Freedom 275/85/307

[TBone34]

hi all...i joined this site to gain knowledge on the Freedom line...specifically on the 275/85/307. i have a place in Florida and the two main players in our area are GW and Boston Whaler. I will use the boat in Florida for 90% cruising/entertainment and 10% fishing. The Freedom line really catches my attention along with the Vantage from Whaler. My family likes the look of the Vantage but i am a Yamaha guy since i have owned lots of their products....reliability is fantastic.

A normal day on the water would be 5-8 hours cruising the gulf down the shoreline and IC. At any time we have between 2 and 8 people. i have limited saltwater experience and am hopeful to get more confident with the gulf and make day trips or perhaps go offshore and fish. i have a lot to learn about the electronics/navigation and plan to take coast guard classes. i have boated in freshwater all of my life and currently own a 23 ft Nautique. I like good stuff so GW and Whaler fit my buying criteria.

Some specific questions:
Is the 285 kind of the sweetspot for what i am considering?
Would you do Helmmaster/Bowthruster on any of the models i am considering?
Would the 307 be a pain around the docks going to restaurants with tight areas?
what hp would you choose on 275 or 285 or 307?

One last thing...i like to do things right the first time so i dont want to start with something and then regret the purchase and be in the market again in 2 years. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[ocnslr]

We owned a 2002 Islander 270 until this past January, and put tens of thousands of miles under her keel. I have also been on many other GW models, mostly for coastal and offshore fishing.

As you look at those three models, they really do get incrementally larger and you don't indicate where the boat will be kept. Trailering, launching and recovery gets much more challenging with increasing size and weight. Do you already have a lift, and if so what size and weight capacity?

All three would meet your needs for the stated purposes, although trying to fish with eight onboard will be challenging on any of them.

As to engines, I think the 275 would be fine with twin F150s, twin F200s, or a single F300. The 285 should have twin F250s, and only go to the F300s if you really feel the need for speed (and a lighter wallet). The 307 would be fine with twin F300s.

Any of the three can be "a pain" in tight areas, but that really is more dependent on your (developing) skill level, confidence, and the conditions. Certainly a bit easier with smaller size, and twins are more maneuverable than a single on the 275.

I would not recommend Helmmaster. It is very costly, but more significantly it uses far too much power in maneuvering, affects other nearby boats, and keeps the operator dependent on technology instead of developing their own skills.

I would recommend a bowthruster on the 307, and would consider it for the 285 if already installed on a boat you were otherwise considering.

All of the above is strictly my opinion. Others will likely chime in, and YMMV.

Finally, please feel free to contact me if you would like consultation/advise/training in navigation, electronics, boat systems, boat handling, or offshore fishing. I have extensive experience in all those aspects, and I am retired and available for a very reasonable rate. We live full time in Fort Myers Beach.

Brian
Master, Oceans, Steam, Motor or Sail, 1600 Tons
Chief Mate, Oceans, Unlimited
Radar Observer
Commander, USN (Ret)
US Navy Senior Offshore Sailing Skipper

 

[TBone34]

We owned a 2002 Islander 270 until this past January, and put tens of thousands of miles under her keel. I have also been on many other GW models, mostly for coastal and offshore fishing.

As you look at those three models, they really do get incrementally larger and you don't indicate where the boat will be kept. Trailering, launching and recovery gets much more challenging with increasing size and weight. Do you already have a lift, and if so what size and weight capacity?

All three would meet your needs for the stated purposes, although trying to fish with eight onboard will be challenging on any of them.

As to engines, I think the 275 would be fine with twin F150s, twin F200s, or a single F300. The 285 should have twin F250s, and only go to the F300s if you really feel the need for speed (and a lighter wallet). The 307 would be fine with twin F300s.

Any of the three can be "a pain" in tight areas, but that really is more dependent on your (developing) skill level, confidence, and the conditions. Certainly a bit easier with smaller size, and twins are more maneuverable than a single on the 275.

I would not recommend Helmmaster. It is very costly, but more significantly it uses far too much power in maneuvering, affects other nearby boats, and keeps the operator dependent on technology instead of developing their own skills.

I would recommend a bowthruster on the 307, and would consider it for the 285 if already installed on a boat you were otherwise considering.

All of the above is strictly my opinion. Others will likely chime in, and YMMV.

Finally, please feel free to contact me if you would like consultation/advise/training in navigation, electronics, boat systems, boat handling, or offshore fishing. I have extensive experience in all those aspects, and I am retired and available for a very reasonable rate. We live full time in Fort Myers Beach.

Brian
Master, Oceans, Steam, Motor or Sail, 1600 Tons
Chief Mate, Oceans, Unlimited
Radar Observer
Commander, USN (Ret)
US Navy Senior Offshore Sailing Skipper

Brian, thank you for the thoughtful and detailed response. I will not be trailering the boat and have a couple of options on storage. i would prefer to store inside but that limits me to the GW Freedom 275 as they can only handle an 81/2 ft beam. if i go down the road i would store outside on a rack and that brings the GW285/307 and Boston Whaler Vantage 270 into play.

As for the number of people on the boat i would never take out 8 to fish....if i had that many it would just be pleasure cruising.

i hear you on the helmmaster. it is quite expensive. Hopefully i could gain the skillset working with dual engines.

i like the idea of working with you after i purchase a boat. likely the marina will give a cursory walkthrough. i have a lot to learn about saltwater boating. we are about 90 mins north of you. i am just starting my buying process and dont really have a timetable for purchase.

thanks again.

 

[ocnslr]

i like the idea of working with you after i purchase a boat. likely the marina will give a cursory walkthrough. i have a lot to learn about saltwater boating. we are about 90 mins north of you. i am just starting my buying process and don't really have a timetable for purchase.
thanks again.

Well, that fills in the blanks a bit on your options. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have more questions or concerns during the review and evaluation process, for electronics decisions during purchase, delivery, or afterwards. So much to be learned about a boat....

 

[Fishtales]

I find the 30 hull can be difficult in tight spots. When you pull into common area docks, you can be the biggest boat and sometimes other people are not happy. I found it tough on spits too, Again, a bit big and dwarfs the smaller boats around you.

 

[Rustygaff]

We have a 255 and love the boat. If I were moving up in the DC class, I would go with the 285 since trailering is not in your future. For me, a jump to a 275 would only add a little bit of cockpit space and not worth the expense. A 285 is a larger boat all the way around. A bow thruster will make navigating around the docks a breeze if you are willing to pony up the added expense. Good luck with your choice. GW makes a fine vessel. As far as HP goes, I subscribe to the notion that more is always better. Max it out with what GW offers. Nothing worse than an underpowered boat. JMO.

 

[RussGW270]

I was about to type, "I wish I lived in Florida..." then I went.. "holy cow... was I going to actually type that?"

lol.. just teasing.. I do wish there were more Grady folks around me.. Ol @Lsquared needs to hurry up and move to Austin

I envy all you guys living closer to each other and the water.

R

 

[SCW]

I have a 275 with twin 150's. Love the boat and great choice for me since I am just getting into boating. That being said I think a 285 may be the sweet spot. Not too big not too small. You gain a little length but more importantly you gain width. I also think my 275 with the twin 150's is a bit under powered. Again I love the boat but I can see myself moving to a 285. I think the 307 may be a bit too big for my needs. Good luck!