Trouble running my sweet 16fast

[fasttrucker]

I went out today and could not get my donzi to settle down and run fast.I got 61.3 and I had gotten 62.7 last time out.The bad part was that I had a lot of trouble with chine walk and could not keep the throttle down even in calm water.I can try lowering the jack plate.Maybe its the 3-blade prop?maybe its the 16 feet and Iam out of hull or the hook that donzi put in?I think I should sell the 200hp and put a 135hp on instead.

[MOP]

Sometimes you can work the wheel to get through the chine walk. Another thing to try that works in some cases is to put the boat into a mellow turn just enough to settle it down but still gain speed. I don't think lowering the jack plate is the answer, I would try some other props.

Phil

[LKSD]

Do you have Hydraulic steering or tabs? If not it could help. They Do make hydraulic steering for outboards.. J

[RPD]

Not to be obnoxious but... the outboard was never called a "sweet 16" ...
Now to more important issues..... 135 hp is too little for that boat .... I run a dead stock 150 yamaha and get 56 mph with a 21" stock yamaha 3 blade propeller that has been trued/balanced (it's a little under-propped, slightly overreving the motor, so I need to have it cupped more) .... hole-shot is awesome, in fact, I can't even hold it with a wide open throttle .... chine walk is only a problem at the top end when I have the motor trimmed way, way up (I don't have a jackplate)... so maybe you had the motor trimmed out more this time (???) .... stick with the 200, if it's not too heavy, you can work out the handling problems ... if you decide to go to a smaller motor, stay with at least 150 ...
Did you have a 4 blade before? I can't decide whether to try one. I'm thinking of going to a 23" prop (3 blade), or maybe even a cut down 25" .... I'm willing to give up some of that hole-shot for top end! ....

[BUIZILLA]

try it with an equal weight passenger yet?

[mrfixxall]

try it with an equal weight passenger yet?

you took the words rite out of my mouth!

[fasttrucker]

MOP...tried turning her a bit too see if that would work,would like to try a 4-blade prop.I need a 24 or a 25 pitch that will fit a older 1979-80,s omc.
LKSD...looked into the hydraulic steering,I think that would help big time,I want to repair the fiberglass bottom first over the winter
RPD...My title says "baby" not sweet-16..buy I thought that was a 14 foot donzi and the donzi looks like a normal sweet 16 just the outboard model?.Also a 4-blade worked great on my 28zx and 22zx,so looking to get a 4-blade prop.
BUIZILLA....Will try the pass. weight thing,that might work.

[RPD]

As I recall, it was called the "outboard baby" or "OB baby" .... there was also a 14 footer that was, I think, called a "baby Donzi" .... there was a discussion of this some years ago on this site and I'm not sure of the final agreement ... but I think the terminology of "Sweet 16" didn't come along until the 90's ... I know I never heard of it until sometime in the 1990's ... but that is all immaterial ... it really is a sweet boat at 16 feet!

[fasttrucker]

OK,Thanks I will now on call my donzi a baby!.......Hey I was looking at your old post.Did you really spend $25,000. Restoring your donzi?Way cool,would like to check it out!Can you post some pictures?

[MOP]

Steering has a fair bit to do with the handling as do solid mounts. Solid mounts tend to buzz through the whole boat but makes the engine "part" of the boat!

[RPD]

yeah, fasttrucker, I did ... but most of it was the motor, about $13K plus rigging, hydraulic steering, instruments etc, balancing/truing the propeller brought it to about $15K.... taking the deck off and replacing the gas tank (ordered from the original manufacturer, name was on the tank), closing up all the holes in the dash and in the motorwell (for the new instruments and so the motor rigging could run through a flex duct from the forward bulkhead of the motorwell like on most new boats) carefully matching the gelcoat, built shelf for 2-cycle oil tank, replacing the rub rail, all new upholstery from Bilt-Rite (just before the original owners sold the company), stripes painted with awlgrip to match original red, replacing cockpit sole with treadmaster (I think I'm going to redo it in teak though, the white treadmaster is too hard to keep clean), mahogany steering wheel, etc. ... another $10K...

I have owned it for 19 years, I did this work about 8 or 9 years ago... Funny thing is that most people thought it was almost new even before I started the work ... but I needed a new motor, the one I had (an Evinrude 140) wasn't worth rebuilding, if I was going to spend that much on the motor I was going to do it right and reroute the rigging and replace the instruments, etc, and I wanted to check the gas tank so there wasn't any way to do it other than to do it all.... Did I say I love my boat? Still no more expensive than buying a new boat.

[fasttrucker]

yeah, fasttrucker, I did ... but most of it was the motor, about $13K plus rigging, hydraulic steering, instruments etc, balancing/truing the propeller brought it to about $15K.... taking the deck off and replacing the gas tank (ordered from the original manufacturer, name was on the tank), closing up all the holes in the dash and in the motorwell (for the new instruments and so the motor rigging could run through a flex duct from the forward bulkhead of the motorwell like on most new boats) carefully matching the gelcoat, built shelf for 2-cycle oil tank, replacing the rub rail, all new upholstery from Bilt-Rite (just before the original owners sold the company), stripes painted with awlgrip to match original red, replacing cockpit sole with treadmaster (I think I'm going to redo it in teak though, the white treadmaster is too hard to keep clean), mahogany steering wheel, etc. ... another $10K...
I have owned it for 19 years, I did this work about 8 or 9 years ago... Funny thing is that most people thought it was almost new even before I started the work ... but I needed a new motor, the one I had (an Evinrude 140) wasn't worth rebuilding, if I was going to spend that much on the motor I was going to do it right and reroute the rigging and replace the instruments, etc, and I wanted to check the gas tank so there wasn't any way to do it other than to do it all.... Did I say I love my boat? Still no more expensive than buying a new boat.
Wow,19 years is a long time to own a boat! Would you like to buy mine and restore it?Then you would have two!:smile:

[RPD]

Thanks, but no thanks .... I have too many boats already (Wow, did I really say that?) .... let me reword that, I already have more boats than I have time to use ....

[fasttrucker]

I listed this poject in the donzi for sale section.Would like to bail out.Iam going to keep on spending my time and money on it.Ill use it till it sells.Its a blast to drive,Lots of fun!

[whitenblu]

Same chine walking trouble at high speed with 16' outboard running 150 ProV with Hydrotec stage 3 kit dyno'd at 240 HP. Motor mounted on transom - no jack plate - solid mounts - 14-1/2 X 23 3 blade prop - gps
showing 70.0 at 6,100 rpm - no trim tabs. Also running out of water pressure so putting on nose cone with low water pickup. Have had this
boat for 20 years.

[fasttrucker]

Same chine walking trouble at high speed with 16' outboard running 150 ProV with Hydrotec stage 3 kit dyno'd at 240 HP. Motor mounted on transom - no jack plate - solid mounts - 14-1/2 X 23 3 blade prop - gps
showing 70.0 at 6,100 rpm - no trim tabs. Also running out of water pressure so putting on nose cone with low water pickup. Have had this
boat for 20 years.
WOW!,You should get a hyd. jackplate.a bobs brand.Add some tabs for control.Iam looking to sell and get out before I go totally broke.Doesnt anyone here need a new project?