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Thread: Early ski sporter found in germany

  1. #1
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    Early ski sporter found in germany

    I have found an ad of a demolished Donzi 16 at german ebay, the guy was looking for some parts and help and so I contacted him.

    The first pics he sent were telling me "ok, another guy has found another splash...", but the more pics he sent the more they caught my attention...

    He told me it is a 1965 and I thought "never"... but then I saw the lower short strake, an underhull water inlet with a laminated square plate in the engine room, and the layout for an early Volvo setup, maybe AQ100, 100B or 110.
    Unfortunately someone has done a stupid cockpit modification to gain more passenger space and installed a windscreen, so no hull number was found, but the details mentioned above were telling me he might be right with an early 1965, color seemed to be red/red, no idea if there were any stripes, waterline or deck...

    What do you guys think? Probably one of the oldest ski sporters here in europe next to the teknikens värd boat....
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    Looks like the real thing to me , and that's going by the existing hardware and the bilge finish/construction work .
    My similar vintage St T had the exact same bilge grey finish and the same block on the hull bottom at the transom and the block for (was never utilized) through hull water pickup .
    It is rather incredible that a few oldie goldies have been found on that side of the Atlantic.
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

  3. #3
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    not a donzi the fore deck is wrong
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    Quote Originally Posted by mattyboy View Post
    not a donzi the fore deck is wrong
    Matty, that was exactly what I was thinking when I saw the pics but the owner told me the fore deck was strongly modified many years ago, the whole cockpit has been moved forward and speakers were added and else. It will be brought it back to its original condition now. Some details might indicate 1965, no deck vents, balsa core in fore deck, hole for HVAC vent in base of rear seat, thru hull water inlet, interceptor dash, strange there is no louver vent on rear or holes for that...the owner also claims there was no grab rail, the one at the pics was added very much later, the boat belonged to his grandpa who put it in a barn a long time ago where it was found after he has died 2 years ago.

    Does anybody know if it was a valid color combo red/red no stripes and red upholstery in 1965? I remember there was an all red 16 at Abercrombies NY in 1965 but with white stripes. I'd like to trace down its origin...
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  5. #5
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    Interesting find.

    I wonder if the grandfather had any old photos of the boat hidden away.
    1967 Ski Sporter (sold)
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    yeah that would be cool, but the chance is very little, seems they had no contact to the old man and he died in a special care home

    Interesting that the nephew who found and picked up the boat did not even know what it is until someone very much later told him it might be an old Donzi...

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    Is it a Donzi?

    Axel, you have asked for opinions, so I would like to weigh in. First let me say thank you for your enthusiasm and contributions here on the site. As for the boat in question, My first reaction was exactly the same as you and Matty....that foredeck could not be a Donzi. Then I scrutinized the pictures, and several things stood out....I am not saying this is a Donzi for sure, But I ALSO am not saying it ISN'T!! IF... it is a Donzi, it has been modified at least twice, the first being the creation of the sculpted deck. The interesting anomaly of the the contoured deck is, it still has FLAT balsa coring underneath that section....which would be correct for a stock deck, but makes no sense for the sculpted deck! There is a LOT going on with that boat, but as MC suggests, much of the hardware that IS there, is period correct. I have several other observations, but realistically, the only likely way to determine if this is a ski-sporter, is by a LOT of closer inspection of the hull, such as filled holes, or lack of, on such things as the rear vent, Donzi script, and what very much appears to me to be the remaining bolts in the transom for a true Eaton drive (which would jibe with the corresponding interceptor dash, an port side water intake). SO....here is where I offer evidence that this MAY indeed be a Donzi....attached is a photo of my dash cutout (Skisporter built in fall of 65). There are a few unique shapes of this cutout, which to me would almost HAVE to be made from the same template as the cutout on the boat you are asking about!! Look at the shapes/lengths of the left hand angles, and ESPECIALLY at the small curved cutout on the lower right....hard to believe it is coincidence! Just my thoughts, but I am NOT outright saying it is, or isn't, an original. Colin
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    That is great information Colin, thank you very much for your input. Amazing similarity with the dash cutout! I am just letting the guy check if there are any dates printed on the fuel tank...

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