Grady @ FLL Boat Show

[Bob's Cay]

I do not know if it is a sign of things to come, but I noticed at the Ft Lauderdale Boat Show that Grady did not have a single walk around. If memory serves me correctly they had 22'. 25', and 30' dual consoles; 33' and 36' express; and a 23' and 30' center console.

Seemed different not have a single WAC...

 

[SoutheastFL]

I noticed several other boat builders had much smaller displays compared to previous years when business was better. Understandable but they're not going to sell what you don't advertise. When GW, with their deep pockets, cuts back times must really be bad. It was still a fun show and I bought a flats boat for fishing the keys for those days when the ocean is too rough this winter, can't wait !!! :lol:

 

[Average Joe]

I don't think they would get out of that market since the large majority of GW's you see on the water are WA's.

 

[Bob's Cay]

I think some of the reasoning behind the choice of models was location. I can see that express style and center console boats would be preferred in the South Florida market. The dual console boats are also popular and represent very recent additions to the line. But I do remember this is the "Fort Lauderdale INTERNATIONAL Boat Show". As such I would have thought they would have brought models representing the full range of their offerings.

I did talk to one Grady Rep that said that most buyers are now choosing the 330 over the Marlin and that Marlin sales are way down.

 

[megabytes]

I did talk to one Grady Rep that said that most buyers are now choosing the 330 over the Marlin and that Marlin sales are way down

Uh oh!

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

I did talk to one Grady Rep that said that most buyers are now choosing the 330 over the Marlin and that Marlin sales are way down

Uh oh!

Uh oh is correct Cummins. I think she is gonna be out of the picture soon.

 

[Lainie J]

Maybe I should hold on to mine few another year or so. She may be in demand in the near future and I might actually be able to get a fair price for her?

 

[megabytes]

That would be a real shame. Until recently the 300 outsold the 305 but if that has changed it is probably because they don't seem to be pushing 300s. I haven't seen one at a show or dealer in several years. If it gets dropped then I will either keep Megabytes a LONG time or Megabytes 3 will be a Pursuit 315. :uhm

 

[Gary M]

We carefully examined (in order) the Scout Abaco 35, the new Edgewater 335, the GW 330 and the in-water, Pursuit OS 345 yesterday at the Lauderdale Boat Show.

We'd rate the Edgewater and Scout/Abaco as tied for third and the GW 330 in second place, but the Pursuit OS 345 is so far ahead of the 330 that it's not funny. The fit and finish, the side helm, the incredible "bathroom", the very private and easy to get into mid-berth, the wonderful galley, the huge V-berth and on and on. This is the third time that we've looked closely at both boats on the same day. While sitting at the helm on the 345, I realized what incredible "visibilty" I had while sitting there! No electric panel that blocks the engine gauges and no hardtop frames blocking my view either! The hardtop and frame are actually part of the boat and not just bolted on as you can see here....

Hopefully, Grady is looking into this for future construction......

We may still move up to a used 330, but only until we can get into a used 345 in several years........

 

[SoutheastFL]

We carefully examined (in order) the Scout Abaco 35, the new Edgewater 335, the GW 330 and the in-water, Pursuit OS 345 yesterday at the Lauderdale Boat Show.

We'd rate the Edgewater and Scout/Abaco as tied for third and the GW 330 in second place, but the Pursuit OS 345 is so far ahead of the 330 that it's not funny. The fit and finish, the side helm, the incredible "bathroom", the very private and easy to get into mid-berth, the wonderful galley, the huge V-berth and on and on. This is the third time that we've looked closely at both boats on the same day. While sitting at the helm on the 345, I realized what incredible "visibilty" I had while sitting there! No electric panel that blocks the engine gauges and no hardtop frames blocking my view either! The hardtop and frame are actually part of the boat and not just bolted on as you can see here....

Hopefully, Grady is looking into this for future construction......

We may still move up to a used 330, but only until we can get into a used 345 in several years........

Your description really nailed it, IMO GW has really fallen behind Pursuit and it shows up most in their bigger boats. My dealer told me Pursuit got help from sister company Tiara to design the 315 and 345 and the quality speaks for itself. The helms and visibility are the best I've seen on boats this size.

 

[megabytes]

I have to agree. For years I did not buy into the fit/finish nod to Pursuit. I have been all over a 3070 at our marina and still greatly prefer my Marlin. The Pursuit OS series however has raised the bar. The cabins are gorgeous, as is the general finish. The 315 has the nicest bilge access I have seen. It was also polished with all systems organized in a manner that rivals Cabo.

I still prefer the Marlin layout. I hate the gray helm, transom door, and a few other aspects of the Pursuit. In general I prefer the GW design and layout but the Pursuit OS has pushed ahead of GW in several areas. Hopefully GW will respond. I have certainly voiced my opinions to the GW folks at every boat show.

The focus for the past few years seems to be creating a model in every size rather than re-engineering. The 330 and 306 are exceptions.
Dual consoles have been big sellers for GW so they have responded with additional models. The Canyon series are pretty boats although I really wonder if GW sells many CCs. Most of the hard core CC folks seem to prefer the deep Vs such as Regulator, Contender, etc.

I have no idea what the future holds but GW is focusing on what is selling. These days that appears to be DCs and cruise-oriented models with lots of helm seating. I can see the 300 getting left behind and dropped like the 282. The 290 may fill the void left by both but the jury is still out. In the meantime I am enjoying my 300 which turns 7 next week.

Oh, and I challenge Pursuit to match GW customer service! I could fill this thread with stories of how they take care of owners long after the warranty period.

 

[Gary M]

I still prefer the Marlin layout. I hate the gray helm, transom door, and a few other aspects of the Pursuit. In general I prefer the GW design and layout but the Pursuit OS has pushed ahead of GW in several areas. Hopefully GW will respond.

Mega, you've seen my proposal of a 34 foot version of the Marlin, what I call the 346 Swordfish. The same helm layout, but with a bigger cabin below, twin 350s, 350 in gas, 50 in water, 12 foot beam, etc. But, they seem hell-bent on Express models beyond the 300.

On the Scout Abaco 35, they have a built-in engine flush system that uses the on-board 60 gallon fresh water tank with no hoses needed! Awesome! The "equipment bay" with the batts, genset, etc is also very well finished with an air cond outlet and light in there! But there are just enough of the little things about that boat that will keep us from ever owning one.

The Edgwater has a short V-berth and no air cond outlet in the mid-berth. The boat is also bright white which I can't stand! Tooooo hard on the eyes on a sunny day. The Pursuit is just a few shades less cream-colored than the Gradys which I like.

The Pursuit cabin door is actually a double. The inner door is half-screened and the outer door is black enough so that no one can see in, but that you can see out. The "bathroom" has an inside, bi-fold door that is the linen closet door, but also becomes the shower door so that the whole head area doesn't get drenched during showers! The V-berth is easily huge enough that it could be set up as two, single beds during any "guy's" fishing trips. The big mid-berth has an air cond outlet, lights, rod holders on the aft wall, a small couch and even a three-drawer "dresser"! I asked my wife if she could be comfortable on a month-long Bahamas trip on this boat and she replied, "Would we really have to come home"? :dance

What I don't like about it is: Raymarine, no companion helm seat (I like to have two sets of eyes looking forward while running) and uh............ I guess that's about it!

My "mission" for now, is to convince my wife that a used 330 (2004-2006 or so), would be a great interim boat for a few years......

If the OS series from Pursuit sell well and become popular, Grady will have to sit up and take notice.......

 

[Greg B]

We looked at the Pursuit DC 265 vs the Freedom 255 and for a price within a few hundred dollars (advertised boat show pricing) the Pursuit was a foot bigger, 3" wider included electronics and had the nicer windshield frame and a powder coated hardtop frame. The Grady had the electric grill which was a nice feature and of course the great customer service. I spent about a half hour on the phone with Grady after seeing that and they thought that once I sat down with a dealer pricing would spread out in favor of the Grady. If you're advertising at a show, and your competition is better equipped, your pricing spread should be a lot greater than it was.

I'm having a hard time considering the Grady over the Pursuit based on what I saw at the show.