28' Donzi Magnum - Dictator - Looking for info
05-31-2016, 10:41 AM
#1
28' Donzi Magnum - Dictator - Looking for info
I'm copying some posts from another thread so I do not hijack that one 
I'm curious if the Dictator previously mentioned is related to my grandfathers boat of the same era "Dictator", his name is Walt Pride. Unfortunately I don't have a whole lot of info about it, but my dad remembers it being a "28ft donzi magnum" (my grandfather had many offshore boats through the years from the stories I have been told). It looks a lot like a Maltese or Sport to me.
My grandfather used to race in the South Florida area for sure (I probably heard about the Miami-Bimini races a thousand times), but I'm not sure if he traveled for other races (it was more of a hobby from my understanding). My dad doesn't remember what happened to the Dictator :/ There is something written on the back of this photo, I'll see if I can take a picture of that as well
(I couldn't figure out how to attach files, so I just used photobucket)
My grandfather used to race in the South Florida area for sure (I probably heard about the Miami-Bimini races a thousand times), but I'm not sure if he traveled for other races (it was more of a hobby from my understanding). My dad doesn't remember what happened to the Dictator :/ There is something written on the back of this photo, I'll see if I can take a picture of that as well
(I couldn't figure out how to attach files, so I just used photobucket)
I have one picture of this boat.
Bob Sheer may know more about it. Cadillac has one in his boat yard. It may be this one.
It is in fact a Walt Walters designed 28' Donzi with a lower profile race deck. A hand full of them were made this way.
I'll get the picture posted in the next couple of days.
Jeff
Bob Sheer may know more about it. Cadillac has one in his boat yard. It may be this one.
It is in fact a Walt Walters designed 28' Donzi with a lower profile race deck. A hand full of them were made this way.
I'll get the picture posted in the next couple of days.
Jeff
Thanks Jeff, that really helped me in my research. I came across a boat that may be the one you are referring to, does Cadillac live in the Stuart, FL area?
http://www.ynotyachts.com/Brokerage.magnum.donzi28.htm
http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/31769
I called the brokerage that currently has it listed, and they are going to get in touch with the current owner to see if he would be interested in talking to my father and I. They believe this boat was previously raced by Johnny Bakos, and I found a really interesting thread that has a picture of the Bakos Donzi Magnum. It looks VERY similar to my grandfathers and this boat.
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/sh...l=1#post411642
http://www.ynotyachts.com/Brokerage.magnum.donzi28.htm
http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/31769
I called the brokerage that currently has it listed, and they are going to get in touch with the current owner to see if he would be interested in talking to my father and I. They believe this boat was previously raced by Johnny Bakos, and I found a really interesting thread that has a picture of the Bakos Donzi Magnum. It looks VERY similar to my grandfathers and this boat.
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/sh...l=1#post411642
05-31-2016, 10:49 AM
#2
In doing a little bit more searching I came across another photo that looks promising.
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/co...h-Birthday-Don
And another:
http://www.powerboatarchive2.co.uk/picture.php?/27464
My father thinks the boat may have had staggered engines, but he's not 100% on that. He also only vaguely remembers when my grandfather sold it, unfortunately he doesn't remember a year. What he does is remember is this "He sold it to a loud Italian guy from Miami driving a '74 Cutlass". Not a lot to go on, but you never know what might jog someones memory
I contacted ynot yachts and they told me that they would get in touch with the owner (they confirmed that it is Cadillac) to see if he would be interested in talking or showing my father and I the boat. I also called Hacker boats and they said they would send my contact info over to Bob Sheer.
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/co...h-Birthday-Don
And another:
http://www.powerboatarchive2.co.uk/picture.php?/27464
My father thinks the boat may have had staggered engines, but he's not 100% on that. He also only vaguely remembers when my grandfather sold it, unfortunately he doesn't remember a year. What he does is remember is this "He sold it to a loud Italian guy from Miami driving a '74 Cutlass". Not a lot to go on, but you never know what might jog someones memory
I contacted ynot yachts and they told me that they would get in touch with the owner (they confirmed that it is Cadillac) to see if he would be interested in talking or showing my father and I the boat. I also called Hacker boats and they said they would send my contact info over to Bob Sheer.
Last edited by pridekit; 05-31-2016 at 11:10 AM.
05-31-2016, 11:12 AM
#3
Here's Brownie talking about Sterndriver being the first staggered engine.
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/sh...l=1#post388471
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/sh...l=1#post621334
I found Cadillac's listing on The Donzi Registry:
http://www.donzi.net/registry/hull.php?id=1440
He mentions that the boat was in Miami for a number of years. That would have to be close to 30 years though.
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/sh...l=1#post388471
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/sh...l=1#post621334
I found Cadillac's listing on The Donzi Registry:
http://www.donzi.net/registry/hull.php?id=1440
He mentions that the boat was in Miami for a number of years. That would have to be close to 30 years though.
Last edited by pridekit; 05-31-2016 at 11:43 AM.
06-27-2016, 10:24 PM
#4
I went and looked at Cadillac's boat with my dad. My dad is 98% sure it's my grandfathers old boat 
I'll post some pictures later!
I found another thread that is talking about a boat similar to this one, but not able to find the referenced link :/
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthre...bakos#post4702
I'll post some pictures later! I found another thread that is talking about a boat similar to this one, but not able to find the referenced link :/
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthre...bakos#post4702
The following users liked this post:
larslindroth (03-01-2023)
02-09-2019, 10:33 PM
#6
Registered
I'm the one who acquired this boat and brought it back to Miami in 2010..... Ok as the story goes my partner Stu Kessler and I were looking for a project boat and found a 30ft Scarab in Ohio , we bought it and was negotiating a deal on another trailer he had but i wanted to see it first , headed to Ohio with two trucks just in case we bought the trailer he had.. We arrive at the owners house, he was a trucker that lived off of hwy 101 just on the outskirts of Sandusky Ohio.... This boat was on blocks and i asked him about it , Think he said it was a 67 or 68 and it had racing history in Miami, I asked him who butchered the boat and cut the vent holes in the side of the hull , he said he did and painted it the yellow to preserve the fiberglass....guess he was going to throw engines back in it....so anyway we were going back and forth on the trailer and he said he would throw in the boat if we bought the trailer so it was a done deal.... so the boat made its way back to Miami Beach , sat for a bit and I told Stu that this thing is taking up space and we gotta get rid of it, he contacted a buddy of ours Capt. Dave, and that's the last I have seen of it.... That is the boat at Cadillac's that we brought back from Ohio... The boat was definitely red with a white stripe on the bottom hull line.....
The following users liked this post:
larslindroth (03-01-2023)
02-12-2019, 11:30 AM
#7
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pridekit:
That pic of the red Dictator looks like Donzi 008 - a Donzi 28 with the deck sheered down (for less wind resistance) built by Don after 007, broke the Miami Nassau course record in 65 and the Bond people asked nicely if Don would refrain from using 007 on his boats -
The original 008 hit some debris on the return trip back to Miami in the 65 Gateway Marathon and ran 2nd to the Maritime, the 32' aluminum turbo charged machine owned by Merrick Lewis and driven by Jim Wynne and suffered some glass damage to the hull. They were called Magnum-Donzi(s) because Donzi had been sold and Magnum was just getting ready to open
If not the original patched up 008 - sure looks like the next one out of the molds.
The number 4 pic looks like the original dark green Magnum 27' powered with a single engine 450 Merc that Don raced in Europe in 67
That pic of the red Dictator looks like Donzi 008 - a Donzi 28 with the deck sheered down (for less wind resistance) built by Don after 007, broke the Miami Nassau course record in 65 and the Bond people asked nicely if Don would refrain from using 007 on his boats -
The original 008 hit some debris on the return trip back to Miami in the 65 Gateway Marathon and ran 2nd to the Maritime, the 32' aluminum turbo charged machine owned by Merrick Lewis and driven by Jim Wynne and suffered some glass damage to the hull. They were called Magnum-Donzi(s) because Donzi had been sold and Magnum was just getting ready to open
If not the original patched up 008 - sure looks like the next one out of the molds.
The number 4 pic looks like the original dark green Magnum 27' powered with a single engine 450 Merc that Don raced in Europe in 67
Platinum Member
02-28-2023, 11:26 PM
#9
I'm the one who acquired this boat and brought it back to Miami in 2010..... Ok as the story goes my partner Stu Kessler and I were looking for a project boat and found a 30ft Scarab in Ohio , we bought it and was negotiating a deal on another trailer he had but i wanted to see it first , headed to Ohio with two trucks just in case we bought the trailer he had.. We arrive at the owners house, he was a trucker that lived off of hwy 101 just on the outskirts of Sandusky Ohio.... This boat was on blocks and i asked him about it , Think he said it was a 67 or 68 and it had racing history in Miami, I asked him who butchered the boat and cut the vent holes in the side of the hull , he said he did and painted it the yellow to preserve the fiberglass....guess he was going to throw engines back in it....so anyway we were going back and forth on the trailer and he said he would throw in the boat if we bought the trailer so it was a done deal.... so the boat made its way back to Miami Beach , sat for a bit and I told Stu that this thing is taking up space and we gotta get rid of it, he contacted a buddy of ours Capt. Dave, and that's the last I have seen of it.... That is the boat at Cadillac's that we brought back from Ohio... The boat was definitely red with a white stripe on the bottom hull line.....
02-28-2023, 11:27 PM
#10
Pridekit:
That pic of the red Dictator looks like Donzi 008 - a Donzi 28 with the deck sheered down (for less wind resistance) built by Don after 007, broke the Miami Nassau course record in 65 and the Bond people asked nicely if Don would refrain from using 007 on his boats -
The original 008 hit some debris on the return trip back to Miami in the 65 Gateway Marathon and ran 2nd to the Maritime, the 32' aluminum turbo charged machine owned by Merrick Lewis and driven by Jim Wynne and suffered some glass damage to the hull. They were called Magnum-Donzi(s) because Donzi had been sold and Magnum was just getting ready to open
If not the original patched up 008 - sure looks like the next one out of the molds.
The number 4 pic looks like the original dark green Magnum 27' powered with a single engine 450 Merc that Don raced in Europe in 67
That pic of the red Dictator looks like Donzi 008 - a Donzi 28 with the deck sheered down (for less wind resistance) built by Don after 007, broke the Miami Nassau course record in 65 and the Bond people asked nicely if Don would refrain from using 007 on his boats -
The original 008 hit some debris on the return trip back to Miami in the 65 Gateway Marathon and ran 2nd to the Maritime, the 32' aluminum turbo charged machine owned by Merrick Lewis and driven by Jim Wynne and suffered some glass damage to the hull. They were called Magnum-Donzi(s) because Donzi had been sold and Magnum was just getting ready to open
If not the original patched up 008 - sure looks like the next one out of the molds.
The number 4 pic looks like the original dark green Magnum 27' powered with a single engine 450 Merc that Don raced in Europe in 67
