Fall Special...1996 22' Donzi Classic

[Barry Eller]

Congratulations on the sale Tony. Keep some tissues close by when you see it pull away from your drive. How is your son doing with his guitars?

[Tony]

Congratulations on the sale Tony. Keep some tissues close by when you see it pull away from your drive. How is your son doing with his guitars?

Yes, it was a sad event, but made better knowing the boat is going to a good home. The new owner has a storied history with watercraft - and I'm confident he will appreciate his new Donzi as much as we all do (did) ours.

Thanks for asking about my son, Barry, you've got a good memory! He has relocated to Seattle and still enjoys both his acoustic guitar as well as his hollow-body electric. We were out there for the first time over Thanksgiving, and marveled at the impressive topography.

From Michigan to South Carolina:

[ddw1668]

Picked up Tony's 22 two days ago. He should be nominated for 'Best Donzi Caretaker of the Year'. The condition of his boat is a testament to his commitment to the brand. Hope I can do half the job he has done.

I currently own a 1973 56' Matthews, a 1989 11' Whaler, a 1974 44' Trojan, a 1979 22' Chris Craft Dory, a 1986 Donzi Minx, and of course, Tony's 22' Classic. I love them all and try to maintain them as best I can............................. "So many boats, so little time."

(The signature line below is out of date by six years, too busy working on boats)

[Just Say N20]

Congratulations!

I'm guessing you're single. . . . .

[nguber57]

hey tony, just curious but what gear ratio were you running in that Volvo dpx? my dad and I are in the process of starting a 22 Blackhawk project, which includes flattening the hull of course. however we have vast experience with the duoprop setup and love the performance of them. we want to use a bravo 3 lower but we are debating what gear ratio to use. your boat sounds like exactly what we are shooting to accomplish. were more concerned with a fun boat to run at mid 70 than all all out speed kind of boat. we have a 454 ready for itbut want to almost build a clone of what you had but with the bravo 3 package. thank you for any input you can offer, or to anyone who reads this and has some experience with this boat/power setup.

[Tony]

I believe the gear ratio on my former Volvo DPX was 1.78:1

With that said, though, the B3 is apparently quite different from the DPX. The DPX was designed for high speed performance, with a streamlined composite body and high-quality internals.

Good luck with your project!

[MOP]

IMO try to hunt down a BIII XR and the HP transom shield, the BIII is some heavy and will stress a standard shield running the way we do. I think you will be better off in the long run!

[Ghost]

While I like the DPX better than either as a design, not sure the BIII is any worse than a B1 hydrodynamically. I thought the case was nearly identical on both, FWIW. The specs always said the BIII was suitable for speeds to 65 where the B1 was for speeds maybe 90+. I did some math on this and I think it was actually due to the available gears and props for the BIII. Those have changed, and I've heard of some folks running BIIIs 85 and higher, and loving the stability.

[TXDONZI]

I believe the gear ratio on my former Volvo DPX was 1.78:1

With that said, though, the B3 is apparently quite different from the DPX. The DPX was designed for high speed performance, with a streamlined composite body and high-quality internals.

Good luck with your project!

With the 1.78:1 gearing what props did you run?

I have a pair of 1.59:1 units and a set of E3's and E4's planning to run one of them on a 20' Kona hull. and wonder what prop set to run or if I will need E2's. I will be pairing it with a Ford 472 (460) that is around 500hp.

I thought about rigging my 99 22 Classic the same way with a BBF if I don't sell it.