Just Registered for Great Grady

[yft52]

I recently traded my old boat for a 2001 Grady White 265 Express. I am the third owner of this boat. The boat is nicely equipped - loaded electronics - 2 bait tanks - 3 axel trailer - etc. Low hours. Clean.

I joined this forum today.

So far so good.

I've read a lot of the posts to the 265 Express Forum - a lot of great info that I can relate to. As with any 10 year old boat - this boat has some of the issues that other folks have discussed in the forum. Nothing major - just a lot of little things that need to be sorted out.

The boat has twin Yamaha OX66 225HP Engines. Overall the engines are in good shape - very low hours. I estimate around 200 hours. However they are 10 years old and the boat sat in a slip for many of those ten years. Working through some hydralic lift and trim cylinders issues currently ...

I live in Southern California - so we can boat and fish year round. Storm conditions - excepted.

I plan to work through the Winter months to work out the issues - so that by next Spring - Summer - the boat will be all sorted out.

Thanks to all that have posted their issues on this forum. It has helped me to learn about the foibles of this boat.

Thx. CK.

 

[jaydub]

Welcome to the forum and good luck with the new Grady...this is a great source for all those questions you may have. Fishing all year round is a good thing...me too!

 

[Enough Already]

Just post up with questions, lots of help here. I've got a 2001 as well - happy to help. Lots of projects under my belt.

 

[yft52]

thanks

Read about the black mold in one of the posts - have cleaned most of it out. Spray cleaner with bleach ... elbow grease. Got a couple more spots to work on.

Have the stuck macerator pump - changed the fuse - still stuck - didn't blow the fuse - so I think the terminals / screws are coroded on the terminal block down on the Groco Pump Assembly - working my way through it.

Have either of you two had issues with the windshield wiper motor. Mine looks brand new - I took the cover off and looked at it - seems to trip the circuit breaker on the dash next to the switch - I can reset the C/B and it will work briefly - then trip the C/B again - interestingly enough - this condition doesn't blow the fuse on the accessory fuse block - and it's a 5 amp fuse - one would think that any little extra dwaw would blow the fuse 1st. More stuff to work my way through ...

Bought a new Jabsco Raw Water Pump - haven't put it in. Next Weekend.

Have the funky Guest Battery Charger - one side shows green - other side shows red - all the time - batteries are new - so I don't think it is bad batteries ... have read the blogs - other folks have had the same issue. Although I did check the output voltage - both side are putting out close to 16 volts when the Guest unit is on and charging. ??? Who knows - just got to sort it out.

Had it out yesterday for a shakedown cruise - a little extra water in the bilge - I think one of the bait tank hoses are leaking - got to chase it down ...

Etc.

I have read enough of the posts that I see that other folks have had these problems already - so it makes it much easier to fix.

Yesterday - the starboard engine wouldn't trim - was stuck at the close in to the transom postion - so I couldn't quite get a good feel for the proper trim at the speed the boat seems to like on plane - this one seems to like 3400 - 3500 RPM / 28 knots - sweetspot ... A little fast for our So Cal Offshore Channel conditions yesterday - 20 knots would have been more appropriate - I'm hoping once I get the hydralics fixed properly that I can trim the boat up to ride better in our local sea conditions. We'll see.

thanks again ... the folks on this site seem to be pretty nice.

 

[RAINMAKER]

YF52, Please read my post on wiper motors in the tips section. NO affiliation with the co. or people just a good deal. That was about 3 hours of phone and internet time tracking down wiper motors or rebuild kits (none ever available for a 130.00 plus wiper motor :bang ) and not getting anything til I found AEI. http://www.aeiokla.com/default.aspx My two motors for my Sailfish will be here wens. and on by the wknd. if all goes as planned. Anywho if you need wiper motors ...... you have the info . Hope this helps and good luck with your new ride.

 

[yft52]

Thanks Rainmaker - I looked at thier website - looks helpful.

Although - I'm not sure that it is actually a bad motor - possibly another electrical gremlin.

As I mentioned in earlier post - motor looks brand new ... the circuit breaker by the switch trips after two or three RPM's - I can reset - it'll work again. It's not blowing the 5 amp fuse - which if it was a short or a locked rotor - certainly would draw more than 5 amps ...

I also have an electrical gremlin in my macerator pump - I've read that other folks have had same thing. before I spend the $500 - $600 on new Groco unit - I'm going to try and chase that one down too - I suspect corrosion - have you had issues with your macerator pump?

 

[RAINMAKER]

YFT52 Yes ........... Waiting on cold weather to sort that one out..... I wouldn't make a good plumber though ,not crazy about playing with my crap ,let alone anyone elses! Plumbers deserve every dime they earn!!!! :mrgreen:

 

[LeapFrog]

Stuck macerator as well... could watch the lights dim slightly when I pushed the button, but nothing would move... I knew I was getting decent power to the motor... ended up removing the macerator from the holding tank... (note: pump out, fill with water and repeat! prior to the repair...) It was lightly frozen... after working it back and forth, it broke loose and worked fine... but only for a few weeks... it's stuck again... I don't use the macerator very often (illegal inshore) and normally pump out whenever I fill up with gas... but had a few kids on the boat and they overflowed the holding tank... would have liked to have relieved the pressure instead of hosing down the blue trail coming from the pumpout cap...

We should trade trim pumps! My port trim doesn't work consistently using the thumb switch on the throttle... when pressing the switches on the base of the throttle, they both raise and lower at the same speed... Haven't tore apart the throttle or trouble shot it anymore since the work around worked, but need to get it fixed over the winter... so any experiences fixing it would be appreciated...

 

[Enough Already]

Search the forum for Groco and you will find all of the sad macerator stories. I've done mine twice now with Groco just because I'm such a stickler for OEM. It stinks because I rarely use the thing but just like to have everything working on the boat.

 

[yft52]

thanks Leapfrog and Enough Already - yeah I'm thinking that I'll end up replacing the macerator ... but I wanted to try the corrosion route 1st ... and I wasn't talking about motor itself - but the wiring on the out side - haven't got to it yet - but I will ...

Your comments are helpful ...

Leapfrog - on the trim unit - looks like the motor switch was "stuck" and it burned out the relay - so the fix was replacing the relay and the "stuck" switch ... we'll see.

The boat in general is in very good shape with a few gremlins which need attention ... I'm working my way through them so that when Spring / Summer / Fall come next year - boat will be perfect ...

Thanks for the posts guys ...