar to the Donzi. This is not an argument just data for evaluation. Yes I have ridden in all the for mentioned boats the big Hat ,Bertrum (those are the icons in years gone by) along with Jersey Skiffs and 120mph 30 foot+ cats. Every boat has a good point to its buyer, weather it is cost or color or enough room for the dog. Boats are like religion, believe what you want just don't try to convert me.

smokediver
01-18-2007, 08:54 AM
uhmm, having spent more hours than most on both, i will say that baja makes a damn nice boat for the money, if you want to bash them go ahead, but i really like them and most of there owners do also
For the money at initial purchase ,,, maybe ...But it will cost a lot more to own a baja than a donzi over 5 years ... Just look at the resale market and how the baja really looses value ... cost of ownership is what really should enter into ones' mind and while all boats loose value , some are a lot worse than others ... As far as the baja quality is concerned , it is an entry level sport boat and the materials, fit , and finish are just that ... a bayliner capri bowrider is not a cobalt bowrider and a baja sport boat isn't a donzi,fountain,cigarette ... It is what it is ...

goatee
01-18-2007, 11:03 AM
if it's just the "ride" your concerned with,, by all means, buy the cat.
i'll stick with donzi.

sail boats are a nice ride too:boat:

goatee
01-18-2007, 11:10 AM
as for bayliner, bayliner purchased sea ray. correct?
so would i be correct in assuming bayliner has adopted sea rays boat building methods?
call me crazy but, putting sea ray quality together with bayliner price.......?
it's just too bad bayliner is more a punchline to a joke than it is a boat.

two things you'll never get rid of, aids, and your bayliner.:confused:

Bvinc
01-18-2007, 04:56 PM
I have had many boats & everybody has an opion. Here's mine
Had a couple Century's in the 60' & early 70's made a hell of a boat. Since then they are crap
Baja was a crap boat in the 70's 80's & early 90's. Now they are a pretty discent boat.
I had 98 Baja 38 Special w/ 454 mags & duo prop merc outdrives. I ran up & down the intercoastal waterway from state to state & really enjoyed it. The outdrives slowed the boat down a little but it popped right on top of the water & handled great. I bought it mainly because of the bubble hull (6'2" of head room) because we actually stayed overnight in the cabin.

I had several Formulas & every one was great.


This is my first Donzi & I am in the learning curve. I kept in on the water (fresh) at Lake Conroe in Texas.

Donziweasel
01-18-2007, 06:06 PM
Wasn't that a Baja that broke in half on Lake Powell and a woman was killed? Did they ever determin the cause other than stuffing the bow in a wake of a tour boat? Just curious.

tiger lily
01-18-2007, 06:28 PM
Wasn't that a Baja that broke in half on Lake Powell and a woman was killed? Did they ever determin the cause other than stuffing the bow in a wake of a tour boat? Just curious.


wasnt that a powerplay that just broke apart killing 3 on board a few weeks ago? wasnt that a sunsation that broke apart in texas? i really hate to get into these discussions so ill stop now.

Donziweasel
01-19-2007, 06:31 AM
Haven't heard about the other accidents and I know this was a real recent one in my neck of the woods. I was just asking, no reason to get your panties in a bunch.:confused:

chappy
01-19-2007, 08:29 AM
Sad story any way you slice it.
http://www.ibinews.com/ibinews/newsdesk/20060822140159ibinews.html
Rich:(

Sofa King
01-19-2007, 07:33 PM
Speaking of slicing it, I bought a set of Cutco knives at the Austin boat show :wink:

scott w.
01-24-2007, 10:13 PM
thanks big grizzly for the info. my first post was i wanted information about about the 29zf cuddy and if anybody owned one on this site? about 100 people looked at the post but no replies. i own a glacier bay 22ft cat which is a full displacement hull and rides great in southern california waters at 35mph in 3-6 ft swells with very little slamming into the next set of waves. the boat is very well built fit and finish etc. but and this is a big but! its just to slow. it tops out at about 37-40mph tops. its an $80,000 boat and after looking at world cats prokats etc. there not much difference. i'm some what new to boating and riden in my buddies 24 center console seafox and the ride is **** in the same conditions that i take my boat in. i know you can't compare a seafox to a donzi but thats why i ask the question that nobody still hasn't given a straight shot answer? how does a 29 ft center console donzi do in 6ft swells with a little wind chop. i didn't mean to piss on donzi but geez guys relax. just wanted some straight up performance answers before i put down $120,000 as soon as my cats sold. that all folks!can't we all get along here?

realbold
01-24-2007, 10:45 PM
6 ft swells with a little wind chop??? I thought it was either / or. Tell us, how does your 22' cat do in 6 ft seas. Thats a rough ride in anything.

scott w.
01-24-2007, 11:10 PM
it does great! theres no slamming into the waves it cuts right threw. if you do catch air it and in a typical deep v you get bone jarring slam the cat lands like its on a cushion of air. but you have to remember i'm maxing out 30-35 mph tops. i only have twin 115 four strokes. it does get a little squirrley when go with a following sea and riding down the face of the waves it wants to grab a pontoon and lean hard to the left ot to the right which everway the swell is going.but from what i here the 26 ft cat does even better but your top speed is still only 50mph with twin 150's.

BigGrizzly
01-25-2007, 08:01 PM
The Glacier Bay is a great boat and that is exactally why I answered the way I did. I have met Garry and his family several times they are one of our OEMs. The reason no one was able to answer the question is because they don't own one and no one here is going to fill your head with BS. IF it were a 22 or a 28 zx there is someone that has driven in any condition you could ask for. I have heard they do well, but I have honestly only ridden in only one and it was relatively calm then.

RedDog
01-25-2007, 08:43 PM
as Griz says - most folks on this board are into the Classic models or the derivatives. Some in ZXs. Not so many in ZFs / CCs

Therefore, no one can speak to your question