Project—BRP Marine Custom ‘Whispers’ Life Into Donzi 32 ZF Center Console
From the mid-1990s through the early 2000s, Donzi and Fountain duked it out for kingfish-tournament supremacy in the center-console world. It was a ferocious battle that few folks remember and even fewer care about, at least in the go-fast powerboating community. But among the hotter center consoles at the time was Donzi’s 32 ZF.
The 32-footer has been out of production for more than a decade, yet a few of them remain. And six years ago, Jason Brockmann and his wife, Jenny, brought one to to Chad Shutter and his crew at BRP Marine Custom in Denver, N.C.
Chad Shutter and the team at BRP Marine Custom took an almost 25-year-old center console originally used for fishing and made it into a contemporary family platform.
The Brockmanns and the Shutters are family friends. Their relationship began roughly 10 years ago when Chad and his father, Bob, renovated their 26-foot American Offshore catamaran.
With the impending birth of their first child, they began searching for something a bit more family oriented than a six-seat sport cat.
As guests of the Shutters, the couple spent time enjoying Lake Norman with Bob and his wife, Bonnie, on their Donzi 32 ZF center console. So when the Brockmanns began looking for a more versatile boat, they had that model in mind. They eventually found what they wanted in the form of a 2000 model-year 32-footer that had been used for fishing off the Connecticut coast.
The Brockmanns used the 32-footer in its original state for a year before taking it to the Shutters for renovation.
“It’s pretty well-known that Chad and Bob are ‘Donzi Whisperers,’” Jason Brockmann said. “They know the platforms well and also understand how to bring them up to a modern style.
“One of the best parts about working with the Shutters is they listen to all of your design needs and find a way to make them come to life,” he added. “Chad and I spent several months talking about exactly what our goals were and how to incorporate features into a boat that was primarily designed for fishing. The final design both interior, exterior and amenities completely exceeded our expectations.”
Before.
Despite that the center console was in less-than-pristine condition, the Brockmanns used it for a year. A long-term project for a number of reasons, the renovation began in 2018 and was completed this summer.
“It really ended up being a total gut-out of everything in the boat except the hull,” Chad Shutter said. “With the help of Nick Buis of Statement Marine, we utilized a Statement leaning post that we slightly modified. We rebuilt the forward lounge area from scratch, including the drink holders and wireless phone chargers.”
During.
Not only did Shutter and company reinvent the center console’s interior, they repowered the boat with a pair of Mercury Racing 300R outboard engines.
The center console’s dated color scheme also had to change. That much everyone knew.
“The Brockmanns didn’t know exactly what they wanted, they just knew it had to be “something clean,” Shutter recalled. “I pitched the idea to Jason of letting me just try something on the computer. I said, ‘Let me work on a design that will be classy, clean, and timeless—and let’s see where it goes.”
After. Photos courtesy/copyright Ed Whitbeck.
The couple agreed—and they liked the design Shutter created for them. Soon after the 32-footer was in the BRP Marine Custom paint-booth.
“The big thing with this whole boat was that I have worked with Jason in the past, and I know exactly how particular he is with his stuff,” Shutter continued. “He really just wanted something different that nobody else had, but with all-around functionality.”
The family is delighted with the results.
Shutter credited his team for its “hard work and dedication” in renovating the center console. And the Brockmanns couldn’t be happier with the finished product,. According to the couple, the boat “turns head everywhere it goes.”
It is the perfect platform for their family.
The open-bow area is among their favorite spots.
“My kids and wife love the bow area and it’s modular seating design, which can be used as a kids play-area or just lounging for the adults,” said Jason. “My wife and I are looking forward to years of fun and experiences with my two girls, and we are extremely grateful of the lifelong relationship we’ve built with the Shutter family through these two renovations.”
Said Shutter, “In the end, I can’t thank the Brockmanns enough for allowing me to run with this vision and build an amazing piece.”
Said Brockman, “It’s pretty well known that Chad and Bob are ‘Donzi Whisperers.’”
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