Have been lurking for awhile and learned a lot. After much research have decided that the Adventurer 208 would be my best choice to get back on the water. Would mainly use boat to fish New England coastline. My question is actually unanswerable but have learned to respect the opinions on this board. What can you expect for reliability of a 10 to 15 year old grady? There was a time when I could keep anything running but nowadays I don't want to deal with much more than routine maintenance. Is that unreasonable in a circa 1995 208?
Reliability of used boats
- Thread starter zeke115
- Start date
Hookup1
GreatGrady Captain
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2007
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- Age
- 69
- Location
- Cape May, NJ
- Model
- Islander
Reliability
I bought a '97 Islander that was re-powered with Yamaha 4 strokes. Sea V2 hull. The boat was well cared for inside and out. All wiring intact, no extra holes from electronis installations, etc. A little chalking on the hardtop. When something does go, like a pump, its easy because everything is original and not hacked up. Some minor cracks on the edge of thehardtop and some of the hatches. Gelkote the good condition. Transome surve, etc. checked out fine.
The big thing was the engines (twin 150's). They replaced SWS's.
To me my boat is "new". I paid more for the boat but it was worth it. There were plenty of bargains out there at the time. Some sold for less then half what they started out at. The conditions of the boats were not even close and the cost to rebuild something comparable would have been alot more.
Its my opinion that all sellers overprice their boats - even the crap boats. Find a couple of better condition boats, take your time and bargain hard. Nothing wrong with an older boat thats been taken care of.
I bought a '97 Islander that was re-powered with Yamaha 4 strokes. Sea V2 hull. The boat was well cared for inside and out. All wiring intact, no extra holes from electronis installations, etc. A little chalking on the hardtop. When something does go, like a pump, its easy because everything is original and not hacked up. Some minor cracks on the edge of thehardtop and some of the hatches. Gelkote the good condition. Transome surve, etc. checked out fine.
The big thing was the engines (twin 150's). They replaced SWS's.
To me my boat is "new". I paid more for the boat but it was worth it. There were plenty of bargains out there at the time. Some sold for less then half what they started out at. The conditions of the boats were not even close and the cost to rebuild something comparable would have been alot more.
Its my opinion that all sellers overprice their boats - even the crap boats. Find a couple of better condition boats, take your time and bargain hard. Nothing wrong with an older boat thats been taken care of.
I bought my 98' 208 last year from an older gentleman who purchased it new, dry stored it at the same grady dealership who sold it and they also did the maintenance. It was never fished and had about 150hrs on it for 10 years of service. On the rack next to a 2008 208 it showed even better since it was loaded to the hilt. What I essentially got was a 10 year old new boat, perfect condition, not a single stain or spider crack.
The first thing I did was perform all possible maint & inspections before even using it. Under even the most ideal circumstances I still had to (over a period of time) replace most of the secondary wiring, panels, and connections. New electronics (recently new fuel plumbing also). All told the upgrades were not extremely expensive, and I have contined to use the boat every weekend with no down time.
The end result is a boat that is 100% and at a fraction of the cost of a new"er" boat. This is largely attributed to the upfront deal I made and a willingness to spend time on weeknights working through the minor bugs.
The best tip I can give you is make sure everything is checked out beforehand and dont be scared to offer what is fair for the boat minus what it will take to get it up to par.....and then some.
Deals are everywhere.
The first thing I did was perform all possible maint & inspections before even using it. Under even the most ideal circumstances I still had to (over a period of time) replace most of the secondary wiring, panels, and connections. New electronics (recently new fuel plumbing also). All told the upgrades were not extremely expensive, and I have contined to use the boat every weekend with no down time.
The end result is a boat that is 100% and at a fraction of the cost of a new"er" boat. This is largely attributed to the upfront deal I made and a willingness to spend time on weeknights working through the minor bugs.
The best tip I can give you is make sure everything is checked out beforehand and dont be scared to offer what is fair for the boat minus what it will take to get it up to par.....and then some.
Deals are everywhere.
Welcome to the forum!
Plenty of 208's here, older boats too.
I started looking at earlier boats when we were shopping. I soon learned that motor technology took a big leap in the early '00's. The HPDI's came out, and the new 4-strokes. They are more reliable, quieter, smoke less (none on the 4S) and the fuel burn is at 30% less. For short runs on the smaller hull this doesn't equate to a lot of savings, but over time it's still there, plus the improved reliability. I decided I wanted the newer technology, so that's what guided my buying decision. Back three years ago, there just wasn't much for sale, so I was going to buy a new one. I found the one I bought by chance, wasn't even 6 months old. It's been great, we've put almost 300 hours on it in three years.
The old SWS motors are reported to be good, the fuel injected ones better - no carbs to get fouled up. But they are smokey.
A lot of boats in that vintage have gotten a repower - certainly something to watch for as that would definitely be an advantage. Or shop for a hull and bargain with the idea that you would repower with the motor of your choice. The motor in many cases is 50% of the value of the boat.
I forget which year the hull was updated on the 208, about that vintage, but you'll want that year or newer. They call it their SeaVee2 hull design. Rides better, runs better. Someone will post that year for us here, they went thru the whole model lineup over a few years so they're all different.
Gradys are good boats, nicely finished, and well laid out. The cockpit is huge in the 208 compared to anything its size. And it's their most popular model so there's always a few for sale to pick from.
Let us know how it goes.
Plenty of 208's here, older boats too.
I started looking at earlier boats when we were shopping. I soon learned that motor technology took a big leap in the early '00's. The HPDI's came out, and the new 4-strokes. They are more reliable, quieter, smoke less (none on the 4S) and the fuel burn is at 30% less. For short runs on the smaller hull this doesn't equate to a lot of savings, but over time it's still there, plus the improved reliability. I decided I wanted the newer technology, so that's what guided my buying decision. Back three years ago, there just wasn't much for sale, so I was going to buy a new one. I found the one I bought by chance, wasn't even 6 months old. It's been great, we've put almost 300 hours on it in three years.
The old SWS motors are reported to be good, the fuel injected ones better - no carbs to get fouled up. But they are smokey.
A lot of boats in that vintage have gotten a repower - certainly something to watch for as that would definitely be an advantage. Or shop for a hull and bargain with the idea that you would repower with the motor of your choice. The motor in many cases is 50% of the value of the boat.
I forget which year the hull was updated on the 208, about that vintage, but you'll want that year or newer. They call it their SeaVee2 hull design. Rides better, runs better. Someone will post that year for us here, they went thru the whole model lineup over a few years so they're all different.
Gradys are good boats, nicely finished, and well laid out. The cockpit is huge in the 208 compared to anything its size. And it's their most popular model so there's always a few for sale to pick from.
Let us know how it goes.
Zeke:
The bottom line on used boats is that they don't stay in "used" condition for very long if you want a reliable vessel. Electronics and mechanicals wear out on the best of boats so they must be replaced in order to keep the boat in safe operating condition. We love our used Grady and to stay "in love" we have invested many thousands to replace aging components and we will in all likelihood invest many thousands more over the next few years. The is no way around it. A "good" used boat is still a better financial investment over a new boat if you can find a solid vessel. But a continuing investment in replacement components will be required to keep it in good operating order. We live in coastal New England which is a harsh and hostile environment for boats so boat owners by necessity must be vigilant on the maintenance and upkeep of their vessels.
The bottom line on used boats is that they don't stay in "used" condition for very long if you want a reliable vessel. Electronics and mechanicals wear out on the best of boats so they must be replaced in order to keep the boat in safe operating condition. We love our used Grady and to stay "in love" we have invested many thousands to replace aging components and we will in all likelihood invest many thousands more over the next few years. The is no way around it. A "good" used boat is still a better financial investment over a new boat if you can find a solid vessel. But a continuing investment in replacement components will be required to keep it in good operating order. We live in coastal New England which is a harsh and hostile environment for boats so boat owners by necessity must be vigilant on the maintenance and upkeep of their vessels.
If you know the perosn and they are close to you and you have recently been on the boat and no secrets. should be good to go, but
if you gonna get a used boat form anywhere , survey, survey, survey...
cant say it enough. get 2 opinions.
Alway take it for a water trial.
Seen 2 many of my friends get the shaft because they rush due to a good price.
if you gonna get a used boat form anywhere , survey, survey, survey...
cant say it enough. get 2 opinions.
Alway take it for a water trial.
Seen 2 many of my friends get the shaft because they rush due to a good price.
Yes, a survey should be pretty inexpensive for a 20' boat. And you need a motor tech to inspect the outboard. They will find stuff you and I miss. Especially for someone new to boats.
When you write a purchase agreement it always has language about 'subject to survey and satisfactory sea-trial'. If there are deficiencies or fixes required or recommended, you can renegotiate the price, or walk away. Or if you just don't like the way it performs you can walk away. This shows your intent to buy if everything checks out a-okay.
Most financiers and insurance companies require survey past a certain age.
With my 40 years of boating I consider myself as good as a surveyor. But I still hire one to back me up. When I go to look at a boat it can take me 2 or 3 hours inspecting to even consider whether I would buy it or not. Check out my thread on 'smilies' for some boating history. I was pretty involved with old and new wooden boats for a lot of years - talk about a can of worms. :wink:
When you write a purchase agreement it always has language about 'subject to survey and satisfactory sea-trial'. If there are deficiencies or fixes required or recommended, you can renegotiate the price, or walk away. Or if you just don't like the way it performs you can walk away. This shows your intent to buy if everything checks out a-okay.
Most financiers and insurance companies require survey past a certain age.
With my 40 years of boating I consider myself as good as a surveyor. But I still hire one to back me up. When I go to look at a boat it can take me 2 or 3 hours inspecting to even consider whether I would buy it or not. Check out my thread on 'smilies' for some boating history. I was pretty involved with old and new wooden boats for a lot of years - talk about a can of worms. :wink:
I always find this to be an interesting topic. I personally try to maximize my purchases. That said I have owned my 25' Kingfish for a long time and purchased it four seasons old. I finally needed a repower a couple of years ago and looked at the "buy a newer used boat for the same money" or put the money in mine. I found that for the same money I would indeed be getting a newer boat BUT one with 8 to 10 year old motors. Granted the newer boats had all the new features but I felt those were on the verge of a repower also. I am happy with my boat, know what I have and so I repowered. I am very pleased with the result.
I feel that a used boat can be a very good deal. I paid less than half of what a new Grady cost at the time. Yes it was worth less if I had to turn around and sell it but I also paid a lot less.
In a used 20 footer I would try to find one in good shape and a model year that you like the features. If you think you will keep it for a while maybe one that is a good deal and maybe in need of a repower. In this ecconomy there should be lots of good deals around. If you can find a boat in good shape and hang a new motor on it you really have eliminated the possibility of many problems. There is not too much that can go wrong with a modern 20' hull that is not too old. Well one of the quality brands anyway. Don't pay a premium for old electronics or motor but again in this ecconomy there should be deals out there. If you don't have some fix-it skills find the newest used boat and motor you can afford. On anything used there is something to fix, even boats just a couple of years old. One issue you would want to check out prior to purchace if you are repowering would be the transom. Will the model year boat you are looking at be able to take weight of the four strokes? I think with a Grady this is easy to find out - just call them. You may not want a four stoke but being able to chose is a good thing.
In short personally I think a really clean used boat with a new motor is the best of both worlds. But this is just my two cents.
I feel that a used boat can be a very good deal. I paid less than half of what a new Grady cost at the time. Yes it was worth less if I had to turn around and sell it but I also paid a lot less.
In a used 20 footer I would try to find one in good shape and a model year that you like the features. If you think you will keep it for a while maybe one that is a good deal and maybe in need of a repower. In this ecconomy there should be lots of good deals around. If you can find a boat in good shape and hang a new motor on it you really have eliminated the possibility of many problems. There is not too much that can go wrong with a modern 20' hull that is not too old. Well one of the quality brands anyway. Don't pay a premium for old electronics or motor but again in this ecconomy there should be deals out there. If you don't have some fix-it skills find the newest used boat and motor you can afford. On anything used there is something to fix, even boats just a couple of years old. One issue you would want to check out prior to purchace if you are repowering would be the transom. Will the model year boat you are looking at be able to take weight of the four strokes? I think with a Grady this is easy to find out - just call them. You may not want a four stoke but being able to chose is a good thing.
In short personally I think a really clean used boat with a new motor is the best of both worlds. But this is just my two cents.
THe question goes to reliability.. That can mean a lot of things..Reliability of the engine itself and then everything else.Every boat is different.
Some parts wear out from use and some parts can wear out from lack of use. So think of what could deteriorate in a 15 year old car and multiply by 20 for marine environment.
Some parts wear out from use and some parts can wear out from lack of use. So think of what could deteriorate in a 15 year old car and multiply by 20 for marine environment.