Donzi Hornet
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 1:27 pm
Please let me start this post with an apology for not being in attendance at CMBA events this year, this is the reason (in short), There is an interesting back story and I should be able to put a small article together for the mag.)
- On a cold January morning this year, while having a cuppa' in a lockkeepers hut with moonman - I got a call from friends in the US telling me to expect a "gift".
I had thought - it may have been an old outboard motor, but in early March I got a surprise when this arrived -
Its a Donzi Hornet 19 - built early 1968 and one of the original 3 boat line up when Donzi started building boats in Miami - 1964.
This Hornet - Hull number 37 was built as a bench seat model but late 1968, the factory had decided to make a 2+3 version so the bench seat deck was removed and she became the first Donzi Hornet 2+3.
She still has her original Holman Moody 351 Ford Windsor engine and Volvo Penta 250 drive, and the boat is 95% original.
Luckily she has always been in fresh water - on Mountain Lake Virginia, and has had 3 previous owners - all on the lake, but sadly now at 50 years old she's showing some signs of poor maintenance and neglect. To that end I have spent the spring and summer stripping out the boat for a total refit - having just turned the corner and beginning to put things back together, - I thought I should share my progress:-
Engine bay on arrival :- Engine Bay today - still "Work in Progress" :- There is still a ton of stuff to do - but will have her on the water next year.
- On a cold January morning this year, while having a cuppa' in a lockkeepers hut with moonman - I got a call from friends in the US telling me to expect a "gift".
I had thought - it may have been an old outboard motor, but in early March I got a surprise when this arrived -
Its a Donzi Hornet 19 - built early 1968 and one of the original 3 boat line up when Donzi started building boats in Miami - 1964.
This Hornet - Hull number 37 was built as a bench seat model but late 1968, the factory had decided to make a 2+3 version so the bench seat deck was removed and she became the first Donzi Hornet 2+3.
She still has her original Holman Moody 351 Ford Windsor engine and Volvo Penta 250 drive, and the boat is 95% original.
Luckily she has always been in fresh water - on Mountain Lake Virginia, and has had 3 previous owners - all on the lake, but sadly now at 50 years old she's showing some signs of poor maintenance and neglect. To that end I have spent the spring and summer stripping out the boat for a total refit - having just turned the corner and beginning to put things back together, - I thought I should share my progress:-
Engine bay on arrival :- Engine Bay today - still "Work in Progress" :- There is still a ton of stuff to do - but will have her on the water next year.