273/283/sailfish
ok, lets see if I can at least give you my honest opinion based on what you said you are looking for. First, I'm more familiar with the 273, while one of my fishing partners runs the 283, so I can speak on their differences, etc...the sailfish well, I see a few around and don't want to sound negative, but I never really see them far from land. Is it an owner thing or is it the boat. I'm not sure which it is but when I'm bouncing around the canyons or the 30 fathom line, you run into all kinds of boats, but for the life of me I don't remember seeing a sailfish out that far. Take that for what it is worth... Now to what I know the 273 ... for example is the largest boat in length that you can legally trailer in most states, it only has an 8.5 ft beam. This is a positive and negative....first of all less boat in the water to move then the 283 which is a foot longer but also a foot wider, I travel faster and get better gas mileage then my counter part , if both of us running the same rpm's. On the neg side, I do take more of a pounding, weight is friend as well as your enemy and oh though the 273 rides well, the 283 makes a difference that extra 1000 pounds of fiberglass is good for something. Second, when at a drift, again the wider boat shows its advantages by lessing the roll. Now, don't get me wrong, I've own several boats before I got the grady and the grady is by far the best of all of them...but that wider, heavier boat will be a difference. To me the difference was night and day for the 273 over the 283 in that i could trailer the boat without restrictions or extra tagging. If your going to dock the boat and have someone else deal with moving storage and don't mind a little bit of extra fuel burn go with the larger boat. If your into getting the most bang for your buck on and off the water, I perfer the 273.....my suggestion to you is "test drive" both of them, if the dealership won't setup a test drive then take you business someplace different. If buying from person get a marine survey completed...whatever you decide, i would recommend you stick with the grady
