Is the 22C Seaworthy?

[Funboy]

OK before you get huffy please hear this newbie out. Every photo I see posted shows the boat on a placid lake or intercoastal waterway. And that is fine. However I plan on boating in the NE 50% of the time. What starts out glassy at 8:00 can end up 3-4 chop at 16:00. I admit that I have never been on a 22C. The last boat we had built (picnic style) I also never went out on and hated it the minute we got out in some wind/wave action.
I don't plan on dong 60kts in 4+ footers or going out in a gale. But I also don't want to plan boating around optimum wind and sea conditions. I spoke with one owner and he didn't recommend it.
Any true testimonials? Please no anecdotal sea stories.
Flame Away,
FB

[gcarter]

A 22C is 22'-6" or 7" long, so it can't span much of a wave system.
So since it'll always be on the surface, and barely planing, if the waves are bad enough, you also have no reserve bouyancy in the bow since it's so low........
I would say that if your caught offshore, you'll probably get home, but I sure wouldn't plan on it.

[Carl C]

I run on the Great Lakes all the time. 2 footers are fun. 3 footers are no problem but you and the boat get beat up a bit. 4 footers are doable but no fun. 5-6 footers are dangerous and you will beat the crap out of yourself and the boat and probably stuff it too but they can be run for short distances. Anything over 6 feet, head for the nearest harbor.

[MOP]

It will do better than most any other 22 foot boat built!

[Just Say N20]

It depends on where the 3' to 4' waves are.

In the great lakes a 4' wave is much more severe than in the ocean because the waves stack up. In the ocean there is a greater distance between the waves, which makes boating in them much less harsh.

I have boated in a 14' closed bow boat in the Atlantic running from Avalon to Stone Harbor in 3 footers, and once I got beyond the shallows of the channel, it was very enjoyable. The same 14' boat in Lake Michigan with 3 foot waves was almost intolerable. Same boat, same wave height; 35 mph in the ocean was fine, 20 mph in Lake Michigan was almost impossible.

The 24 degree dead rise bottom will do a great job at smoothing out the ride.

But, like mentioned above, a 22' boat of ANY design isn't going to do well in severe wave conditions. If you are able to keep the boat on plane, a 22' Donzi Classic should do about as well as anything out there, except perhaps a 22' high sided, outboard powered catamaran fishing boat.

[fogducker III]

It will do better than most any other 22 foot boat built!

One of the first things MOP and I have agreed on.......:wink:

I would have NO problem out in my 18 in 3 or 4 foot seas, rough and hard, but safe, after that I find a calm bay, I have been out with and in 22's and similar scenario but a little more comfortable ride.......just my opinion, but if you are looking for an "all" weather boat, don't buy a Donzi.........

[zelatore]

As the others have said, it really depends on a lot more than just wave height. Period is just as important. Maybe more.

I don't know your waters since I'm on the west coast, but I do have a 22 and I've run it in some pretty nasty chop. 3 to 4 foot of wind chop will beat you up pretty badly. 3 to 4 foot of swell, at 6+ seconds, not so much. In fact, that would be pretty fun.

I've run my boat in 3' wind chop. It'll survive (although I did break a battery mount the last time I did that). That said, I do my best to avoid those sort of conditions. It's no fun at all.

Also keep in mind that the average boater tends to seriously over-estimate wave heights. When you hear a story about somebody running in waves that were X high, always take it with a grain of salt unless you really know the guy. And remember that what looks like 4' waves from a low slung Donzi Classic will look like 2' waves from the bridge of a 35' sedan. Always factor that in when you hear some old fart telling you how he ran out in 10' seas...

I live in the San Francisco area, but I don't take my Donzi out on the bay. Much like the great lakes, we tend to get short, steep wind waves here instead of a nice gentle swell. It's not the place for a low profile sport boat.

Another thing to consider - if you were stopped in 4' wind waves, you'd be taking on water either over the stern or the side. If you were bow into it, you'd still be getting water over the bow but the windshield should keep most of it out of the cockpit. Not a situation I'd want to be in.

Spread that 4' out over 10 seconds though and it would just role right under you. No problem at all.

[Funboy]

Gents:
Many thanks. There is nothing like experience. Agreed if you are out in 4+
seas for any time you are either unlucky or foolhardy. It sounds like the design can handle most of what I would want it to.
FB

[Planetwarmer]

Several guys run their 22Cs from Miami to Key West no problem.:yes:

[VetteLT193]

It is easy to get a picture on flat water. tough to get a picture in rough water.

My brother ran his 22 in the Keys for many years. They will do fine if you don't run them stupid. The front of the boat is very sharp so you can tab it down and let the hull take the waves for you.

There are plenty of 22's around. it is worth a test drive....

[MOP]

As with any boat seat time makes a tremendous difference, learning how to balance drive trim and tabs is key to getting the best hull performance in rough seas. But even when you get good at it there are days you will as I call it SLOG home. I run the ocean, Long Island Sound, my local bays and usually ten days on the St Lawrence all truly varied conditions I have never felt unsafe in my 22.

[DONZI]

However I plan on boating in the NE 50% of the time. What starts out glassy at 8:00 can end up 3-4 chop at 16:00.
I don't plan on dong 60kts in 4+ footers or going out in a gale. But I also don't want to plan boating around optimum wind and sea conditions. I spoke with one owner and he didn't recommend it.
Any true testimonials? Please no anecdotal sea stories.
Flame Away,
FB
Sounds like Cape Cod water you are refering to ?
I have Boated most N.E. waters with my 22C and your sceniaro is pretty much spot. Even the bigger hulls can have their hands full when the afternoon breeze picks up. There have been beautiful sunny days where i wouldn't put in on Cape Cod due to rough seas,common sense and the chance of losing power always can loom.

[Funboy]

Donzi:
Well sort of Cape Cod; More specifically Mass Bay. We like to shoot accross the bay from Cape Ann to Provincetown or to go out whale watching. Never a big deal with my Mako 22 or Limestone 24. Both great rough water boats. Another odd condition is to be into a combination of a afternoon seabreeze SW'er with a leftover wave action from the E NE. Not particularly big stuff but like watery moguls, tough to go in a straight line in a small boat.
FB

[Cuda]

A 22 is no fun crossing Tampa Bay in. It's not a wave crusher. I ran in my 302 Formula next to a 38 Cig coming back across the bay from a poker run, and I can tell you it wasn't fun in either boat.

If it's calm, a 22 is plenty. If it is not calm, they don't buid a boat big enough.

[Cuda]

It is easy to get a picture on flat water. tough to get a picture in rough water.
My brother ran his 22 in the Keys for many years. They will do fine if you don't run them stupid. The front of the boat is very sharp so you can tab it down and let the hull take the waves for you.
There are plenty of 22's around. it is worth a test drive....
Most of the run from Key Largo to Key West is on the bay side. Even when it goes to the ocean side, it's inside the reef.