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Thread: Donzi Marine 63-65

  1. #61
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    #3
    BROWNIE

    "Wait! There's more!"

    "When Aronow turned the 27' Magnum into the 28' Cigarette, he added a second gunwale to the plug, allowing him to pull two different molds from the plug. The lower one became the 26' Cary, then the 29' Cary. In the same time period, Larry Smith of California bought a 27' Magnum, and amazingly, came out with the 29' Scarab exactly two months later. JC Simon took the 44' MSV and shortened the mold by dropping in a new transom and "conceived" the 38' Coyote, 37' and 33' Banana, Sonic, etc."
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  2. #62
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    #4
    BROWNIE

    More.

    "In 1965, Aronow cut down the full height 28' Donzi and made the "008" mold, and made the infamous low-slung raceboat that won the 1966 Houston Channel Derby, with Don, Bobby Moore and me. Don and I were both 6'2"+, and we stood in it only to our hips. We won the race by going from a half mile behind to a half mile ahead of the Merc Offshore team in 2 miles, by never slowing down over some free-running tug and tanker wakes. We jumped so high, that the strut bearings would dry out and squeal, nearly drowning out my screaming.
    We built 3 or 4 raceboats for Mr. K, and sold/gave the mold to Elton Cary to make the great little 28' Cary fishboat, which was popped to make the Salt Shaker, Performer 28 CC, and a couple of others.
    The full height 28' was popped by Dickie Ridgeway, later becoming a 28' Performer. I think they (Performer, Billy Elswick) bought the 40' Cigarette mold, and made a 36', 40' and 44'. Cobalt popped the entire Donzi production line.
    The 23' Formula turned into everything that Harry's 23' didn't, The 23' Formula and the 23' Magnum started more boat companies than you can count. If they a boat DNA test, Harry and Wynne/Walters would have a 'lot of 'splaining to do!"

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    "My reference to Harry and Jim/Walt is that they were unwilling fathers of a s**tload of boat companies."
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  3. #63
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    #5
    BROWNIE

    "The first successful modern step bottoms were designed by Bob Hobbs. Bob did the beautiful Enterprise sportfishermen.
    Cal Connell, who built the Crusader Cadillacs (and Crusader Marine) built Hobbs designs in the Rybo Runner hulls and the Offshorer that is still built to this day San Remo or Venimiglia, Italy, just next to Monaco. They had the same Crusader engines used in the Riva's. (Quick question and answer: What is Carlo Riva's personal boat? 35' Magnum). The Offshorer had the engines in fore and aft tandem, with a wing box in the center, driving a pair of inboard style propeller shafts like a standard inboard. Very low floor, very complex exhaust risers in the transom. 3 steps, ran well. The step fad comes every 17 years, just like the f**king locusts............."
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  4. #64
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    Magnum Missile

    Quote Originally Posted by ALLAN BROWN View Post
    The Magnum Missle was a copy of the Austrian racing champ and boatbuilder, Dieter Schulze. Don bought a 16' and a 19' and copied both of them. After we sold Donzi to the Chisholms, I worked the 1968 Miami Boat Show for Don selling the 16' missle. The demo boat had a 135 Merc, and ran 65 mph. It would make a 30' circle at that speed. Anyone with an underwear concession at the dock would have made a fortune, if you get my drift.
    Legend Steve Sirois comment about the Missile:

    Birth of the Magnum Missile.

    "I guess this would be a good place to post an excerpt from a bit I wrote a couple of years ago on the "Life At Lake X in the 60's" thread. During one summer I worked for Don Aronow instead of working at Lake X. The following occured after returning from the Long Beach-San Diego-Long Beach race in 196X."

    "When things finally quieted down back in Miami, Don asked me to rig a small tunnel hull that he had acquired. I had a little time in a Molinari at Lake X, so I took that project on with relish. I finally got the tunnel in the water and ran it around the area some. It crowhopped alot but it ran pretty well. I went back to the dock and got Don. We ran around for awhile and, since this was his first ride in a tunnel, he was thrilled. Also, it was his birthday and he proclaimed this ride to be a great present. He went back into the office and, as I walked by the parts room, I noticed an "elephant ear" prop on the floor. I didn't know who it belonged to...so...I immediately acquired it for Don's birthday boat. WOW! Now it flew like the Molinari had at the Lake. I went into the office and told Don he had to go for another ride. He said he was too busy... I finally convinced him that he had to go for another ride....which he did. He could not believe how much better it ran and told me to strip the boat immediately so he could pull a mold from it.....which he did. Thus was born the "Magnum Missle"." - Seeroy



    P.S. Anybody that could post a photo of Brownie's cool ex. Missile(red with a Merc. Bridgeport), have a photo of it, but can't find it now. D.S.
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  5. #65
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    Brownie and the Baby Donzi

    Brownie is a wealth of information. He once called me a wealth of mis-information (I hope he was kidding)
    And also, the Baby Donzi 14" is a half scale 28" Sportsman hull with a 24 degree dead rise. I was told this by Walt Walters himself.
    I have far too many boats, just ask my Wife.
    If you have something of great quality, and you take care of it, it will last forever.
    Never Economise on Luxuries


  6. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by gcarter View Post
    The son of the founder of Marlin Boat Works is still here: David Hartman, of Hornet Boats fame.
    Quote Originally Posted by Greg Guimond View Post
    George, is that "Marlin" the company that was out of Oregon I believe?
    My father-in law purchased the Formula 27 from Don in mid-1964 and started the Marlin Boat Works.
    He added a flybridge and created a high performance sport fisherman the "Marlin 275" = 27.5 feet long.
    The company was originally located in North Carolina then moved to Miami and became the Marlin Yacht Company with new ownership.
    It was sold to Grady-White around 1967.

    I saw my first race in 1965
    the Round Nassau Race
    with White Marlin, the old Formula 27 against Donzi 007

    We were in a Cessna 172
    and White Marlin was winning
    Don took a shortcut across a reef and won the race.

    Met him briefly after the race
    and have been hooked ever since . . .

    Chad
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  7. #67
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    I got those details all screwed up, didn't I!
    George Carter
    Central Florida
    gcarter763@aol.com
    http://kineticocentralfl.com/


    “If you have to argue your science by using fraud, your science is not valid"
    Professor Ian Plimer, Adilaide and Melbourne Universities

  8. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by gcarter View Post
    I got those details all screwed up, didn't I!
    Some of the old posts are hard to find with the board's rich history.
    It takes these Michael Aronow posts to put it all together.

  9. #69
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    In reviewing this thread and other historical info I was surprised to see that Don made such a powerful impact on the boating scene with Donzi and his real involvement in the company was very short. like a year and half to 2 years. the first production 16 shows in Jax in fall of 64 and by fall of 65 Teleflex is in charge.
    When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
    When the waves are high and the light is dying,
    well raise a glass and think of me...
    When I'm home again,
    boys, I'll be buying!

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  10. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by mattyboy View Post
    In reviewing this thread and other historical info I was surprised to see that Don made such a powerful impact on the boating scene with Donzi and his real involvement in the company was very short. like a year and half to 2 years. the first production 16 shows in Jax in fall of 64 and by fall of 65 Teleflex is in charge.

    I once read somewhere a long time ago that every single v bottomed boat built in the last 45 years has Don's DNA in it.
    To be honest I think I would paraphrase that to say every v bottomed boat most especially built in the US and I'd include the Dick Bertram/Ray Hunt factor .

    Quite a legacy ,for sure .
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

  11. #71
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    ttt .............
    1972 16 OB - C16B-63 - "Surface Tension" Resto Project
    1974 16 OB - DMR16106017-B - "The Mule"

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