Would it be worth it to move up?

You only know your financial situation so you should decide if it's wise to finance a boat, or not.

Last June i bought a 306 Canyon and i am very happy with the boat as she has what i need and want.
Options were beautiful 32 and a 35ft Carolina Classic or a GW 330 Express but i finally decided for the 306 Canyon because she has wat i want and i am able to use and dock her under any condition alone, and that matters most to me.
Second point was the higher cost of ownership, slip fees, fuel consumption and maintenance and repairs for a bigger boat what is in your case limited except fuel consumption will be higher.

A longer and wider boat has always benefits when she is in the water, but less benefits if she lives on a trailer and need to be dropped and pulled every day of boating or engine problems happen.

Chris
 
Ekea said:
im not saying that due to price, im saying that due to a home being a requirement and appreciating asset vs a boat being a luxury item and a depreciating asset. also, where are you finding homes for $115k? im not sure that would buy a single wide trailer most places
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I'm not going to further derail a thread anymore than it already has been, and there is something called Google if you want to search for what you just asked. Lots of homes out there for $200k-$300k, or less, which is again in the price range of a lot of new Grady White boats, sometimes even used ones. To the OP, good luck with whatever you decide on doing. Let us know what you go with and post some pictures when you get a chance.
 
Go for it!
Life is too short to wish you’d bought a boat.
As to the financial side of things, purchase of deprecating assets covers most luxury items bought to entertain ourselves. I never looked at it that way. I looked at it from the cost of ownership view and can I own and have fun with it for a reasonable cost, whether it be a boat, car or whatever.
Had a chuckle from a very wealthy acquaintance the other day that volunteers at the same food bank my wife does. Paraphrased, “I have more money than I can possibly spend, but I’m still going to try to spend it all!”
 
Go for it. Do it while you can and enjoy. Upkeep and Maintenace is not going to be much different than your current boat.
 
I love the folks saying go for it! It really comes down to your financial situation as someone stated. You have to factor the knowns (what you have, your spend, your income etc), then there are the known unknowns that you have to factor and finally the unknown unknowns. It's a financial decision that needs to be thought out vs just do it. Again, just my 2 pennies but your approaching or in retirement. Things happen that are in your control (this being one) and things that you have no control over. Make sure the former is well thought out is my advice.
 
I started my Grady journey with the 275 Tournament 2010 model with twin 150's purchased in 2012. So I am familiar with the boat, 8.6 beam and the handling characteristics. I used her primarily up and down the Chesapeake bay. Often I say beam and weight is everything but I am going to revise that. I now have a 33 Canyon that is extremely comfortable due to beam and weight. But in between the 275 and 336 I owned a 228 center console Edgewater. The beam was also 8.6 on a 22-23 foot hull with a single 250hp. The weight difference was 4900lbs vs 3000lbs. You could imagine my trepidation to "downsize". I made the decision to downsize because at the time we were considering a larger cabin boat but I always wanted a CC for fishing. The 228CC overall with one engine centerline performed a ton better than the 275 stretched out with the same beam. On the 275 if someone moved to the side I was ALWAYS correcting by moving in the opposite direction. No use correcting with tabs as they were to slow. I would say she was riding on her rails if people moved to either side. That was not an issue in the 228 with same beam and engine located on the centerline and 1900lbs lighter. The 275 was a much wetter ride compared to the 228. She was notorious for taking spray in the tight chop of the Chesapeake bay. All this said, the 275 with a family of 3 boys 6,9,12 was the best decision for spending time together and I fished a ton with her. I was so worried to downsize thinking we would not go as far to destination weekends and that was simply not the case. The 8.6 beam is just suited much better for a smaller hull than the 275.
In short I think you will notice a huge difference in picking up that extra beam and the engine package is such a great motor. And you are buying a boat that many people want so your resale will be excellent. The beauty of the 275 was selling her 5 years later for exactly what I paid -2K. By the way we never got the larger cabin boat, held the 228 for 4 seasons until upgrading to the 336 Canyon. I look forward to hearing the differences of the two boats after you put a few hours on her. Good Luck
CT
 
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Fishermanbb said:
VERY different boats. The 286 is just bigger, heavier, rides much better, etc. The beam makes all the difference. Newer and with the bulletproof F300’s (Although the 150’s are great motors as well). IF you really use the boat and will benefit from any of that - Do it!…… If you only put 30 hours a year on it then you will have to weigh the benefit vs. the cost more heavily. However, the 285 will feel and run MUCH bigger than a 275.
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Absolutely right. The more you use the more you will notice the difference
 
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