I'm actually the seller....decided to do a search on my "for sale competition" and this thread popped up :)

Here's a quote directly from another thread on this site:

"I have a ton of time in both the U17 and U19. I rode in a U17 prototype back in 1995 and that was the boat that got me hooked. As you already know they are bad-azz little boats, especially in the rough. Built like a brick chithouse.

They were only made for 2 years, 1996 and 1997. The 1996s came with higher hp motors and the 1997s came with slightly less hp. They got a bad rap from a boating magazine(I can't remember which one) and I think that really hurt sales. What the magazine didn't mention is they were testing a boat with no trim limit switches and they went into a turn with the drive tucked under and put the boat on it's side.

The 1997s also lost the classic looks. The combo of lower hp, loss of the classic look and the boat test review ended the life of the Unlimiteds. Too bad but makes owning one now much better!"

OP, it's a great boat and ready to hit the lake. Throw me an offer if you'd like......

Seems like a well kept boat from the pictures and description of the seller.

Having a hard time trying to decide whether to go Four Winns or Sweet 16...

Had not even considered the Four Winns until the seller's ad popped up on craigslist the other day.

I think both may be priced outside my budget at this time anyway.

I went for a ride in a U-17 once. Never AGAIN!

"bad azz little boats especially in the rough" Say what? Are we all talking about the same boat here?

wanted
 

Does anybody know of a U-17, U-19 or Donzi 18 classic for sale?

Did the guy driving the boat know how to handle it?

They do really well in the rough since they have the 24 degree deadrise hull. Very similar to the Donzi Sweet 16/Classic 18.

Either your guy didn't know how to drive the boat, it had a problem or you were in EXTREMELY rough seas which a 17 foot boat is not intended for.

They ride great.

I don't care what the deadrise is. A 17 foot boat (or 19) that sits just inches higer than the waterline itself is NOT a rough water boat. PERIOD.

Just curious what do you cosider rough water?

I guess that's where our disconnect is. They do well in 3-4 foot chop and I consider that fairly rough water. It is relative to the size of the boat.

It's common sense not to expect a 17 foot boat to handle 6 foot seas but maybe that was your expectation or something...

I agree. I considered buying a 22' Donzi, but I couldn't see running on the Great Lakes, so I figured what's the point? IMO you need something with more freeboard if you want to run it in rough water.

No the U-17 is NOT good in a 3-4 foot chop. I doubt you have been in a U-17 in a 3' foot chop. A 1-2' chop probably feels like 3-4 but no way a U-17 handles a 3-4' chop good. So what you are saying, the u-17 handles a chop that is 2-3 times the freeboard of the boat well??? Think about that again. Can it handle a 3' wake from a passing cruiser? Sure it can, power through it, get a bit of air and continue on. But there just simply is not enough of that boat in the water to handle a sustained 3-4' chop.

I thought Bob Teague got tossed from 1 when PB tested it..