232 Gulfstream

[Cobiaholic]

Hi all, I'm new to Gradys but been boating ( fishing ) for 50+ yrs. on the Chesapeake. I'd like to trade my 25yr old Stratos and 200 ocean pro for
a closed transom, more open cockpit 223 in the 2006, 2007 vintage. Never been on one and would like some input how that boat would do wreck fishing. I also trailer to cape Charles a couple times a year. Thanks !

 

[magicalbill]

You mention a "more open cockpit 223" in your post. I assume you mean a 232 Gulfstream like your thread title says? I will go with that in mind.

I had a 2007 232 for 11 years. It's an incredible 23 footer. I know nothing about fishing, so I can't help you in that regard, but the boat should measure up to and probably beat your older Stratos in most categories.

If your primary area is the Chesapeake Bay, you'll enjoy life aboard up to 15kt winds & 2 foot seas. After that, it gets unpleasant but by no means unsafe. If your a Hardy Soul who'll go out in all kinds of weather, the Gulfstream will take most anything you throw at it. A well-cared for 232 is a Battleship in a 23 foot package.

It sports a 9' 3" beam, making it illegal to trailer without proper permits. It is your personal call as to whether to acquire them or not. Some do, some don't. It is also a significant load to jerk around, best accomplished with a 3/4 or 1-ton diesel. A V8 gas will move it, but you'll live life under 10MPG. My rig loaded for bear weighed 10,100 lbs including the trailer. Yours will likely weigh less; I trailered mine fully fueled all the time. It didn't matter to me.

This, to me, is significant. DO NOT let your seller talk you into an inadequate, or marginal trailer. This is a big boat and needs proper support. My trailer had two 7K axles & electric brakes after I upgraded from 5K axles. I blew bearings and had problems until I swapped out the axles. Overbuild the trailer; it matters.

My opinion, which I am all too often happy to give, is that a Gulfstream needs twins. It is wide for it's length and surprisingly beefy for a 23 footer. Twins will allow it to plane easier, give you more power and control in sloppy conditions and make it much easier to horse around a dock than one equipped with a single. Twin 150's are good..Twin 200's, which I had, are better. With bottom paint, mine achieved 1.9-2.1 MPG depending on conditions. 150's will do a tick better, although not a lot. My rig would cruise easily at 30-33 MPH between 3800-4100 RPM's. You'd be spinning a single 250 at close to 5K to achieve those speeds.

Take a ride on one somewhere. As long as you keep the perspective that it's a 23 footer, not a 30, I think you'll be stoked about getting one.

 

[Cobiaholic]

Thanks magicalbill for the great info. Looks like I've come to the right place to get help from grady owners. My stratos comes in at about 6,000lbs bm&t and I tow her with a f150 ecoboost. The weight of a 232 was on my mind. I also have a 1996 f250 which should pull a 232 but only has a jump seat in back. When we go fishing in Va. Its a 4hr drive and my older crew needs a little more comfort now. I knew about needing permits for trailering. Yes I'll have to arrange a sea trial for sure.
.

 

[magicalbill]

Your welcome: Happy to chime in. I'd be interested to know how it all turns out. Good hunting!

 

[atmatthews1]

You mention a "more open cockpit 223" in your post. I assume you mean a 232 Gulfstream like your thread title says? I will go with that in mind.

I had a 2007 232 for 11 years. It's an incredible 23 footer. I know nothing about fishing, so I can't help you in that regard, but the boat should measure up to and probably beat your older Stratos in most categories.

If your primary area is the Chesapeake Bay, you'll enjoy life aboard up to 15kt winds & 2 foot seas. After that, it gets unpleasant but by no means unsafe. If your a Hardy Soul who'll go out in all kinds of weather, the Gulfstream will take most anything you throw at it. A well-cared for 232 is a Battleship in a 23 foot package.

It sports a 9' 3" beam, making it illegal to trailer without proper permits. It is your personal call as to whether to acquire them or not. Some do, some don't. It is also a significant load to jerk around, best accomplished with a 3/4 or 1-ton diesel. A V8 gas will move it, but you'll live life under 10MPG. My rig loaded for bear weighed 10,100 lbs including the trailer. Yours will likely weigh less; I trailered mine fully fueled all the time. It didn't matter to me.

This, to me, is significant. DO NOT let your seller talk you into an inadequate, or marginal trailer. This is a big boat and needs proper support. My trailer had two 7K axles & electric brakes after I upgraded from 5K axles. I blew bearings and had problems until I swapped out the axles. Overbuild the trailer; it matters.

My opinion, which I am all too often happy to give, is that a Gulfstream needs twins. It is wide for it's length and surprisingly beefy for a 23 footer. Twins will allow it to plane easier, give you more power and control in sloppy conditions and make it much easier to horse around a dock than one equipped with a single. Twin 150's are good..Twin 200's, which I had, are better. With bottom paint, mine achieved 1.9-2.1 MPG depending on conditions. 150's will do a tick better, although not a lot. My rig would cruise easily at 30-33 MPH between 3800-4100 RPM's. You'd be spinning a single 250 at close to 5K to achieve those speeds.

Take a ride on one somewhere. As long as you keep the perspective that it's a 23 footer, not a 30, I think you'll be stoked about getting one.

100% agree on the twins. For some additional numbers...i've got a '95 232 that I repowered in 2018 with twin Suzuki 175's. I was getting 2.5 mpg the other day while cruising around 28-30mph. WOT is ~45mph with this setup. Previous motors were 2-stroke Yamaha 150's and i was getting 30mpg TOPS at WOT. Moving around with twins is great in tight spots...split the sticks and spin in tight spots, etc.

The 232 is def a heavy rig...which provides some great peace of mind/comfort in less than ideal seas. It's a tank. This is our first boat and the whole family is happy with it.

 

[Cobiaholic]

100% agree on the twins. For some additional numbers...i've got a '95 232 that I repowered in 2018 with twin Suzuki 175's. I was getting 2.5 mpg the other day while cruising around 28-30mph. WOT is ~45mph with this setup. Previous motors were 2-stroke Yamaha 150's and i was getting 30mpg TOPS at WOT. Moving around with twins is great in tight spots...split the sticks and spin in tight spots, etc.

The 232 is def a heavy rig...which provides some great peace of mind/comfort in less than ideal seas. It's a tank. This is our first boat and the whole family is happy with it.

100% agree on the twins. For some additional numbers...i've got a '95 232 that I repowered in 2018 with twin Suzuki 175's. I was getting 2.5 mpg the other day while cruising around 28-30mph. WOT is ~45mph with this setup. Previous motors were 2-stroke Yamaha 150's and i was getting 30mpg TOPS at WOT. Moving around with twins is great in tight spots...split the sticks and spin in tight spots, etc.

The 232 is def a heavy rig...which provides some great peace of mind/comfort in less than ideal seas. It's a tank. This is our first boat and the whole family is happy with it.

Thanks for the info about your boat. I've seen a lot of with the 150 Yamahas. 2.5 mpg is great. Just wondering how loaded down you were? Also do the 06 and 07s have laminated wood in the core ? Water intrusion is a concern for me. What I need is a sea trial in not the best conditions.

 

[atmatthews1]

Thanks for the info about your boat. I've seen a lot of with the 150 Yamahas. 2.5 mpg is great. Just wondering how loaded down you were? Also do the 06 and 07s have laminated wood in the core ? Water intrusion is a concern for me. What I need is a sea trial in not the best conditions.

For us, loaded down usually means myself, the wife, the 2 kids, enough food and drinks for about 8 years, full tanks of gas (140gal capacity), etc. You will almost always see Yamaha's on GW's...it's a "thing". When I re-powered I couldn't get my hands on any and the yard where we keep the boat / do all the work convinced me I'd be just as happy with the Suzuki's. They're incredible.

I can't comment on the '06 and '07 models...I don't know if they used laminated wood in the cores then or not. My 1995 Gulfstream definitely does have laminated wood...and I've had 2 different surveyors, plus the boat yard, do moisture tests all around my hull....she's dry. In the case of my setup, I've got an Armstrong bracket so there''s nothing hanging off the transom...like what you'd see on a 222. On those, they used some sort of steel cap on the top of the transom which was problematic for water getting in there (older models).

Agree on the seatrial as well...for any boat...but a previous post stated that this 23' boat handles like a much bigger boat. You'll hear that a lot. I can't confirm, because this is my first boat, but it def handles like a big boat from what I can tell. Would be good to get some time at the helm to see for yourself.

 

[Cobiaholic]

For us, loaded down usually means myself, the wife, the 2 kids, enough food and drinks for about 8 years, full tanks of gas (140gal capacity), etc. You will almost always see Yamaha's on GW's...it's a "thing". When I re-powered I couldn't get my hands on any and the yard where we keep the boat / do all the work convinced me I'd be just as happy with the Suzuki's. They're incredible.

I can't comment on the '06 and '07 models...I don't know if they used laminated wood in the cores then or not. My 1995 Gulfstream definitely does have laminated wood...and I've had 2 different surveyors, plus the boat yard, do moisture tests all around my hull....she's dry. In the case of my setup, I've got an Armstrong bracket so there''s nothing hanging off the transom...like what you'd see on a 222. On those, they used some sort of steel cap on the top of the transom which was problematic for water getting in there (older models).

Agree on the seatrial as well...for any boat...but a previous post stated that this 23' boat handles like a much bigger boat. You'll hear that a lot. I can't confirm, because this is my first boat, but it def handles like a big boat from what I can tell. Would be good to get some time at the helm to see for yourself.

I have a friend who has a Suzuki on his Carolina Skiff and it runs great. I met a 232 owner named Chris on Friday at a ramp at turner's station park in Baltimore. He was going fishing so we didn't talk to much but said he loved the boat . It has twin 150 yummies.

 

[Metal Man]

100% agree on the twins. For some additional numbers...i've got a '95 232 that I repowered in 2018 with twin Suzuki 175's. I was getting 2.5 mpg the other day while cruising around 28-30mph. WOT is ~45mph with this setup. Previous motors were 2-stroke Yamaha 150's and i was getting 30mpg TOPS at WOT. Moving around with twins is great in tight spots...split the sticks and spin in tight spots, etc.

The 232 is def a heavy rig...which provides some great peace of mind/comfort in less than ideal seas. It's a tank. This is our first boat and the whole family is happy with it.

Why did you go with 175’S and not 200’S .

 

[atmatthews1]

Why did you go with 175’S and not 200’S .

Metal Man - sorry, haven't logged in here for a long time and just saw this post. SO...the capacity plate on my 232 reads 350HP...so that is why I went with the 175's.

 

[grady23]

I have a 1997 Gulfstream with Twin 150 oldies 2-strokes. I'm the 2nd owner on this boat, bought here in 2001 with less than 100 hrs. I have had MANY Grady owners say they wish they had gone with twins. The boat is much easier to dock w/twins then a single. These boats have a nasty habit of being wind sensitive where the bow is concerned. Despite the older 2-strokes, I use about 14.5-15.2 gals/hr at 3400 and 25-28 mph. When I troll at Rockfish speed, about 3kns, I use 1 engine and am only using abut 1.8 gals/hr in 1-2 ft seas. The Gulfstream will handle MORE then most people can tolerate sea-wise. I have fished off the NC coast in 15-20knt winds and 5ft seas. My hardtop is 10ft off the water and at times I was looking UP at the crest of the waves. I can put my boat on plane from 6 knts to around 22-25 in les then 15 seconds and never go above 1/2 throttle with 4 big guys and loaded for 2 days of fishing. I understand from a local dealer that the Gulfstream is a special order boat now. Seems everyone wants center console boats and the Gulfstream will get harder to find because of this. It took m almost 14 months to find mine and I had to drive almost to Richmond, VA from Frederick , Md to get it. The guy had 4 others waiting to see if I was going to pull the trigger.

 

[j2slay]

100% agree on the twins. For some additional numbers...i've got a '95 232 that I repowered in 2018 with twin Suzuki 175's. I was getting 2.5 mpg the other day while cruising around 28-30mph. WOT is ~45mph with this setup. Previous motors were 2-stroke Yamaha 150's and i was getting 30mpg TOPS at WOT. Moving around with twins is great in tight spots...split the sticks and spin in tight spots, etc.

The 232 is def a heavy rig...which provides some great peace of mind/comfort in less than ideal seas. It's a tank. This is our first boat and the whole family is happy with it.

I'm repowing my 1999 Gulfstream now with twin suzuki 175's. Just curious what props your running.
Thanks

 

[Marbles816]

I had a '93 Gulfstream w/twin 2006 4 stroke 150 HP Yammies for over 6 years and made a desision to go bigger thinking I would enjoy a larger boat. The only issue I had with my Gulfsteam was that I had to have the transom repaced b/c of how those boats were manufactured in that age bracket. But it was still a great boat. And now becasue things changed in my life recently, having a larger boat made it more difficult for me to use. So at this point, I wish I kept the Gulfstream. So now I'm either going back to a Gulfstream, definitely with twins (or a Fisherman 23 pending what I find first).