Wide beam models? (and LOA)

The wide 25'ers were Trophy Pro, Sailfish, & Dolphin. The Gulfstream is the wide 23.


Check out Grady's site and download the brochures for dimemsions. Not all models have pulpits and did you want a bracket or not and engines up or down. With the engines up, a Sailfish with a bracket and pulpit is over 30'.

Could squezze to a 26'er - the 265 express is a wide beam boat!
Tim

fishingFINattic said:

Could squezze to a 26'er - the 265 express is a wide beam boat!
Tim

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It's smaller (shorter) than a 25 with a bracket but same width. If you don't want the aft berth, the 265 may be a good option. It will handle the seas a little better and has more gas capacity 250 vs 200 but it's an express (no walk-around) and doesn't have the aft berth. But you will not get one for the price of a 25. What's the capacity of your lift? Neither model is light.

When you add the pulpit and outboards, the length increases significantly. I used to have a '93 Sailfish... what a great boat, BTW, and it is a 25' wide (9' 6") beam. But the overall length including the pulpit to the back of the outboards, was somewhere around 32' :shock:

When Grady began making the Eurotransom models ('94 on), they included in the stated length, the "bracket". Still, the overall length of a Sailfish with integrated transom/bracket, and putpit, is still 32' (or close, as I recall).

I *think* the 23 Gulfstream, with a pulpit, will be about 27-28' LOA. Time to modify your boathouse? :lol:

Your dolphin, trophy pro and earlier sailfishes are in the 25ft range and are wide beamed boats. also, the 265 express is a wide beamed boat and actually is only 25'9 loa, it really is a redesigned and tweaked predecessor to thse forementioned models and would be the newest model in the 25ft range. Below that you have the 23 gulfstream. Be aware, wide beams mean more interior room, but also a wide beam to length ratio is known for a more tender drift action then skinnier boats. A wide beamed boat will also be slightly less efficient. I love my 265 express and knew what I was getting into before we bought it(I design bots for a living so I know how certain characteristics will effect a boat). I love the deeper v then most models, it eats up a chop and laughs at it and the only times I ever feel that its slightly tender are the days I shouldn't be out on it anyways. I've had my 265 120nm offshore trolling and overnighting for tuna and had it out in 6+ft seas. Made a 95nm run offshore in 4-5's w/ 6's and an occasional 7 mixed in. Any 25' boat will be roughly 30' in length if it has a pulpit and bracket, the 265 does not have a bracket so that cuts 2 ft out which might make it fit easier. I believe some dolphins and sialfishes did not have them either.

Hope this helps and good luck!!

I think you have it backwards Gradyfish,The more beam the more stable the platform.Yes the wider beams are much less efficient than the narrow boats for 2 reasons,The narrower the boat the easier the water gets pushed aside as the boat moves foward and Grady wide bodies are built with much more support structure which creates more weight.That being said there head sea ride could suffer because the beam to length ratio compared to a narrow boat boat weight could make some of that up. Good luck -Pat L

My Trophy Pro is 9'6 wide and just short of 30ft long from the pulpit to the outboards

I recently sold my 2007 Gulfstream 23. With pulpit and twin 150s, I seem to remember 29ft 11 inches tip to tail. The thing to really compare is the cockpit area, where you do most everything. Cabin size mostly counts when you are going cruising, or entertaining on the boat.

Landlocked said:

I noticed the Gulstream specs. show a cockpit area of 56 sq. ft. and the 265 is 58 sq. ft...not much of a difference.

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True but the cabin is a completely different config on those two boats. The 265 has a nice queen size berth and a separate enclosed stand up head. Both of those were important to me when picking a boat.

LittleMrs said:

Landlocked said:

I noticed the Gulstream specs. show a cockpit area of 56 sq. ft. and the 265 is 58 sq. ft...not much of a difference.

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True but the cabin is a completely different config on those two boats. The 265 has a nice queen size berth and a separate enclosed stand up head. Both of those were important to me when picking a boat.

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Seperate head was a must for my wife - plus full kitchen (stove, sink, fridge)!

You talk about the cockpit space - one thing to mention - the 265 has one of the biggest fish lockers! I have put shark in the locker over 6 feet long!!

AND the live well on the 265 is huge too -

Tim

Lot of differences between the 265 and gulfstream, cockpit size is misleading. Gulfstream has a bracket putting engines further off boat causing you to reach far around them. If it has the aft bench seat, its even further, and the fish boxes in the transom don't help for fishing for a hardcore fishermen. The engines on the 265 are close to the cockpit, as close as you can get them. Don't worry about the notched transom and the fold down well on the 265, I've backed mine doiwn hard chasing a big bluefin tuna and the cockpit was dry and nothing came in even though we sure had it splashing hard against the well wall. The 265 has more cabin and more helm space. If you cruise with a bigger crew out the the greounds, the 265 will be more comfortable giving you a bigger helm and hardtop/enclosed area to sit in. Disadvantage is the deletion of the walkaround making walking to the bow tougher, but not bad. If you only go forward for dock lines or an emergency this is not an issue. You could fish off the bow of the gulfstream if you wanted, but I've owned walkarounds from grady and you will only do this honestly in calm conditions, they are no fun when seas kick up. The 265 and gulfstream both had aft facing seats for watching baits or for holding rods while fishing. The gulfstream has a transom seat on newer models, but is worthless when fishing, its faced the wrong way so its only good when running, but being so far aft and having a skinnier helm area and enclosure, means with any wind you will be wet there. It takes a lot of wind to get the cockpit of the 265 wet. Both are great riding boats and will eat chop well. The 265 will burn more fuel, but weighs more so in nasty seas is will handle better. If efficiency is more important a gulfstream may be better but you sacrifice comfort in nastier seas. If you want range, both are god but the 265 will run further. My 265 has a lot of range w/ F225's. I've run her 113nm one way, trolled for 8 hours, overnighted for tuna and then ran back 115nm to port on 198gal of fuel. For thr trip we were around 1.5nmpg...note I ran at optimum cruise 3/4 of the trip in and out, and at 5200rpm for 1/4 of the trip which is way above cruise to avoid a storm so brun would have been about .1nmpg better for the overall trip if we were able to stay at cruise.

You really cannot go wrong with either model, just depends what suits your needs better as well as your wallet. My Dad and I always wanted a gulfstream, but when we moved up we jumped over it and went to the 265 and have never looked back. The 265 is way more boat for the money honestly, but if you do not need all that then it may not be for you.

Figure your budget and requirements are and go from there. Oh yea, an older hull may require more work to get where you want it. Are you handy?

As a reference:
Older Sailfish, 20's to low 30's (more spartain but gets the job done)

265 or same era Sailfish, 60's (if you want fishability the 265 wins, for more of a family-fish blend the Sailfish wins)