226 vs 228

[Doc Stressor]

I'm a former Grady owner (204C and 226). My wife has finally convinced me that I'm too old not to own the boat that I really want. We sold our 226 back in 1990 when we moved away from Florida. Now that we're back, I want to become whole again. :wink:

I am trying to decide between the 226 and 228. Does the Grady Drive bracket really make much of a difference in ride and fuel economy?

What are your overall impressions of both models?

 

[Butcherboy]

228

Hi, I recently moved up after owning my 228 for 18yrs. The 228 is great choice that I highly encourage. It has had a very long production life with minor changes, raising scupper height to handle 4s weight. The bracket may look odd but I think is the way to go.........Tom

 

[JiminGA]

I have nothing but praise for our 228. The cockpit is huge for a 22 and I really like the full transom. It provides more security IMO and also allows for a nice large, very accessible livewell centered at the front of the transom. This let us use the box, which on the 226 IS the livewell, to be used for other storage. The ride is terrific.

About the only thing it takes some getting used to is when approaching docks, etc. - anytime you need to use reverse. The trick on the 228 is to trim the engine out to the top of the trim pistons so reverse thrust goes UNDER the stern instead of AGAINST it. It makes all the difference in being able to manuever at slow/idle speeds. Bottomline is that as soon as I come off plane when approaching a marina or launch ramp, I immediately trim the engine up, followed be making sure I retract the tabs.

Feel free to PM me with any questions. I'm sure other 228 and 226 owners will be glad to give you their thoughts as well. Let us know what you decide.

 

[Average Joe]

I have a 208 and I'm seriously thinking about moving up to the 228. I just like the idea of the closed transom for one and the fact that it gives you more usable space between the jump seats (i.e.livewell/fishbox/cooler, vertical rod holders (3) and a baitboard/ tabletop).

For whatever reason dealers seem to be favoring the 226. I did a search recently and that's all I could find. Maybe it's because there is a substantial price difference.

I would consider a used model (06 or newer) but then I would have to be able to sell mine first.

 

[Brad1]

I recently sold my 226 :cry:

I never had a problem with water coming in through the transom opening, but one time it paid off when I took a large wave over the bow.

 

[bigk23surf]

I also never had a problem with water coming over the back. I have backed down on fish in nasty weather and had a wave come over the entire transom, would have done it with a full transom too. I was able to put it in forward and all the water went out the back in a couple seconds with no problem. I think the full transom might give a better sense of security but don't think it matters much; I'm sure others will disagree tho.

 

[Parthery]

I've owned both...

The enclosed transom knocks down the noise and gives you the extra livewell and/or cooler in the stern. It also adds close to 5' to the length of the boat which may be an issue depending on where you slip/store the boat.

The flip up door on the 226 creates a motorwell....but it has to be flipped down when you tilt the motor all the way up. Not a big deal....just a nuisance.

You can't go wrong either way....

 

[G8RDave]

I really like having the livewell in the center of the transom on the 228. Even if you don't fish it makes a great extra cooler.

 

[HMBJack]

Both are great choices. If buying used, buy the one in better condition with more options. Example: if you fish in the ocean, having the auxilary fuel tank is a huge plus as well as the hard top. However, if it's dead even, I'd lean towards the 228 - seems to be more sought after and the center live well adds more fish box space. I had a 228 for three years and am convinced it's the best 22 footer ever made (with a close second to the 226). Can't really go wrong with either one.

 

[Doc Stressor]

Thanks for the input guys!

For those who have owned both models, how does the big/bad water ride compare?

The layout of the 228 is certainly better than the 226. But my main concern is whether the extra cost in regard to both the purchase price and storage rate would be worth it for me.

The boat will be used for fishing in the Gulf. The short seas and long runs make a good ride a very important consideration. My pre-SV2 Gradys got me out there and back in just about anything up to 3-5'. But runs of over an hour were tough unless it was flat. This is probably going to be my last boat, so I want to get it right. I don't want to go larger than 22'.

 

[Butcherboy]

228

In regards to the loa. The 228 by adding 30" of bracket puts the boat @ 24ft 6in. The 248/258 loa is 24ft 9in for more boat and better ride with about the same economy..Tom

 

[Doc Stressor]

Ok, let me be more specific with my questions about the ride characteristics.

I am familiar with both the advantages and disadvantages of a bracket mounted engine. On the Pacific Coast, where I still have a boat, the bracket drives like the ones used by Grady have fallen out of favor. While they allow the engine to be mounted a bit higher for better performance and a smoother ride in moderate seas, they can be problematic in larger swells and rough seas. The boats tend to porpoise in swells and have prop ventilation problems in rough water. A lot of tab is needed to correct these issues and this ruins the ride and reduces performance. The problems are exacerbated by heavier 4 stroke engines that change the boats balance point relative the original hull design. Most of the higher end aluminum boat manufactures out there have gone to a different bracket design that brings the center line of the keel all the way to the end of the bracket. The added lift gets around the handling problems in bigger seas.

So that is why I am concerned about the 228. Because of the economy, there are no dealers in Florida with a 228 in their inventory. I also can't find anyone in my immediate area with a 228 since the design is not popular among shallow water fishermen. I can't take one for a test run, so I need to rely on the advice of 228 owners.

 

[bighook]

Hello,
I just sold my 226.It was a 2006 and a great boat.I fish on the north west coast in BC Canada.We have some of the nasties waters to fish in when the weather is bad.

My 226 was great,never had any issues and the boat performed awesome in the sloppy water.The 226 or the 228 will be a great boat for you.These guys are right.You find more 226's out there due to the $$$$ diff.

I only sold my 226 just a few weeks ago.To upgrade to a 232.

 

[G8RDave]

Doc, you're welcome to sea trial my boat whenever you want. In fact, the weather has been so bad recently it might be a great time to do a rough water trial. I'm just a bit over an hour south of you. I'm on Davis Island near downtown Tampa.

 

[Doc Stressor]

Wow Dave! I'll take you up on your generous offer.

I'm actually in Tampa right now after having diner on Davis Island. :shock:

I'll send you a PM with my phone number. I can come down again pretty much any time that you would like to show my your boat.

This is a great forum. 8)

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Take Dave up on his offer, too bad you cant sea trial a 226 too. I prefer the layout of the 228 over the 226 in terms of the cockpit. I had a 192 with a similar euro transome type design of the 226 and fished it in 2-3 and never had an issue with water over the stern. However, with that said I found it quite easy to adjust to the ride and handling of the 228 from the 192. Funny, when we were shoping in the carolinas and Georgia, none of the dealers had 226s and only 228s...

We like the boat and would recommend it. Oh, get the hardtop if you are buying new. It is a great feature of the boat and adds som storage space and frees up the ebox for a plotter only configuration. We have the Garmin 4208 with sounder module and there is ample room in the ebox for it. My VHF and alpine cd player are in the overhead box.

Good luck with your boat.