s022mag

Looking at both boats, both 2000's both 500EFIs both XR'S. The only issue I think I might have with the BT is docking and trailering it but NADA says there's only a 500lb different dry weight. I love the cabin in the BT, the ZX is also nice with 6' headroom just worried about the V berth for sleeping comfort.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Boating will mainly be done in Lake Erie around the Islands. Small lake closer to the house and Lake MI for Boyne. May go to Cumberland once a year, and sometime do at least the Key West run or even head to the Bahamas once. Plan to keep this boat for awhile like 10+ years.

12meter joe

Fountain.

endeavor1

iTrader: (3)

Both are big, both catch wind while docking. Side by side, the BT towers over the Donzi. Good propulsion packages and drive life should be ok with service and keeping them in the water. I pulled my 43s and 46 mainly with a gmc dually and a few times with an 11 F250. No issues either way. As for a trailering every weekend boat, neither will be fun IMO. They are big machines. I weighed my 01 43 once on its trailer and it was 15k and change but you have to include whatever a steel manning 45' weighs. It was low on fuel also. Can't compare the ride but the BT runs well n rough water as it should. It's hull design is derived from a midnight express if I remember correctly. Only problem I know on them regularly is the anchor locker drain gets plugged and water will settle in there or flood over into your cabin. I'm going to go back to another one as we enjoyed the cabin and room.

12meter joe

Never been in a 38 Donzi but the 43 BT rides very nice. Went to put-in-bay on one at a fast clip with a bunch of buddies on a fairly windy/rough day on lake st clair. Never spilled a drop of my beer the whole way and when we hit Lake Erie we were mowing down solid 4-6's with ease. Nice boat. It was about 75 miles each way.

RT930turbo

Must have been too rough for the Fountain

RT930turbo

I've never been in either boat on a rough Great Lakes day, but I have heard some people complain a bit about the 38ZX ride. Not that it was BAD, but "not as good as some others" I think glassdave eluded to this in his post as well. I also heard an owner talking about not running hard one day because the lake was beating his cabin up. It didn't think it was too bad out in the 382...

It's all hearsay, so it's worth about $0.000000000001

12meter joe

No, we were in no hurry that day.

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

yep, I've had a 38ZX for the last seven years, absolutely fantastic boat but does have some things worth mentioning. They put up some pretty respectable numbers for their size and weight with not a whole lot of power but they achieved this with a giant pad bottom, variable deadrise and a very wide beam and it is at the cost of ride quality. The boat rides good but not great and if you've ever been in a 38 Top Gun or the like well it pales in comparison. In lake Erie you will be fine you just have to run the boat properly for the conditions, you cant run them like a traditional eight foot wide twenty four degree V bottom. I saw you mentioned docking above, the Donzi likes props spinning in which makes docking a pain sometimes. Props spinning in also adds to some of the poor ride, makes the boat ride flat and never feels like it frees up. despite any of the little complaints I have about the boat I still think its one of the best boats on the planet.

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

oops, accidentally hit post before I was done lol.

I dont think you could go wrong with either. you'll get a lot of good info from the board here then go look them over. it would be nicer if you could get them on the water for a test run. ive looked at a couple BT's and swas impressed with the layout and cabin. just gonna have to weigh all this in and hope it helps ya with the decision.

As far as cabin comfort, its just that the mattress is kinda stiff in that thing. I tossed in a couple matress toppers and a couple sleeping bags and well truth be told I rarely sleep on it . . .more like a pass out so that helps its really not that bad but ya gotta work with it

stuff I like about the ZX? . . . . everything else. Great build quality, huge stand up cabin, drop bead best lookin boat ever that will never look old (if your single . . . chicks throw panties from the dock ) great performance, etc.

Donziben

I used to have the 33ZX it was a very nice boat. It rode and ran great. The 38 is a very nice looking boat, both are the same width and as said you have to find the right trim and speed sometimes. I haven't heard many complaints from ZX owners.

Give PBC a call they have both a 43BT and the 38 ZX both have 500's. The season is coming fast, take both for a ride then make your decision.