235 vs 255

I would not get a 255 with a single 300. I have the 235 with a single 300 and I wish it was a 350 (it's a tad underpowered at 300). If you want the 255 get the twin 200s. Plus, with the 255 you don't have the swim platforms which is my favorite feature on the 235. 255 with a single 300 makes no sense.

The 255 is just about the same size as my 275 (inside the cockpit of the boat) and I looked at it but my criteria was two engines. With a pair of 200s on the back of a 255 it just made sense to go ahead and buy the 275 w/the 200s on it. It jumps up on plane pretty quick and still has a very reasonable fuel burn.

Twist said:

The 255 is just about the same size as my 275 (inside the cockpit of the boat) and I looked at it but my criteria was two engines. With a pair of 200s on the back of a 255 it just made sense to go ahead and buy the 275 w/the 200s on it. It jumps up on plane pretty quick and still has a very reasonable fuel burn.

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I am currently looking to move up from my 235 to a 275. Have you spent much time on a 235 at all? Was wondering if the cockpit is significantly bigger on the 275. My dealership doesn't have any right now and won't for a couple months.

Greg B said:

Thanks, I had a 268 Islander with a Suzuki 300 so no matter which I get it would be faster

Do the swim platforms impact fishability? 255 has a eurotransom so there is functionality issues there as well, but both are a compromise

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I don't fish, so I don't know if the platforms would impact anything. I just like to pull up to the sandbar and throw a cooler on the platform or just sit on the platform and watch the activities. Plus it makes washing the engine very easy. Turns my little 23' boat basically into a 26' boat...

Here's a stock photo of what they look like (no hard top on this boat)...

FREEDOM!!! said:

I am currently looking to move up from my 235 to a 275. Have you spent much time on a 235 at all? Was wondering if the cockpit is significantly bigger on the 275. My dealership doesn't have any right now and won't for a couple months.

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I haven't spent any time on a 235 but I did compare the 255 and 275 which are not significantly noticeable in cockpit space.

Twist said:

I haven't spent any time on a 235 but I did compare the 255 and 275 which are not significantly noticeable in cockpit space.

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Interesting because a friend of mine who owns a 235 said when he was choosing between the 235 and the 255 he didn't notice any thing different other than the twin engines on the 255. Said the cockpit was the same size.

Greg B said:

Thanks all. put in an offer on a 235. Wish me luck!

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I think that is a good call. After doing some research I have decided to stick with my 235 until a 285 comes along in my price range. I just don't think the 255 or 275 are that much different than the 235 (other than twin engines). The 285 is in a whole different category. If I am going to upgrade, that would be the next logical step. The 235 is a fantastic boat.

FREEDOM!!! said:

I think that is a good call. After doing some research I have decided to stick with my 235 until a 285 comes along in my price range. I just don't think the 255 or 275 are that much different than the 235 (other than twin engines). The 285 is in a whole different category. If I am going to upgrade, that would be the next logical step. The 235 is a fantastic boat.

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I dropped by my local GW showroom today where they had a 235, 255, and 285 on the floor. Single 300 on the 235, dual 200's on the 255, and dual 300s on the 285. The price difference in the new 235 and the 285 would be over +$200K. It's $100K more than I paid for my well equipped 275 so I'm pretty happy with my choice as well. I'm like you, a real upgrade for me would be the 307 or 325 but I just didn't want that much boat for my casual day use with just a few people on board.

If I were to really change my boating goals I think I would be looking at one of the swift trawlers in the 44-48' range to open up real cruising experiences. A friend has been using his Beneteau 44 Swift Trawler for a couple of years and really loves it.

Go onto the Grady White website, where if you scroll partway down and click on "Performance" you'll get the weight as tested of two different 235's... one with a single F300 and the other with a single F350. Looks to be around 6k lbs for both boats, though one does have a heavier motor as well as a hardtop and I imagine GW probably had less than 20 gallons or so of fuel in the tank to save on weight and to get the best fuel economy numbers possible. So, I'd probably add at least an extra 350-500 lbs on there to get in the ballpark as to where you might be. I'd then figure at least 1k lbs for a trailer, mine for reference on my 228 Seafarer is 975 lbs, and so forth. But, I imagine you're probably going to be at around 7,500 - 8k lbs for the boat, motor and trailer... so I'd definitely plan accordingly in terms of if your tow vehicle is up to the challenge.

In regards to the other comments about the differences between the boats and hardly being able to notice them... I imagine most of the differences are going to be in areas that aren't used as much. Especially if you're only talking about a foot or two overall, it might just be a slightly bigger head, bow area, stern, etc and especially when it's the same size of beam as the other smaller boats. As stated, I don't imagine you'll start to notice that much of a difference until you get up to the 285 Freedom which has a 9'6" beam as opposed to the others at just 8'6". On top of that, I imagine you'll also notice a considerable difference in weight compared to the 285 Freedom, as it weighs just over 9,300 lbs whereas the next closest one is the 275 Freedom and that weighs almost 1,500 lbs less. Congrats to the OP on securing a deal on a boat, good luck with rest of the sale.

Twist said:

I dropped by my local GW showroom today where they had a 235, 255, and 285 on the floor. Single 300 on the 235, dual 200's on the 255, and dual 300s on the 285. The price difference in the new 235 and the 285 would be over +$200K. It's $100K more than I paid for my well equipped 275 so I'm pretty happy with my choice as well. I'm like you, a real upgrade for me would be the 307 or 325 but I just didn't want that much boat for my casual day use with just a few people on board.

If I were to really change my boating goals I think I would be looking at one of the swift trawlers in the 44-48' range to open up real cruising experiences. A friend has been using his Beneteau 44 Swift Trawler for a couple of years and really loves it.

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My ultimate "upgrade" boat is an Auqila 32. But not ready to drop half a mil on a boat yet.