Looking for my first boat!

[wetcoast]

Hi All,
Great forum you all have going here. I've been around boats my entire life and feel like I can finally afford to have one. I've been browsing for a few years now and have looked at Baja's etc but am stuck on the Classic 22 or 18.

Without going through every thread with a fine tooth comb I was hoping someone or a few of you could provide a few buying tips as to what to look for, preferred years, preferred power, etc.

Ultimately I just want to get out on the water at cruise with a few friends and be capable of 70+ MPH with room to make it quicker down the road.

Thanks in advance,
Chris

[gcarter]

Buy the best boat you can afford, when looking at 22C's, look for later than '94.

[biggiefl]

Uh...1994 and newer....George.

[Just Say N20]

I don’t know where you would be boating, but this boat is already “nearer” your neck of the woods.

I would be very tempted to look at this one.

I don’t know the owner, or the boat, but for $8K, it looks like a very good deal.

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?68614-1987-Donzi-2-3-Classic-18-8-000

[joseph m. hahnl]

I don’t know where you would be boating, but this boat is already “nearer” your neck of the woods.

I would be very tempted to look at this one.

I don’t know the owner, or the boat, but for $8K, it looks like a very good deal.

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?68614-1987-Donzi-2-3-Classic-18-8-000

"I'd say" :eek:, Almost like it's a scam. The 330 hp 5.7 Alpha SS is pretty max :chilipepp: .It doesn't leave much more room for improvement,with out using a chain fall . A stroker would help but 22's need big block power to get them easily over 65.

That is a double :toiletpap set up , on the seat time,especially as a first boat:D .
Might have to budget a new Built-Rite drivers bucket :drive:

[gcarter]

Uh...1994 and newer....George.


Yep, that's correct!

One of many senior moments these days........

[BUIZILLA]

actually, 1994 and later is the same meaning as 1994 and newer..... just the opposite of 1994 and earlier or older...

I think... :lookaroun:

[wetcoast]

Great feedback and much appreciated. $8k does seem like a great deal. Is there much difference in the cockpit area between an 18 and a 22?

[joseph m. hahnl]

Great feedback and much appreciated. $8k does seem like a great deal. Is there much difference in the cockpit area between an 18 and a 22?

You sit on an 18 and sit in a 22:propeller:

[boomr]

wetcoast, where are you located?

[wetcoast]

wetcoast, where are you located?
I'm in Langley, BC Canada on the west coast :)

[Ryan M.]

There are two Blackhawk 22's within spitting distance of you. Both are low hour and could be had for under $20k. Google and .org will find them for you. There was also a nice looking 18 with LOW hours on craigslist vancouver for the last few weeks.

[biggiefl]

No offense but for a "first" boat you really should be looking at something that does 40....not 70. I have been driving boats since I was in the cradle and my 22 at anything over 55 takes a LOT of skill to drive. Please be carefull as I don't want to die. For those who advocate this....shame on you. If you don't believe me....look at the gulf breeze accident with a 42' boat doing 70. It is not a game.

[Offset]

Check the classifieds here. My 1994 22 (Canadian registered boat) and many other quality Donzi's are for sale here. I agree with the comment by big above that whatever you purchase get lots of seat time and proceed with care. Yes you can have fun but don't get bit in the a$$ by going too quick too quickly.

Good luck with your search.

[joseph m. hahnl]

No offense but for a "first" boat you really should be looking at something that does 40....not 70. I have been driving boats since I was in the cradle and my 22 at anything over 55 takes a LOT of skill to drive. Please be carefull as I don't want to die. For those who advocate this....shame on you. If you don't believe me....look at the gulf breeze accident with a 42' boat doing 70. It is not a game.


Either way first or not, A 24 V hull takes quite a bit of mental conditioning regardless. The high roll turns or the trip and fall on to the gunnel at low speeds crossing wakes ,getting on plane in wakes and large waves,even The comming off plane shuffle dive and roll . Or how about the turn into the wind with a good chop going. All the stuff worthy of a new pair of Fruit Of The Loons. I been Whaler'ing a little longer than you, and you know you can't beat the "flat" stabilty in a turn. Now you jump into a deep V, you feel as if the boat is going to roll over in a turn. So coming in green on a Donzi would eliminate any pre-conditioning.

As far a 70 MPH boat . They really don't go that fast, with out an operator on the throttle .
Any boat regardless of how fast, can get out of control.One part of the problem is, not for the lack of respect of the boat and power.But the lack of fear of the power and strength of water. If you stuff any laminated 2 piece boat at speed it's most likle coming apart in pieces . The faster your going the smaller the pieces.

If you get in a V8 boat with an outboard mindset of balls to the wall. Than absolutly trouble is in your future

[boomr]

PM sent

[BLACKBOX]

Biggiefl is right - a first boat that goes 70 is risky. My 16 at 58 can get scary - water ripples come up awfully fast, and can really be hazardous...

[boomr]

oops, double post

[Morgan's Cloud]

To be fair on we(s?)tcoast he might have chosen his words a little too carefully when he admitted to being around boats all his life (and is now able to finally own one of his own) .

If he had , like many others in the past have, said 'I saw my first Donzi when I was 11 and always wanted one of those fire breathing/snorting sex symbols and can now afford it , what's the difference between a 16 , an 18 and a 22 ?' Well then , I might go along with some of the other posters . But he's admitted to being around boats all his life. He could come from a family who's owned many nice (larger than Donzis ?) boats , or other hi-perf brands. Run them and helped maintain them.
He's just finally in a position to buy his own .

Well , that's sort of my perspective on it based on my personal history .
I'm sure he can clarify a bit more .

At any rate , for an absolute beginner ? Nope , no way .. go to the back of the line and start your apprenticeship in a 13' Whaler with a 25 Johnson and tiller steering ! :biggrin:

[wetcoast]

Thanks for all the words of caution! I completely understand the basis from which they're coming from. I've driven boats all my life from a 6HP tender to several wake board boards to a 454 prop hot boat :D.

I also have a 700HP CTS-V in the garage that has more balls than I do driving it.

I've been around power since I was a teenager and have enough wherewithal not to kill myself or my family/friends.

I've read that these 22's can get really hairy with over 400 HP (per the SE review).

Yes, I've just reached a point in my life where I can afford the boat I've wanted.

[Greg Guimond]

Good luck with the search. There are a lot of good deals out there now. As far as performance....... sound judgement, life vests, and lanyards and you will do just fine.

[craigdskilling]

I have 18 with a 350 whipple pushing 600hp and i have 2 teens that are 18 and 17 and they have both driven the boat with there best intentions to safty.if it is flat com they will open it up but the now the danger that comes with power and speed.It was like the the first motor bike a had every one thought i was crazy buying a 750 ninja that could do 280klm + do you think i ever did that no not for many years of riding come to think of it the only time i did hit those speeds is when i was racing a sts fast cars but sorry i won.buy what you want and learn to drive it well and safe good luck.thanks craig.:rlol:

[mattyboy]

good luck on the search

[donzidon]

lots of boats out there. if you want to go in the ocean, my advise would be a 22, hornet or zx. zx is the practical choice, but I prefer the classic style of the 22.
the 18 is just too small for that cold water. a blast on the lake though.

[SanDogDewey]

My 68 Donzi is my second boat, the first being a Nacra 5.2m cat. Also grew up around boats all my life, only Dad owned them then. Taking it slow and using a little common sense should keep you out of trouble.

Other than sailboats, this is the last boat I drove before getting the Donzi.

75525

She was a little slow out of the hole but she handled the waves pretty well. Once up to speed she wallered a bit being a flat bottom with little keel. Took forever to stop, but docking was pretty straight forward with a couple of tugs.

[wetcoast]

Hi all,
Thread revive. Back when I started this thread I ran into some money issues after I found the perfect boat for me which Boomr was considering selling. I've now got back on my feet and have cash in hand to pull the trigger. Does anyone know Boomr (Mike) or how to get a hold of him? He offered me a great deal on a 22C 502 with a procharger and I'd love to snap it up if I can.

[Fishermanjm]

Ummmmmmm,,, did I miss somethin here??? 7 days ago u had
cash ready to buy your 22c, lost the cash an now found the cash agin???
this is weird

[22classic]

Ummmmmmm,,, did I miss somethin here??? 7 days ago u had
cash ready to buy your 22c, lost the cash an now found the cash agin???
this is weird


Different year?????

[Fishermanjm]

Ooopppsss............

[Gerk]

May I ask what is wrong with a 93 and older 22 Classic?
I am asking out of ignorance here
I bought one and have yet to try it out.

[gcarter]

Donzi went through several owners over the years, some were better at building boats than others.
In the '70's, Chisholm was the owner and it was run like a hobby (I've been told) w/just a few boats
built each year. The Chisholm ownership originated the 22 in at least 3 forms, the Criterion, the F-22,
and the 22C. The hulls were identical, only the decks changed. The construction of the series
tended to be light in glass. There was a lot of cracks in the cockpit area of each series.
In about '85, Staples bought the company and carried on the less than ideal glass schedules.
Sometime in '89, or so, OMC bought Donzi and moved at least some of the 22 production to
the Chris Craft plant in Michigan. The CC built boats are supposed to be some of the best 22's
built. In 94, American Marine Holdings (AMH) bought Donzi and made some significant improvements
right across the line. These have become the used Donzi's to buy. There were some issues in the
rear hull bottom between the inner strakes, primarily in boats w/larger engines. There were a
couple of factory fixes in the 2005 (or so) period.
I'd like to add the current ownership is building some of the finest Donzi's ever built in the old
Fountain plant in NC. I have toured the factory and was impressed. They are offering 22's w/as
much as 565 HP.

[Gerk]

Thats some good history there thank you.

I bought a 1981
Should I be worried?

[BUIZILLA]

In about '65, Staples bought the company and carried on the less than ideal glass schedules.
actually, it was '85... :lookaroun:

[gcarter]

actually, it was '85... :lookaroun:

Even on my best of days, I have typos! :yes:

[gcarter]

Thats some good history there thank you.

I bought a 1981
Should I be worried?

I restored an '88 22C Testa Rossa. It had about as many issues as any do.
Here's a link to a thread covering all the work I did and decide if it's
worth it.

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?50476-Now-I-m-getting-serious

Or you could buy my my boat!

[Lenny]

WetCoast, many DONZI's around. Take a long coffee and go looking and driving.

What do you want ? EXACTLY

Where are you ?

I have some on the west coast ... ( OK, two running, two spare, not running )

[Greg Guimond]

Hi all, thread revive. Back when I started this thread I ran into some money issues after I found the perfect boat for me which Boomr was considering selling. I've now got back on my feet and have cash in hand to pull the trigger. Does anyone know Boomr (Mike) or how to get a hold of him? He offered me a great deal on a 22C 502 with a procharger and I'd love to snap it up if I can.


WetCoast, many DONZI's around. Take a long coffee and go looking and driving. What do you want? EXACTLY where are you? I have some on the west coast ... ( OK, two running, two spare, not running)

100% agree with Lenny. On top of that if you only want a 22 Classic there are more 22's out there for sale than 18's. A start might be contacting Pat McPherson here on this board. He has a super clean 22 for sale.

[22classic]

Well wetcoast? What's the latest?

[wetcoast]

WetCoast, many DONZI's around. Take a long coffee and go looking and driving.

What do you want ? EXACTLY

Where are you ?

I have some on the west coast ... ( OK, two running, two spare, not running )

Sorry for the late replies. For some reason the subscriptions aren't sending me e-mails.

I want something $20k or less with a big block and a bravo 1. I'm pretty handy mechanically but would like to enjoy it a bit instead of working on it for a year before getting out on the water.

I'm located in Langley, BC, Canada but I was about a day away from sealing a deal on a Chris Craft Xk-18 in Austin Texas for the right deal.

Can you PM me so we can chat?

[wetcoast]

Well wetcoast? What's the latest?

Sorry, my notifications haven't been coming to my e-mails. I'm still looking albeit not very successfully.

[wetcoast]

Donzi went through several owners over the years, some were better at building boats than others.
In the '70's, Chisholm was the owner and it was run like a hobby (I've been told) w/just a few boats
built each year. The Chisholm ownership originated the 22 in at least 3 forms, the Criterion, the F-22,
and the 22C. The hulls were identical, only the decks changed. The construction of the series
tended to be light in glass. There was a lot of cracks in the cockpit area of each series.
In about '85, Staples bought the company and carried on the less than ideal glass schedules.
Sometime in '89, or so, OMC bought Donzi and moved at least some of the 22 production to
the Christ Craft plant in Michigan. The CC built boats are supposed to be some of the best 22's
built. In 94, American Marine Holdings (AMH) bought Donzi and made some significant improvements
right across the line. These have become the used Donzi's to buy. There were some issues in the
rear hull bottom between the inner strakes, primarily in boats w/larger engines. There were a
couple of factory fixes in the 2005 (or so) period.
I'd like to add the current ownership is building some of the finest Donzi's ever built in the old
Fountain plant in NC. I have toured the factory and was impressed. They are offering 22's w/as
much as 565 HP.

Thank you very much for the rule of 1994! I read about it but never know the specifics.

[Lenny]

Wet Coast, BB and Bravo's in an 18 aren't common ( very rare factory ) and the handling and power to weight ratio in that package is not " all that desirable " in my opinion. The same HP is found in small block strokers ( or more ) while shedding 200 pounds aft which the boat LOVES.
IMO, if an 18 is the ticket then a SBC and Alpha and blow up the Alpha and change it out to a BRAVO ( larger cutout, barely ) or preferably IMCO shortie later.

If BBC is your desire, and the BRAVO, then only think 22. And again, later on, think IMCO lower

my $.02

IMO only

:)

[wetcoast]

Wet Coast, BB and Bravo's in an 18 aren't common ( very rare factory ) and the handling and power to weight ratio in that package is not " all that desirable " in my opinion. The same HP is found in small block strokers ( or more ) while shedding 200 pounds aft which the boat LOVES.
IMO, if an 18 is the ticket then a SBC and Alpha and blow up the Alpha and change it out to a BRAVO ( larger cutout, barely ) or preferably IMCO shortie later.

If BBC is your desire, and the BRAVO, then only think 22. And again, later on, think IMCO lower

my $.02

IMO only

:)

Yes, my first choice is a 22C or 22ZX. Second would be an 18.

I've have become fairly proficient with HPTuners while tuning my Caddilac after a cam swap and pulley changes so if the right 18 came along without power I might even venture to try a LS engine swap into an 18C but that would kill my boating season this year.

[CHACHI]

Yes, my first choice is a 22C or 22ZX. Second would be an 18.

I've have become fairly proficient with HPTuners while tuning my Caddilac after a cam swap and pulley changes so if the right 18 came along without power I might even venture to try a LS engine swap into an 18C but what would kill my boating season this year.

I suggest you speak with Glen.

Ken

[wetcoast]

I suggest you speak with Glen.

Ken

Which Glen??? LOL I know lots of Glen's.

[CHACHI]

Yeller on the boards...he is out of BC.

Ken

[yeller]

I suggest you speak with Glen. Ken

Which Glen??? LOL I know lots of Glen's.

Don't mind him Wetcoast. He thinks BC is a small village of igloos and we all know each other. :biggrin.:


Up until a few months ago, I was keeping my boat in Langley. Too bad I didn't know you were there..............................I needed help moving. ;)


If most of your boating is going to be on the Fraser and up to Pitt Lake, an 18 would be preferred imo. If you plan to go out to Harrison a lot, or the Okanagan, then a 22 is much better.

[wetcoast]

Oh that Glenn!!!! LOL

JK

I would have helped you move!

I plan on using it at Pitt, Cultas, Harrison, no much Fraser, and our cabin at Sheridan Lake near 100 Mile.

When he said talk to Glenn I was hoping he knew you had some leads for boats for sale.

Where are you located now?

Chris

[yeller]

I'm in Van, but boat is in Burnaby.

If you're doing Pitt, will you be launching at Fort Langley, Port Mann or Pitt?
The fort is almost non-doable in a 22 as there's no dock. The PM can be tough because the dock is so short and at low tide, it is barely long enough to tie up to.

A 22 at Cultus will be like putting a cruise ship in Pitt. My 16 was almost too big for it. I took my 16 there a couple times, but it got boring pretty quick. Can't imagine dropping my 22 there.

[wetcoast]

I'm in Van, but boat is in Burnaby.

If you're doing Pitt, will you be launching at Fort Langley, Port Mann or Pitt?
The fort is almost non-doable in a 22 as there's no dock. The PM can be tough because the dock is so short and at low tide, it is barely long enough to tie up to.

A 22 at Cultus will be like putting a cruise ship in Pitt. My 16 was almost too big for it. I took my 16 there a couple times, but it got boring pretty quick. Can't imagine dropping my 22 there.

For Pitt I would probably launch at Grant Narrows (Pitt Poulder)

Cultus was just a thought. So big water is what these need. Hnmmmm

Know any Donzi'so around for sale?

[FarPoint]

Rickenbach(sp?) is a great launch at Pitt, but a bit of a longer run upriver to the lake. Generally better parking as well as fuel, some service and parts, and occasionally- a food truck.
Send me PM, I may have a boat for you.

[FarPoint]

Great getaway and so close to town.

85909

[yeller]

.....and another view:

85911


Nice looking boat Farpoint

[wetcoast]

Thanks for everyones help but I have some good/bad news. With Summer fast approaching and me very impatient, I found a deal I just couldn't pass up but it's not a Donzi. I ended up purchasing a 1991 21' Cole Supersport II with a 400HP 454 and a Bravo 1. I pick it up in Cali on the Victoria Day/ Memorial day weekend.

I'm beside myself with excitement!

85922

[Jpwestcoast]

WetCoast, many DONZI's around. Take a long coffee and go looking and driving.

What do you want ? EXACTLY

Where are you ?

I have some on the west coast ... ( OK, two running, two spare, not running )

Hey there juat wondering if you know any one who has a donzi 18 or 22 classic forsale on the westcoast of canada ? Im on vancouver island but willing to drive, thanks
1250 802 3242
-Jake