New Ride!? Grady 265Express

B

Boat Hound

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Seacoast NH (yes we have a little one)
I just had my offer accepted on a 2004 GW265 Express. I am pretty excited to get through the survey and get going. Motors are relatively low hours 280ish F225's.

Is there anything specific I should be looking for as far as common issues with this model? I am told this is the place for all things Grady, what else do I need to know about running and maintaining this model?
 
Congrats Boat Hound! I've had mine for 7 years now and have not regretted my decision once since then. Well, I kinda wish I had 4-strokes . . .
 
Another happy 265 owner here-
No real issues with the boat at all -

Fish her hard - clean her up - repeat

Tim
 
There apparently is an issue with some F225s having corrosion is the exhaust area. There are a number of posts here so do a search to get more info. Be sure to have the motor(s) checked out before buying because Yamaha is not fixing motors out of warranty.

Gary 89 Overnighter
 
Boat:
For a six year old boat you are on the cusp of when parts start to wear out - this goes for any boat manufacturer. The electronics are prime suspects. Make sure your surveyor checks out the wiring thoroughly as well as the components - GPS, VHF, Radar, steering, horn, etc. etc. The tilt motor housing may start to rust around this time and needs constant maintenance each season.
The earlier post said it best - check those engines out thoroughly. Most Yamaha and Grady White dealerships have certified Yamaha mechanics that offer engine "Systems Tests" that can quickly uncover issues. The cost is well worth the investment. Don't rely on just an engine surveyor. My experience has been that "surveyors" are too general. The better route is to use actual specialists like a fiberglass manufacturer/repair person for the hull who knows where all the hobgoblins usually reside and, as mentioned, an actual certified Yamaha mechanic for the engine.
Good luck and we are all waiting patiently for some pics.
 
I appreciate all the well wishes and the feedback. I am finding what has been mentioned, that an engine survey does not cover all aspects problems that may be associated with these particular motors.

I just got off the phone with the person doing the survey and he said the same which has been said on this thread- I need a Yamaha Tech to check for the corrosion issue.

I feel pretty good about the surveyor I am dealing with, he is seems to be pretty comprehensive. Scheduling 2 days to complete - one on the dry and one once it is splashed.

An interesting side note, he was familiar with the corrosion issues in the F225's and he said there seems to be a correlation to whether or not the boat is left plugged in.
 
265 Express

Tim (fishfinatic), you forgot, "have a beer?"...

You will find there is a loyal following of 265 owners here to help. I have on '03 that I bought used in 06' with 84 hours on her.

Going on our 5th season and we average between 140 and 180 hours per year, no major issues....I will suggest this, if you for any reason have to pull the aft hatch for a pump replacement, replace both of them. Well documented that its a pain in the a$$ to pull the hatch and rechaulk. You may also want to swap out the elbows where the rods for the seacocks attach, the older versions rust.

If you have questions fire away, you will hear back from us.
 
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