My New Freedom 225 is in the Driveway

[Graybeard]

Well yesterday was a BIG day for me and I spent a lot of emotional engery taking delivery of our new Freedom 225 from Tri State Marine located in the quaint fishing village of Deale, Md. A BIG tip of the hat is in order for Ron young and the rest of the guys at Tri State for making this happen and creating an enjoyable experience.....even my wife felt welcomed and enjoyed the experience and that my friends is really saying something. With the new trailer I had to stop on the way home to get a 5 pin adaptor for the electric disk brake reverse lock out so I could back into the driveway. I also needed to get a new hitch ball mount with a 5" rise to get the new trailer running close to level. In the driveway the bow of the GW looks like a nimble sports car compared to the Optimus Prime sized bow on my old Parker. The bow entry is much finer with less of a Carolina Flair, but the running bottom has much more deadrise amidships. From the side the F225 looks longer and sleaker with a very pretty shear line compared to the utilitarian shape of the Parker. The bow and mooring covers that were included in the deal will keep the GD cats from clawing the upolstery like they did on my old boat. But when I saw how much they cost I'll need to get a tarp on them to protect them from the elements and all the neighbor's trees overhanging the driveway. With everyone coming over to see my new purchase I didn't get a chance to splash it before it was time to take the wife, as promised, to see Oz The Great & Powerful......well at least it was better than Les Miserable. The wife nixed the name Blackheart and everything seems to agree the name should be Graybreard because that's my long standing name on the Tidal Fish web site. Well I'm now an official member of the Chesapeake GW Boat Owners Club and the wife and I are looking forward to participating in the club events and enjoying the Grady Life.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Congrats on the boat! It is a fine day when you bring a new boat home for sure.

 

[Vic H]

Congrats and excellent choice on your new boat. Ron and the folks at Tri-State Marine sold us our first Grady, a 208 Adventure at the Washington Boat Show in February of 1993. They were great to deal with. Enjoy, as I know you will.

 

[ocnslr]

Congrats on the new Grady, and welcome to the family.

I still remember when I saw similar-sized Gradys and Parkers on adjacent trailers at the dealership. Dramatic difference in the way the bottoms are shaped, with the Parker carrying her "transom deadrise" very far forward before transitioning to the entry area, while the Grady is much finer from the entry to well aft, with the normal riding surface having the lowest deadrise.

That's why they work so well when you trim the engines down a bit, and use the tabs to push the bow down, so that sharp entry can cut through the Chesapeake Bay chop. Not dry, but no pounding.

We were at Tri-State for the flea market. Our son lives in Londontown and we were visiting.

Brian

 

[Graybeard]

We never got wet in the Parker when running into the snot be it wind, chop or both. But I did need to trim the bow down to keep the ride as smooth as possible for a 21' boat. I can see where the GW may go through the chop better, but at the same time I can see some getting wet based on the miminal bow flair We'll see. The Parker was a handfull in a following sea even with the trim tabs all the way up and the engine prop shaft running a little up from parallel with the water.

 

[RUFcaptain]

Pics!

 

[wlewis]

I picked up my new 225 on Saturday as well. Took it out for quick spin down the river. Looking forward to taking it for an extended run next weekend.

 

[Graybeard]

How cool was that.....Congrats. I wasn't able to splash mine yet, but today's Small Craft Warnings on the Chesapeake Bay aside, I'll try today after I get home from the doctor. I getting my head examined for buying such an expensive boat!!!! My wife blames my recent 60 pound weight loss on my decision to sign away my retirement and go further in debt. My F225 came pretty complete with gingerbread but no hardtop and I had to go with a 200 hp to keep the price do'able. I know it's 6" narrower than my old Parker but it looks like the trailer is narrower too because there just seems to be more room in the driveway???? And when I saw the price of the mooring cover I figured I need a blue tarp just to protect it from the neighbors overhanging trees, which make hail holy messes in the spring and fall. Hopefull the doctor will see me on time and it won't take too long so I can get some quality time with her this afternoon

 

[Robbinson]

Congrats! Taking delivery of our 255 in May (very similar boat). Best of luck and great times on your new Grady!

Brian