190 Tournament

[GAJ]

Hi all I'm new to this site. I've been looking for a (used) center console or a bow rider for awhile until I found the 190 Tournament. It's the best of both worlds and I love the lines and it seems to be what I'm looking for. I've read a few things online but since I found this site I'd like to get the good, the bad and the ugly on the Grady 190. I'll be boating out of the Jupiter Inlet (Fl) so I might have to pick my days.

Thank-You

Gary

 

[Parthery]

I'd look for a '94 or newer 192. It's the same boat but with the Sea V2 hull.

I owned a late 80s 190...was a wet boat. Fun - but wet.

A 150 is plenty of power, although you do see some out there with 200s. A 150 will push the boat to near 45 mph. A 200 will do over 50.

 

[GAJ]

I'd look for a '94 or newer 192. It's the same boat but with the Sea V2 hull.

I owned a late 80s 190...was a wet boat. Fun - but wet.

A 150 is plenty of power, although you do see some out there with 200s. A 150 will push the boat to near 45 mph. A 200 will do over 50.

Thanks for the info. I had heard that the 190 where a little wet but if I do most of my boating on the intercostal and the bay I should be good I hope. Not to stay I won't get the V2 hull.

 

[Parthery]

Not sure what your budget is but this one is within driving distance of you...

https://miami.craigslist.org/brw/boa/4620614295.html

 

[GAJ]

I'm not quite ready to pull the trigger on a boat yet. I will not be down to Florida to open my house until the end of Nov. I'm still gathering info on the Grady and other boats. That is a nice looking boat and I hope it's still around when I get down.

Thanks

Gary

 

[suzukidave]

i've owned a 1986 190 tournament for 8 years. great boat. i love it. if you want a large, agile and very stable runabout/skiff with tons of storage don't hesitate on the 190. if you want a mini cruiser and plan to run in a 3'+ chop a lot the 192 may be for you, but the 190 will handle anything the 192 does, just with slightly more water over the bow. based on running side by side with my friend's 192, my view is that in mild seas (up to a 2' chop) the 190 is as good or better. my friend's 192 will often porpoise when i am running flat and he will change our cruising speed because he can't get the trim right when i have no issues. i believe this is because you can trim the 190 bow down a lot more without losing any speed, especially with under 200lbs in the bow seats.

the 190 has been a perfect boat for my family with 2 kids running in semi-sheltered waters on the inside passage in bc. it can handle anything up to a 4 foot chop without issues (if you slow down a little) and i rarely have to slow down from my usual 32 mph cruise. you will get sprayed occasionally as soon as there is more than 2' of water.

until the kids both reached their teens i could trim the 190 bow way down almost flat like a car and in good weather that's what i do because it loses no speed and makes for a really smooth and scenic ride. now the kids are older i have to trim the bow up and the v4 struggles to keep it there with bow weight. get a 150 or more if you intend to ride with folks in the bow or exceed 40mph.

with the family growing, i recently upgraded to a 95 223 tournament with the seavee2 hull. i temporarily have two boats. i like the 223 also, but there are clear tradeoffs with the seavee2 hull and it's like i own a grown up boat now. i would gladly own a pre-seav2 hull 223 and, in fact, i am not 100% sure i like the seavee2 hull yet. it is amazingly smooth and steady but i have a much more conservative boat. i have lost the agility and responsiveness of the 190 and the bow, so far, runs higher than i would like although i am working on that.

one last comment is that the 1980s gelcoat on the 190 is nicer than on my 1990s 223. it is glossier with more lustre and does not seem to attract grease and is easier to keep clean.

 

[GAJ]

Wow that's awesome info. I will not be out in the ocean much and from what you have said the 190 is what I'm looking for. Combo center console-bowrider. I'll be boating the St. Lucie area most of the time so going out the inlet will only be calm days if that. I'm excided about the 190 and now thinking about the one for sale in Miami . How about transom issues?

Thank-You

Gary

 

[suzukidave]

the transom is always a potential issue along with the floor/stringers. ideally, try to find a boat that has never had the bottom painted. this indicates a trailer queen with a lower chance of a rotted transom.

you can test the transom by hitting it with a wrench and a mallet and listening for tone changes and any dull mushy thumps, by tilting the motor all the way up and having someone hang off it while you look down the transom for bowing, by removing bolts in the hull and checking for water or rot, or by drilling new holes from inside the transom to check for rot. i wouldn't trust a moisture metre.

you need to do the same thing with the floors. the large removable hatch covers for the fuel tank can be recored with plywood, but if you have softspots elsewhere i would skip the boat. rot in the floors indicates soaked flotation foam and is a deal breaker.

one other comment on the 190 transom is that before 1988 the 190 has a 20" transom that fits long leg motors. from 1988 it is an extra long leg 25" transom. i see the 20" as an advantage. i have never had a freeboard issue at the transom, even when trolling in a following sea, and it makes it easier to board the boat off the beach from the rear. also, if you have to re-engine, all bass boats use a 20" transom so you can buy a used bass boat engine that has lived on a trailer and in fresh water. my original plan before buying the 223 was to buy an old bass boat, swap the motors, then sell the bass boat for what i could get.

 

[GAJ]

Again great info. I have a lot to think about but it's all good

Thanks Again

Gary

 

[mboyatt]

As others have noted, get a 1994 or newer model so you have the benefit of the Sea V2 hull. Also, I would recommend a 200 hp (2 stroke) on this hull. I am NOT a hell raiser, as I have 3 kids under 10. I have a 200 hp Evinrude Ocean Pro on my 192 Tournament and it is powered just right. I would be disappointed with less power. The 192 is beefy and has some weight to it. Don't know about 4 stroke on the back because I have never powered with a 4 banger. Anyway, the Tournament is just plain awesome. You can do anything in this boat and it is a tank for it's size. Good luck on your search!

 

[suzukidave]

i respectfully disagree on the 200hp, at least on a 190. with only a 40 gallon fuel tank you can't go far with 200hp hanging on the back and the fuel costs will add up quick. rather than go with brute force, pay attention to your prop, engine height and trim and get similar performance for less fuel.

i would say a 150 hp v6 is more than adequate. i won't try and sell you on my set up, which is the other extreme, but i will use it as a counterpoint to those telling you to get a 200hp. i had people tell me when i bought the 190 with a v4 looper 120 that it would be a dog and was ridiculously underpowered. i agreed and bought it expecting to repower immediately and to my surprise found it was quite adequate and a great motor that i couldn't bring myself to ditch. in fact, i had a friend almost convince me it must be converted to a 140 as the po had hinted which has turned out to be mistaken. grady fitted that motor from the factory on that boat. it is quick out of the hole, will pull a 200 lb skier, and will make 38 mph on an aluminum prop and burns less gas than a 175 yamaha pushing a 192 at any given speed. the only time i feel the need for more power is when the bow is loaded with people, and that is a trim issue, not an acceleration or speed issue.

 

[CatMar II]

We have a 1983 Tarpon 190. We are really happy with our boat. I wanted a center console but my wife wanted a bow rider. It was the best of both worlds. I like to fish so the back deck being open is nice. We don't have the back to back seats that convert into a lay down bed style. Ours has two pedestal seats and open to two rear seats. I like this because it really opens the boat up. If we are going for a cruise somewhere I take folding deck chairs and they're perfect. My gelcoat is still nice. There is some spider cracking on the floor but the boat is over 30 years old now.

Our boat has 2003 Mercury 135. It is fuel injected. I was worried the boat was underpowered but honestly it does well. We were out yesterday, two adults and a six year old. The water was like glass. I opened it up and the GPS had us at 38 mph with the tide, plenty fast. We usually cruise at 4000 rpm's and around 26 to 28 mph. Don't forget to look at fuel consumption. Our boat sips gas and that is nice. I fish with a friend who has a 220 Contender with a 200 Mercury. His boat has a carb and runs through gas like you wouldn't believe.

 

[GAJ]

Thanks CatMar

I'll check the Tarpon 190 out. I'm open to look at different types of boats but that GW 190 has the style, lines and class that's going to be hard to beat. I have plenty of time to find the right boat.

Gary

 

[GAJ]

I feel kind of dumb that the Tarpon 190 is a GW. Should have did some research first. I'm new to forum's and it is fun reading. I'll learn

Thanks

 

[suzukidave]

a tarpon 190 is an earlier version of the 190 tournament. same boat, different colour scheme

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

My brother had a mid 80s 190 and I once owned 192. Both are great boats but I must concur the SV2 hull on that boat makes a noticeable difference in ride and wetness. If you can spring for a 94 or newer you won't regret it. My 192 took me 30 miles off of Sebastian routinely and it is a great Keys boat too. I think it is the best 19 footer on the water. I will also tell you that when I repowered from a 2 stroke to a F150 4 stroke my fuel economy doubled. Just a FYI.