patricke
09-16-2011, 05:34 PM
Hey folks,
I am a long-time donzi lover and lurker of this wonderful forum but this Registry has recently taken on a new meaning for me.
It was summer of 1993 on a balmy afternoon on the California delta that I had my first encounter with such a machine. My father and I had pulled up to our usual beach in our old 16' glasspar which was equipped with an 85hp Evinrude outboard....a boat that I had operated since a very young age and still own to this day. We enjoyed many sunny days on this beach and that day I had no idea I would develop a border-line obsession. At 14 I would be falling in love with a yellow-trimmed 16 foot classic that pulled up to the beach 60 feet down from us.
As it approached us I really had never heard anything like it. I mean, honestly at that point in my life I had heard literlaly hundreds of muscle boats but this one was refined. It was the deep velvety sound that all of you on this registry know all too well. I got goosebumps. I walked closer to it as they were pulling in and I could not believe that that noise was coming from such a classicly lined, sophisticated shell. It was really a display of humble sexiness I had not seen before.
I had no clue what a Donzi was, let a lone a Donzi Classic. Being a shy teenager I just stared and took every mental note i could while it was in front of me promising to remember the Donzi name on the side of the boat. Believe it or not, on the west coast here, you really do not see Donzi's much and I had never seen one before even with all my time on the inland waterways and Pacific Ocean.
The couple would put their feet in the water for a few minutes and then soon turn the boat around to leave. My Dad and I had never seen a boat get on plane so quickly and slice through oncoming wake like this one did. the engine roared (which must've been a hot 350 set up as It was a pre OMC) and hit 60 like it was nothing. The hair stood up on the back of my neck as I watched those two pipes spit from the back of that transom.
The years following I would day dream and come here to this sight for countless hours just to fantasize about sitting in the Cockpit of a Classic. This would continue through my college years as I would search in the computer lab endlessly to find the perfect one......which was quite laughable really. Someday I figured if I was fortunate enough I would get to have one for myself.
That day came 2 weeks ago and I am now the proud owner of a babied, 300hr original motor Testarossa 18. My 18 year fantasy came to life and I couldn't believe that I would be able to find one so close to my house. I also never thought I would be able to do 60 mph on the water with a flick of my wrist. Keep in mind ol' glassy did 37 on a good day with that outboard.....going with the current, wind at my back.
So, in short, I would like to thank this community for keeping my dream alive, sparking my passion whenever I drifted away with the thoughts of never being able to own one. I am looking forward to spending more time here and sharing stories with everyone about these wonderful boats we have fallen in love with.
Happy Boating!
-Patrick
67890
I am a long-time donzi lover and lurker of this wonderful forum but this Registry has recently taken on a new meaning for me.
It was summer of 1993 on a balmy afternoon on the California delta that I had my first encounter with such a machine. My father and I had pulled up to our usual beach in our old 16' glasspar which was equipped with an 85hp Evinrude outboard....a boat that I had operated since a very young age and still own to this day. We enjoyed many sunny days on this beach and that day I had no idea I would develop a border-line obsession. At 14 I would be falling in love with a yellow-trimmed 16 foot classic that pulled up to the beach 60 feet down from us.
As it approached us I really had never heard anything like it. I mean, honestly at that point in my life I had heard literlaly hundreds of muscle boats but this one was refined. It was the deep velvety sound that all of you on this registry know all too well. I got goosebumps. I walked closer to it as they were pulling in and I could not believe that that noise was coming from such a classicly lined, sophisticated shell. It was really a display of humble sexiness I had not seen before.
I had no clue what a Donzi was, let a lone a Donzi Classic. Being a shy teenager I just stared and took every mental note i could while it was in front of me promising to remember the Donzi name on the side of the boat. Believe it or not, on the west coast here, you really do not see Donzi's much and I had never seen one before even with all my time on the inland waterways and Pacific Ocean.
The couple would put their feet in the water for a few minutes and then soon turn the boat around to leave. My Dad and I had never seen a boat get on plane so quickly and slice through oncoming wake like this one did. the engine roared (which must've been a hot 350 set up as It was a pre OMC) and hit 60 like it was nothing. The hair stood up on the back of my neck as I watched those two pipes spit from the back of that transom.
The years following I would day dream and come here to this sight for countless hours just to fantasize about sitting in the Cockpit of a Classic. This would continue through my college years as I would search in the computer lab endlessly to find the perfect one......which was quite laughable really. Someday I figured if I was fortunate enough I would get to have one for myself.
That day came 2 weeks ago and I am now the proud owner of a babied, 300hr original motor Testarossa 18. My 18 year fantasy came to life and I couldn't believe that I would be able to find one so close to my house. I also never thought I would be able to do 60 mph on the water with a flick of my wrist. Keep in mind ol' glassy did 37 on a good day with that outboard.....going with the current, wind at my back.
So, in short, I would like to thank this community for keeping my dream alive, sparking my passion whenever I drifted away with the thoughts of never being able to own one. I am looking forward to spending more time here and sharing stories with everyone about these wonderful boats we have fallen in love with.
Happy Boating!
-Patrick
67890