228 seafarer seaswirl proline

[howitzer]

just sold my boat wanting to buy 228 grady or seaswirl proline ect any of you thinking on moving up or down any help will be appreciated
would like to buy soon before money goes to boring house renos lol

 

[Ky Grady]

I've owned 2 of the 3 you listed. Buy the Grady!!

 

[howitzer]

tnx for prompt reply
yes im leaning towards the seafarer 228 with closed in transom which some of the 226 seafarer have also dont they?
Yours is the one im looking for.When did they change the curved front window from the more square one 2000 and newer?
Obviously preventative maintenance ,care and proper storage is the key to having a good one .The ones I have looked at are in the 1985 to 2003 era and they still seem to hold a good price. Is the sv2 hull make a dramatic difference

 

[UCPA111]

Love the seafarer! Watch for wet transoms. I have a 1984 model. Tackles Lake Erie craziness very well. Very solid boat and seaworthy. Can take more than my passengers can.

The seafarer has a lot of room for fishing in the cockpit. When parked near boats the same size and larger, it's tough to find something with a comparable amount of usable space, even in boats much larger. I see a lot of newer boats 25-27' and the guys are all over each other trying to fish and no room to run a net.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKY3HuZDoWwR_iSbBmZmWEkSuhFlgBwjb

 

[howitzer]

Love the seafarer! Watch for wet transoms. I have a 1984 model. Tackles Lake Erie craziness very well. Very solid boat and seaworthy. Can take more than my passengers can.

The seafarer has a lot of room for fishing in the cockpit. When parked near boats the same size and larger, it's tough to find something with a comparable amount of usable space, even in boats much larger. I see a lot of newer boats 25-27' and the guys are all over each other trying to fish and no room to run a net.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKY3HuZDoWwR_iSbBmZmWEkSuhFlgBwjb

Tnx for info on the restoration of a Grady just so happens I know of a company that picks up the old Grady’s in need of a facelift. They split them do the transom drill stringers for a test and replace if required Replace the fuel tank and all wiring gelcoat inside and out of boat new motor trailer and electronics and sell them for $50 to $70 k cdn What are ur thoughts on those ones being redone ?

 

[wrxhoon]

The boats you mentioned are not in the same class as GW, Boston whalers are close competitor to GW. I'm on my second 228 because I can't find another boat that suits me better, the only downside, expensive.
The front square looking window you are talking about changed in 1998 same with the side cabin windows. I can't comment on the difference between SV2 hull and pre SV2 as I only ever owned SV2. I can tell you I take mine 40 miles offshore off Sydney and she handles anything I have been in and we get big seas here, I'm confidant she will not break jumping waves. Only the 228 has closed transom the 226 ( same hull) doesn't . I don't think you will find another 22' boat with as much cockpit space.
Good luck in your search

 

[Doc Stressor]

I've owned both pre and post SV2 models. The difference in ride characteristics is significant. Basically, the older hull design will pound in a chop once it gets over 2'. The SV2 cuts through it and lands much more softly after launching from bigger waves. It is also drier. The older design handles better at low (docking) speeds and is somewhat more stable at anchor or when trolling slow. Both hulls can take more of a beating than I can. The SV2 is overall superior.

As above, Seaswirl and Proline boats are a cut below Grady in terms of fit and finish and overall ergonomics. Proline made all kinds of different hulls. Some ride OK and others are pretty bad IMO. The Seaswirls I've been on don't ride too bad at all, but not as nice as an SV2 Grady.

 

[Ky Grady]

The last sentence in Doc's response is dead on. I had no real complaints with my 2301 Seaswirl, it's a big boat for it's size. Cockpit area is quite a bit smaller for bringing fish in than my 228. The SV2 ride of the Grady is night and day different compared to the Seaswirl. Both boats are tab friendly but the landing going through waves is quite a bit more smooth and solid with the Grady. Having owned both, love my Grady!!

 

[Bdsp1234]

tnx for prompt reply
yes im leaning towards the seafarer 228 with closed in transom which some of the 226 seafarer have also dont they?
Yours is the one im looking for.When did they change the curved front window from the more square one 2000 and newer?
Obviously preventative maintenance ,care and proper storage is the key to having a good one .The ones I have looked at are in the 1985 to 2003 era and they still seem to hold a good price. Is the sv2 hull make a dramatic difference

Seavee2 hull came into production in 92. So don’t go older than that. In 2000 ( I think) Grady switched to wrapping marine plywood in glass for the transom. The Grady is a much better ride hull and will hold value much much better the other 2.

 

[howitzer]

The boats you mentioned are not in the same class as GW, Boston whalers are close competitor to GW. I'm on my second 228 because I can't find another boat that suits me better, the only downside, expensive.
The front square looking window you are talking about changed in 1998 same with the side cabin windows. I can't comment on the difference between SV2 hull and pre SV2 as I only ever owned SV2. I can tell you I take mine 40 miles offshore off Sydney and she handles anything I have been in and we get big seas here, I'm confidant she will not break jumping waves. Only the 228 has closed transom the 226 ( same hull) doesn't . I don't think you will find another 22' boat with as much cockpit space.
Good luck in your search

i have heard nothing but good on gradys can you tell me if a 200 hp 4 stroke is enough or 250 is what it should be or is a 250 abit heavy on the back knowing the 200 is 4 cylinder vs 6 i have always overpowered my boats but in doing that sometimes theres a bit to much rear weight that has to balanced by putting bow weight on and ball scuppers instead of the flap style

 

[mmiela]

I have a 226 with an F225, top speed for me is about 37-38. 225 is minimum and if you get a 228 250 wound be minimum.

 

[Bdsp1234]

i have heard nothing but good on gradys can you tell me if a 200 hp 4 stroke is enough or 250 is what it should be or is a 250 abit heavy on the back knowing the 200 is 4 cylinder vs 6 i have always overpowered my boats but in doing that sometimes theres a bit to much rear weight that has to balanced by putting bow weight on and ball scuppers instead of the flap style

I have a 200 HPDI on mine and get 5400rpm and 38.7 at WOT. It can handle a 250 4 stroke or 2 stroke. I would love a 250.

 

[UCPA111]

Tnx for info on the restoration of a Grady just so happens I know of a company that picks up the old Grady’s in need of a facelift. They split them do the transom drill stringers for a test and replace if required Replace the fuel tank and all wiring gelcoat inside and out of boat new motor trailer and electronics and sell them for $50 to $70 k cdn What are ur thoughts on those ones being redone ?

I can tell you I purchased mine for $2800. I put ~$42,000 USD into it (trailer, new Verado and rigging, steering, rewiring, new fuel tank, new lines, new thru hulls and hoses, new electronics, bolsters, transom, rod holders, down riggers, etc.) Just to provide a frame of reference.

I've never ridden on the SV2 hull. I do like the ride characteristics of the boat, and 95% of my time is trolling below 2.5mph and the boat is stable and secure. Lake Erie is a wicked wave....very close and steep. Bow does a nice job throwing the spray. I slow down and use tabs as necessary to even out the ride. SV2 probably able to slice better at cruise....

 

[howitzer]

I can tell you I purchased mine for $2800. I put ~$42,000 USD into it (trailer, new Verado and rigging, steering, rewiring, new fuel tank, new lines, new thru hulls and hoses, new electronics, bolsters, transom, rod holders, down riggers, etc.) Just to provide a frame of reference.

I've never ridden on the SV2 hull. I do like the ride characteristics of the boat, and 95% of my time is trolling below 2.5mph and the boat is stable and secure. Lake Erie is a wicked wave....very close and steep. Bow does a nice job throwing the spray. I slow down and use tabs as necessary to even out the ride. SV2 probably able to slice better at cruise....

Well that’s good to hear I’m having a hard time finding a newer one less than 5000 miles away I might end up doing just what u did new motor tank transom trailer wiring electronics for $60 cdn. Are u happy with the fit and finish of the boat Are you willing to share some pics what u power it with

 

[wrxhoon]

For my liking where I use my boat and the loads I put in it , I prefer the 250 over a 4 cylinder 200. Both my boats had 250 hp when I bought them. My old boat I re-powered immediately after I got her here ( that was the plan) She had the old bracket with the F/G step , they didn't change to full aluminum all in one step/bracket until 2011 or 2012. On the old boat I installed a new Merc optimax 250 HP . The old boat was quite a bit lighter than my new one mainly due to the hardtop, old boat had a vista top.The old boat was rated to 250 hp max, if it was rated to 300 I would have put a 300 on the back having said that 250 was sufficient for me.
The new boat has a 4.2 lt 250 again sufficient but could always use more power. I would be reluctant to hang a 200 on the bracket, these boats are heavy and they need the power.
These days 250 is the standard engine Grady installs and a lot of them have 300's. If I was to re-power and more than likely I will in 3-4 years I will install a Merc 300 V8 .
My advice to you, buy the newest boat you can afford rather than and old one and then spend the same money to refresh it. Keep her in good nick and you will be surprised with the resale value a few years down the track.
I would look for a boat without bottom paint and trailer kept if possible, lift is next best thing or a marina stack under cover out of the weather, especially Florida sun.
I have this observation with the 2 boats, the old boat wouldn't reverse as good as the new one, could be because the bracket in the new boat is longer so prop wash doesn't hit the transom as much.
5000 miles ? where are you located, can't be further than me, mine was well over 10000 miles!

 

[Blaugrana]

So, having just gone through my experience, you seem to be taking a similar approach. I started looking at various makes and models in the 22ft range before eventually landing on the Seafarer based on all of the reviews on the internet and feedback. You would think it would get easy once you decided on the Seafarer, but then the whole dilemma between the 226 vs 228 kicks in.

From my own experience, I was open to either, but then realized I actually preferred the full transom based on the layout of the boat and knowing it has a little more of a protective barrier to the engine since I have two younger kids (2 and 5, not really much of a reason).

Similar to the advice above, you want to find the newest boat you can afford and go from there. However, I learned that there is a sentimental factor that plays into your decision making and the price of the boat. For example, I looked everywhere for the 228, but didn't come across many. The ones I did find within my price range were neglected or were just missing something. I was about to make the trek to Savannah from NJ when a 228 popped up in PA. The boat was a year older than I had wanted, but I made a random visit to the boat and saw the owner with his wife cleaning and waxing the boat after just taking it out. Supposedly, they would take random trips to the Marina just to clean it and kept indoors when they didn't use it. The boat looked new even though it was a 2000, ran great, original cushions were in great shape, and was loaded with electronics (old ones). Whether I am a sucker or not, I knew full well what the market was for the boat and still paid 2 - 3k over because I didn't come across anything that compared to it.

As for the engine, my boat has a 225 Ox66 with a hardtop and it hit about 38 at 5400RPM. When I repower, it will be a 250 mainly because I prefer to have power in reserve than just enough. Depending on the year, avoid focusing on buying one with a 250 as you are making a hard find even harder.

Make sure you know the market and what you want. If you want a hardtop, limit your search to ones with a hardtop as the market for those with vs without do not accurately depict the cost of putting a new one on.

 

[UCPA111]

Well that’s good to hear I’m having a hard time finding a newer one less than 5000 miles away I might end up doing just what u did new motor tank transom trailer wiring electronics for $60 cdn. Are u happy with the fit and finish of the boat Are you willing to share some pics what u power it with

I am happy to share. She's a 1984, so there is evidence of her age....small things that I continue to work on with a little gelcoat here and there. From a confidence perspective, I have more confidence in what I have than buying anything used that is older than 5 years. I know exactly what I have and where. Except for the shell of the boat, hardtop, and hull...it's all new and up to today's standards. For example, I installed a marine circuit breaker panel for power to various circuits vs fuses all over the place. And, I store it indoors and trailer when I want to use it. No more extended UV damage or water exposure....

I know the transom and stringers aren't going anywhere. I redid the transom to enclose it and it is a beast. There is a bit of bias since the boat was a restoration project...but it gets so many compliments it makes me smile. At the marina, gas station, etc....people just have to come over and can't believe it's a 1984 model.

And then there's the giddy up and go. Pulling out the marina and everyone makes their run off shore....and the old 1984 seafarer lets them taste some wake. LOL!

I ordered a 300 Mercury I-6 Verado in February 2018. It was one of the last production units made of that generation before they switched to V8. I have absolutely ZERO regrets. It took 3.5 months to come in. Silky smooth, quietest motor I've ever been around, amazing mid line punch.... 2.76 mpg at 28-32 mph with 5 guys and 5/8 fuel, all rods out, hard top, and all gear on board. Typical top speed with that load is 48. I've touched 50...and that feels really fast! If you look in my prior post I have a link to my Youtube page that covers a lot of what I did...

 

[Fishtales]

Grady, Proline, Seaswirl. A deal of course may change the order.

 

[fordfisherman]

I had a 2301 Seaswirl- Liked it until I experienced the "death lean" with 6 passengers on board. Boat basically laid on its side chine coming off a wake- a combination of speed ,trim, tabs and weight. Pulled off the throttle and steered out of it- with my heart pounding out of my chest- Google Seaswirl death lean-
Sold it after that season. Get the Grady!

 

[howitzer]

theres alot of seaswirl up here in my neck of the woods and they look impressive good to know thanks ive been told and only been told the 2101 are a little tab sensitive I liked the 2301 but the sink is molded into the floor and cannot be taken out in order for 2 guys over 6 feet to sleep in.. I must be able to sleep 2 comfortably as we do alot of 3 to 4 night trips