What’s my hull number?

[Bobby D]

Returned from a fantastic trip to Sarasota Florida (1200 miles on way), weather was great and the area is spectacular. Oh by the way I came home with Stromers Donzi and it is very nice, in fact it looks better than the pictures.. Great guy and a pleasure to do business with he had everything ready to go, tires aired up, bearing’s greased and cold beer. He also helped me shrink wrap and cover the boat the night before we headed home.
Calling all who are the keepers of hull number/model year info? This will not be easy and may never be figured out but here goes. I don’t know what the hull number is for my 1972 18 2+3, but do have information that tells me its 1972. I have a few pictures of what the boat looked like about 15 years ago and will scan them and post later. I have some names and receipts of possible owners and or people who did work on it. I believe that this boat spent some time up on Lake George so Matt, Kirby and Jay you may remember this boat? Would like to air the "history" of this boat for conversation!
Boat was originally red hull, white deck, red stripe and white boot stripe and powered by a Holman Moody 302 with a 270 Volvo.
Later the boat was painted all red with white deck stripe and it also had a palm tree decal with letters that I can’t make out on the starboard side bow. Pictures show a New York registration number NY 6868 EN.
Have a few invoices with the name Vincent Mizzi and several with just Vinny, the address is Midwood Road in Babylon NY. (Long Island).
Have a hand written sales receipt dated 6/9/90 that says it was sold to Arnetta Goldman
(1) 18’ Donzi Boat, 1972
(2) FG I/O Gas
(3) DK 432118
Thanks,
Bobby D

[jl1962]

Hmm....didja check all the usual places? Behind the dash......or up forward inside the hull where the eyestrap is through bolted.....I know the engine and drive were replaced - do you have any old serial #'s? Wonder what DK 432118 refers to?

Guess you'd just better bring it to LG next month.....w/ a full tank of gas......and some beer.....:yes:

Can't wait to see it and hope the 16 feels better soon.

JL

[DonziJon]

Not sure but I think actual Hull Numbers were NOT Required until 1973. In that year the numbers were required to be "Embossed" or permanently inlaid on the top right hand side of the transom. Some Mfgs. would emboss the number on an embossing tape label, then stick the label in the mold when laying up the hull. The raized number would then end up "Molded" into the hull just under the rub rail on the transom.

Earlier boats I can not speak of. John

[mattyboy]

Not sure but I think actual Hull Numbers were NOT Required until 1973. In that year the numbers were required to be "Embossed" or permanently inlaid on the top right hand side of the transom. Some Mfgs. would emboss the number on an embossing tape label, then stick the label in the mold when laying up the hull. The raized number would then end up "Molded" into the hull just under the rub rail on the transom.
Earlier boats I can not speak of. John


actually the early boats had hull numbers usually denoting the number of boats made. a 1972 18 would have something like 18-XXX or 18C-XXX this would be written in marker on the real early boats on the back of the dash or by the stringers or on the underside of the deck near the dash . then in late 60's also put on a foil tag on the back seat or on the bulkhead of the back seat in the bilge.

then after Nov of 1972 all boats were made mandatory to have a HIN Hull Identification Number by the USGC. this number needed to be on the transom and have a 3 letter MIC( mfg'r identity code) then they could give a model number and a hull number with production date gone was the C for chisholm ownership and in came the DMR so after the HIN was made mandatory an 18 HIN would be something like DMR186000173 then after that they used hexidecimal codes for model and production date and some Mfg'rs went to number produced in that year not a total accumulated production number but i digress


Bobby , you get it to Lk George bring a flashlight and hold my beer and i'll find it ;)

[Bobby D]

Looked in all the usual locations and found nothing, when the boat was re-powered the deck was removed and the hull number was not recorded because they did not know to look for it. Other work performed at that time included replacing the gas tank, ski locker and engine compartment area modified to add storage area, gussets added, stringers and transom were beefed up, fiber glass work, and insulation added. Before it went back together the entire underside was coated white.

[mattyboy]

gonna be tough now with the white coating
just another mystery ;)

[Bobby D]

I was filing away 2010 receipts the other night and opened the file containing old sales receipts and papers in the name of Vincent Mizzi from Midwood Road in Babylon NY. Included is the hand written sales receipt dated 6/9/90 to Arnetta Goldman and it may contain the hull number.
18’ Donzi Boat, 1972
DK 432118 or DR 432118
The K looks like it could be an R and after looking at the numbers for a wile it occurred to me it could be a dealer number that was assigned when the boat was delivered?
D = Donzi
R = Runabout
432 = hull number
1 = first boat sold to dealer
18 = 18 feet
Or
D = Donzi
R = Runabout
4 = forth boat sold that year or total
321 = hull number
18 = 18 feet
Hull number 18-321 may be too early for 1972 however 432 could be it, any thoughts?

[maddad]

BobbyD, 432 is right in the ballpark, my 72 is C18-445. Did you look at the back of the dash on the starboard side yet? Wipe it with a damp cloth and look with a flashlight, you might see where they wrote it in marker when they built it.

[Bobby D]

Maddad,
I spent most of last winter under the dash rewiring but did not look with a damp cloth and flashlight. The white paint and wiring make it difficult to see anything but its worth a try. Believe it or not when I purchased the boat in 2008 it came with a Florida title and the hull number on the title was 18445. Thanks for validating that 18445 is not the hull number and also letting me know that 432 is in the ballpark.
Bob

[maddad]

Mine could be 455, I'll take a look at the reg before the day's over.