Tough question

Dictator

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I do realize this is a Grady site and I do love the 232 but here is my question and I am hoping for some non bias opinions. My wife and I are getting ready to purchase, we are going to spend 50k or less. I am having a heck of a time deciding on a used 232 gulf stream probably around an 01 or 02 (50k remember) or buy an 05-06 23 or 24ft say sea-pro or Robalo. I love the 232 but am really struggling with this decision. It is just my wife and I and we would enjoy fishing in the gulf with the boat. Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks Todd :D
 

gradyfish22

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Simply put, stay away from a sea pro, they have not had the best rep for quality, and everyone I know who owns them says they fall apart quickly.

As for the Robalo vs Grady, both are well built and quality boats. The gulfstream has more cockpit space and is built more for fishing. The wide beam is nice, adding more interior space making it feel much larger then it is. The cabin is IMHO not the best layout, but it works. It is not overly huge, but it does sleep two, it will not have the thrills inside others may. The Grady has a walkaround, it eats up space in the cabin but will provide safe passage forward.

The robalo is a nicer looking boat but has less cockpit space by far, it is more suited for cabin use. The cabin is much nicer appointed and since the Robalo does not have a walk around, but a flush deck it has more room inside.

Also note, the 23 gulfstream is more boat then a 24 Robalo, the robalo's overall length includes the euro transom which cuts deeply into cockpit space, you are really buying a 21-22' boat with a big transom. The Gulfstream gives you a 23ft boat with less of a transom since it has a bracket, it is a true 23' boat, minus maybe a 1.5ft for the transom and seat aft.

To decide what is best for you, you need to figure out your main usage. Are you going to fish or cruise more. If you fish, the cockpit is a big concern and space is valuable, if you will be cruising more, creature comforts and looks may appeal more. If you compare fuel and fishwells, they are similar enough to make them neglegible in deciding. If you fish, consider what gear you use and how you fish, a bracket is not easy to fish around, but you can get close to the transom on the gulfstream, except for the bracket itself nothing is in your way. The Robalo has a eurotransom, placing the engines far back from where every you fish making it a little tougher. The eurotransom does make boarding a little easier, you could opt for a full boarding ladder for the gulfstream, but that makes both equal in fishability from the transom. Decide how many you will fish, IMHO the Robalo will fish 2 in comfort, and 3 would be my recommeneded max. The gulfstream will fish 3 in comfort, and 4 max. I know you can get more in the cockpit, but if you really fish you do not want more then that. If you will be fishing with more, consider the bow are to add another angler, the gulfstream makes it easier to pass up front and fish, with gear and such, going forward on a flush deck is not always easy, my 265 express has flush decks and although I do not go forward much, it can be a pain at times. If you plan to cruise, this all may not matter as much. If you are looking to entertain, decide which will seat as many as you plan to have in comfort, how many may want to be in the sun, as well as around the helm. Will you have deck chairs and a table out, more space is valuable then to fit it and allow you to still walk by without everyone moving for you.

Both boats have a good resale value, the Grady will hold its a little better then the Robalo, but Robalo's do hold their value better then most in the market.

I'm assuming most will be similarly powered, compare fuel burns and speeds to see what may suit you and your needs best. With the price of fuel, efficiency may be a big deciding factor. Also take a peak at the helm, decide what helm guage layout is easy on the eyes and will make you feel comfortable operating. Make sure the line of sight is clear and you can see all of the boat from the helm. Check the windsheild height, if the frame blocks your sight, you will need to do something to change that or that is not an ideal situation. If the windshield is below your eye level, you may not want to run without drop curtains, the wind will always be in your eyes when running. Ideally you want one that is above eye level or at eye level at the least, I know not all boats are this way, mine is not and is one down side but in the NE I do not need to open all my curtains as much as you may want to in Fla. Check and see which boat will offer you enough space to mount electronics as you may want them, make sure they have enough space and that you will not be breaking your neck to see or reach them. If it is just you and your wife, you will want her to be happy, check out the Grady and the Robalo in the same day if possible, and list the positives and negatives of each model, and see what one suits you best. Your wife may like the comfort of the Robalo, but not walking up front to help with lines since there is no walkaround, that is something she needs to decide, after all I'm sure she has a big part in signing on the dotted line.

Hopefully this helps and gives you ideas to think about. Good luck in the decision, let us know what you decide.
 

Dictator

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Thank you very much Grady that is alot of great info and advice, I guess my biggest question though is 01-02 vs 05-06 ? Do I want to go older so that I can get a 232 or go with the robalo so I can get a newer boat? Which is smarter for the buck?
 

wahoo33417

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Trying to be non-biased, I suspect that a Grady will hold its value better than a Robalo and an '02 value likely will not drop as quickly as an '05.

Now, if I can be biased, we had a Robalo 25' CC as a work boat, and based on that I would not consider one for myself.

Rob
 

catch22

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I'm going to come off as being biased, but imo, the Gulfstream wins hands down. I had one and loved it. Heavy boat, wide beam, handled seas very well. Definitely gave you a feeling of security, and an excellent layout as far as fishability goes. Someone stated "the Gulfstream is not your typical 23 footer.... seems like a bigger boat". That's exactly how I felt about it. You'd think you were on a 25 footer.
I had a single 250 Yamaha 2 stroke, (ox66) and imo, it performed just fine. But, I think the ideal set up is twins.
I've been on some older Robalo's, and I thought they were well built. I get the impression that the newer ones are not quite as heavy, or tough as the older ones.
 

gradyfish22

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As mentioned above, retail wise, a newer boats value drops faster, one that is a few years old will depreciate slower. Your main focus should be layout, if one is hands down over the other, try and search for that boat and find one that meets your budget, if you cannot or feel uneasy about a boat of its age, then go to your other alternative. Remember, whatever you purchase ou want to last and be happy with, no regrets or second thoughts, buy what you need, not what you want as far as features go. Your main concern with any used boat is the engine. The boat you can tell if it has been cared for or not, but an engine is tougher. Find a boat with good service records, basic maintenance atleast every 100hours, if they do not log that many hours a season, that service should be done once a year IMHO. Also, tuned every 200 hours and more maintenance done, if you find a boat with good records, that is a big plus, it is not a sure thing, but likely that engine will last you a long time since the owner took all the proper steps to keep it running well. I do agree that twins would be ideal on a 232, but it is not a necessity. I have been on a 24 robalo center console a bunch of times, and it has good power, but the walkaround may be the same way, good, but twins might be ideal. It really comes down to what you can afford. Maintenance is more with twins, but fishing in fla with weather popping up quickly, having twins to out run it, or having one as back up incase you do get stuck in it is a big bonus. Additionally, twins will let you manuveur far better, I honestly cannot go back to owning a single outboard boat after owning one with twins. Twins may not be right for you, just giving you more to coinsider. You can get some great deals on older boats, do not let age scare you, my Grady is a 2002 that we bought last fall and it was in new condition, the previous owner had excellent records and the boat was well cared for, and was far less then a newer model. Good luck!!
 

Grog

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Did you look at the Islander?
 

gerrys

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IMO, 50K for a 2002 @ 23 feet is too much in todays market (you didn't elaborate on the power, hours or options included). There's a TON of excellent deals out there. I'd suggest that you could find a newer 23 Grady for less.
There's lots of room to negotiate. NADA book values are nada in this market. You can easily discount 10-15% off the book.
 

Tunateaser

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Dictator,

I am a new grady owner (2003 / 265 Express) as I purchased in February of this year and have experienced the market conditions out there.

As far as a Grady over Rabalo I owned a Post and Aquasport, my buddy owned a Rabalo and I have been on another buddy's sea pro. The sea Pro I would just not consider, the Rabalo is a good boat but in IMHO there is no Comparison to the Grady. I dont think I will ever consider any other vessel. Solid as a rock, no vibrating and jitters or leaks, no parts coming loose and so on.

Keep in mind what the dealers are not going to tell you, they are all scrambling to move boats of all kinds except the high end where most of those folks are insolated form an econimic downturn. When my wife and I were shopping November through February we experienced the market conditions decline. With the financial situation on the street continuing to decline the discressionary income and those toys that go along with that money will go first. For 50K you should be able to find a very nice Grady and negotiate the number to where you want to buy. I can tell you we negotiated our vessle down by 17k.

Just my opinion....And good luck on your decision.
 

Fishtales

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I'd look for a good deal on the gulfstream. Take a look at this versus the 282 Sailfish, and you will easily come to the conclusion that the Gulfstream is a good sized 23.

Gerrys has it right. Look around and shop hard. Expect a few no's, give them your contact number and move on. It is part of the process. You may be surprised to see someone will call. This is the worst economy for boats in recent memory. The rule is shop around and be paitent for the right deal. It will come.
 

gw204

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I suggest you look at the Parker 2510DV. It's longer, wider, heavier, has a larger cockpit, is built better and costs less than a Gulfstream. The only downside is it doesn't have the sleek styling or creature comforts that the Grady has.
 

gradyfish22

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As mentioned above, you should not be paying more then 10% below NADA unless the boat is a must have perfect 10. usually, NADA value is 10% lower then where it should be, but with the market it is at or higher, and boats are not moving well so sellers are willing to negotiate. Before we bought our 265 express we put offers in on 3 other 265's and only one called back, but it did not work out from thsoe three. We were about to give up for the season and the one we bought was posted for sale, we made an offer and the sellers turned it down, a week and half later they callled us saying ok lets make a deal and see if we can move this boat, they had a larger boat on order and their other offers were even lower then ours.
 

Dictator

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Excellent Excellent information and advice from all of you, when I posted these are exactly the types of replys I was hoping for. Great honest information and opinions from everyone, I believe with 90% certainty that we will own the boat of my dreams (232 Gulfstream) by next spring! Thank you all very very much and any further comments or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks again Todd@Deb :D :wink:
 

gerrys

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Good luck to ya mate!

When I bought my daughter's first car, tears streamed from her eyes when I simply walked away from an "uncooperative" salesman. After she learned that walking away can save thousands, she now brings tears to THEIR eyes with rediculously lowball offers. They always call back.

Boat of your dreams? Every new boat generates a new dream - 3 new boats in 4 years and I'm still dreaming.
 

grady23

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Probably one of the best things you could do for yourself and your wife is to contact a local Grady White Club. Go and meet some of the owners and they most will likely offer to take you out so you can see first hand. Grady owners love showing off thier boats. I have a '97 Gulfstream and have had many folks out fishing on it. The only thing, and I may have missed it, is where or not you plan to trailer the boat. You'll get into another arena once you go that direction.
What ever boat you decide to buy, make sure you have it surveyed by a proffessional. It could save you a HUGH HEADACHE not to mention a HUGH DENT in your wallet and turn you off on boating all together.