Want Fingertip Control at Lightning-Fast Speeds? You Got It, Plus Angling Options

Blasting off across the water fast enough to make Buzz Aldridge jealous, comfortably enough that Paris Hilton would find it decadent, and with so much control at your fingertips that Dick Cheney would be envious is a tall order.

But practically boiling the water at 64 mph while ensconced on three sides by the cushiony foam of the drop-down bolster helm seats on Donzi's 38 ZX Open, you'll definitely have speed, comfort, and control.

In fact, you'll also garner the attention the above-named people do; this is one hot-looking boat, and as you pass, heads are guaranteed to turn.

INNOVATIVE DESIGN

This kind of speed and performance come courtesy of a cutting-edge hull design. It sports a 22-degree transom deadrise with a twin-stepped, ventilated hull bottom. The steps introduce air under the hull, breaking adhesion and reducing friction – and that boosts speed.

You also gain a few unexpected advantages. When coming onto plane, for example, there's virtually no bowrise because the aft end of the boat doesn't squat. And you also get sports car-like handling. The bow responds instantly to the wheel. Carve a hard turn, and the boat seems to etch it without grabbing or tripping on the chines and strakes. Don't do it too hard, though, or you'll have a floating feeling similar to "drifting" a sports car through a turn. Because this hull doesn't grab as it carves, it seems to skitter sideways. Is it dangerous? Doubtful, since I threw the wheel hard over during our tests with no ill effects. But it's a strange feeling that takes some getting used to.

The 38 ZF Open draws its juice from a set of triple 275-horsepower Verados slung on the transom. Yes, the supercharged, four-stroke, in-line-six Verados that come with electro-hydraulic steering – one finger is all you need on the wheel – and SmartCraft digital throttle and shift. The SmartCraft controls deliver super-smooth operation, real-time fuel-flow data, digital gauges and instantaneous throttle response. They also automatically drop out the center engine when you oppose the motors, so you get twin-screw dockside handling. Of course, going digital also means all 825 ponies are synched when you let 'em loose.

Say you're 50 miles offshore when one powerplant dies. Do you: (a) putt slowly home at pre-planing speeds, like you will on most boats when a powerplant fails; (b) get on plane and run for the inlet at a moderate pace; or (c) zoom back lickety-split? The answer is (c). When I turned off one outboard and tilted it up, then firewalled the throttles, we still made 52.4 mph. That's faster than most boats can go in the best-case scenario, much less at get-home speed.

But with this much power, won't you be sending an awful lot of dough to those middle eastern oil princes? Actually, it's not as bad as you might expect. At a reasonable 4500-rpm cruise, which lets you run at 43.9 mph, the boat posts 1.3 miles to the gallon. Not exactly miserly, but a heck of a lot better than you'd get with a set of old two-strokes. What about when you feel the need for serious speed? At 64 mph, you'll be getting 0.8 miles to the gallon. Not great, but still better than many boats of this size and weight.

ANGLING ARSENAL

Why go so fast in the first place? This boat was developed with the kingfish tournament angler in mind, as you can quickly determine by running down the list of standard fishing features: a 60-gallon lighted livewell; a transom bait-prep station with freshwater sink; port and starboard insulated, macerated fishboxes; a seven-foot by three-foot (and two-foot deep) forward fishbox large enough to nap in; four gunwale-mount rod holders; five transom holders; four under-gunwale rod racks; and 360-degree gunwale bolsters.

Even with these, there are some things I did not like. A 6-foot, 9-inch reach around the outboards was the biggest bummer. Yes, you try to land fish "on the hip" most of the time, but no stand-up rod on Earth will let you work a fish around the props if it decides to change directions right behind the boat. One other thing that's less than stellar: The anchor locker has no center cleat for riding on the hook offshore. True, kingfish guys won't care. But what happens when you decide to spend a day chunking for tuna? My final beef is with the forward fishbox; I love its size, but don't like the lack of insulation on the aft end. When cruising, the ice will pile up against the aft bulkhead, so this is one spot that definitely needs heavy-duty insulation.

There's more room for fish in aft deck boxes, which are nice and long, just how we like our kingfish. And there's a forward, 76-quart console cooler plus another cooler under the leaning post, a whopping 204-quart model, which leads me to believe that the 38 ZF Open may be one of the most capable fish-haulers out there. You could leave the dock with hundreds of pounds of ice and come home with the rear deck boxes stuffed with a dozen big king mackerel, the forward box filled with a pile of tuna, the forward cooler packed with mahi-mahi, and the aft cooler packed with dozens of snappers and wreck dwellers or reef fish. What about food and drinks? Consume them or chuck them into the motorwell, but either way, get your priorities straight – to heck with provisions, we're catching fish, man!

The seats and console provide additional high points for anglers and non-anglers alike. Notice the seat upholstery, which is 32-ounce, UV-protected, triple-stitched vinyl. It'll have a much longer lifespan than the 28-ounce vinyl commonly seen on other boats. As for the console, it's an oversized design with tons of space inside and 5-feet, 6-inches of headroom. That makes using the portable MSD comfy, or you can opt for a fixed toilet. Both head setups include a shower and sink, so you can rinse off after a swim or during an all-nighter at the canyons. The side console hatch needs a strap or catch to hold it open, however, because it swings freely. That's a pet peeve of mine; I don't like listening to the hatch bang as the boat rocks back and forth while I'm trying to grab something from inside. Fortunately, this is a easy fix.

BUILT TOUGH

The thought Donzi put into outfitting the 38 ZF Open is also applied to the boat's construction. Take a look at the rocker-switch panel at the helm. This is an example of how to make panels right on an open boat. The rockers are lighted, recessed, and protected by a Plexi cover that's open at the bottom so you can slide your hand underneath to work the switches. It's hinged at the top for full and easy access, and has a rubber gasket up there and along the edges. With this kind of protection, the switches will last a heck of a lot longer then they would on an exposed helm.

The hull-to-deck joint, a critical area on every modern fiberglass boat, is fixed with structural adhesive/sealant, and is fiberglassed together in high-stress areas. Resins are vinylester (more expensive, but less permeable and less prone to blistering), and like all Donzis, the 38 ZF has a solid-fiberglass bottom beefed up by foam-cored fiberglass stringers. Even the wiring is top-notch: all tinned copper with heat-shrink sealed connections. Donzi goes the extra mile by using Packard watertight connecter plugs, and the harnesses are well loomed and supported. Now check out the hardware and fittings: They're all top-shelf 316-grade stainless steel, and attachment points for the T-top and cleats are backed with aluminum plates. They're secured with through bolts, capped off with nylock aircraft-grade locking nuts.

The construction and hull design come together to provide an excellent ride. During our test, we hit tugboat wakes of three feet mixed in with a one-foot chop, and the 38 ZF Open sailed across them at high speeds without pounding or vibration. Eyeball that top while you blast over the wave tops; it's rock-solid, and the rocket launchers won't toss your rods around, like more flexible tops do. Now pull back the throttles, and let the boat roll around in a beam sea, as I did during my test. You'll quickly discover that there's not much rocking and rolling to speak of.

Of course, you won't be speaking much, anyway. You'll be too busy soaking up the pleasures this boat provides, and the admiring glances.

Lenny Rudow was senior technical editor for Boating magazine for more than 10 years, and is currently the electronics editor for Marlin and GoBoating magazines.

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