Not a Donzi but what is it?
 

I had posted in another area and didn't receive much traffic so I am trying a repost here.

I picked this hull up and for the life of me, I can't figure out the manufacturer. There are no markings anywhere on the underside of the deck/dash or the transom. It is a full 18' long. Unlike a Donzi, there is no tub in the cockpit area. Also the sheer line drops in the rear too much. Also above the rub rail the glass has a gentle curve. Has a mercruiser cut out for the outdrive and mercruiser shifter. A very heavy, solid hull. There are too many changes for it to be a splash of a Donzi. No ID plate so I assume it is pre 1972 and also has lifting strakes so that puts it in the mid to late 60's. Any help would be greatly appreciated.[IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pswoqfbp1l.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psuo5dhasg.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pspjaoq8aw.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psumfuywqp.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pshplcixy0.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psbdu8v4hc.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pschwkcjtf.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pszehtm0l7.jpg[/IMG]

LOoks like somebody popped a hull of a Donzi 3+2

Scrap ????

Looks like an 18' Sutphen or Formula Jr.?

I emailed Christine at Sutphen and she checked with Richie. It is not one of theirs.

I've searched through so many photos and brochures and web sites and I have had no luck. Does anyone know an old timer that may be able to help?

You try Brownie??

No I didn't. Is that his user name?

Old Four Winns U series?

When did 4winns start the U-series? I thought it was the 1990's

yep

that was my first thought too

U-19's just 96 and 97 ?

Here are good pics of one....I agree with others that it is pretty similar to OP's.

https://boats-from-usa.com/four-winn...nlimited-55876

Engine hatch is different. I assume there in no readable HIN?

It def isn't a 4winns. The sheer line in the rear and the engine hatch cover are way too different. There also isn't an inner tub in mine. Plus mine is much older then the 90's. Thanks for trying though. Any help is appreciated at this point.

YUP, and the raised semi circular of deck just over dashboard isn't there on yours either.

build it and have fun
put a clamp-on on it and ...

I'm going to guess it is a surviving early Cobalt.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/c...-xv-200-a.html

I personally looked at that boat in person. I couldn't figure out what it was either. I also couldn't locate a HID either.

Might try over at www.donzi.net - those guys are wealth of knowledge on the classic Donzis and the various clones...

More likely to find him at power boat nation dot com.

OP tried there. Best we can tell is it's one of many Donzi Classic splashes.

I tried Donzi.net, Donzi.org, PBN, OSO and Fiberglassics All with nothing definitive. The sticking point is how the sheer drops in the aft. And the roundness of the top deck, All of which point away from it being a splash of a Donzi hull. Hopefully when I get around to working on her, I will find some kind of identifying marks.

Where did you buy it out of?

This is my hunch but would need a few measurements and better pics.

My brother designed the original Baron/Powerplay/Powerquest 185 back in the mid 70s and built a wood plug for the hull out of cedar.

The plug was cracking and moving so much that he got it close than we pulled a mold off from it.

Than we pulled a plug/hull out of that mold and worked over that plug to perfection and added the lifting strikes and deck joint area.

After pulling a good mold off that plug my brother short on funds sold that fiberglass worked over plug with no deck on it.

The drop in the sheer about 4 feet from the stern kind of looks like the thing that always bugged me about the design.

I think its a modified U 19 Four Winns- there seems to be some glass work where the vents are on the deck near the engine hatch. The rounded upper deck is distinctive on the U 19.

It is much older then a "U"

This one does look close. They where Built in '69 ish

Ok I took a measurement off my old Baron that my buddy owns now.

Measuring across the transom at the waterline as low as you can go , basically the corner of the transom and the bottom of the boat where the chine meets the side.

I have a measurement of 71 and 1/4 inches.

I measured mine and it is 72" exactly.

Edge to edge? Well within a half an inch because my measurement was a little lean.

If your boat is the original plug than my boat that was pulled out of the new mold could have a bit of shrinkage in the mold.

Any better pics of it like at the transom and at the bow area. I am not concerned about the deck pics.

The more I look at it the more I am pretty sure it's the old plug. The hull was glass but the strakes are wood and filler. If you drilled one that might tell you something.

[IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psfeuznqxn.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pse5g3fcg1.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...psjznobxwi.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...pswu6oumc0.jpg[/IMG]

Here are a couple more pics. Can I see a pic of your Baron

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...tations-4.html

This thread has some pics and info

The Baron is buried behind my buddies daughters furnishings until she finds a new apartment , so tough to get a decent pic of it.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/g...cottage-3.html

Some more pics and info in this thread.

It looks very similar except for 2 things.

The bow of your boat looks to have a large radius from the rail area down . Kind of like what the old 24/7s , excaliburs, panteras,cobra, hulls had.

Also do I see a flat pad on the bottom at the transom ? The Baron has a large radius in the bottom at the transom.

2 more measurements for you.

Measure from the chine at the transom up to where the hull extends out for mounting the deck on, it is almost a 90degree .

Than go forward of the transom 3 feet and take another measurement from chine to the area where the hull does a 90 to mount the deck cap.

I know a Baron like the back of my hand and it sure looks like one.

[IMG]http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ps2b4lypae.jpg[/IMG]

Here is a better shot of the bow.
I took some measurements.
chine to sheer @ transom is 14 1/4"
chine to sheer @ 3' from transom is 18 1/2"
chine to sheer @ 6' from transom is 21"
Yes, there is a "pad" on the bottom of the hull.

Ok heading over there to take some measurements now. Any pics of the bow area from the rail down to the chine from the front. That little area where the bow eye goes is it sharp or does it have a large radius like it looks to me in the pics I see.

The deck looks like someone copied a 19 Sutphen deck. If I remember right the guy who my brother sold the hull to was a skilled craftsmen type of guy.


What kind of old wood boats you restore, I am a classic boat lover and used to work building wood/ epoxy Custom sportfishing boats up on the OuterBanks back in the 90s.

Does it have a flange on the hull for the deck cap to mount on?

If it's not a Baron I wonder if it's a cut down 24/7 design. Don't know if you are famaliar with that design but it was the most copied hull out there back in the day.

24/7 were the Panteras/ Excaliburs/P&Ds/cobra/ you name it. The thick bow area is what leads me to this .

Is the hull painted or gel coat can you tell?

Tommy,

Is Todd still in Grand Haven doing the R.E. stuff? I remember running with him in his 185 and we were in our 18 skater outside of Saugatuck during the offshore races. He used to thrash that little boat and didn't want to get beat whatever it took.

Joe

If your referring to Todd Camphoff I don't know. . He is the one my brother Dave sold the molds to that they started PowerPlay with.

If you are referring to Todd who I sold my Baron too I don't know what R.E. Stuff is?

I got the measurements .

18 3/4 at the stern

21 3/4 at the 3 foot mark

23 3/4 at the 6 foot mark

Now that I look your lower strakes run the full length too, which the Baron does not.

Back to square one I guess.

Does it have a deck flange built up on the hull? Is the hull gelcoat?

Tom,
There is no deck flange.
The hull has been painted twice that I can see. I can't tell if it was originally gelcoat and sanded to receive the paint or not.
I really appreciate the time and effort you took to attempt to decipher this riddle.
Looks like the hunt continues!