General question on buying a Grady, i am looking on Long Island NY

[Roadworker]

So last year when i found a 1997 20ft GW walk around was at end of season i called 2 boat surveyor's

1) told me STAY away look for something 2004 are newer? say he would take my money but those year boat are big problems with water damage?

2) Guy told me he would look at it but elven without seeing it could almost bet there is water damage in transom?

Is this true? Should i only look for GW after 2004 ?

thank you

 

[luckydude]

There are two things I'm aware of that push people towards newer gradys:

a) Wood, especially in the transom but also the stringers. It can rot and does.
b) Seavee 2 hulls.

So the wood is a problem because it can, and does, rot and it's very expensive to rip things apart and fix the rot. You'll have to ask around when Grady moved away from wood for each model, I'm not sure. I have a 2020 and have been told "there is no wood in the hull". Maybe.

The seavee 2 hull is kinda neat, you want it if you can get it. Instead of have big flat planes in the hull, the hull is some what rounded front to back so it bounces into the water more like a ball would instead like a sheet of plywood would.

I think 228s were Seavee 2 by around 1999, it was somewhere around there.

You could ask Grady if a 1997 had wood and was it a Seavee 2 hull.

 

[glacierbaze]

AI sez:

Response A
Grady-White completed the transition of its entire fleet to the
SeaV²® hull by the 1994 model year.
Ray Hunt Design +2
While the design was first introduced in 1988 on the Marlin 300, it was phased in across other models over the following six years.

SeaV²® Hull Timeline

• 1988: Introduced as a collaboration between Grady-White and Ray Hunt Design.
• 1988–1993: Various models were updated or newly designed with the SeaV²® hull.
• 1994: Every boat in the Grady-White lineup featured the SeaV²® design.
  Ray Hunt Design +3

Key Features of the SeaV²® Design

• Continuously Variable Vee: The deadrise (angle of the hull) constantly changes from a sharp entry at the bow to a moderate angle at the stern.
• Soft Ride: The sharp bow entry slices through waves, while the flatter stern section provides stability while trolling or at rest.
• Dry Performance: Wide "strakes" and "chine flats" on the hull deflect spray outward and downward.
• Tracking: The design is widely noted for its ability to "track" straight in following or quartering seas without significant steering effort.
  

 

[Fishermanbb]

The above is correct. Post 1994 they were all SV2 hulls. As far as water intrusion….first…..They all have some wood somewhere until recently ( 10-15 years). Second, the 1994 era will have a lot of wood. Third, most 30 year old boats will have some water intrusion. Older Grady’s tend to have issues on the transom doe to the bang cap design of that era (Aluminum plate subject to leakage). However, each boat is different. Also, how much water matters. They all have some “Wet” spots …..It depends on where and how much. If the transom is solid and not bulging and the moisture meter doesn’t show tremendous issues it could be fine. If the transom is dry and a visual of the stringers doesn’t show rot you could be fine. Finding a boat that has been in the water regularly that is completely 100% dry is unlikely. You are right to get a good survey. Perhaps buy, borrow or rent (If possible) a moisture meter so you can do an initial inspection of your own and then, if it looks decent you can get a full survey. Each boat is different and has it’s own story.

 

[Roadworker]

The 2nd surveyor told me that boats before 2002 get water damage everywhere dont know if guy was pulling my leg are not.

I owned a 1991 228 seafarer bought it back in 1995 back then just looked at it liked it bought it. Never had problem with hull other then soft floor .. Now looking to get another Grady and seems so much harder.

 

[NHAngler]

Odd that he picked on 2004. Anything pre-2016 will likely have wood in some or most of the structure and other components. I have confirmed with Grady White that as of 2016, all models have composite stringers and transoms. Leading up to this some models may have mixed materials and some (newer) completed by then. Greenwood was introduced in the late 90’s but was still wood.

Any boat with wood in the transom and stringer is susceptible to water damage. The transoms are a target as that is where the most penetrations exist, including some DIYer with a new Ryobi drill his wife bought him and he wants to mount that new transducer, ladder, or lights on to the transom. That bang plate is the biggest issue and you must stay on top of it. It’s also a PITA as to do it correctly, you need to remove your outboard.

 

[seasick]

I wonder if the 1994 date is actual calendar or is it model year? A 1994 boat could have been built in 1993. The HIN would help make that determination.
There is a possibility that the boat might have a SV2 decal on the windshield. Of course that isn't 100% definite, the decal could have been added but it would still be a positive sign.
The SV2 versions of the 20 foot hull on the walkarounds does pound in rough seas. The non SV2 hull are worse.
Regardless, the condition of the hull i more important. Some excess moisture is a given. Not all moisture is serious.

 

[DennisG01]

Chances are "higher" that an older GW (or almost all boats) will have water somewhere. But that's not to say that ALL older boats have issues.

In the end, it all depends on how it was maintained.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

For the 208 Adventure that you're looking at/referring to, the hull switched over to a SeaV2 supposedly in 1993, or at least per the below linked thread on this website, and the 228 Seafarer switched over in 1992. I think what the guy might be referring to is a couple different things, but most likely the main one would be the transom. I believe it was 1997/1998 when they switched from standard marine grade plywood to a product called Greenwood XL. The latter product, Greenwood XL, supposedly is much better at resisting moisture and is supposed to be a superior product. There are several guys on here though that have had hulls from 2004 and newer that have also had to replace, or partially replace, their transoms though. So, it's not really a get out of jail free card or anything, and if the water intrusion is substantial, you can/will still have issues. I think that the bigger issue here would be the bang cap/plate, which is found on a 208 Adventure as well as several other Grady White models. The bang cap/plate can become damaged, warped, sometimes even missing entirely, etc... to where you can get water coming in from that spot into the transom.

I've got a 228 Seafarer, it's a 2004 model, of which they have a fully enclosed transom as well as transom bracket on the boat. Which is quite nice in that you don't have to worry about that bang cap/plate, and the chances of having water intrusion are considerably less, unless you've got some structural damage or something else. I know that Grady White also made some differences to the hulls/transoms of some of their boat models in the early 2000's to "beef them up" a bit in order to allow for the added weight of 4 stroke motors, which came out in I believe 2002/2003. On top of that, the 208 Adventure/228 Seafarer, as well as I'm guessing a few other models as well, both had a different design for the models come out in the 1998 model. The 1997 and previous models are the older looking ones that have different trim around the windows and windshields as well as oftentimes have woodgrain inserts in the doors, etc. 1998 and newer models pretty much use only starboard and have a different style of window trim as well as just look different overall. I wouldn't necessarily say that the dude is "wrong", as when I was looking to buy my boat, I was only looking at 1998 and newer models, though obviously I was looking for the newest that I could afford, and am glad the 2004 that I bought came up and that I bought it.

S

Thread 'GREAT GRADY FAQ'

Mar 27, 2008

1. What year did Grady White start building the SV2 Hull?

The SeaV2 hull design was implemented on Grady-White boats in the following sizes and years:
28 ft............1989
26 ft............1991
22-25 ft.......1992
208-209......1993
192.............1994
180.............1998

2. What is the Sea V2 hull?

A Continuously Variable Vee Means Soft and Stable
A SeaV2 hull design has no two places on the keel where the deadrise is the same. The vee continuously sharpens from the transom to the bow stem. A SeaV2 hull design with 20 degrees of deadrise at the transom will...

• Seafarer228G
• Replies: 28
• Forum: General Discussion

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