Things I Learned at AOTH 111V

[hot shot]

1. Road Trip is a great driving instructor and really knows his s#*t
2. Dr. Dan does a wonderful job with all the donzi gear
3. Fishin Sucks can drink all day then hold the best auction in aoth history
4. I can't drink tequilla 2 nights in a row and hit on all 8 the next day
5. The people that set up and run the event get better every year

[Trueser]

1. Blackhawks can run out of FUEL!
2. The bigger the cup the harder they fall.
3. The Grey 22 Classic is a great color in person.
4. Screen doors are better left open.
5. Scorpions are worth the xtra cash.
6. The stairs @ Jamestown #$%^&*(
7. 28ZX love trim.
8. Golf carts can run at high speeds.
9. Dr Dan should rename his boat " Fountain killer ".
10. Hickory smell stays with you all the way home.

[Sam]

Many thanks to the inventors of duct tape and zip ties. If it wasn't for these fine products some would have been left at the dock. I won't mention any names Doug Lovins :doh:. And to all that may have seen a butt crack or two sticking out from Doug's engine hatch I sincerely apologize :yes:.

[Team Jefe]

1. Blackhawks can run out of FUEL!
2. The bigger the cup the harder they fall.
3. The Grey 22 Classic is a great color in person.
4. Screen doors are better left open.
5. Scorpions are worth the xtra cash.
6. The stairs @ Jamestown #$%^&*(
7. 28ZX love trim.
8. Golf carts can run at high speeds.
9. Dr Dan should rename his boat " Fountain killer ".
10. Hickory smell stays with you all the way home.

1. Fuel we don't need no stinking fuel.
2. guys getting towed get real mad if you follow along drinkinig and laughing.
3. Scorpions ARE SERIOUSLY worth the extra cash
4. The Stairs at Jamestown SERIOUSLY F*CKING #$#%^^$
5. When he says trim he means the Trailer Button:yes:
6. Danny boat IS a fountain killer....I'm the other head you see there, That was the Cheesecake to my Steak dinner of a day with the Doctor.
7. Mississipi Hwy Patrol does not like you stopping for a nap at the weigh station:confused:
8. Todd and I have a different definition of "Cabin".
9. A pan full of Ettouffe can evaporate in an instant.
10. BigGrizz and me have a cooking date in Atlanta
11. Donzi Girls are the greatest...I now have a "favorite" DG in Tennessee
12. Donzi Guys are great too for letting me molest their Donzi Girls.
13. Forget my "nibblins' The Farmer Can cook some serious meat....and Jerry & Elizabeth can complement is really well.
14. Karl knows how to run up an auction bid....b*stard:wink:
15. 20 Cigs are really cool...especially when Philly gets done with them
16. Sam is a maniac in that 16...and I want a ride next year.
17. Lee's Ford is THIS way, Wait, not that way, this way....oh to heck with it.

There will be way more detail in my report.

One thing I already knew and was affirmed again this year. The Donzi Family are absolutely wonderful people and I am pround to be part of that family.

[Donzi Vol]

1. It takes a LOT of water before a boat fills up
2. Brownie's son is a good person to have around when your boat does weird stuff
3. You look like a drunk when you bring beer as your auction piece, AND BUY beer as your auction purchase

[The Hedgehog]

1. Fish N Sucks is a funny guy.
2. Roadtrip SE is actually a decent guy even though he gets bad Rep points.
3. Dr. Dan has some great Donzi stuff
4. Donzi drivers are not scared
5. It is hard to look important if you buy a purse at the auction (Maybe I should have bought the beer and just looked like the lush I am)
6. Donzi owners seem thirsty
7. It is good to have too much beer in a dry county
8. Beer can even make Steven McLamb a popular guy
9. You don't just put a shorty on an 18 and get 5 free mph.

[sweet 16 1966]

Jamestown Resort is a great location for AOTH & to shed some weight.
There are many fast Donzi's.
Water is turbulant in the back.
Lake Cumberland's normal pool is 723- we saw 681.
Leaking Dam = high risk failure
The core is using grout, Donzi Racer used caulk.
Party at Todds!
Ciggs got bling!
Blue tape gets your boat home faster.
Texas boys can really cook!
Trueser burned same amount of gas with 2 scorpion engines as I did w/1 502
Dr. Dan has lots of great Donzi gear.
What Jim and Randy look like during withdrawal.
We know how to eat, drink and have fun!

[boldts]

While fighting the urge to drive South instead of back North going home, I did finally get back home late Sunday evening. Just a few things from AOTH 8.....


This will always be my vacation location the weekend before Memorial Day weekend
After 7 years, now 8, I'm starting to remember some of your names. Next objective is to remember your better halves names.
Name tags are a wonderful invention
There is no better memory than the view of a 22 Classic looking forward from the middle of the back seat.
How on earth could I possibly forget how slick a waxed 22 Classic is?
Lake Cumberland is very warm......it's the air blowing over it that is freezing!
Who ever was nice enough to lend me a blue towel at Lee's Ford needs to contact me at scott@midwestdonziclub.com so I can send it back to you. Thank-you so much for the warmth it provided me.
Wondering how many of you actually realized we had the Chip Foose of Cigarette boats in attendance with us. I hope everyone took a moment to introduce yourself to Mr. Phil Lipships. His boats are truly amazing and very fast! http://www.lipship.com/index.html
Maybe some of you also noticed that many of the wonderful pictures of Donzi history and Nova history along with some extra curicular activities at Brownie's home were brought and given to us for auction by none other than Brownie's son.
Thank-you doesn't begin to say enough to the friends who work behind the scenes making this gathering happen. Mr. Jerry Eisele, Miss Elizabeth Eisele, Mr. Byron Schole, Mr. Todd Somerville, Mr. Mark Horn, Your wives and fiance, all who helped Todd and Mark in the smoker pit, Danny Johnides (Doctor Dan here) Mick & Tom making our Saturday night auction the best we've ever had, Jeff Dykama for your absolutly incredable talent to take my ideas and make them our shirt design and Mr. Mike Truesdale for the fantastic pictures. I'm glad I'm not looking through 1,200 pictures and trying to find the best ones to share with everyone here.
Family is a word that undoubtly describes the people who attend all these gatherings. It is proven every year when-ever someone needs help or a spare hand. This year, I slid off the back hatch of a Classic while attempting to keep the boat from hitting a dock at Lee's Ford. I remeber 2 people pulling me back up onto the dock from the water. Jerry Eisele and I believe a sales person from one of the boat show companies. Then Sam Piloto, Shea (glashole here) and who ever Elizabeth Eisele got the blue towel from jumped in to give me dry clothes to wear until I could get back to my room. Thank-you each and every one of you!
There is no better sound than 30+ performance boats awakening to serve their owners.
You can take a very wild 18' Classic and make it a dream to drive simply by getting the right prop on the boat.
Thank-you Chris and Steve from Precission Propellers for your support of this gathering. Your knowledge, stories and the prop to auction on Saturday night helped make our gathering better for everyone in attendance.
Jefe will always be the BIG MAN at any AOTH he attends.


Finally, thank-you to everyone who attended this year. Our 8th year started with rain on Thursday that started to clear out that evening. Friday we awoke to still very cloudy skies, but even worse was the air temperature we had. Long pants, sweatshirts and coats were the apparal of the day. We had a 70 mile roundtrip ride scheduled today. There was no weining from anyone or at least not to me. Everyone made the needed adjustments and like true performance boaters, made the trip to Lee's Ford and lunch a complete sucess. Saturday the clouds left us and the sun joined us. Somehow I feel we had a little help in heaven. Mr. Steve Simon and Mr. Brad Hicks put in a special request weather wise and were looking down on all of us. Sunday morning we had rain again. Not really a big deal since most in attendance were loading up and heading out.

One thing that finally came to my thoughts this year was how this family is both growing and we're seeing the introduction of new younger Donzi owners. Many of us up there in the years have children who are now old enough to pass the keys to. We are teaching them the ins and outs of both driving and taking care of these boats. There is nothing better in life than that person who has never felt the mystic of a Donzi as they come back to the dock smilling from ear to ear. So often I'm asked how many boats are in attendance. The boats of course make these gatherings special, but it is not the boats that give these gatherings the most valued aspect of the event. With-out the owners of these boats, there would be no reason to return year after year. Have a wonderful, safe summer everyone!

[tmdog]

Scott= = My hat is off for you. I really, really enjoy your writing. Great detail and sentences flow. You are "The" big guy when it comes to literacy.

[RedDog]

good picture Russ!

Only 71 steps... all you need to know

http://www.donzi.net/photopost/data/632/medium/AOTH_08_031.jpg

[FISHIN SUCKS]

What can be said....you can't help but learn valuable information as well as funny info from this event and others like it. knowledge-a-plenty roams in this crowd, what's amazing is how you get a group this size that can get along (by and large)! Okay, here goes:

1. Hedgy and others are too kind to dumb animals (meaning me)
2. Starter's suck (the electric ones, not people)!
3. Our heater works on our boat, didn't any of you raise your engine hatch?
4. I believe Beerbaron (Ralph) loans blue towels for those in danger of hypothermia
5. AOTH VIII was not good to Hoosier travelers going home. John and Kim (275 Medallion cruiser) and us each blew a tire on our trailers Sunday:hangum:
6. Jerry's watch is 3 minutes fast
7. Patron makes Mick sweat!
8. Griz's memory is still intact!
9. 20' Cig's are very cool along with the people, but remember like I told you before the Auction, Don created the Donzi first:wink:
10. Steve and Deric are not afraid of loading a cruiser (thanx for helping our friends at the ramp, we thought they were leaving on Monday:doh:)
11. Shea and Tina's Blackhawk makes a good 'kiddie ride' (thanx to you as well)!
12. Having a girl model stuff at an auction is where it's at (thanx Susie):yes:
13. Jefe and Karl must have really dirty feet!
14. Andre, Molly doesn't have toe-jam:puke:
15. no, i don't have a foot fettish, just observant

[boldts]

LOL Thank-you TMDog. Just wish I could learn to say those same feelings in much shorter writings. If you ever get an e-mail from me, you'll understand. :wink: I used to write procedures for computer operations. Detail was always a very important part.

Tom, are you saying the blue towel needs to go back to Ralph from PA? Man I knew I liked Rolling Rock beer for a reason. BTW, Skidmark really had it going on this past weekend!

[lipship]

1. Donzi events ROCK!!!!
2. Actually FISHIN SUCKS......Don created Formula first....but we won't go there
3. There are actually 4 Lipschutz brothers and that's all you need to know..............
4. The steps really !@#$%& suck.....thank goodness for gophers (neice and nephew):bonk:
5. I promise to bring something really good to the auction next year.
6. Kentucky is a LOT colder than Miami
7. Moonshine tastes like ASS:shocking:
8. There are at least 2 guys that really like DONZI floor mats......
9. Chicks who drive Donzi's are fearless.....:eek!:
10. It's like the Atllantic Ocean running in the back of the pack
11. It's good to know that we're not the only ones that love these little boats

Thanks to everyone at the event for their great hospitality. We genuinely had a great time and would recommend it to everyone in the future.
We're looking forward to the next one.
(if you have us.....PLEASE!!!.......we are cousins.....)
Byron, thanks!!! You're hospitality was second to none. You're baby driving the boat brought back memories of Little Lippy.
Hope to see you guys in Detroit next month.

From: Phil, Marissa, Charlie, Mikey, Little Lippy, Missy, P-Nutz & Beth

[BlownCrewCab]

Phil, Those where some BEAUTIFUL Pieces of art you brought to the event(the Boats) Do you have the Hull and Deck molds or are those restored oldies?? Which Moonshine are you refering too? (the clear one was made right around the corner from my house) and YEAH The taste aint all that great, But it'll warm you from the inside out. Good to see you again (after years)

[Cuda]

Phil, you'll find that the Donzi crew is like family, even moreso than Cig owners. I actually saw you twice, once you were delivering a new 30 foot Vice just before the Daytona Poker Run a couple years back, although I didn't know who you were then, and another time at the Mt Dora Antique Festival. We always have a Donzi meet then too. I think that was the year One Sick Gladiator had his 20 Cig there, that you had redone.

[RedDog]

1. Donzi events ROCK!!!!
7. Moonshine tastes like ASS:shocking:


sorry to hear it didn't agree with you. You must have had some inferior shine from middle TN (from a certain Blackhawk owner). Hell - that shine was probably condensed through a Dodge Coronet or Plymouth Fury lead-core radiator. Next year I'll try to have some proper shine from the gentle mountain folk of Appalachia (East TN) for your pleasure - at least we use a Chevy radiator :wink:

[lipship]

The Cigarette factory has the hull and deck molds. I bought 4 hulls and decks in 2006. The black, blue and siver one I had was one of the 4.
The other 3 are all sold.
The red boat that was there, (Mike's) is a '95 mode. He has had it since almost new.
My other brother, (P-Nutz) has a '78 model.
The Cigarette factory says that they will never make another one.
The molds are in very bad shape now.


As for the moonshine color.... it was the red one....I think it was a combination of ATF and battery acid.........not positive...don't quote me..

I hope it was at least a big block Chevy............

[FISHIN SUCKS]

1. [SIZE=5][COLOR=red]2. Actually FISHIN SUCKS......Don created Formula first....but we won't go there

7. Moonshine tastes like ASS:shocking:

You are correct and I knew this, but this was just my ..........little dig/edge on you guys and besides, no Formulas showed up this year. Keep in mind they are welcome in this circle as well. I was also going out on a limb and, well, you got it!

As for the fermented strawberry squeezin's, Dean, Christen, and Mopar were kind enough to share that stuff with me:eek!:! I will give you this, I won't chew another one of those berry's though:spit:, tasted like I just ate out of the catbox! I kind of like it otherwise though, but I had a variety of combinations that day, so my tastebuds were all jacked:nilly::boggled::confused::yes:. Certainly looking forward to seeing you guys next year. I can't make your event in Detroit, I have a trade show in Vegas that same weekend:(.

[The Hedgehog]

sorry to hear it didn't agree with you. You must have had some inferior shine from middle TN (from a certain Blackhawk owner). Hell - that shine was probably condensed through a Dodge Coronet or Plymouth Fury lead-core radiator. Next year I'll try to have some proper shine from the gentle mountain folk of Appalachia (East TN) for your pleasure - at least we use a Chevy radiator :wink:

Phil is right about the shine.

You need to get some of the shine from Applachia. The stuff from middle Tn does suck. I live there now and can verify. As a matter of fact the locals take corn liquor and cut it with PGA. Then they take it to their friends that are from other areas and tell them that it is shine. The stuff from Bama does suck too. The only good shine I have ever tasted came from Ky.

I thought that the Cig guys were fun to have around. You need to whip up some good southern hospitality for them next year! I want to try some of the real shine!

I hate that those molds are in tough shape. Those are some beautiful boats. I considered doing a Cig before the X-18 project. Wife wanted a smaller boat so we did the X (no regrets). I will have to do one of the Cig's one day!

[RedDog]

...Those are some beautiful boats. I considered doing a Cig before the X-18 project. Wife wanted a smaller boat so we did the X (no regrets). I will have to do one of the Cig's one day!

I think after this weekend everyone at AOTH wants a 20 Cig in their stable :)

[mjw930]

The Cigarette factory says that they will never make another one. The molds are in very bad shape now.

That's a shame. I guess it's the state of the economy, there's plenty of money around for the $400K boats where there's a ton of margin so why bother fixing the molds so you can make an affordable Cigarette since the profit would be so small in comparison :smash::smash::smash:

Kind of sucks for those of us who don't want to invest $200K+ in a toy.

It would be kind of nice if they would build say 6 20's a year, that would keep them in the "entry level" market, put more of them on the used market and expand the "Cigarette" family beyond the gold chain crowd.

BTW, what was the out the door price for those "new" 20's with the 496HO? I'm betting it was close to what Donzi was asking for the Shelby Classics.

[BigGrizzly]

I live on a lake so Cumberland isn't my favorite lake, but the people are.
Things I learned.
Shortys aren't always faster, regardless of props.
Steve Whitney can drive with the best of them.
Doctor Dans stuff really rocks.
People really do like Big Grizzly's Italian Salsa.
When you bring 800 pounds of props you can actually test 400 pounds of them.
Lake Cumberland wasn't kind to the Donzis this year, even the dependable guys had problems.
Riding with someone else is fun.
The shuttle was my best friend.
Fishing sucks is still a piece of work.
Jeff Dykama AKA Mario, Has no idea what Cruise means.
The Texas boys can really cook-even if trans planted.
Jill looks great in her boat(too bad Todd broke it for her).
Mick takes bling to another level, now Catch22 finally has some competition.
My wife is in love with Dr Dan's Donzi stuff.

[hot shot]

I think the new 20 ft cig's were in the 120 range quite a bit more than a shelby but lots more bling.. hell i think the paint jobs were 20k... but did you look at any of them ... need i say any more

[ITTLFLI]

So...back to things I learned at AOTH....

1. Towing on ground up asphalt wil destroy the detail work done the week prior!!
2. Drizzle and cool temps seem bad until you put the hammer down!
3. Blackhawks work well on Bravo x-dim boats
4. Lenny always finds the cool rides!
5. The Lunch run can break some boats!
6. The Lipshutz brothers show up in full force!! Thanks for coming!
7. Jet x-18's have ROOST!!:eek!:
8. Wet distributor caps make for a BAD idle, but a towel can cure that issue
9. My 9 month old can drive a boat like a champ :wink:
10. Leaving early for a wedding sucks and will never happen again!

Oh yeah...Dr. Dan rivals the best sports wear companies! Great stuff!!..Thanks!

Thanks to all who made this event possible and to those who attended!!

[Cuda]

Speaking of moonshine, I spent a summer in 1980 in Tennesee, where the Walking Tall movie was based on, so I had plenty of opportunity to taste the local wares. White lightning tastes like ass, and burns like hell all the way down. Brown homemade brew, tastes much better, and only burns when it hits bottom of your gut. Potato beer is pretty flat, but one glass of it will get a six pack buzz on.

[BlownCrewCab]

What I Learend....


1) Bring A Case or more of shine next time.....
2) Bring a fully loaded tool box (For DonziRacer Tom)
3) Bring some sort of lengths of wire & Crimpers (for Tom)
4) Bring some 5200 (for Tom)
5) Ty Wraps/Zip Tie's (Yep---For Tom)
6) And a sharp Knife to cut the rope off the prop..
7) A 22' Donzi can handle chop really well going 65 mph.
8) Tom is a Speed Freak (On Water, Not in the form of pills or in a Bag)
9) The Donzi crowd is a Great Bunch of people...
10) I know where I'll be that weekend next year!!!!!


Toms a fun Dude to be around, He can tell jokes with the best of um.
Drives his Donzis pretty well too. ( I was concerned after I sold him the 18 with the 408) But after riding with him (in his 22) in the fun run I feel better.
Now if I can just get him to trim it down before he starts it, it'll live a little longer.

[Carl C]

Room and slip run around 65.00 a night. Not bad, thanks. 75 mph should put me not too far back in the pack.

[samjannarone]

Guys,
Thanks to all for taking the time to record AOTH in such detail:drunk: great stories, sounds like all had a fantastic time. The one about someone mooning the crowd while fully involved in the engine room is a true classic.

[o.pirata]

Thanks to all of the Donzi guys for welcoming the 20' Cigarettes last weekend. We had a gas! And the moonshine does kick ass!

Fishin' Sucks, you are indeed hilarious. Sorry to hear you can'y make our run in Detroit. It looks like the 'Gibraltar Gang' will have to finish off the strawberry moonshine without you and Barbie.

Hope we see the rest of you Donzi guys & gals at the south end of the Detroit River on June 28th.

Thanks again...

Regards,
Dean D. :checkered:
PS: And for you one of you lucky Donzi guys ready to get into a 20' Cigarette at less than 1/2 the price you might think, here is your opportunity;http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.com/index.php?page=account (http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.com/index.php?page=account)

[BlownCrewCab]

Where ever we went on the fun run Tom ran his smallblock 22 wide open. with 75 gallons of water in the bilge it still ran 60+. I was impressed, that was my first ride in a 22 classic. at one point we had 0ne of the 20' cigs next to us and he was getting air born and out of shape while the 22 just sucked it up (could have been the added weight of the water though)

[Carl C]

Tom ran his smallblock 22 wide open. with 75 gallons of water in the bilge Why? No bilge pump? If not, put it on the trailer and drain it. That's a LOT of H2O sloshing around in there.:eek!:

[catch 22]

Gina & I had a GREAT TIME!! We would like to say Thank You to Russ & Sheila for letting us stay the night at there place in GA Wednesday. Thank You to Mike for giving us a ride back in that awesome 28ZX Scorpion, Gina can't stop talking about it. Now for the things we learned:
Those F@#$&*g Stairs Stil S**k
Don't give Russ your reading glasses
Todd & Jill have a beautiful lake home
Jefe is a MAD MAN in the kitchen (GREAT CHOW)
Mick has got some BLING ( it's not my fault)
The CIGS are really awesome boats
Scorpion boats really run well
Did I mention the stairs S**k
Tom is GOD at the auctioning table
Pontoon boats with 496's are cool
Russ is still trying to make his 22 jump wakes like his 16
I saved a bunch of Gas by letting Russ drive Saturday
We really had a GREAT TIME even though the Drive wet the bed. A very BIG THANK YOU to everyone behind the scenes that make this event happen. DONZI OWNERS ROCK!!!

[The Hedgehog]

Thanks to all of the Donzi guys for welcoming the 20' Cigarettes last weekend. We had a gas! And the moonshine does kick ass!

Fishin' Sucks, you are indeed hilarious. Sorry to hear you can'y make our run in Detroit. It looks like the 'Gibraltar Gang' will have to finish off the strawberry moonshine without you and Barbie.

Hope we see the rest of you Donzi guys & gals at the south end of the Detroit River on June 28th.

Thanks again...

Regards,
Dean D. :checkered:
PS: And for you one of you lucky Donzi guys ready to get into a 20' Cigarette at less than 1/2 the price you might think, here is your opportunity;http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.com/index.php?page=account (http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.com/index.php?page=account)


That is a nice looking boat and if I was not neck deep in another project I would strongly consider it. It is even prettier in person. I love the classic Morse throttle and wood!

Good luck.

[FISHIN SUCKS]

Fishin' Sucks, you are indeed hilarious. Sorry to hear you can'y make our run in Detroit. It looks like the 'Gibraltar Gang' will have to finish off the strawberry moonshine without you and Barbie.page=account[/COLOR][/URL]
...again, you are being too kind to this dumb animal, but thank you! It was totally our pleasure meeting you guys and I especially love your boat (those O/T pipes ROCK!!!). I realize that may not mean much considering you are trying to sell her, but she is still very TOUGH! Since we cannot make it to your run in Detroit, will we see you guys at Put-In-Bay for Christmas in July??? Let us know, Barbi and I would love to hook up with you guys there (you bring the Shine, we'll bring our 'suitcase' of stock!:smash::smash::smash:).

Jim and Gina, I must say, I was deeply saddened to see you:( of all boats break! You were our saving grace to see the screaming American Flag:salute: air scoop outrun the wafting-waving Canadian Maple Leaf:canada: Flag of Shea and Tina. But no offense should be taken, I like Canada too, sorry none of your teams are in the NHL playoffs (I was kind of pullin' for the Canadiens).

[BlownCrewCab]

Why? No bilge pump? If not, put it on the trailer and drain it. That's a LOT of H2O sloshing around in there.:eek!:

Nope, No Bilge pump. He had some motor out/ Drive work and they some how cut the wires to the bilge pump and the gasket on the drive leaked BAD. I ended up putting some 5200 around the bottm of the drive to slow the water down. also every other stop we would drop another pump down there and pump out what we could.

[Cuda]

Nice save:wink:. I might make it next year too, especially if it starts earlier in the week. How much does a room cost in this lodge? How much is the slip fee?
Less than getting a boat ready, and trailering there I'm sure.

[Carl C]

Nope, No Bilge pump. He had some motor out/ Drive work and they some how cut the wires to the bilge pump and the gasket on the drive leaked BAD. I ended up putting some 5200 around the bottm of the drive to slow the water down. also every other stop we would drop another pump down there and pump out what we could. That sucks, sounds like a lot of bad luck this year.


Less than getting a boat ready, and trailering there I'm sure. $65 a night with a boat slip is CHEAP! The boat's ready, it needs nothing but a steady diet of gas. Catch 22, you've been a little elusive about what happened to your boat but I understand if you don't want to talk about it. Remember, you will get only sympathy and help here though. And you Cig 20 guys; I can't speak for the board but Iown a Donzi Classic because it is my boat of choice not because I can't afford a Cig 20.:smash:

[catch 22]

Catch 22, you've been a little elusive about what happened to your boat but I understand if you don't want to talk about it. Remember, you will get only sympathy and help here though.

Carl, I will know more Tuesday or Wednesday, but it looks like it is the upper part of the drive. (Gear set). I was told where I could find sympathy in the dictionary.:):) Will keep you posted.

[Carl C]

Catch 22, you've been a little elusive about what happened to your boat but I understand if you don't want to talk about it. Remember, you will get only sympathy and help here though.

Carl, I will know more Tuesday or Wednesday, but it looks like it is the upper part of the drive. (Gear set). I was told where I could find sympathy in the dictionary.:):) Will keep you posted. It's none of my business but we learn from other's misfortunes. I thought your motor may have blown. It sounds like several had drive problems, now I'm afraid mine's gonna go.:(

[Donziweasel]

Although I have never been to AOTH, I love the idea of other Arronow boats coming. Diversity is a great thing and it sounds like the Cigs were works of art. The one for sale is gorgueous. They sound like they were a great group of guys. Hopefully I will get the chance to meet them and see thier beautiful 20's next year. I am sure there are some amazing Formulas and Magnums out there as well and hopefully one year maybe they will come in force.

I think the point is not to be a Donzi snob. While we love our Donzi's, there are plenty of other boats I appreciate and am even envious over. Some are even much nicer and faster than the Classics. I wouldn't hesitate to own a Cig 20. Hell, DonCig had the best of both worlds, a fast 18 and a fast Cig 20.

[Cuda]

Catch 22, you've been a little elusive about what happened to your boat but I understand if you don't want to talk about it.
Carl, I don't think Jimmy's trying to be elusive, it's just that it would take him a half hour to type a reply, if he can't get Gina to type it in for him. :)

[Carl C]

Carl, I don't think Jimmy's trying to be elusive, it's just that it would take him a half hour to type a reply, if he can't get Gina to type it in for him. :) I was afraid he had suffered a major engine failure and maybe was too bummed out to talk about it. I know drives aren't cheap either but better than a rod through the block.

[Cuda]

I was afraid he had suffered a major engine failure and maybe was too bummed out to talk about it. I know drives aren't cheap either but better than a rod through the block.
No, it is a drive issue. His Junior Acheiver engine is still running strong. Apparently strong enough to do some damage to the uppper gear set. I'll probably call him today, to see if he has a report yet, but the holiday weekend may have put him back a bit. I know Jimmy, and he'll be chomping at the bit, to get the boat fixed.:)

[Cuda]

I think his new Mac has the voice to type software on it now which does help with his posting times.. Of course, his spelling is still wrong :doh: :nilly::nilly: :doh:
We are working on a solution to the issues in his drive.. Not real bad, he caught it in time I think..
You'll need to call him, and walk him through how to turn it on.:hangum:

[Cuda]

I just got off the phone with Jimmy. He didn't even get home, before Gina called him and told him about me extolling his computer skills. :)

He hasn't had a chance to get it to the shop yet, due to staying at his parent's the rest of last week, and the holiday weekend. I knew he'd be chomping at the bit to take it in, he said it's still hooked to his truck. :)

Oh, he also told me his dad has banned him from running the Minx, if he was just going to tear them up.:biggrin.:

Btw, if you think Jimmy's pretty anal about his boat, just let me say, the fruit didnt fall far from the tree.:wink:

[Cuda]

You must have gotten the same phone call I did :D :D :D
I think it was right after yours. :)

[Donzi Racer]

What I Learend....


1) Bring A Case or more of shine next time.....
2) Bring a fully loaded tool box (For DonziRacer Tom)
3) Bring some sort of lengths of wire & Crimpers (for Tom)
4) Bring some 5200 (for Tom)
5) Ty Wraps/Zip Tie's (Yep---For Tom)
6) And a sharp Knife to cut the rope off the prop..
7) A 22' Donzi can handle chop really well going 65 mph.
8) Tom is a Speed Freak (On Water, Not in the form of pills or in a Bag)
9) The Donzi crowd is a Great Bunch of people...
10) I know where I'll be that weekend next year!!!!!


Toms a fun Dude to be around, He can tell jokes with the best of um.
Drives his Donzis pretty well too. ( I was concerned after I sold him the 18 with the 408) But after riding with him (in his 22) in the fun run I feel better.
Now if I can just get him to trim it down before he starts it, it'll live a little longer.

I Learned;

1) Still a blast in the slowest & least expensive Donzi in the pack!
2) Cumberland is beautiful & so fun to run, even waiting 10 years to do so!
3) I want to stay there for a week next year!
4) I want to stay in one of those 90 ft. Houseboats they rent. Sleeps 20!
5) Walked down & up those steps once, never never again!
6) Had to have the least fuel burn,started at 7/8's,ran 3 days,left w/3/8's!
7) Helps to have a good friend with you that is a very inovative Mechanic!
8) Can be 1st boat to drop in your ticket even if you have Slowest Boat!
9) Clear liquid in a Quart Jar is worth a small fortune in a dry county!
10)My 22' runs best with 75 gals of clear lake water in the bilge, yee Hi!


Thanks Mike for a great weekend and sorry you worked on the Ole Blue Thunder most of it. Now you know why I normally bring 2 or 3 boats. I am damn sure going to tear one or 2 up during a long weekend. If you have Mike in your boat, don't worry, if he has a sharp knife, some twisty ties, & oh yea, some good 52 something in a tube, he can fix damn near anything. Next time I believe if we should put a little of that clear liquid from that quart jar in the gas tank, I would not be the slowest boat then. hmmmm? I don't mind though, bring a nice 22 year old Donzi kept together with bailing wire and duct tape and we still got to the pace boat 1st on the 2nd part of the fun run. Not to bad, & also come with less than a full tank of gas, run comfortably for 3 days and have plenty of gas left in the tank when we left Sunday. Yep, I LIKE IT! Some good things to be said about a good ole small block in a 22 foot DONZI. Yep I LIKE IT A LOT! Thanks again Mike, had a blast. Tom

PS oh yea lets see, put the plug in, hook up the auto bilge pump, check the bilge for water, hit the blower, give it 2 pumps on the trottle, push the buton to keep it in neutral & put the throttle at 1/2 tilt, kill switch on, fire it up, OH SHI TTTTT!!! I forgot the trim down button, geeez, can't seem to remember everything. Most people need a bit more COW BELL,well I just need more trim! More gol dern TRIM!!! Yee Hi-Yee Hi Andelei!Andelei!

[synack]

I learned a very important lesson....

If you plan to go to AOTH and spend tons of money to get your trailer redone and new tires and new hitch and and and and .... stuff.... then make sure you have someone lined up to go with you that won't bail out on you at the last minute.

Live and learn.

[Lenny]

We are working on a solution to the issues in his drive.. Not real bad, he caught it in time I think..

Great news, THAT BOAT cooks. Sorry it almost broke Jim :(

[boldts]

Gang, wow......I didn't mean for this to get so out of hand. I simply imterpetted Carl's comments differently than he intended. I also tend to be very straight forward with my comments. Many times people have ment a funny and I've taken it to seriously. I've not had the pleasure of meeting Carl yet, but I do hope that someday that will happen. I have a feeling once I do, he'll be another Donzi owner I will cherrish knowing. So often in an e-mail or chat session like this, what one person means doesn't always mean the same thing to another person. There is no actual voice here or facial expressions to go with what is being said.

Now then, back to what we learned:


The darn back decks on these Classics are STILL very slippery
I think I'll stay off a golf cart that Glashole may be driving.
You can get locked out of your room even when the key works.
Cutting beef is truly an art to behold
And, there is nothing like experience when it comes to providing a fantastic Texas barbecue dinner for everyone in attendance
Did any of you see the fishermen who dropped their boat on the launch ramp while pulling it out Saturday night? Not even going to go down that road on lessons learned by those gentlemen LOL
Lastly, our children love to take on added responsibility when guided with a calm, gentle hand from their parents.

[chappy]

I wasn't in attendance, but I learned one thing, Trueser takes AMAZING pics. Check 'em out if you haven't already.:)

[RedDog]

...
Did any of you see the fishermen who dropped their boat on the launch ramp while pulling it out Saturday night? Not even going to go down that road on lessons learned by those gentlemen LOL
Lastly, our children love to take on added responsibility when guided with a calm, gentle hand from their parents.


Yep - had much amusement watching that

Are you referring to my son with the responsibility remark? If so, forget that. I spent this am driving him to the doctor and for a ct scan. Seems he was a little big for his britches the other night at a local joint and someone used his head as a punching bag :shocking: - black eye, black ear, swollen jaw, ruptured ear drum, dizziness, nausea. I don't think he even got to return a punch. So much for all that work in the weight room and no street sense.

[BlownCrewCab]

Yep - had much amusement watching that

Are you referring to my son with the responsibility remark? If so, forget that. I spent this am driving him to the doctor and for a ct scan. Seems he was a little big for his britches the other night at a local joint and someone used his head as a punching bag :shocking: - black eye, black ear, swollen jaw, ruptured ear drum, dizziness, nausea. I don't think he even got to return a punch. So much for all that work in the weight room and no street sense.


Damn Tim, sorry to hear that(honestly) How'd the scan turn out? Did they let him come home?

[Carl C]

Gang, wow......I didn't mean for this to get so out of hand. I simply imterpetted Carl's comments differently than he intended. I also tend to be very straight forward with my comments. Many times people have ment a funny and I've taken it to seriously. I've not had the pleasure of meeting Carl yet, but I do hope that someday that will happen. I have a feeling once I do, he'll be another Donzi owner I will cherrish knowing. So often in an e-mail or chat session like this, what one person means doesn't always mean the same thing to another person. There is no actual voice here or facial expressions to go with what is being said.


Thanks Scott. I knew it was just a little misunderstanding. I've been lurking around here long enough to know that you're a very nice person.

Things I learned from AOTH:

I need to attend one.
I need to bring beer.
I will need to pray to the outdrive Gods before each run.
A Friday night burger or 2 will be good for me.

[BUIZILLA]

>>>> group hug <<<<

:nilly: :popcorn: :jester:

[RedDog]

Damn Tim, sorry to hear that(honestly) How'd the scan turn out? Did they let him come home?

yea - the ct scan was good. He is home and hopefully thinking about how to make better decisions. He's had several bad ones of late. And for someone who is as dedicated as he is about school it's hard to figure. Straight A's this past semester - Econ, Physics, Differential Equations, Mechanics of Materials, and Organic Chemistry

[Donziweasel]

>>>> group hug <<<<


Damn, Buiz, who knew you were a big softie!:wink:

[cutwater]

Good to hear that, Tim.

[Trueser]

I wasn't in attendance, but I learned one thing, Trueser takes AMAZING pics. Check 'em out if you haven't already.:)


Thanks....

Can't wait till next year.

I also try to throw a few different ones up when I have time.


Group HUG...

[Cuda]

>>>> group hug <<<<
:nilly: :popcorn: :jester:
Jim, I never pictured you as the huggy feely type. :)

[show-n-go h2o]

Things i learned:

The texas bbq gets better with age or maybe it's the chef's.
Dont leave the key's in the golf cart if you expect it to be there when you return.(glad noone got hurt)
When a fiberglass guy say's a boat will be done they are a week late to the day. (it is done right, and we had a blast on memorial day with it)
Those steps still suck.
Maybe we should do our own grill out next year, everyone bring your own meat and a covered dish of some sort.
Those cig 20's are very cool.
Lake Cumberland can be very cold in May.


the crew that comes to this event makes it a great event, and it's getting better every year.


does anyone know who donated the red Donzi (stretchy) shirt to the auction??? that is my new favorite shirt and i'd like to have one or two more.

[Team Jefe]

>>>> group hug <<<<


Damn, Buiz, who knew you were a big softie!:wink:


I did but he hides it well:wink:

[roadtrip se]

does anyone know who donated the red Donzi (stretchy) shirt to the auction??? that is my new favorite shirt and i'd like to have one or two more.

Pretty sure that it is a Z-shop item from Dustin. Check it out.

[farmer tx]

Th red shirt came from Extreme Marine in Lewisville TX they are now closed. It wasn't 100 % cotton so I couldn't make myself wear it.:)

[sweet 16 1966]

Truser,
Do not forget me! I can re-supply address if needed.
rkilby@marmonkeystone.com,
You were looking good in that upgrade! Can't believe gas numbers?

[Trueser]

Truser,
Do not forget me! I can re-supply address if needed.
rkilby@marmonkeystone.com,
You were looking good in that upgrade! Can't believe gas numbers?

Thanks,
I was real happy with the gas numbers also. And I had the ability to pass a few here and there. Ran good last weekend also the wife loved the ride. In fact we were running around 55 or so on lake Michigan and she asked if we could go any faster.

I still have your info. Sorry for the delay,