There is a nice 2002 Grady White Express 265 for sale with Yamaha 225 with 1100 hours. Is this older boat worth my time? What should I look out for? Want to use monthly for fishing in the Gulf - Florida West Coast.
2002 Grady White Express 265
- Thread starter Mr. Fish
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That's way under powered, for starters. A single 225 is nowhere near enough power for anything but VERY light duty.
Like most older Gradys (sore point!), you need to check the transom bang cap and the transom integrity. Lot's of info about that availabe on the internet and here with searching - and there's nothing really new to discuss regarding that.
Get a good survey done - ask around for recommendations in your area. Good boat, though.
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I would imagine that has factory twin 225's. "Older" boat is very subjective, the 14 year old boat we just bought is the newest boat we have every owned. I like to tell my friends looking to get into boating you need to be handy or have an open checkbook, I tend to fine myself handy. You can get a good feeling walking on a boat if it was taken care of or not, then like Dennis mentions have the transom checked and enigne midsections unless you plan to repower anyways and its priced accordingly. I think they are all worth the time, its if it's priced right for needed work and it's clear what you will need to do to the boat to bring her to your expectations.
I just picked up a 2003 265 with 2005 yams 225’s. I had the survey completed and the issues I was willing to deal with. Great hull and motors. Lots of project.
SkunkBoat
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Its a great boat for a refit and a second life. Thats going to have 2 stroke OX66s probably. They were great reliable engines but now they are 22 years old. They will get 1 mpg at best...plus oil.
I would say its definitely not a "first boat". Its gonna take work...time...money....skills.......or more money....
Its a big heavy boat that carries 250 gals of gas. Built for fishing offshore. 22 degree deadrise great for running in crap but a little more tippy than other models with19.5 degree hulls.
Cabin is tight, no seating below. Great for napping while overnight fishing offshore and storing lots of fishing gear, but its not a 'camper".
Its not a trailer boat no matter what some people might tell you.
"Want to use monthly for fishing in the Gulf - Florida West Coast. " If you mean you are going to use it once a month you will be fixing something everytime. You will need to get it up to speed before settling into monthly.
IMO ..its a lot of boat for monthly...
Fishtales
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My advice is to get a survey - worth every penny.
The biggest risk is wet core materials on decks, stringers and transom. Look very closely at all exposed wood that is painted under decks. Glass work is expensive, minor repairs you can do yourself.
To have a transom replaced your looking $5-10K. Stringers and decks are lower price but more work to get at.
Enclosure should be inspected, this will run $2500 or so to replace.
Engines - lower unit oil, ensure it is clean and not milky, props, maintenance records, compression test, water flow at rest and underway, prop conditions (are they SS or Al?). Pull plugs and inspect.
Bilge - is it clean and do all pumps work, are hoses in good condition - any dry rot?
Fuel Tanks - Your getting close on an older boat. Do they need replacement? Fuel smell? Hoses in good condition and do gauges work?
Anchor and rode - does it need replacement? Few hundered if so.
Safety gear - is it all up to date is it all there.
Glass and gelcoat as well as sounding and moisture check. A good surveyor should do this.
The biggest risk is wet core materials on decks, stringers and transom. Look very closely at all exposed wood that is painted under decks. Glass work is expensive, minor repairs you can do yourself.
To have a transom replaced your looking $5-10K. Stringers and decks are lower price but more work to get at.
Enclosure should be inspected, this will run $2500 or so to replace.
Engines - lower unit oil, ensure it is clean and not milky, props, maintenance records, compression test, water flow at rest and underway, prop conditions (are they SS or Al?). Pull plugs and inspect.
Bilge - is it clean and do all pumps work, are hoses in good condition - any dry rot?
Fuel Tanks - Your getting close on an older boat. Do they need replacement? Fuel smell? Hoses in good condition and do gauges work?
Anchor and rode - does it need replacement? Few hundered if so.
Safety gear - is it all up to date is it all there.
Glass and gelcoat as well as sounding and moisture check. A good surveyor should do this.
The 265 is a great fishing boat, in 2002 the engines are probably F225s. Those engines are good dependable engines, however are prone to corrosion both in the exhaust system and around the thermostats. Lots of information out there on this. That being said it your going to re-power none of that matters. Get a survey done, so you know what you are dealing with. Since its a 20 year old boat there are going to be a lot of things that are going to need to be addressed/fixed or replaced.
I just bought a 2000 265 a few months ago. When I bought it, I knew it was going to need some things, but I got it for what I think was a good price. Mine had Yamaha OX66 250'S on it, those are now off and going in on Monday to get new Suzuki 200s. Definitely will help if you're handy, but lots of good people here on this site to guide you in the right direction.
Mustang65fbk
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I agree with most of what has already been said, but on top of that I'd definitely make sure you look over the boat as well as check to make sure there haven't been any claims, losses and so forth with regards to the insurance company. With it being a Florida boat, there's a decent chance that it could've been in any number of hurricanes over the past 20+ years, so I'd make sure that there isn't any obvious damage and then also have a surveyor inspect the boat with you. Below are two links to surveyor sites where you can search for one in your area. With regards to the boat itself, I don't know very much at all about the 265 Express's, so I'd definitely have a surveyor go out with you and look over everything. That being said, 2002 is from what I've heard kind of a transitional year where they started going from 2 stroke motors to 4 stroke motors and making a few changes to the boats to allow for the extra weight. I believe most of them would've had Yamaha HPDI outboards, which are a 2 stroke.
They are from what I've heard extremely reliable, though they will burn some oil, they'll be a little bit louder than a 4 stroke and you'll probably smell some exhaust. If they are 4 stroke Yamaha's around that vintage then also as stated above, make sure the surveyor or a Yamaha tech can drop the lower units and look up at the exhausts on the engines to make sure there isn't any corrosion. If there is, it's about $600-$700 in parts per motor, which can come out to around $1,500-$2,000 per motor to have the exhausts done. Which you don't want to spend top dollar on the boat to then have to spend potentially another $4k right away fixing the motors, if there is an issue, and you could work that into the price if they do need to be repaired. With regards to the boats age, I just bought my 2004 GW 228 Seafarer almost a year and a half ago and it was in fantastic shape. So it's not necessarily just an "age" thing, but more often than not it's about how the previous owners of the boat treated it or maintained it, or if it was neglected. Lastly, as mentioned above, a 265 Express is definitely a bigger boat for a newer boater, and there are similar boats like a 232 Gulfstream that also might work out well for you, especially if you're only going to use it a few times a month. I think a little bit more information about yourself like your budget and intended usage of the boat will help out some as well. Good luck!
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They are from what I've heard extremely reliable, though they will burn some oil, they'll be a little bit louder than a 4 stroke and you'll probably smell some exhaust. If they are 4 stroke Yamaha's around that vintage then also as stated above, make sure the surveyor or a Yamaha tech can drop the lower units and look up at the exhausts on the engines to make sure there isn't any corrosion. If there is, it's about $600-$700 in parts per motor, which can come out to around $1,500-$2,000 per motor to have the exhausts done. Which you don't want to spend top dollar on the boat to then have to spend potentially another $4k right away fixing the motors, if there is an issue, and you could work that into the price if they do need to be repaired. With regards to the boats age, I just bought my 2004 GW 228 Seafarer almost a year and a half ago and it was in fantastic shape. So it's not necessarily just an "age" thing, but more often than not it's about how the previous owners of the boat treated it or maintained it, or if it was neglected. Lastly, as mentioned above, a 265 Express is definitely a bigger boat for a newer boater, and there are similar boats like a 232 Gulfstream that also might work out well for you, especially if you're only going to use it a few times a month. I think a little bit more information about yourself like your budget and intended usage of the boat will help out some as well. Good luck!
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I took the GW 265 out for a drive this afternoon. Ride was smoth a silk in 2 to 3 ft waves. The Yamaha 225s acceleration was impressive; did not take her past 40mph. The GW 265 Cabin is tight, food prep area small, and no table. Thanks for the expert advice.
I will hire a surveyor for a full inspection.
I will hire a surveyor for a full inspection.