97 Grady 232 Gulfstream Repower

[jeepskibum]

We have a 225 Honda 25" on the Gulfstream currently and the motor sits really low in the water. Boat struggles to come on plane when loaded. We are going to repower with a Yamaha or Suzuki 300 and are thinking about going with a 30" and a 5" static Jack plate so the motor sits a little higher out of the water.

Any thoughts? Will the longer shaft cause the engine cover to hit the transom when fully up or cause the prop to stay in the water all the time at anchor? Any thoughts here? Do it? Don't do it? Not something you can try out and switch...

Do Hondas just sit low? Will switching back to a Yamaha or Suzuki 300 fit it and just stick with a 25" shaft. Grady recommends a 25" shaft for twins or singles on this boat but realistically, the single needs to be lower than twins....

Anyone repowered with a single 30" outboard?

 

[SkunkBoat]

IDK about putting a 30" way back there on a bracket. Too deep
Not a fan of Honda. they were the first and haven't done much since.

Zuke 300 with a big 4 blade prop would be nice. A zuke DF300B with duoprop would really be sweet for a single config. a 350 even sweeter...

New Mercury 4 strokes are way lighter than everyone else. Think about that...

 

[Mustang65fbk]

There's another thread about going with twins and my thought process is pretty much still the same as then. The issue with twins is the weight. A single 300hp Yamaha 4 stroke has a dry weight of right around 562lbs compared to a single 150hp Yamaha 4 stroke which has a dry weight of 478ls x 2. So you're talking about a difference of over 400lbs when all is said and done and I don't know about you, but I'd much rather have my boat be 400lbs less, if I can avoid it. On top of that, and I could be wrong here, but I can't imagine that if you had twins and a motor went out that you'd be able to get a 232 Gulfstream on a plane with a single 150? I could be wrong, but the test weight on the Grady White website of a 232 Gulfstream with twin 150 Yamaha's was 7228lbs. That seems like a lot of weight for a single 150hp outboard to push. Lastly, in terms of price... a single 300hp Yamaha is going to be around $26k-28k depending on which shaft length and style of outboard you get. The 150's though are around $16k, x2 and you're going to be spending more money for twin motors that weigh more than a single, get worse fuel economy and have the potential for having twice as much maintenance costs with having twin main motors. For me, I can't se the benefit of them until you get to the larger sized boats. Here's a link to the GW website with some technical specs and data on fuel economy.

Grady-White | Gulfstream 232 Walkaround Cabin

Grady-White 23-foot walkaround Gulfstream 232 is a solid, safe, feature rich sportfisher that more than holds its own versus much bigger boats.

www.gradywhite.com

 

[reel cookin]

I just repowered my 2004 232 from a 225 Yamaha to a 300hp Yamaha. it was a great improvement. Top speed from 36 mph to 42 mph with all the curtains up. Better in rough water, great hole shot. Its just a lot more fun running across the Chesapeake bay.
Fuel about 2.3 mpg at 4500 and 1.7mpg at WOT.
I don't feel the motor sits to low in the water plus i fish a lot in shallow water sometimes less then 2 feet.
Hope this helps.
Reel cookin

 

[Bird Blaster]

Out of your two choices you listed the zuke 300

 

[efx]

Get a 300 from any brand that make one. 25”. Then mount it at the optimal height. Get the prop right and you should be set. That boat is wide and short. It needs a 300 min. It must be set up right which takes time. Trial and error.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I really like the Suzuki outboards, a buddy has one on his Wooldridge and it's been a great motor. The other benefits of going with the Suzuki over the Yamaha would be the warranty and the price. The standard warranty on a Yamaha is only 3 years, which I'm sure you could probably pay extra for an extended warranty but why should you have to pay more when the Suzuki has a 6 year warranty? It's not until you get up to the 350hp Yamaha that they give you a standard 5 year warranty. Lastly, the Suzuki 300hp outboards, depending on what model you get, are right around $17k-18k whereas the Yamaha 300hp outboard is $27k-30k, again depending on which model you went with. The 300hp Suzuki is going to weigh a little bit more than the Yamaha but I'll take the few extra pounds of weight and save $10k+ on a new motor.

 

[DennisG01]

Can you clarify what you mean by "sits" too low? The prop when tilted? The anti-ventilation plate being too low, below the keel? You might just have it mounted too low - there are multiple heights that it can be mounted at to adjust the anti-vent plate compared to the keel - about 1" higher than the keel for every 1' setback.

Going to a 30" won't help your "sitting too low" thing, though. Even with a 5" jack, it's just getting back to a 25"... 30 - 5 = 25, you know? Stick with a 25".

Also, the longer shaft has nothing to do with cowling. It sounds like you might be confused about things? The actual engine, itself, is the same height above where it tilts.

 

[jeepskibum]

To clarify, the propeller is at the correct height, the actual engine sits a little low in the water causing saltwater to get into the electronics and motor. The old Honda is very corroded and always looked like the motor was sitting too low at lower speeds. By raising the mounting bolts 5" and lengthening the shaft by 5", the prop will sit at the same height but the electronics and engine will sit 5" higher out of the water.

The water intrusion issue is a problem when trolling, idling or accelerating on rougher days with a few people and or full fuel. 2 people, no fuel, calm water and its not an issue at all. People do ask why the motor sits so low and I don't have a good answer. Grady recommends a 25" shaft for twin engines and a single. Common sense would have me thinking I can run a 30" single w the 5" riser plate.

The 300 will certainly get us on plane quicker at a minimum.

 

[Don Davis]

I bought a Suzuki DF250 with a 30 inch leg and fabricated a plate to bolt to the pod on my 1999 228 Seafarer. I like that the cowling is 5 inches higher than the 25 inch leg and gets the tilt/trim rams that much higher. No issue with trimming all the way up, it doesn’t hit the transom.

 

[brdawg2001]

The low end gearing and torque on the zukes is really beneficial for that hull...I have twin df250s and have not looked back