Liberty in a Can founders run NPBA’s event in a 1992 Donzi 18’ Classic.
National Powerboat Association’s New York City Powerboat Rally had been a bucket list event for Liberty in a Can founders Parker Jackson and Joshua Abrams.
They wanted to do the 75-mile rally in a restored 1992 Donzi 18’ Classic that Abrams, Liberty’s chief operating officer, purchased two years ago. The Donzi was built by Chris-Craft during the last few years of Outboard Marine Corp.’s reign in the marine industry.
The duo’s journey started in Chattanooga, Tenn., where they towed the boat to New York City to help promote Liberty in a Can, a THC seltzer brand they founded in 2023. When they arrived in the Big Apple and surveyed the marina, they realized their 18-foot Donzi would be the smallest boat at the powerboat rally.
“A quick review of the field would lead most to believe that if your boat isn’t at least 30 feet with new or refreshed power, that it has no business in a poker run,” Jackson said. “But everyone really embraced us, and the boat became an event favorite.”
During the driver’s meeting, concerns about the rough water loomed large, especially for an 18-foot boat. Organizers Billy Frenz and his daughter, Alli, cautioned participants of the potential swells that can occur at Brooklyn’s Hell Gate, a narrow tidal strait on the East River.
At this point, Abrams and Jackson had come too far to leave the Donzi on the trailer. The young entrepreneurs had come prepared and tightened their belts around their torsos as an impromptu “kidney strap.”
The pair had racing helmets with the brand’s signature “Lady Liberty” stickers, as well as three 15-gallon auxiliary tanks tied down with spare rope in the rear-bench footwell. Jackson set up cameras throughout the boat to capture running in the event for the first time and to share on social media.
Abrams purchased Lady Liberty from a collector in Michigan, who kept the Donzi in a climate-controlled garage and rarely used it. The 18’ Classic has its original 5.7-liter OMC King Cobra engine and a cone-clutch outdrive. The 270-hp engine has been meticulously maintained, having never been rebuilt, Abrams said.
Lady Liberty joined the other boats starting the run from Glen Cove Marina, then heading to the Long Island Sound and into New York’s East River. The pair got through the first stretch of big rollers to make it to the Statue of Liberty, where they stopped to refuel. To get the fuel into the tank, they lifted the 15-gallon auxiliary tank to the bow and used a mechanical pump with a hand crank to draw the fuel.
Heading up the Hudson River past the One World Trade Center, Abrams and Jackson insist the powerboat spent as much time out of the water as in it. After regrouping at the mouth of the Harlem River with a few other participants, the group made their way back to the East River and eventually Glen Cove.
After another refueling on the Harlem River, the duo ran approximately 15 miles back to The Cove Restaurant and Oyster Bar. The rollers and intense chop started taking its toll on the boat as Jackson found himself having to use his foot to hold a subwoofer that fell out of a panel.
Upon arriving back at the docks, the first-time poker run team were welcomed by organizers and participants. “It’s all smiles and only positive tales,” Abrams said of his poker run experience.
Abrams and Jackson had a busy 2024 promoting Liberty in a Can, a hemp-based seltzer drink they launched together. In addition to the New York City Powerboat Rally, they sponsored a Grand Prix hydroplane and promoted the product at several hydroplane races over the summer.
The THC seltzer has no alcohol but is for the 21-and-over crowd. Once the boat was safely at the docks, they each celebrated with a Liberty in a Can.
“We are excited to contribute to the legacy of poker runs, bringing Liberty In a Can’s unique spirit and refreshing drinks to enhance the experience,” Abrams said.
