Hey, that's a cool link Eric. Gee, I see there's virtually zero difference from about '99 to the present.
John,
You need to see a 208, sit on it, go thru all of the features, and sea trial if possible. The ride is fantastic. We looked at EVERYTHING before we bought. I was sure I didn't want a Grady (before I saw one) because they were too much money. I was ready to pull the trigger on a new Striper, either a WA or a bow-rider style.
Hydrasport has a nice layout, as does Wellcraft. Mako has one too. You're right, there's a lot to choose from.
What I found was everywhere I looked, there's a great revere for Grady-White amongst experienced boaters. I have never heard a bad word about the brand, with the possible exception that it's a snob's boat much like a Mercedes Benz. Or you hear people question why someone would spend so much more for a given size of boat. The build quality is outstanding, and designs are fantastic, durability is excellent, and resale is better than almost any of them if not the best. People who buy bayliners just don't understand the difference, and it's pointless to try to explain. I have to laugh at some of the threads on other forums, not mentioning any specifics :wink:
The cockpit design is the best of all of them. Most designs have a 'euro transom' where there's a swimstep built into the back of the boat. It has a nice look and works great on the bigger hulls, but for the smallest of them it cuts into the usable space too much. In the Grady the seats are set back to the transom leaving an extra foot or two over the other brands.
The cabin on any 20 footer is really too small for serious overnighting, so the lack of a table and foot well with the v-birth filler in does not really detract from the 208. It's a storage area and napping place on occasion. That said, having a potti along if you have women or children is indespensable.
The Grady has been in development for many, many years, and with the owner-input the factory has made many updated design features and ammeneties too numerous to list. The glass-work is some of the best in the biz, top quality hardware, and everything works right on them. You really need to spend some time on one and you'll probably find like most of us that there is just no comparison to the other brands. Plus, if you're going used, which you mention, there are enough Grady's out there over the years that you should be able to find a good one that will fit your budget. Go with as new a model as you can afford, and get a survey!
Sorry if I sound like a Grady commercial, but I think you'll hear the very same thing from the other forum members...we just love our boats! I've been boating for more than 25 years, and you'll find most of the Grady owners are long-time boat owners; I think that says a lot as well.
