Blackhawk question.....

[RedDog]

... what happens in the 4-5 footers at high speeds...

well, with true 4 to 5 footers you leave your Classic on the trailer

[blackhawk]

You guys are scaring me, I have my eyes on a Blackhawk as I want a faster bigger boat and ran across a Blackhawk for sale.. Never driven one but have alot of hours in a 208 hp 1990 sweet 16 that turns the speedo around to 15 MPH at WFO no tabs. The 16 is glued to the water in most of anything that Lake Champlain has except the 4 footer northwinds. Is the Blackhawk not a stable Donzi? Will the wife and daughter not feel safe at high speed, what happens in the 4-5 footers at high speeds, cavitation or worse? Can the naked eye depict rot, what are the indications, where do you look? I like the raw speed but need to be able to keep the family abord. Looking at a 1995 415 HP.

The Blackhawk does have some handling characteristics you need to get used to. Mainly flying the bow off side waves/boat wakes. Once you get used to it and learn how to drive the boat with the tabs it's not a big deal.

I had my Blackhawk in TRUE 3 footers a couple times but it was consistant wind waves and I was running into/with them. The Blackhawk ate it up.

But at WFO the Blackhawk is very loose. If you're not trying to trim the boat out for every last mph you can still drive it fast and your passengers will feel safe. It's when you really loosen it up for that last mph or two that it can get scary for people that aren't used to that loose feeling. I loved that feeling and the handful of girlfriends I had in that time frame loved it too! However I had a buddy that didn't like the loose feeling.

[Greg Maier]

You really can't see rot unless you know exactly what you are looking for. The rotten wood is hidden underneath fiberglass. A marine surveyer will usually have a special hammer and a moisturemeter that he will use to test for rot.
Got to this link to read up on rot
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/preventin...lated_wood.htm

[roadtrip se]

A Bravo boat is going to be a MUCH better rough (3+'s) water boat.

Can the BH boats run in the big stuff? ABSOLUTELY!

Are you going to want to do it? NO, not very often!

Are your passengers and crew going to want to do it? Have you ever heard of Captain Bligh?

Best thing to do is go ride and drive one in conditions as close as you can to the way you intend to use the boat. If you are a little off, as I am and many others are here, you just might buy the thing. But go in knowing what you are getting into or visualize yourself selling your new boat in short order.


Whatever you do, make sure you bring an oar and look into installing a drive shower post-haste, and maybe even a a drive temp sensor, or risk the wrath of all who post here on this site. Disclaimer... the previous sentence is all BS and intended to rile the troops over a topic that just won't die and most won't let it (including myself because it is so much fun) because it illustrates the dysfunctional nature of this family to the extreme, so if you are easily offended, ignorant, lack a sense of humor, or prone to speaking out on topics on which you have little experience or knowledge, please get worked up, hammer somebody's rep points (darn, we can't do that anymore) accuse everyone with a different opinion than yours of being pompous and arrogant, and take this thread completely off topic and into derailed, chaotic, oblivion....


Man that felt good, now back to your regualrily scheduled programming...

Good luck on your BH search, but be wary and be wise...

[surewin]

Thanks for the many answers but they bring up more questions. Are the Blackhawk hulls identical to a 22' classic and do all Blackhawks have surface piercing drives from the factory. Do they still make them or what years were they made?

[Greg Maier]

Blackhawks hulls are different from standard 22 Classic hulls. They have a rocker bottom that allows them to use a surface drive. No, they do not make them anymore, they were made for 2 or 3 years around the 1995 timeframe. I have heard of some Blackhawk hulls having Bravo drives, but not sure if they came from the factory like that.

I am currently in the middle of a Blackhawk to Arneson conversion. I have no idea if it will work or not, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[VetteLT193]

and the easiest way to tell the difference between a BH hull and a non BH hull is the exhaust tips. Look at the stern picture in this thread: http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=52928

notice the tops of the exhaust tip rings are cut off... the added rocker means the back of the boat, if measured from the bottom of the V to the rub rail, is shorter.

[surewin]

Greg,
Why the conversion?

[Greg Maier]

There are many reasons (Arneson is a superior surface drive, etc) but the overarching reason is that I am addicted to tinkering with my boat / car / truck / motorcycle / bicycle / plane (if I had one), etc. And it is a really cool project.

[MOP]

Greg I keep waiting for yours to come together, I think the BH hull is a great candidate for the Adrive. Plus you will play hell breaking anything!!!!

[blackhawk]

Greg I keep waiting for yours to come together, I think the BH hull is a great candidate for the Adrive. Plus you will play hell breaking anything!!!!

I agree, that is a sounds like a great project!

[blackhawk]

Thanks for the many answers but they bring up more questions. Are the Blackhawk hulls identical to a 22' classic and do all Blackhawks have surface piercing drives from the factory. Do they still make them or what years were they made?

As Greg stated I believe they were made in 1995-1996 but I am not 100% sure. The short drive/higher X doesn't have enough leverage to suck the stern down and carry the bow. So, they added rocker to the hull for natural bow lift. This means there isn't much of the hull in the water at WFO which makes it very loose. And also very fast in the right conditions.

However, as others have said a Bravo boat will handle the rough waters with much less driver input. My Blackhawk would eat anything up(to a certain extent obviously) as long as there was consistancy and I ran with it or into it. In the washing machine slop you had to drive the hell out of it.

Honestly, if you boat where it is constant washing machine slop a Bravo boat will be easier to drive

[CHACHI]

and the easiest way to tell the difference between a BH hull and a non BH hull is the exhaust tips. Look at the stern picture in this thread: http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=52928

notice the tops of the exhaust tip rings are cut off... the added rocker means the back of the boat, if measured from the bottom of the V to the rub rail, is shorter.

What the deal with 8 engine vents? Is this normal on this year blackhawk?

Ken

[blackhawk]

What the deal with 8 engine vents? Is this normal on this year blackhawk?

Ken

I think it's because it's an anniversary edition???

Damn nice looking boat! Anyone know how many of those were made? I'm guessing just a handful.

[Greg Maier]

8 engine vents looks like a little customizing to me...


MOP: To bring you up to speed here is where I am with all the parts of the Blackhawk/Arneson Project

Engine: Currently being built in my garage by me with guidance from a local performance machine shop

Dart Big M Iron Block
4.5 inch bore X 4 inch stroke : 509 cid
Howards forged crank and rods
SRP flat top forged 9:1 compression pistons
Dart Pro-1 as-cast aluminum heads
Intake - to be determined
Carb - to be determined

Transmission: 72C Velvet Drive, currently being rebuilt by local marine transmission shop. They are upgrading by installing 10 carbon fiber clutches, should easily be able to handle my engine

Arneson Drive: Used Borg Warner 1721. Was chain drive, plan to install heavy duty 1.32:1 gears from Arneson Industries but have not acquired them yet. Have not acquired the Arneson setback box yet. Thrust tube and drop-box are being sandblasted, primed and painted. Thrust tube is having drive guard fitted and installed. Thrust tube currently has a broken upper fin that will be cut off.

Blackhawk Hull: Currently stripped down so that all is left are 1 inch tall fiberglass stringers. All wood has been chissled out and removed. All wood is being replaced with COOSA Bluewater 26 board.
Here are some pictures of the work in progress: