Does the new 325 mean the end of the Marlin?

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MA208

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New model, the Freedom 325. 31'2" with a 10'9" beam. Does this mean the end of the Marlin? I think it's a different situation than the Gulfstream/Freedom 235 as the 235 is 8'6" beam. The walk around models have gotten pretty slim as of late.
 
I was talking to Grady last month, not Bert , hut the other guy. I lamented Grady not having a 27 footer WA. He said the Journey is discontinued . They as of now will make the 208, 226/228 , 232 Gulfy and the Marlin.

I loved my 192 and the dual console luxury market is hot for Grady . With that said, I love the walk around very much. I hope it makes a resurgence. I would love to be able to buy a new Marlin one day.
 
I'd like to see a 33' or 37' Marlin. I owned a 30' Marlin, and now a 33' Express...but would trade the Express for a Marlin of similar size.
 
I have a 226 and would love to jump up to a little bigger boat but not sure I want a Marlin yet. A 26-27 foot walk around would be really nice.
 
Just bought a 2017 Marlin and absolutely love it. GW made some nice improvements over the years but the basic design is the same. The 32 was a bit of a surprise since it seems so close to the 307 but apparently DCs are the rage and GW seems to fill just about every possible size.

Watch for a GW with a Seakeeper options. Just a hunch :D
 
Comfortably Numb said:
I'd like to see a 33' or 37' Marlin. I owned a 30' Marlin, and now a 33' Express...but would trade the Express for a Marlin of similar size.
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I've been hearing rumors for a while of something coming north of 40'. I doubt it's a walkaround though. Probably an Express and a DC using the same hull mold.

megabytes said:
Just bought a 2017 Marlin and absolutely love it. GW made some nice improvements over the years but the basic design is the same.
Click to expand...

I'm officially envious! LOL. A brand new Marlin would be my retirement boat if it's in the cards for me at the time.

megabytes said:
Watch for a GW with a Seakeeper options. Just a hunch :D
Click to expand...

Wonder where they could fit it?
 
I was scared of the Marlin going away also.

Called the Plant and they said the Marlin is staying in the lineup for the foreseeable future as it is still a strong sale for GW.
That said, you wouldn't know it in Fla. Our dealers locally don't even stock one for inventory. For that matter, they don't carry any walks. Just CC's and DC's.

It's a smart business move to supply your customer base; I would do the same thing if I was in the front office, although personally I wouldn't pay much of anything for a boat without a cabin, let alone six figures for a bowrider, but that's just me.
 
From a business standpoint, I don't blame Grady 's move, but hopefully they don't forget what got them here. Grady White has become to the sandbar crowd what Landrover became to the concrete jungle. The sandbar crowd is more of a fickle bunch that will follow what the "Jones's" buy. Potentially a risky move if the DC fad changes quickly or a different brand becomes more of a status symbol.
At a local show a GW rep tried to convince me the 275 is just as capable as the old 270 Islander. For fishing, no way. Cockpit space is a fraction of the 270, especially if a hard top is on the 275. Even the website photos of a 275 shows how cramped it is trying to fish of the back of that boat... a 27 footer!
 
DCs are definitely the rage these days. I don't know if anyone stocks a 300. Mine was made to order. They told me at the plant they make around 20 per year these days. I also learned from my dealer that the 370 and 375 were near impossible to get this year. They sold out early and cannot make enough of them.

The only model I might take over the Marlin is the 370 if money were not a concern. The new 330 is gorgeous but the center helm still seems cramped for moving around. I am still amazed at how mush usable space there is on the 300 for fishing, storage, cabin, etc. It is an engineering marvel IMHO.
:goodjob
 
I agree. It's certainly the sweet spot for us and we are looking to order one in a couple years, hopefully.
 
Agree with most comments. We too think of the Marlin as the 'retirement boat'. And agree that the emphasis on bow riders holds no appeal to us. It is somewhat reassuring to see some emphasis placed on some smaller center consoles to bring newbies into the fold.

Rob
 
I saw a Whaler 42 last week for sale - powered with 4 300HP Mercs. The price was $1.2 million! There are some used 42's for $875K.
 
I sure hope not. It's been in the line up since the late 80s. I know the DCs sell like crazy so they are making one for every hull they have. I hate the things, but they are in business to sell what the customer wants. I was just looking at a 34' from Release Boatworks. Very nice rig. I would like to see a 33 or bigger walk. Not going to happen from GW though. I like the Marlin and will keep it till my youngest is out of high school. If he stays true to his aim and goes to a service academy, then it will be time to look at a larger walk.
 
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