Is Grady The Same???

Shamsul Hasan

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I happened to work on my GW 300 today,was fixing a new fishfinder and had to do some work under the helm.I was surprised to see the GRP finishing in areas not visiable.My 2001 282 sailfish was just flawless in all respect.What I saw today was not expected from GW.Now this is almost a new Marlin,that I have..... 2008.
 

ElyseM

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hey shams,
unfortunately, gw has cut corners like most other companies in the world (toyota included!). fortunately, customer service is still top notch and they stand behind what they build, and make right what needs to be. i had a bunch of quality control issues on my '09 that just shouldn't have been. they took care of whatever i asked.

on the plus side, the build is still solid and i expect it to last a very long time. ron
 

Shamsul Hasan

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Hi! Elysem,
There is no doubt that Grady still builds the best boats.I have been a loyal customer for several years now.Its not easy to live upto a Brand's reputation consistently over decades.Having said that; Grady customers will always expect the best.
 

Kenlahr

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I had a 2002 Gullf Stream and I now have a 2002 282 and I observed the same unfinished or roughly glassed over areas where you don't normally look. I have taken every single pannel and port cover off my 282 and I am suprised at what I see each time. The 282 is a great offshore boat and I wouldn't trade ot for another brand ... but you expect fit & finish everywhere you look when you buy a Grady. Keep in mind, these are 2002 boats .. well before the market crash.
 

Shamsul Hasan

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Kenlahr said:
I had a 2002 Gullf Stream and I now have a 2002 282 and I observed the same unfinished or roughly glassed over areas where you don't normally look. I have taken every single pannel and port cover off my 282 and I am suprised at what I see each time. The 282 is a great offshore boat and I wouldn't trade ot for another brand ... but you expect fit & finish everywhere you look when you buy a Grady. Keep in mind, these are 2002 boats .. well before the market crash.


Kenlahr,
Hi!! firstly,you have a very nicely kept boat,congratz!!!!.Yes,282 is a great offshore boat.I only upgraded to Marlin as I am getting old and need more comfort.I am not sure if Grady is cutting corners,its only that they are not giving enough attention to finishes of areas that are not visiable.We all love working on our boats and at times due to rough edges or unfinished fibreglass cause disappointment.
 

georgemjr

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Why would the unexposed areas need the same fit and finish as the exposed ones? As long as they are finished and not raw wood, it seems that the integrity would be the same. I am as anal as the next Grady owner, but am not sure that I care if there is a perfect gel coat finish behind an inspection port ot dashboard. Am I missing something?
 

Kenlahr

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From my point of view, I just expected things to be cleaner and more finished. And, sorry to say, not everything is completely "treated". I replaced several bulkheads on my 02 Gulfstream in 2005 because they were rottting on the edges. The more I took apart, the more exposed untreated wood I found. The bulkheads are caulked where them meet the floor, but where caulking came loose and water got under, the bulkhead rotted. The bulkheads are not high grade marine lumber either. Grady replaced everything .. with the same untreated bulkheads. So, watch your calking. I also almost lost my 225 off my Gulfstream in 2003 when the breacket started to seperate from the transom. The through bolts had small washers, no backing plates. Again, Grady stepped up, fixed the transom and put huge backing plates where the bracket through bolts came through .... but.... again, not expected on a boat with less than 100 hours.

I am not bashing Grady, love the boat layout and the hull design is solid. These are just my experiences, and you can bet I have inspected every inch of my 282 and I am slowley re-doing many areas of the boat. I have run my boats hard, puttting 300 to 400 hours a year on them, nearly all of those hours are running 60 to 80 miles offshore. That means a lot of salt which requires a lot of fresh water washing. If it moves grease it, if it don't paint it...this one has to last a long time!
 

DB

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With all the things one can worry about in our lives...your Grady isn't one of them...If you have a problem...they take care of it...have worked with many boat companies...Godfrey Marine, Glacier Bay, Southport, Worldcat...Boston Whaler.......NO ONE takes care of their customers like Grady White...worry about where you're going to dinner...stop worrying about your Grady.