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Thread: Need help with questions/advice about a 1996 16

  1. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by John C in PA View Post
    Its also the way for the wife to announce that she will never, ever go out in your Donzi again ☹️☹️.
    John C
    Well, for some, that may be a good thing.

    Quote Originally Posted by Morgan's Cloud View Post
    Just to clarify what I do .
    Evaluate conditions , set course , watch the horizon and the bow of the boat , gas it !
    Adjust throttle , trim and if needed , tabs to suit the conditions and speed . You can tell when you're right without even referring to the gauges. The boat tells me .

    Wherever the gauges happen to be is what it is but I never say 'things are great but I don't like where that needle is on the trim gauge , or the indicators for the tabs.'
    Besides , a slight change of course and you're re-adjusting things anyway to compensate for waves and a beam wind .
    Hey , I just remembered .. When I re-rigged the St T I told the engine installer to leave the trim gauge out . Only something else to go wrong and break down anyway .
    The Mag does have one though and it's now on the fritz .
    Fully understand and agree with everything you say MC. It's just that I use my gauge every time because I know where the sweet spot is on the gauge and I can set the drive there and let the boat "catch up" to the drive position. That's immediately after getting on plane. The gauge helps me settle the boat on plane faster than doing it by feel. After that I will adjust by feel, but I find the gauge also prevents me from cruising with the drive a bit to high or low. By knowing where "level" is, I have a reference point of what "generally" works best. For my boat/drive, it's a known amount above level. And when going for top speed I know where on the gauge I will no longer see any increase, so I don't have to try and "find" the best position.


    Matty: I've had friends it that same position. I love that pic.
    Why is faster never fast enough.

  2. #62
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    So hopefully the OP is still hanging on to our suggestions as we get into personal preferences . With regard to trim and tab settings, I think we can agree that some of us use the indicators and some of us don't.

    In this case, I suggest the OP continue to use both the gauges and seat of his pants to learn the ropes.

    John C
    '
    92 Sweet 16 302 Ford
    Windshields are for Sissies!!!

  3. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by mattyboy View Post
    ya the guy in the back seat said never again too
    This is awesome!!! How can I do that LOL.
    I showed it to the fiance and she said oh no, I wouldn't like that unless it was on a jet ski haha.

  4. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by yeller View Post
    I haven't read this entire thread, so I may be repeating what has already been said or done.

    These boats can be a handful when first starting out. I went through the same pain you are when I first got mine. You're far from the only one that has struggled with the learning curve. I boated for 18yrs with a Donzi Classic 16 (copy), but it was a jet drive and an absolutely perfect riding boat from day one. Couldn't have been an easier boat to drive. Then I bought a 22C and my first outdrive boat. Holy bouncing boats, batman! After 18yrs of boating, I was a novice again.

    Morgan had some good advice, but I guess I'm still not a "serious boater" because I still look at my gauges. Maybe someday......but for now I still use the drive trim gauge every time I go out. I do have to disagree with MC in that, I believe a serious boater will drive by feel and look at their gauges. The best advice I got when I first got my boat was to mark "level" on the trim gauge. If you just eyeballed "level", you could easily be off. Adjust the trailer tongue height until the very bottom of the boat (at the transom end) is level, checking with a level. Then put the level of the cavitation plate of the drive and adjust the drive until it is level. Now mark your gauge. I have a piece of foil tape on mine. It's been there for years and I still use it every single time I go out. To get on plane, I put my tabs all the way down and pull my drive in (down). As I start to get on plane, I'll raise the drive and simultaneously pull the tabs up a bit at a time to help it get on plane. Having the tabs all the way down can actually cause the boat to take longer to get on plane. You definitely have to experiment as to what works best for your boat. Once fully on plane, I'll continue to bring the drive and tabs up a bit at a time as the boat stabilizes. Once I get the drive to "level", I'll leave it there and play with the tabs to control the porposing. Generally for cruising around, I leave the drive at a known amount above the level mark and adjust the tabs. I generally only pull the drive up past that known amount when going for max speed. I pull my tabs up as high as I can and still maintain a "stable" feel.

    That's just a general outline of what I do. The drive of course, does get lowered and raised, depending on conditions. This isn't a recommendation of what to do, but it is what works for me and my boat. Others will disagree, because they have a style that works for them and their boat.

    Oh, btw, the "lean" in a turn is the where you can have the most fun with these boats. It won't roll completely over, but sure feels like it might. It's great for freaking out your friends.
    This is good info for me. I tend to do better with learning when I can follow specific directions. I didn't consider actually using a level until you mentioned it, which immediately showed me how far off I was. I'm also gonna use a mirror to watch how much the outdrive and trims tabs physically move with each adjustment because I feel like that may help me visualize how it all relates to the conditions.

    I'll report back once I get back on the water and work on a few of these tips guys.

    Thank you for all the input/help!!



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