23 gulfstream vs 24 offshore

[jbrinch88]

I’ve been thinking about selling my 24 offshore for a boat setup the way I really want. Closed transom with twin engines on some type of bracket.

Found a local 89 23 gulfstream with this setup. It’s got the closed transom, hardtop, and twin setup on Gil bracket. Original Yamaha’s one being no good which doesn’t matter to me as I would be repowering it anyhow. The boat will basically need everything but I’d be getting it for next to nothing and with selling the two motors I could probably make out ahead.

Those of you who own this boat can you compare the handling, ride to the 24? I figured it would be a bit more stable on a drift with the bigger beam. Some people bash the 80s grady hull ride in a head sea chop, but im ok with it. Slow down and put the tabs down and my 24 was more than fine.

Hard to let my 24 go with the amount of work I have into it, but it would require a lot more money and time to close in the transom and repower it then to start over with a boat already setup that way.

Thanks in advance.

Jason

 

[Tuna Man]

I'll try to keep it short.
I owned a used 1988 24 Offshore for about a year, it was powered with a 1988 Evinrude (that we rebuilt) and had a notched transom.
I sold the Offshore and purchased a used 1992 24' Explorer with bracket, powered with a 1992 Yamaha 225, then repowered with a 2000 Yamaha 250 EFI.
My relative owned a 2000 Gulfstream with a 2000 225 EFI on a bracket.

Without a doubt the ride was better on the Explorer in head seas, like night and day when compared to the Gulfstream. It was so bad on the Gulfstream that he ended up oversizing the tabs in an attempt to keep the bow down, yes it helped a little but not much. Gulfstream was fine trolling, running in the bay, drifting, etc, just not good in a head sea. However, I am told that the Gulfstream rides much better with twins on the bracket. Doesn't make sense to me as the boat I spent a lot of time on acted as if there was a "air pocket" under the bow when the boat was on plane. I would have thought with almost twice as much weight on the engine bracket it would have exaggerated the problem, but I'm told the twins were able to "push" the nose down.

With regard to the Offshore vs. the Gulfstream, I still give the ride to the Offshore. It was before SeaV2, but it rode better in anything above one foot seas. One area the Gulfstream shined was when people were getting on the boat, it was significantly more stable. The stability was also noticeable when three roughly 300lb guys (friends of mine that like to eat) all decided to step to the port side when we had to the boat (glad I was at the helm).

 

[jbrinch88]

Tuna man thank you for the post, exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately the boat was bought this morning before I was able to see it after work. Wasn’t meant to be I guess. I will continue to run my 24 for now and see if any other deals pop up.

I wonder how my offshore would handle an Armstrong bracket with a pair of 150 4 strokes. Saw a few after searching and the stern seems to sit alittle low but i guess the scuppers could always be raised.

 

[Fishtales]

I like that 23 Gulf with twin 150s....