1999 22zx Spinout this weekend... 30 mph disaster.

[ttshibby]

Well I have had my zx for about a month now, finally getting comfortable with it taking it out twice a week since i bought it, however this weekend i was taught the true power of this beast....

After launching the boat i was playing a bit in the middle of the lake getting the feel of turning, killing some time until my dad made it to the cabin with the truck to dock the boat, Wot straight has been easy for quite some time, so now i thaught it would be a great time to try some turns without putting others at risk.

Well i decided to try a turn with tabs all the way up and trim all the way down,while slowing down a little at the same time.I slowly tightened the turn, then all of a sudden, smash, the nose hooked just like a jet ski sending me though the windshield and into the water. It happend so fast. I think the boat almost flipped. Anyway, i was in the water 10 feet form the boat to see it slowly drive away from me.... with my life jacket sitting on the seat where i was sitting...... just idling away slowly, i swam as fast as i could but couldnt catch it. i thaught i was screwed.... no life jacket and 1/2 mile to shore, while my boat headed the other direction in giant circles.

After 1/2 hour of swimming, i was barely staying afloat, i saw a boat creep up, i was soooo happy to see my uncle and dad pull up, they pulled me out of my water to noticed huge gashes on my arm.... They brought me to the hospital i got stiched up and learnt my lesson the hard way... I almost died this weekend... i definatly will be wearing a lifejacket form now on, not just sitting on it.

As far as learing the trim, turning etc with this boat, how the heck do you do that without danger? the turn felt really solid until the last second... it really scares me to get comfortable with turning again. Can anyone help with the rules of this step hull, etc.

I never knew this boat was prone to spinning out until now that i am looking into it, i have drove many boats and have cornered them all the same as i just did yesterday, however they usually just slide, not grab and whip. it was quite the disaster.

Now i have no windshield, i really need help to find a replacement, I hope i can find a lower plastic windshield, because im quite scared of glass now.i found one for a 2000 zx and it looks quite different i wonder if there is much difference between a 1999 and 2000 donzi zx or will it fit after i take the whole metal and glass frame out? I hope someone can help.

I dont mean to scare anyone, just be carefull and wear a life jacket, and a teather cord.... i was seriously under water ready to give up.
thanks to anyone who can help with learning the step hull, trim turning etc, in theory before hitting the water. i would really be gratefull.

Also if anyone can help about the windshield, that would be awesome, i only have 2 more months to enjoy this boat until it gets cold.

Take care.

[Donzi Vol]

Oh man, soooo glad you're alright! I'm sorry I can't help with the zx questions, as all my experience is in classics, but I just wanted to drop a line to say thanks for sharing your story. I've committed myself in the last couple seasons to wearing a life jacket and kill switch if I'm in the boat alone. I went many days thinking there was no need. All the best, and I'm sure some of the guys here can help you out. There are plenty of zx guys on here that know their boats well.

-David

[The Hedgehog]

I am so glad that you are ok.

It takes big ones to post an experience like that. Most would not be able to come clean about that. :salute:My hat is off to you.

I about had my foot taken off in a boating accident. It is a very sobering experience. Happens pretty quick

[ttshibby]

Thanks guys, As far a trim, what the heck is neutral??? i have ran every boat i have ever had all the way down.... As for the tabs, i had them completly up, i only use those for getting on plane. Im assuming "neutral is all the way up" becuase my boat dosent have any indicators so i have no idea where they are other than all the way up or down.

[PlumCrazy]

Neutral is when the prop shaft is parallel with the hull. Get an indicator, so you know where it's set. On a step-bottom boat, make turns in a neutral to to slightly trim-up position to keep the rear planted.

[ttshibby]

I do have a prop trim indicator, just not the tab indicators. At full trim down, my propshaft is level with the hull. it has stops to keep it form passing that point. However from now on ill trim up a little for turns for sure. Thanks

[gold-n-rod]

Umm, I am writing this for the future readers of this post, not the OP. I ALWAYS wear a PFD and connect the tether to the kill switch.

Not doing so is stupid. :confused:

[Carl C]

ttshibby, I'm glad you weren't hurt worse than you were. I guess all our little Donzis can bite you when you make a mistake. No lecture; You already learned the hard way. I'll let the other zx guys offer the driving tips. Take care.

[Tom A.]

Ok a few things here.
We all don't always wear our life vests but should, however we should always wear the kill switch lanyard.
That said, stepped hulls are very different then straight v bottoms. When going into a turn, the tabs and drives should be in neutral positions to the running surface of the boat. When turning do not slow down in the turn. That will cause the nose to catch as you described and cause the stern to slide out from under you. You have to slow down BEFORE you turn and in a lot of cases I find myself slowing down, setting up for the turn and then slightly throttling through the turn to keep the ass planted.

Search Serious Offshore an Offshore Only for alot of threads on this subject.

P.M.- Shanghied Again (Frank C.) He has a lot of experience in the 22zx and 26zx.

[CHACHI]

ttshibby, I can relate to your "incident".

The only question I have is how did you get back into the boat?

ALWAYS WEAR YOUR TETHER AND MAKE SURE YOUR KILL SWITCH WORKS!!!

Ken

[The Hedgehog]

I drive a 26ZX with twin steps. I don't always wear my pfd so I guess that I am stupid along with the rest of us who are simply cruising around. I usually do when running at very high speeds. I always wear that lanyard.

The key is that you don't want to be bow down in a step hull when turning. That is what causes your bow to hook and stern to outrun the bow. It you use tabs, get indictors. I also like a real mechanical indicator for the drive so I can know exactly where it is. That is not a requirement but is good to have.

Once again. I am glad that you are ok

[Last Real Texan]

Tragic event that had a good outcome and drove home a point...even at 30 MPH you can kill yourself ...and easily.Glad things are OK and you survived the incedant.

Never ever turn a step bottom boat with negative trim! I dont care what shape the chines are or who makes the boat, the ass end will swap ends quickly and without warning, keep the drive at the least in slow speed turns at neutral and anything more than 35-40 keep it up just above neutral and all will be good. I have 4-5 years in a step bottom boat and while it has a learning curve it is a good one...luckily for you it was only bumps and bruises, and yes it takes a big set :superman: to post up a result like this...propps to ya.

This is why we all get so crazy about safety gear and the propper set up when boating... like hydraulic steering on the fast ones , life jackets , lanyards, etc......be safe everyone and keep yourself off the front page of the newspaper...

about the windscreen post up some pics...it maybe time to upgrade to a solid fairing...

Be safe out there and PM if you have any questions.....by the way when I boat alone I wear my lifeline...cuz if I am alone I am hammering on it!

Tex

[Donziweasel]

You can trim a drive so it passes nuetral and goes into negative. The angle of the nose of the drive is actually in towards the hull. With your boat on the trailer, drop the drive till it is at a even angle with the hull. Look where you trim guage is. That is your nuetral trim. Anything below that is negative, anything above positive. The trim all the way down is NOT nuetral.

Good luck, glad it came out alright.

I will say I have a lot of respect for someone who posts that kind of story, especially when it happens to you and not a "friend". Many here, including myself, would think twice about it for fear of looking stupid. Hats off to ya. SOme good points about lanyard and lifejackets, as well as stepped hulls.

[rtgogo]

I'm glad you're ok....DW makes a good point about the drive can be in a negative position when it's all the way in. I had to play with mine a bit to find the right spot for neutral and learned it was a couple of bumps on the toggle from all the way tucked. I don't use the tabs unless its for leveling the boat at cruising speed or draggin them when I'm goin slow to get the nose down. Never slow down in the middle of a turn. Kinda like riding a motorcycle thru hard turns if you have that experience. bike gets wobbly if you slow up, but sticks on rails if you maintain speed. What were the water conditions? did you hit chop? How hard of a turn were you making? What motor do you have? I only ask about the motor b/c I was wanting to do some work on my 454mag to lighten the rear when I first got her, but decided the a$$ draggin wasn't such a bad thing as I got some seat time. I keep my turns pretty wide so I'm curious how hard you were cutting it to have this happen. Not sure I follow your winshield needs, sounds like yours is framed? may be a difference in the year models..pics would help. Again...Glad you're ok...Thanks for Sharing..

[smbarcelow]

I'm glad you're okay and I agree that it takes big ones to post about such an experience. I don't have a kill switch in my 16. It's something I'm planning to add...perhaps sooner as a result of reading this!

[ttshibby]

Hey everyone.... here is a photo of my windshield. I really would like the aftermarket 3/3 plastic one. or even fiberglass. Just not sure how they would bolt or screw down compared to this one.

[glashole]

don't be afraid of going with a glass windshield
the glass used is a safety glass which blows up when broken as opposed to smash into large chunks (like a tabletop or house window)

when blown up it is difficult to be cut by the small pieces (hence safety glass)

I would imagine you were cut with the rest of the paraphenalia you went sailing through

plexiglass with also scratch easier when you are cleaning it, but will be more readily avaliable and cheaper

[Ghost]

Scary. Very glad you're okay. Just want to reinforce what people have said--it takes serious stones to post that story, and we all learn and benefit from your courage to talk about it. -Mike

[The Hedgehog]

don't be afraid of going with a glass windshield
the glass used is a safety glass which blows up when broken as opposed to smash into large chunks (like a tabletop or house window)

when blown up it is difficult to be cut by the small pieces (hence safety glass)

I would imagine you were cut with the rest of the paraphenalia you went sailing through

plexiglass with also scratch easier when you are cleaning it, but will be more readily avaliable and cheaper

Hey, what do you know about glass anyway:pimp:

[3rdDonzi]

Thanks for the wake up call for me to start wearing my kill switch lanyard EVERY time I move my 18C.
On the lake where I live (Norman, NC) two years ago we had a fatality from a 22ZX "spinout" (News Anchor term). Don't know the details other than the girlfriend survived being tossed and the boyfriend did not.
From the footage it was definately a 22ZX.
Glad your experience had a positive outcome!

[Tank]

ttshibby I thank God your guardian:angel: was onboard that day.
Tanks for sharing!
I was out testing props this weekend and at 55 the boat got weird:shocking: and I saw me pfd up front and thought maybe I should put that on!:bonk:And install a tether. Now I know where the pdf belongs and will be adding and using a tether!
Like thy said Your a good man to share you story!
Brian
ps God must have something good planed for you.

[BigGrizzly]

ttshiddy, Glad you are in good shape. What everyone says about negit trin is true but the real fact is the big step of that 22 hooked because when you cornered the the entry speed was too high. when you trimmed down a d enter the turn the bow dropped plunging the step into the water, this caused the stern to slide in a real hurry. I have played with my son's old boat and we learned early. Here is another thing the 22ZX is weight sensitive In handling. So if you have 4 people it will act differently by a big margin. Make NO mistake a 22ZX will not turn as sharp as a non stepped Classic at speed Saftly

[mattyboy]

Glad things turned out ok in this one. I have always said the step in a 22zx is very agressive basically it is just about midship which means if the nose digs in the front half of the boat is stuck to the water and the back half isn't. on larger stepped boats it is like 2/3 to a 1/3

I have a friend who just picked up a 502 mpi 22zx that the previous owner barrellrolled my first stop after work will be to stop by his house and give him the headsup.

[KerrLake]

Thanks for telling your story and you may save a life by doing so. Glad you are ok.

[rtgogo]

Looks like a stock replacement for your boat on ebay. Thought you may want to check it out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Donzi-windshield-white-complete_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ65Q3a12Q7c66Q 3a2Q7c39Q3a1Q7c72Q3a317Q7c293Q3a2Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trk sidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem27a9f97c74QQitemZ17 0355424372QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear#h t_500wt_950

[Scott Pearson]

Ahhhh lets see....Life Jacket...(Check)...Lanyard....(Check).....Spare pair of underwear....(Check):toiletpap


Glad your ok!

[Planetwarmer]

Glad you are OK.:angel: Perfect example of why we need to wear our life jackets and lanyards.:shocking:

A life jacket will save you:lifeprese:, a lanyard will save someone else.:yes:

A boat is replaceable.:boat:

Thanks for sharing your story. We all need to hear stories like this on occasion to remind us we are using large pieces of equipment in an already deadly environment.:lightning:shark::lightning:hangum::bl ub::anchor:

[olredalert]

-----Wow,,,If thats the correct windsheild, and it looks very much like it could be you should jump on that baby quick. I would drive there to get it as well. That way you know it will come home in one piece. Shipping would be enough for half the gas cost at least, probably more. Road trip!!!!!!!:yes::yes::yes:........Bill S

[JimG]

A life jacket will save you, a lanyard will save someone else.

I know of fellow who was killed by his own boat because he did not wear his kill switch. Kemah Channel about 4 years ago...

My boat does not move without my lanyard attached...

[Tom Smith]

Is this an eye opener or what. I am new to the Donzi line with my 1967 18' BB, non stepped hull, but was wondering about the Lanyard thingy for a while now. I peruse these threads regularly and never saw mention of this vital piece of equipment till now. You can bet your boots mine is getting one installed asap. The Mrs and I bought inflatable PFD's last month when West Marine had them on sale and we wear them every time we are out in the boat, and make our passingers wear PFD's too. If they don't like it, they don't ride. I thought I was being overly cautious, but after reading this post I feel we have taken the correct steps to safe boating in this old hot rod.

I have heard horror stories about people being thrown from their boats and then being run over by them. Can't remember the exact number, but it happens something like 100 times each summer. So glad your boat slowly motored away from you and that and help arrived in time. God, that must have been scary. Plus the lake then had a run away boat on it. How scary is that. Thanks for posting your harrowing experience. We'll all learn from it. Tom

[JamieP]

Blimey, scary stuff, i turn pretty fast in my 22zx but i wont be anymore:boggled:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J-NmqjQDZw

[joseph m. hahnl]

Glad to hear your all right :wink::crossfing::kingme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG5-Go1HH7Q

[JimG]

Tom, it's a simple install and can be done without any cutting or hole drilling. I installed mine under the dash next to the wheel. I attach the lanyard clip to the hem of my shorts. Stays out of the way, and works...

[Tom Smith]

Thanks for the info. Someone had a compass or something on my dash and the wires are still sticking out through the hole with heat shring tubing on them. I'll mount it there. Any particular brand of kill switch, or is the one West Marine sells OK. Tom
PS: I saw that video before. A runaway boat is a scary thing. A man in the water without a life jacket and a run away boat is down right frightening. Thank God this one had a happy ending.

[joseph m. hahnl]

Thanks for the info. Someone had a compass or something on my dash and the wires are still sticking out through the hole with heat shring tubing on them. I'll mount it there. Any particular brand of kill switch, or is the one West Marine sells OK. Tom
PS: I saw that video before. A runaway boat is a scary thing. A man in the water without a life jacket and a run away boat is down right frightening. Thank God this one had a happy ending.

In the video if you listen carefully. You can hear what the Z bro's were saying about slowing down in the turn.
You can hear the motor slow and then upsy daisy and out you go.:shocking:

[Tom Smith]

Yes, you can hear and see them cut power in that turn. What a disaster. I wonder how the boat occupants fared? People just standing there looking at the boat. What about the people in the water. And the boat did a complete barrel roll on the rocks and still kept running, in gear. If it hadn't hit those rocks it would have ended up right where the occupants were. YIKES ! ! !

[boatnut]

Wow, very informative thread -- thanks to all. Have any of you rolled a classic? In a turn or ?? I've owned and used 18 and 22 classics for 39 years and have not rolled any -- but I am conservative (a wimp maybe) when turning. I never use a lanyard and this thread has me thinking that is a mistake. Any stories of classic roll overs? Ed

[fasttrucker]

Iam selling my 2002 22zx(see classified section),if anyone would like to buy it then try to spin it out.:popcorn:Ive never had a problem,but then I dont trim down on turns.

[ltl_mac2000]

Glad to hear you are alright. I can only imagine what was going through your head when the spin started.

I have been driving a 22ZX for about 10 years now. I turn pretty hard but I always have my drive trimmed up slightly, tabs up and I never let the bow dip by decreasing speed. If for some reason you need to reduce speed during the turn I think it is best to steer out of the turn while coming off of the throttle. I think that would have prevented your bow from hooking.

Our boats handle great in alot of conditions but your story is the reason I never let anyone else drive my boat.

Watch out for that windshield on Ebay, the guy states in the comments at the bottom it is for a 28'.

Good luck to you!!

[Fleetwrench]

Well I have had my zx for about a month now, finally getting comfortable with it taking it out twice a week since i bought it, however this weekend i was taught the true power of this beast....

After launching the boat i was playing a bit in the middle of the lake getting the feel of turning, killing some time until my dad made it to the cabin with the truck to dock the boat, Wot straight has been easy for quite some time, so now i thaught it would be a great time to try some turns without putting others at risk.

Well i decided to try a turn with tabs all the way up and trim all the way down,while slowing down a little at the same time.I slowly tightened the turn, then all of a sudden, smash, the nose hooked just like a jet ski sending me though the windshield and into the water. It happend so fast. I think the boat almost flipped. Anyway, i was in the water 10 feet form the boat to see it slowly drive away from me.... with my life jacket sitting on the seat where i was sitting...... just idling away slowly, i swam as fast as i could but couldnt catch it. i thaught i was screwed.... no life jacket and 1/2 mile to shore, while my boat headed the other direction in giant circles.

After 1/2 hour of swimming, i was barely staying afloat, i saw a boat creep up, i was soooo happy to see my uncle and dad pull up, they pulled me out of my water to noticed huge gashes on my arm.... They brought me to the hospital i got stiched up and learnt my lesson the hard way... I almost died this weekend... i definatly will be wearing a lifejacket form now on, not just sitting on it.

As far as learing the trim, turning etc with this boat, how the heck do you do that without danger? the turn felt really solid until the last second... it really scares me to get comfortable with turning again. Can anyone help with the rules of this step hull, etc.

I never knew this boat was prone to spinning out until now that i am looking into it, i have drove many boats and have cornered them all the same as i just did yesterday, however they usually just slide, not grab and whip. it was quite the disaster.

Now i have no windshield, i really need help to find a replacement, I hope i can find a lower plastic windshield, because im quite scared of glass now.i found one for a 2000 zx and it looks quite different i wonder if there is much difference between a 1999 and 2000 donzi zx or will it fit after i take the whole metal and glass frame out? I hope someone can help.

I dont mean to scare anyone, just be carefull and wear a life jacket, and a teather cord.... i was seriously under water ready to give up.
thanks to anyone who can help with learning the step hull, trim turning etc, in theory before hitting the water. i would really be gratefull.

Also if anyone can help about the windshield, that would be awesome, i only have 2 more months to enjoy this boat until it gets cold.

Take care.





Wow, sounds scary.... I just bought a 2001 22 ZX Scorpion w stepped hull. I have heard of this happening w this hull. Can someone please send pics of the kill switch and lanyard they are using. Ours just has an On/Off switch near throttle and not sure how a teather would work w this

Glad this turned out better than it could've