why is Grady still using wood ?

ttles714

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Does anyone know why grady is still using wood in the stringers and transomes...??
 

LI Grady

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The various boating magazines like to trot out articles now and then for shock value and expound on the virtues of wood since its goes against most peoples sense of logic.

Amazing as it may seem wood is the strongest per square inch material and as Mega said when properly used its good to go.

There's a reason why Rybovich, Jarret Bay, etc. use wood.
 

seasick

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ttles714 said:
Does anyone know why grady is still using wood in the stringers and transomes...??

TREEmendous strength.
 

BobP

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In conventional boat construction, anything else is 2 to 3 times as expensive, and for what better performance?

Isn't the price of Gradys too expensive as it is now ? Or are you welcoming and willing to pay a price increase yet no performance increase ?

With modern day so called miracle adhesives and the molded machine made, extruded, and foam pumped uni-hulls, wood doesn't have a place.
Make sure you get out of these boats before warranty ends, no long life actual experience with such designs and are irrepairable unlike fiberglass/wood construction.

The boat designs sold this way are touted for having no wood. What else can they harp about?

Alternately, you can get a steiger which is much heavier than comparable sized boats who go with more glass vs. wood coring, and pay for the gas forever to steam it around.

Everything is a compromise, nothing for free.
 

ttles714

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your sailfish...bob..great grady captain

I'm not totally sure what point you are making.. I asked my initial question because I am in the market for a new boat.. A GW Sailfish being one of my top choices.. I am a little "gun shy"..I have owned 2 Gradys, both having wood rot problems..(204c transom and 240 cabin bulkhead. Yes Gradys cost alot !!! No I am not looking to pay more...And I like to keep my toys alot longer than the warranty !!! I am asking myself if I should be looking at another manufacturer. Maybe one that uses no wood or one that does a better job protecting the wood..??? How about your evaluating of your own sailfish.. What do you honestly think of it. Pros and Cons I would appreciate hearing what you have to say... Thanks, Tony
 

richie rich

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Tony,
honestly, my Sailfish does has problems, but I knew the risk going into the deal (20 year boat) and I still did it because of the ride you get with a dense/heavy boat. I don't have the cash to buy a new boat costing upwards of 200K as it would be more than my house is worth these days...thats a tough nut to swallow as a weekend warrior. If money was no option....I'd go to another level of boat like 45+ sportfisher from Bertram, but thats another universe.....When I walk a boat show and step in many other boats and then into a GW, you can see the difference right away. The layout for fishing and fit and finish above the waterline is pretty much the best I have seen for that style boat...what they do below could be better in execution, but there are plenty of guys very happy with what they have. If you flip a boat every 10 years from new, you probably don't have much to worry about.....but if you're buying used and holding on, you have to be prepared for things to happen...on any boat.......they use wood because it works....some use composites and if done right they work...some of the best boats out there like a Hinckley uses composite and they are BEAUTIFUL boats, totally different style, but beautiful.....it becomes a very personal choice......but leave your mind open, do plenty of sea trials, and go with your gut....its your money and happiness...no one should tell you how to use it.
 

striped bass

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I called Grady White corporate today on this very issue. They put in writing to me that "All of our bulkheads/stringers, deck panels and other coring are made of treated wood carrying a lifetime warranty against rot and mildew. " The lifetime warranty is also in their sales literature and brochures. How can you beat that? Grady seems pretty confident on this matter. BTW Grady supported me when I had a deck issue and took care of it. So they put their money where their mouth is.
 

BobP

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There is no point I was making, you are asking a question.

A question with not much sense to it, like asking why do home builders still use wood, what answer would you expect ?

The reason your Gradys sustained wood damage is either one or both of the following: the wood was not sealed properly at the factory frok birth and /or anyone installing things or maintenance into the wood wasn' done properly. End of story, no other reasons.
Don't blame wood for rotting, it's not the wood's fault.

What's the roof of your house made of? Keep it dry and it was last until forever. How long is forever? Longer and more valve than any written warranty you could ever find.

The problem for you to solve while shopping, has nothing to do with wood or non-wood construction, so don't fret over it, if you read another thread here you will see another's members experience with a nonwood transom collecting water and the well known manufacturer refused to do anything about it, like it didn't matter. Well it does matter - but no warranty coverage for water in transom.

Your situation is very readily solved by buying new and dumping before warranty runs out, that's all you need to do, the same applies for cars, trucks, etc, then it will not effect you adversily the two reasons above, both out of your control.

No wood, untreated or not will self destruct in the warranty period, hence the reason the warranty is for the duration it is offered, not a lifetime one -make sense?

And does the warranty differ if more expensive non-wood members are offered?
No you say? Well why not? The material is 2 - 3 x the cost of wood, don't you expect a longer warrany?

The nonsense about wood guaranteed for life not to rot is nonsense sales speak, because the liability is limited to handing you over a bunch of wood to settle warranty, What good is that?

ie. How you you get the rotted wood out and truckload of replacement wood sitting in your driveway into theh boat?

Old wood has to be cut out and replaced, labor is 85% of the very expensive structural grid or transom replacements.

The transom on my boat in the valve of wood is about $350 (3 sheets of 3/4 ply), so why would a transom job cost $4-5k?

Get copy of warranty and have your lawyer read, for any brand boat you intend to sign at the dotted line on. Sell in less than 5 yrs.

Good luck!
 

CJBROWN

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Yer funny bobp. :wink:
All true. A man that speaks with wisdom. But yeah, can't type. :p

Poor Tony, he's been reading on THT too long. They bash the hell out of Grady's over there. Big fans for contenders or bayliners. The majority can't/won't pay the price for a Grady.

BTW, welcom to the forum!

One way to get around the old boat syndrome is to get a newer one, pretty much what bob said. The other thread on here was brama96 looking at '05-'06 282's, the prices are getting way down there, prolly get one in the low 70 thousands. Take good care of it and sell it in 10 years.

Besides, you don't want them old-tech 2-stroke motors anyway, right?.
 

BobP

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Where are many larger commercial fishing, cruise liners, and military ships built: out of Maryland?


Get an email off to them, why are they still using carbon steel in ship construction ?

What's the product warranty against rust in saltwater use ?
(Uh Oh, better get those destroyers onto inland FW lakes right away!)
 

BobP

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Believe it or not it is a break, guess what would have been happenned over at THT! Just coming here made the difference.

I wonder how the Parker guys would have responded to same question at their site.
 

richie rich

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Parker actually explains how and why they still use wood. I recall someone else mentioning them about their manufacturing methods in another thread. Don't own one so can't really say. But its funny how our local Grady dealer sells both products.
 

BobP

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You think that's funny? We have a local Yamaha dealer that sells ETECS too.

Strange bedfellows.
 

BobP

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Parker is the premier mass produced pilot house style boat in our area,on Long Island and came on like gangbusters in such a short period of time. Steigers are not mass produced in my opinion, they are very well done also.

Parker deserves the success they enjoy now.

A buddy has one, waiting to see Monster 34 footer on water.

Very heavy construction. My next boat is going to be a pilot house, done with canvas and plastic windows forever!