18' Donzi vs 20' Cig vs 22' Donzi

[Pat McPherson]

Weighing options and I thought I'd start a thread.

I've owned an 18' Donzi Classic, 20' Donzi Minx, and currently in my 4th year owning a 22' Donzi Classic.

At some point down the line I'd like to own a 20' Cig and there is the one for sail down in MD that Greg pointed out. I spoke to the fellow, Steve, and his boat might work for me.

I've been talking about down sizing from my 22 to an 18, but hey maybe in between...

I've not ever driven or ridden in a 20' Cig, but I've been told they ride/handle rough water very well for there size.

Help me fill in the blanks.

18' Donzi Classic:
18' 0"
approx. weight 2700lbs
preferred power - 300+HP small block
good ride in up to 2ft waves and can be used for pulling skiers and other

20' Cig:
19'7"
approx. weight 2500lbs ? I don't believe what I'm reading on line...
preferred power ? small block or big block ? pros-cons ?
good ride in up to ?ft waves. Can it be used for pulling skiers and other?

22' Donzi Classic:
22' 6"
approx. weight 3500lbs
preferred power - 400+HP big block
good ride in up to 3ft waves and not good for pulling skiers and other

In short, looking for opinions to help me decide if I just stick with what I got, or sell?
If I sell, do I buy an 18' Donzi or hold out for a 20' Cig?
Is the 20' Cig a happy medium between these great old classic boats?

[gcarter]

The Cig hull and the Donzi Minx and 22 hulls are really different.
The widest point of the Cig hull is at the transom as apposed to Donzi which is further forward,
this is to allow BBC's as the "go to" engine. It seems the Cig hull is like a 24'-25' boat w/ 4" or 5' cut off.
This is the main reason the Cig is easier to accomplish higher speeds with.
The Cig is designed to sit relatively level in the water w/a BBC due to the greater broader beam at the transom.

[Ghost]

To help address your question, can you give a little more info about your interest in downsizing? Less fuel burn? Less to maintain? Want to do more skiing or boarding? Something easier for kids to handle solo?

i would *think* the Cig would do as well or better than an 18 for skiing and such. Plus it has a nice locker in front of the windshield. I know when it came out, they showed it pulling a skier in the brochure.

image.jpeg

[Pat McPherson]

Yes, I would like to ski a few times per year. I would like to be able to store in my garage (26' deep). Don't care about gas, but sure less to wash and wax is helpful. Kids not driving solo in any of these, we have a CC for them.

[Greg Guimond]

.............................

[mattyboy]

Ghost that is not a cigarette brochure it is a licensed splash by glaspar brochure I fell for this too but after I tried to build the history on the cig 19 I found out it was a glaspar brochure


http://www.classicglasspars.com/inde...=98&Itemid=273


the 20 cig is by far the best of the lot they are Tanks close to 4000 lbs and all of 20 feet they did change over time the early ones were like the 16 round keel short inner strakes designed for a small block and had the front storage locker and side lockers in the bilge. then they reworked the deck a bit and made the cockpit a tad smaller and the bilge bigger and put a big block in it they also made it more like the 18 and lengthened the inner strakes gone were the side lockers

then they did away with the front locker and added a pad

spent quite a bit of time in the first cig 19 at wot speeds in a couple of poker runs it will take anything you throw at it within reason ( meaning rough water that you would go out in a 24 and under boat

the 20 will take more of a beating than you can stand don't ask how I know that

if you want a small boat that can hang with the big boys 20 cig we were in the first of 4 groups with 150 go fast boats our goal was not to fall of the pace and stick with the first group we did and the copter kept coming back to us when you see shock and awe on the face of the photographer all you can do is hold on we were stuck in the mixed up water of 30 + boats and the boat handled it

[jl1962]

IMO the 18' is a big, small boat and the Cig is a small, big boat, way bigger than an 18.
The Cig is also a lot rarer. If I boated in bigger water, it would be a great step up from an 18.
But I'm a Donzi guy!


IMG_2597.JPG

[mattyboy]

yes the 20 cig is rarer as a benchmark Donzi made 160+ Minx in roughly 3 plus years

Cigarette Racing made 146 or so in 34 years

When I was at the 20 cig run in Ohio back in 06 we had the first and last one ever made a lot of history in that parking lot during the pre run show

[roadtrip se]

and this thread is already full of opinions...

The 22 outrides, is more efficient, and easier to run than the other two by far.

The 18 is a small boat with small boat characteristics. Think jet ski on steroids.

The Cig, unless rigged and tested for hundreds of hours by Lipschutz, has a dead rise that is relatively flat, and can pound in the rough.

The 22 is longer. Lighter. And has an agressive deadrise that allows it to me more forgiving in the rough.

Fact.

[Ghost]

The 22 outrides, is more efficient, and easier to run than the other two by far.

The 18 is a small boat with small boat characteristics. Think jet ski on steroids.

The Cig, unless rigged and tested for hundreds of hours by Lipschutz, has a dead rise that is relatively flat, and can pound in the rough.

The 22 is longer. Lighter. And has an agressive deadrise that allows it to me more forgiving in the rough.

Fact.

What does Phil do that changes how the Cig 20 would otherwise "pound" in the rough?

In what way is the 22C "more efficient" than the 18C and the Cig 20?

[Ghost]

Ghost that is not a cigarette brochure it is a licensed splash by glaspar brochure I fell for this too but after I tried to build the history on the cig 19 I found out it was a glaspar brochure


http://www.classicglasspars.com/inde...=98&Itemid=273

Thanks! You also cleared up something that seemed wrong to me--I was under the impression that the Cig 20 started as the Cig 19, and thus it would make no sense for the "Don 20" that I posted to be the first iteration of the Cig. (Turns out, it wasn't.)

I suppose if I'd only looked at the pic more closely, I'd have seen it wasn't a Cig logo.

[Greg Guimond]

....................

[Pat McPherson]

Thank for info guys.
I have a good understanding of what an 18ft Donzi and 22ft Donzi are so more about what a 20ft Cig is/was?

Matt, do you know when the second gen 20' Cig came out?

Guys, thoughts on these older TRS boats?
I almost bought a 74 20' Cig from FLA or Matt's fiends boat prior to my 22 Donzi. I didn't because of the old Volvo drives with no trim on those boats.
I'd truly rather a mid 80s or newer boat with Alpha or Bravo but those are either impossible to find or very expensive.

[mattyboy]

Pat
I have not found the exact date but I think it was around 74-75 when they re did the deck for a BB. On the cig run I was at there was an older gentleman from the west coast with a 76-77 20 with a TRS he had since new was a nice boat tough ran around low 70s only issue was the brown and white color scheme IMO when you look at one check the strakes. Also look there was a member here who just restored a 20 cig up in lake George the thread is here that boat had the longer strakes and the bumped out hatch which was the 2nd gen. The pad came in the 90s

Ghost
I think Don may have sold one of the 19 molds to glaspar around the same time the cig 20 was re worked. Annual production numbers are low so he may have seen value in a license arrangement By early 1972 they had made 3 hulls before the HIN mandate the 4th hull gets the CRT20001 late 72 early 73 the don 20 has the flat hatch
Like the 19
Also Brownie tells a story about the flotation foam mandate for boats under 20 feet around this same time period the cig 19 now is a cig 20 the LOA is 19 feet 11.5 inches. This happens to the hornet but the hornet needs a few inches added to it but this doesn't happen right away 1976 or so with the hornet 2 I just saw a late 19 foot hornet 2+3 with foam all over the place

[mattyboy]

Pat
The pic jay posted is the boat that was restored