First boat

[Beaur90]

Hello all,

I am creating this thread in hope of gaining some guidance and insight. My family relocated to a house on the water on the Chesapeake bay we’re situated on the west river. There is a local Grady white dealer that we visited . We looked at the 215 freedom, our intended use is cruising and a little bit of fishing. This would be our first boat as a family (5 adults) so I think the 215 will be good for the first few years until we are comfortable to explore the 23 or 25. I’ve spent hours watching videos of other boat brands (Robalo,Sea fox, ETC) and seen them in person and it very apparent to me the Grady white quality is far superior. I also Was wondering New vs a few years old? Any guidance is appreciated!

 

[Don Davis]

Not sure of your budget but for me used is the way to go for your first boat as there is less depreciation to absorb if you decide to move up in a few years. I bought used 4 years ago, the downside is that it may take a little time to find a decent used boat versus buying a new one at a dealership. Grady’s are well built, just don’t go too old with a used boat as all boats can have hidden issues and pay for a survey for piece of mind.

 

[Sardinia306Bimini]

What Don Davis wrote.
New boats as cars loose a lot of value in the first year and you may be able to save a substantial sum buying a few year old boat in perfect conditions and low but constant hours.
Should you realize that 21ft is not a lot of space for 5 adults and want to get a bigger one then the loss will be limited.
Also, for a first time boater the risk for some damage is higher so a new boat is not really a good idea as it will depreciate the selling price even more.
Chris

 

[Fishtales]

They are a well built production boat. Earlier years have a lot of wood in them. Need to ensure the transom and stringers are solid. The side wall coring is only done on the larger beam boats, so you should have a solid fiberglass hull with a smaller one. The transom by far is the #1 weakness. If buying used, get a survey.

If I were to buy a new GW, I'd immediately send it to the glass shop. Remove the engines and have the chrome, plastic or aluminum transom cap removed. Then glass the transom as it should be properly done to eliminate the transom weakness.

I'd recommend not loading the thing up with expensive options. Motorized seats, sun shades, grills and the like are all cost adders that will need maintenance or replacement. The saltwater is a harsh environment. KISS is the idea. I would look for a vacu flush fresh water head. More complex yes, but the trade off of not using saltwater is a big bonus.

Can't go wrong with the Yamaha OBs. Maybe look at a kicker being added. Having redundancy in power is a big benefit in my book.

You can find most parts available, but the custom made stuff will not be attainable for older boats. Look closely at fabricated parts on older boats. You may need to custom make if needed.
Enclosure/canvas and reuppholstry can be done by local shops with like materials very easily. Systems are basic and easy to fix or replace in most cases.

Do your homework, hire a surveyor and you'll be fine.

 

[Beaur90]

Thanks for all the input.@Fishtales @Don Davis @Sardinia306Bimini

I really appreciate it. To me, it sounds like going for a used one is a smart choice. Probably 2019-2022 is the year range I'll look at. Where the initial depreciation has already hit, and being a new boater, if we scuff it, I won't feel as bad. My last question is getting a survey/inspection necessary on a boat from a trusted dealer?

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I would, and did, get a used boat especially if it’s your first and if you plan on upgrading sometime in the near future. I bought my boat used in 2021 back in Maryland for $26.5k, of which there have been two almost identical boats to mine that sold locally for $55k and $65k. There’s also one that just sold locally from a GW dealer that was only a couple of years old but I believe it was listed for $120k. I can’t justify spending an extra $30k on the same boat and surely can’t justify spending an extra $100k on one just because it’s a couple years old. I would also consider buying a bigger boat to start instead of buying a 215 Freedom, possibly losing money on it if you went to sell it in a few years, to then buy a bigger boat. I’d look at a used 235 Freedom as well considering you’ve got a family of 5. I’ve got a 228 Seafarer of which I love darn near everything about it and it seats 5 relatively comfortably. That being said, I think 5 in a 215 Freedom might get tight, especially with coolers, food, fishing gear and so forth. In regards to having a surveyor inspect the boat for you… I always recommend it. Is it entirely necessary on an almost brand new boat from a reputable GW dealer? Probably not. But considering you’re going to likely spend $100k or more for the boat, an extra $500-$1k for a surveyor I can’t imagine would be anything to lose sleep over. Shoot, it might even help you sleep better at night knowing you bought a good boat? Here are a couple of accredited marine surveyor websites to look at.

Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors - SAMS

The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS) is an organization of professional marine surveyors who have come together to promote the good image and general well being of their chosen profession

www.marinesurvey.org

NAMSGlobal | An International Association of Marine Surveyors | The National Association of Marine Surveyors, Inc. | Find A Marine Surveyor Near Me | Training | Education | Certification | Referral | NAMS | NAMS-CMS

NAMSGlobal members are marine surveyors who inspect, and provide a broad variety of consulting services for the maritime industry. Our members are certified based on their knowledge and experience, with designations for: Yachts and Small Craft, Cargo, and Hull and Machinery (including Fishing Vessel

www.namsglobal.org

 

[luckydude]

I bought new because it was my second boat and I got a lemon for the first boat. If I were to do it all over again, I _might_ have bought used if something good had come up quickly. I've got health problems so waiting for a long time was not for me. But if you have time, yeah, it's worth it to find a driveway queen with low hours. Just survey it.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend buying a new Grady as your first boat. You don't even know if you like the boating lifestyle. Owning and operating your own boat is a lot different than cruising around on someone else's boat. I'd be looking for a nice 20-23' boat about 10 years old. You can get a really nice starter boat for around $20K.

You might have major buyer's remorse if you drop $150K+ on a new Grady and later realize that you don't like the lifestyle. You really do have to prioritize your free time in order to really take advantage of boat ownership. Otherwise your boat will sit in your lift or on the trailer all year.

I'd recommend looking at a used Sea Hunt, NauticStar, SeaFox or some other lower tier boat for starters. My first boat was a 10 year old 20' Nauticstar deck boat We bought about 5 years ago. Paid $10K for it. Just wanted to see if we even liked boats. We did, of course. The next year we sold it and upgraded to a 21' SeaFox dual console. We loved that also. Owned it for about 3 years and decided to take the plunge. We loved the boating life so much we actually sold our house and moved to a canal neighborhood and bought a new Grady. No regrets.

 

[glacierbaze]

A major factor in how much you will end up using your boat, and whether or not it is an enjoyable experience, is your access to the water. Will you keep it on your own lift, in a marina, or will you have to have a tow vehicle, and fight week-end madness at public ramps?

 

[drbatts]

Look for a late model used boat. The boat will be outfitted with electronics already so you won't have to deal with picking, purchasing and installing them. Any initial gremlins in a new boat will be worked out. A late model Grady is also good choice If you decide that a boat isn't for you, or you want to move up the boat will be easy to flip.

 

[Beaur90]

Addressing some of the questions. The boat will be stored at our house on a lift, my family are big golfers and our course in 10 minutes from our house so I would assume lots of our use would be after golf, afternoon cruising and going to dinner. Our thought with a Grady is that it holds its value nicely so If we had it for a few years and didn’t like boating we could get rid of it easily. Or if we like boating we could upgrade to a larger boat.

 

[FREEDOM!!!]

Addressing some of the questions. The boat will be stored at our house on a lift, my family are big golfers and our course in 10 minutes from our house so I would assume lots of our use would be after golf, afternoon cruising and going to dinner. Our thought with a Grady is that it holds its value nicely so If we had it for a few years and didn’t like boating we could get rid of it easily. Or if we like boating we could upgrade to a larger boat.

How much shopping have you done? You might be shocked at how much it will cost to upgrade a Grady from a 21-23' Freedom to a 27+ ft Freedom. 3-4 feet difference is HUGE! Yes, Grady might hold it's resale value better, but the initial cost is pretty astronomical especially compared to an equivalent sized SeaHunt, KeyWest, Regal, Robalo, Bayliner... It's like do you want to go straight for the new Rolls Royce or maybe start out with a really nice used Toyota? I don't think anyone here regrets buying a Grady, they really are THAT good.

But a lot of people buy boats thinking it's all romantic cruises with the honey and catching the big trophy fish. In reality it's a lot of work, stress, and financial output to enjoy those few boating hours on the weekend. My advice is to just make sure you are "boat people" before jumping straight into a new Grady.

 

[Sardinia306Bimini]

Our thought with a Grady is that it holds its value nicely so If we had it for a few years and didn’t like boating we could get rid of it easily. Or if we like boating we could upgrade to a larger boat.

Invest some hours in verifying prices
1° New model as you would like it
2° Same model in great conditions but from 2018-2022
3° same model from 2023
You will realize that the value loss after one year, 100 hours and one owner will be somewhere around 20% and that you should be able to get a new looking f.e. 2018 model with acceptable low engine hours for about half of the price of a new one.

It is your decision to buy used or new, but you asked so the replies say all the same, get a used one also to become a real boater and your loss will be less either selling it or upgrading to bigger size.

Chris

 

[Beaur90]

Invest some hours in verifying prices
1° New model as you would like it
2° Same model in great conditions but from 2018-2022
3° same model from 2023
You will realize that the value loss after one year, 100 hours and one owner will be somewhere around 20% and that you should be able to get a new looking f.e. 2018 model with acceptable low engine hours for about half of the price of a new one.

It is your decision to buy used or new, but you asked so the replies say all the same, get a used one also to become a real boater and your loss will be less either selling it or upgrading to bigger size.

Chris

We went to the dealer nearby and we went into a new and used one (215). I definitely think used is the way to go it comes with everything broken in and all the electronics. I’m gonna keep my eye out online to find any more examples but I’m not really familiar with the boat market. I would assume most boats go on the market in October and November when the season is over and they don’t replenish till right before the season or after.

 

[Coastboater]

I ordered a 215 last year. Delivered in early August, my hull is #807. Introduced in 2018, Grady has made quite a few 215’s and you should be able to find a nice used one. It’s a very comfortable boat for 6 adults without knocking knees. CG rating is 8 adults. SV2 Hull handles nicely in less than ideal conditions
Options are basic other than engine choice, 200 or max for the hull, 250. You’ll find boats with a 200 significantly less $ than those with the 250. A 200 should push the hull fine and get to low 40 mph with a few folks on board and smooth water.
The standard configuration is well equipped (tabs, etc). There’s 3 options for the helm seating and port side seating, ski pylon and transom shower are options, among a few others. On a lift you’ll want the bow and cockpit storage covers. Bimini top is standard and Grady supplies front Bimini and side curtains as standard.
Since the oldest model year you can possibly find is a 2018, used Inventory should be in decent shape and a 3 or 4 year (or 6) boat will be through the heavy initial depreciation phase and shouldn’t hurt too bad selling after a few years when you get a case of 2’itis You may find on less than 5 year old boat there may be remaining engine warranty, and hire a surveyor.

 

[Beaur90]

I ordered a 215 last year. Delivered in early August, my hull is #807. Introduced in 2018, Grady has made quite a few 215’s and you should be able to find a nice used one. It’s a very comfortable boat for 6 adults without knocking knees. CG rating is 8 adults. SV2 Hull handles nicely in less than ideal conditions
Options are basic other than engine choice, 200 or max for the hull, 250. You’ll find boats with a 200 significantly less $ than those with the 250. A 200 should push the hull fine and get to low 40 mph with a few folks on board and smooth water.
The standard configuration is well equipped (tabs, etc). There’s 3 options for the helm seating and port side seating, ski pylon and transom shower are options, among a few others. On a lift you’ll want the bow and cockpit storage covers. Bimini top is standard and Grady supplies front Bimini and side curtains as standard.
Since the oldest model year you can possibly find is a 2018, used Inventory should be in decent shape and a 3 or 4 year (or 6) boat will be through the heavy initial depreciation phase and shouldn’t hurt too bad selling after a few years when you get a case of 2’itis You may find on less than 5 year old boat there may be remaining engine warranty, and hire a surveyor.

Was this your first boat? Also while you’re going say 30 mph would you want to be riding in the bow, is it rough?

 

[Ky Grady]

Boats go on the market year round. You have to stay vigilant if you're looking for a specific model. If a well priced, clean example of the boat you're looking for pops up, chances are, it will be gone before you see it if you just check "For Sale" sites every now and then. There may be others out there looking for the same model.

As others have said, being first time boaters, might want to start a little lower in price and level of boat. My first "offshore" style boat was a Bayliner Trophy, not top tier by any means, but served its purpose, always got me in and out and never let me down. I moved up to a Seaswirl Striper 2301 and had it rigged out to do anything I wanted. Again, maybe mid tier. If I hadn't gone through a rough spot with family life, I would have probably still had it. When I got back into boats after that spell, I went on the hunt for my Grady. Wasn't going to pay over $100K at the time for a new one, even though I knew I wanted another walk-around boat. So I had been on here asking questions about the 228 and the guy I bought mine from reached out to me privately and as they say, the rest is history.

Having the boat on a lift will be nice, and the fantasy of playing golf and then coming back to the house and taking the boat out for dinner is a nice one, but afraid reality will be, don't feel like taking the boat out, let's just hop in the car and go eat. Maybe I'm wrong. If so, enjoy.

Enjoy the hunt and keep us informed on what you do. Never be afraid to ask questions, there is a world of knowledge on here.

 

[Coastboater]

Was this your first boat? Also while you’re going say 30 mph would you want to be riding in the bow, is it rough?

No, I’ve owned quite a few. I have a short attention span when it comes to boats… This is my third Grady.
As to ride, comfort in the bow at 30 mph depends on sea conditions, and as a new captain you should take things easy and learn techniques like quartering wakes, trimming the hull for best ride, docking, etc. Most importantly, learn the usage of all safety equipment.

 

[Beaur90]

I ordered a 215 last year. Delivered in early August, my hull is #807. Introduced in 2018, Grady has made quite a few 215’s and you should be able to find a nice used one. It’s a very comfortable boat for 6 adults without knocking knees. CG rating is 8 adults. SV2 Hull handles nicely in less than ideal conditions
Options are basic other than engine choice, 200 or max for the hull, 250. You’ll find boats with a 200 significantly less $ than those with the 250. A 200 should push the hull fine and get to low 40 mph with a few folks on board and smooth water.
The standard configuration is well equipped (tabs, etc). There’s 3 options for the helm seating and port side seating, ski pylon and transom shower are options, among a few others. On a lift you’ll want the bow and cockpit storage covers. Bimini top is standard and Grady supplies front Bimini and side curtains as standard.
Since the oldest model year you can possibly find is a 2018, used Inventory should be in decent shape and a 3 or 4 year (or 6) boat will be through the heavy initial depreciation phase and shouldn’t hurt too bad selling after a few years when you get a case of 2’itis You may find on less than 5 year old boat there may be remaining engine warranty, and hire a surveyor.

There is a 2019 Freedom 215 local to me with a 200 Yamaha and 200 hours. It has all the electronics (Garmin, Vhf). It's right around 80K. How much play do you think is in that price? I was thinking 7 or 8 % am I off??

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend buying a new Grady as your first boat. You don't even know if you like the boating lifestyle. Owning and operating your own boat is a lot different than cruising around on someone else's boat. I'd be looking for a nice 20-23' boat about 10 years old. You can get a really nice starter boat for around $20K.

Nothing wrong with having a Grady White as your first boat. My first boat was a 21' Arima and it was a very lightweight, cheaply built boat that rode like crap and where you'd get pounded in the 1'-2' chop. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have skipped right past the Arima and gone straight for my Grady. If I was in the OP's shoes, I'd likely lean towards a 225 Freedom/Tournament, of which you can generally find those in the high $40k's to mid $60k's or so for a mid to late 2000's on up to a mid 2010's. Definitely aren't going to find a new 20'-23' Grady White that's 10 years old or less in that $20k range though. Lots of pontoon boats, some Bayliners and other cheaply built boats, or those with a lot of hours on them. Though, if the OP is leaning towards going with a GW, I can't imagine he's going to want to settle for a Bayliner.