Upgrading to a Grady

Darryl

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I am considering upgrading to a Grady (never owned one before) and I am considering either a Sailfish 282 or a Express 305.
I am mainly a family cruiser type of person although I have many friends and relatives who love to fish and I would love to take them out. (we live in Florida).
I have my current boat inside on a rack in Dyatona Beach and I am very satisfied with the arrangement and would like to continue to keep the boat out of the water, however, if I get the 305 I cannot put it inside and will have to keep the boat in the water with all the advantages/disadvantages that come with having to keep the boat in the water (hurricanes!).
My question is: If I get the 282 and keep the boat inside, will I regret it later on? Has anyone in this forum travelled on a 282 for any length of time and has found it to be cramped?
I am fairly new to the world of boating and do not want to make a mistake through inexperience on my part.

Much appreciate any input that anyone could provide.

Darryl
 

gradyfish22

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The 282 is a great boat, traveling will be fine with 4, but I would only overnight with 2-3. The boat handles well for a 28ft boat.
The 305express has more space and creature comforts, and will easily sleep 4 and can cruise with up to 6 in comfort, it has more seating and a more cruiser friendly helm. I also am a big fan of the center helm chair, my 265 Express has it and the view from the helm is great, and makes site while maneuvering much easier.

Up sides to a 282:
It will cost less to buy, and operate
Can be kept indoors
Will not require bottom paint
Has a walkaround which is very safe for getting to the bow
Is easy to operate alone
Can be stored inside
Downsides:
Does not have a lot of helm seating for crusing in numbers
Will only handle like a 28ft boat in nasty seas, a bigger boat will handle better
Has a smaller cramped cabin due to the walkaround
Must cal ahead to have it put in, you cannot go out for a ride on a whim, boat may sit overnight if you come in and marina is closed

Upsides to a 305 Express:
Lots of helm seating for guests
More cabin space
Center helm chair
Has more interior cabin room and creature comforts, it will suit overnighting much better
Will ride better in rough seas
Has a larger hardtop and helm area to get out of the sun and in the shade
You can go out whenever you want since it is always in the water
Downsides:
Will cost more to buy and operate
Cannot be stored inside
Requires bottom paint, will need a barrier coat and then ablative paint, barrier coat isn't cheap and a gal of ablative is about $240/gal, you will probably spend about $1300 on paint if you do it yourself
Will likely need 2 to operate in most conditions unless you get the thruster to help you dock in wind

You really need to sit down and think about what you are going to use the boat for. Since you will not fish much, both boats will suit your fishing needs without a problem for the few times it is used to fish. As for cruising, the 305 is better suited, but you need to determine if the added expenses and keeping it in the water is worth the added cost. Decide how many will normally cruise with you, is it you and your wife mostly, do you have young or older kids? Decide on a normal trip how many ables hands you will have to help handle the boat. The 282 can be done alone, but I would recommend 2. The 305 really needs 2, with a bow thruster in most conditions you will be able to do it alone, but having you and someone to help is recommended, plus the thruster costs more. If you only have 2-4 on board normally, where will they likely sit, do you think they will want to be around the helm in comfort, or spread out in the boat, maybe the cockpit also? Will they want to be in the sun, or maybe in the shade? The 305 will provide more shade and helm seating, if that isn't important, a 282 will work well. Decide how far you normally will operate the boat, you can check the range and fuel numbers both on the Yamaha website, and the Grady website. If you only cruise local, either will work well, if you will be going outside the inter coastal and running more distance, a bigger boat is nice for seas you may encounter, but it will cost more in fuel. If you plan to run to the Bahama's, the 305 may be the way to go because that ride can get nasty quick and you may need the extra weight and comfort to do it right. Also think about if you will ever overnight, if you will more room is worth consideration. In all honesty, I do not use my cabin much, over the summer I will sleep on it once in a while before going fishing, but once on the water we only use it for the head, so more space would not benefit me, think about how you will sue it and if you need more space or not. More is nice, but is it necessary.
I'd suggest doing some research on both, make a list of what you like and do not like about each, walk on both models and make the list, if possible do it on the same day or better yet one after the other. Try and estimate the cost of each, that list and price will put things in a better perspective for you. When you look at each, maybe bring some friends to simulate how it will feel with the amount of people you plan to bring on a normal trip, see if it is cramped or feels right. If you are still unsure, then sea trial each, and see what you feel you can handle, some think a bigger boat is too much, others love it, one may ride way better then the other, or one may be just good enough for you. Hope this fuels your mind and gives you some things to help make your decision the right one.
 

Darryl

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Wow!! what a reply, thank you.
I see that I am going to have to be patient and really do my research.
Once again thanks for the fantastic reply.

Darryl
 

BobP

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If you can afford the bigger boat, a much more expensive boat, that will probably be equipped with twin F350s and the 25% or more fuel usage, then the bigger boat will not dissapoint you vs. the Sailfish, particulary if you intend to overnight more often than rarely.

Look at the Marlin as well, some say it has more room at the bridge to get around, and less costly than the 305.

As far as fishing goes, unless you are hardcore and intend to ignore weather conditions on fishing day, the Sailfish will be just fine. If not, the bigger the better!

Have fun. There are many 282, Marlin and 305 members here. No complaints from any of them, except a desire to upgrade to a 33X, what else is new?
 

BobP

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By the way, sea trail all boat models of interest before making a choice.
 

Grog

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If you plan on going to the Bahamas, I'd recomend the larger boat for more room, the generator, and better bad sea manors. Sleeping more than 3 on the Sailfish (unless 2 are kids) is too tight but 4 is OK on the 305. A Sailfish by yourself isn't that bad once your used to the boat, I can't vouch for the 305. When docking, extra people are more of a hindrance sometimes.

I never rack stored but do like being able to just go down on a whim, hop in a go for a ride.
 

Banana River View

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Darryl, I know what you mean about keeping a boat in the water in FL and worrying about hurricanes. Check with your marina or other marinas around. Some of them offer haul out plans. I had a plan with my marina in Melbourne that would get my boat hauled and blocked if a storm approached. It was not inside but it was out of the water. I had to use it once. I don't remember the costs but it was reasonable plus removing the worry factor :shock: as you lay in bed at night. Just a thought to add to your 305 list... BRV
 

Southern Hunter

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Darryl,

I have just recently purchased a new 2008 305 Express......and I absolutely love the boat!! Like many others said here when docking you will indeed need yourself plus 1 maybe even 2 when conditions are nasty. The boat handles big seas GREAT, we took ours out for the first time 2 weeks ago and went 250 miles round trip in stacked 4-6's and the boat preformed flawlessly. The 305 can indeed sleep 4 in the cabin comfortably and the seating at the helm is great! As far as fuel mileage goes, we have the F250's (plenty of power for the boat) and after that day of 250 miles round trip we burned 195 gallons of fuel with the boat loaded to the brim with tackle, fuel, water, 6 persons, etc. When researching on what boat we wanted it was a toss up between the 305 and the Marlin and the 305 ended up winning out because of, larger cabin, more helm seating, freezer plates, and a few other accessories that the Marlin did not offer. However the 300 Marlin is an awesome boat as well......it is just styled a bit differently than the 305. Overall I love the boat and would not have done it differently. By the way I trailer my 305 Express every trip and keep it in the shed at my house.....and it's not that big of a problem. So if you can afford the extra $ and want the bigger boat feel, go with the 305 Express!!!

PS......If you decide to consider the 300 Marlin in your list of choices talk to "Megabytes", he knows it in and out!!
 

mronzo

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Re: 305

Southern Hunter said:
Darryl,

I have just recently purchased a new 2008 305 Express......and I absolutely love the boat!! Like many others said here when docking you will indeed need yourself plus 1 maybe even 2 when conditions are nasty. The boat handles big seas GREAT, we took ours out for the first time 2 weeks ago and went 250 miles round trip in stacked 4-6's and the boat preformed flawlessly. The 305 can indeed sleep 4 in the cabin comfortably and the seating at the helm is great! As far as fuel mileage goes, we have the F250's (plenty of power for the boat) and after that day of 250 miles round trip we burned 195 gallons of fuel with the boat loaded to the brim with tackle, fuel, water, 6 persons, etc. When researching on what boat we wanted it was a toss up between the 305 and the Marlin and the 305 ended up winning out because of, larger cabin, more helm seating, freezer plates, and a few other accessories that the Marlin did not offer. However the 300 Marlin is an awesome boat as well......it is just styled a bit differently than the 305. Overall I love the boat and would not have done it differently. By the way I trailer my 305 Express every trip and keep it in the shed at my house.....and it's not that big of a problem. So if you can afford the extra $ and want the bigger boat feel, go with the 305 Express!!!

PS......If you decide to consider the 300 Marlin in your list of choices talk to "Megabytes", he knows it in and out!!

I love the 305! It's my 265 on steroids! The center helm gives great visability.