1982 Grady-White 221 Pacific...Should I Buy?

[Swampfire]

Hello,
I recently came upon a great deal for a 1982 Grady-White 221 Pacific. The boat currently has a freshly rebuilt 4.3 litre Chevrolet 6 cyl (0 hours) and a Volvo-Penta Duoprop Sterndrive that was just rebuilt also. Im certain the mechanical aspects of the boat are going to be ok, but im having some concerns about the construction of the boat itself for that year? I know the Gradys of today are of superior construction, but what about a Grady of yesterday...say 1982? Even though its not a SeaV2 hull, how is the ride and stability in 2'-3' chop? What about going offshore? We are going to have a marine survey done on the boat, but I`d like to have a few opinions before I even get that far.
Any help I can get would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[gradyfish22]

There is a chance the boat may need transom work done, unless it has already been done. There is a chance that it was performed when the new engine and outdrive was replaced. Walk the deck and check for soft spots. The stringers should be good, but they can deteriorate if the boat was not cared for properly and water sat in the bilge, or the bottom was not properly painted and barrier coated. The hull itself should last forever, but running strakes can delaminate, you would feel and see soft spots or blistering along the strakes. Do a physical walk of the boat to check these things out, ask questions about what fiberglass work has been done. At that point if it seems all is good, get the marine surveryor involved. If there is work to be done to the hull and such, use that as leverage to get the price a little lower to cover some if not all of the work. Just because it needs a little work does not mean it is not a good buy, just be aware of what you may be taking on work wise. Also check the thru hulls, if they are old nylon style ones, I would highly advise changing them out. If you cannot do it immediately, coat them with 4200 to seal them for the time being, but this is a temp fix, they really need to be added to the to do list and twords the top of it, especially if you are going to go offshore. As far as ride, you should be good in a 2-3ft chop, 4-5 will be a little bumpy but nothing the boat cannot handle if you pull back on the throttles. As for going offshore, it can probably get you 40 miles off safely, not sure I would go any further then that on a 22' boat. I have a buddy who runs one about 45-50 miles, but he has been caught in some very nasty stuff out there.

It is likely that a 1982 will need some work, but that depends on how well the previous owner took care of the vessel. It may only be small upgrades and elbow greese, or some major fiberglass and structural work. Good luck.

 

[BobP]

I don't recall reading anything on specific year problems with Gradys, unlike some Mako and other models I read elsewhere.

Just like any boat or any model with wood stringers, bulkheads, transom and deck coring, you know what to ask your surveyor to confirm. Wood will last forever if it never gets wet !

 

[Swampfire]

Alright guys,
Yeah...everything seems ok. The surveyor is coming down Sunday to check it out and were doing a sea trial at that time. I believe it does have the nylon thru hulls on the transom. Where do I buy new ones at?
Thanks

 

[gradyfish22]

Your Grady dealer should carry new thru hulls, but that is a bit of work, in some boats you may need to cut some holes to reach them and them patch them up, unless you can cut in a spot where you can just install an inspection hatch, that is the easiest way to do this. You should also be able to get them through your local marine supplier, just you need to know the sizes you are replacing.