232 vs 228?

[luckydude]

I have a 2020 228 and am mostly pretty darned happy with it. I use it to fish. I'm kind of a pussy so at the end of the day, I want to run home as fast and as comfortably as possible.

There is a 232 for sale at my dealer, it's about 1500 pounds heavier and 15 inches wider and a foot longer.

Anyone have an opinion as to which boat is better in chop? I come home in 2 feet of wind chop all the time, on top of swell.

 

[coldpizza]

I like my GW Gulfstream 232. I moved up from a GW Adventure 208. I notice a big difference, not sure you'd see the same difference from your 228. I think the heavier boat helps in the chop. It has taken me some 'getting used to' stuff to dial it in. I fish along SoCal coast and have found that trimming down helps in my 232, vs what I did on my 208. It is definitely more comfortable with the extra length. I do wonder, since it is wide, if it would run differently (less slap) if narrower. All in all, I like it a lot and cruise in some pretty wet slop and run in the 21-24 range.
I think you have your 228 pretty set up, would you want to do the same to a new one?
BTW, I am preplexed on halibut catching, too.

 

[Rlloyd]

Larry, I don’t know which one rides better in the chop. You and I fish some of the same waters, and I would say that I don’t push my Gulfstream over 16 knots going into a light head sea, as I don’t want the pounding for my boat or the crew. I do love the extra width for roominess while fishing - it’s a very comfortable platform. The trade off is that it makes towing a bit more challenging due to the weight and width so I leave mine in a slip and only haul out for annual servicing. The slip (Moss) is super convenient.

 

[Fishtales]

I like the 232 with twin 150s on the aft. It's a very nice mid range boat. As stated it is a bit more than you have currently and should do better in the slop but your crossing into a bigger boat. Can still trailer but technically not legal in most states with the wider beam. I'd prob stay with what you have unless you are ok dropping the jing and taking the chance you will like it.

 

[Legend]

I went from Seaifarer to Gulfstream to a Sailfish. The Seafarer was a non SeaV@ hull so the switch to SeaV2 Hull Gulfstream was even more dramatic with improved comfort and handling. The switch from Gulfstream to Saiifish was pretty dramatic to bc of going from single engine power to twins. You will be very happy with a Gulfstream with twins!

 

[magicalbill]

Luck;

I have had both boats as you know from our previous discussions.'

I know what you're after and the 232 will not do it. It rides better than the Seafarer because of weight, beam and mass, but it will NOT take you home as fast as you want to go. Anything over 2 footers and that 232 will start slapping.

What you WILL get is a less athwartship-sensitive boat that will be more stable drifting in a beam swell, and more cockpit room.

It needs twins otherwise you'll want to kill yourself horsing that thing around a dock in wind/current. Trailering is a slight more hassle, but not enough to factor into your decision.

You would have come closer to your wish for quick return trips in the Marlin you were after.

As much as I wish a fast return run for you, a 232 won't get it done. Easy for me to say, as I don't have your foot and leg discomfort, but I'm afraid unless you go to a MUCH bigger boat, you are going to come back at the speeds you're used to.

Always fun to chat with my "Internet Friend."

 

[luckydude]

Hey Magic Bill and everyone,

I think the 228 is the right answer for me (actually, if they still made them _and_ I could get a slip, a 27 foot Sailfish seems like it would be perfect. Sigh. Hey Grady! Us west coast people buy walk arounds, not center consoles. It's cold!)

I just upgraded to a Dodge Ram 1500 with a 3.0L Ecodiesel (love it) and the 8500 pound load of the 232 is bigger than I can handle. And the extra $50K and I'm still coming home at 16 knots? Yuck.

Rlloyd, 16 knots? Is it on plane at that speed? And what do you see for real world MPG?

 

[Rlloyd]

16 knots is my minimum planing speed and I lift the stern a bit to maintain plane - but it minimizes pounding in a head sea.
my normal cruise is about 22 - 24 knots at 3700 and I get a little over 1.5 mpg. Wide open on smooth seas is about 35 knots, 40 mph. I’ve got 20-yr-old F200’s.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

What about something like a 258 Journey? They made them up until 2015, so it's going to be a considerably newer boat than a 270 Islander or 282 Sailfish. You can get them with twin motors, the dry weight is not even 300 lbs lighter than the dry weight of a 232 Gulfstream, it's got an 8'6" beam compared to the 228 Seafarer at 8' or the 232 Gulfstream at 9'3" and it'll have a transom door unlike the 228/232. It might be a good happy medium between the 228/232 and the 270 Islander...

 

[Keitha]

Lucky,
Come on down to Newport sometime and I'll gladly take you out on my Gulfstream 232. 2007 w/ twin 150's. I cruise to Catalina around 30mph and cruise home maybe just a scratch slower. I've found the boat like to move - I trim the motor just inward of neutral and put the tabs down 3 or 4 lights. I usually get 1.8mpg with half full tank coming home.

 

[BigD808]

I can say I rode on both boats, and ended up purchasing the 232 ultimately.

Each has its pros/cons I will list my thoughts below:

228 w/ Single 250 Suzuki

Pros:

Ride:
Upsea- shorter interval chop more comfortable less pounding.
Trailerability:
Lighter and shorter beam, easier to tow with 1/2ton pickup truck.
Fuel Economy:
I feel this is subjective to sea state, etc. But defiantly more fuel efficient.

Cons:
Smaller Cabin with less headroom
No step up “express style” command bridge
Wet ride in sporty conditions
Rear seating and live well take up cockpit area
Lower gunnel height (this could also be a pro depending, I have small children so I felt higher gunnels were better for my situation)
Tight between the helm and passenger seats (beam issue)
Shorter windshield (this is not confirmed, I feel that to me the windshield is shorter)
Lavatory Facilities (even though we particularly don’t use them, it’s better laid out on the 232)
No Large fish box
No options for twins (or I haven’t seen any factory. I guess you could add a different bracket and add twins aftermarket)
A little tight fishing more than 3 guys on it.

232 twin F150’s

Pros:
Wide beam
Larger cabin ( bunk is nice for my older child)
Better setup for overnighting
Large fish box on transom
Dryer ride (this may be due to wider beam and more bow flare)
Fold down aft bench (nice for family outings, or completely fold down for fishing)
Higher gunnels ( see reasoning above)
Weight (no replacement for displacement)
Twin Power (lots id)
Better field of vision ( possibly due to windshield height and step up)
More hatches for quicker bilge access

Cons:

Trailering:
Wide beam may require special permits.
Heavy (pretty much this boat is about 10k loaded, fuel, ice, gear. This pretty much pushes the limits of a half ton truck)

Ride
Up-sea:
Steep swell short trough: this boat pounds easier than the 228. There needs to be more care in weight distribution, trim, and tabs. (This being said the 228’s aux fuel tank and fresh water space was converted to a large fish box. The 228 was an ‘06 model which had the main tank further back. This space was usually full 300+lbs with ice, water, fish etc, which moved more weight forward which helped keep the bow down)
Bow rise (I feel there is much more bow rise on the 232 to get on plane)
Underpowered ( I feel this model runs better with twin 200’s. The 150’s get the job done, but in certain sea states struggle.)
Fuel Efficiency (compared to the 228)

Both boats I feel are class leading in this size range. I feel downsea, they both have similar excellent ride characteristics.

IMO the 232 is a good upgrade to the 228, if you’re looking for a larger cockpit, the redundancy of twins, a still trailerable (sort of) boat. It will give you that big boat feel (within reason) that’s still manageable single handedly. Don’t get me wrong, if I had the space, and a slip I would definitely be in a marlin. I keep my boat in my driveway, and trailer it to put it in the water, so this I felt this was the best “trailerable” boat that fits my needs.

Keep in mind, the 232 boat has tiny tabs for its size. Soon I will be upgrading to 12x12’s. When I’m trying to get the bow down to lessen the pounding, I’m putting the brakes on I have them deployed so much. But I understand you’ve upgraded your tabs on your 228, so you have experience with this.

 

[luckydude]

Keep in mind, the 232 boat has tiny tabs for its size. Soon I will be upgrading to 12x12’s. When I’m trying to get the bow down to lessen the pounding, I’m putting the brakes on I have them deployed so much. But I understand you’ve upgraded your tabs on your 228, so you have experience with this.

My 228 came with 9x12 trim tabs, which Bennett says are appropriate for a 17-19 foot boat. I upgraded them to 12x18 and it makes a big difference. Doesn't turn my 22 foot boat into a 27 foot boat, but lets me push the bow further down for a better ride.

I dunno what it is with Grady and tiny tabs, if you are in slop, you want bigger tabs. I had to cut mine a bit, see the picture, but it was an easy upgrade. You can find them on Amazon.

 

[BigD808]

My 228 came with 9x12 trim tabs, which Bennett says are appropriate for a 17-19 foot boat. I upgraded them to 12x18 and it makes a big difference. Doesn't turn my 22 foot boat into a 27 foot boat, but lets me push the bow further down for a better ride.

I dunno what it is with Grady and tiny tabs, if you are in slop, you want bigger tabs. I had to cut mine a bit, see the picture, but it was an easy upgrade. You can find them on Amazon.

The 232 also comes with 12x9, these might work for a boat this size with no bracket, and motors mounted to the transom. I’d love to go 18”s but with the 2 scupper setup on the 232, it will push the tab closer to the keel, which im not a huge fan of. I also add a 65qt cooler in the cabin filled with water, when I know I’m going to be running in unfavorable conditions, to add more weight up front. This seems to have helped keep the bow down to have a more comfortable ride in the short trough upsea.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Wet ride in sporty conditions

Dryer ride (this may be due to wider beam and more bow flare

That's interesting, my previous boat was a 21' Arima which will sit very low in the water and will take waves/spray over both the from windshield as well as the side windows. Comparatively, and yes I know that a 21' Arima is vastly different from a 228 Seafarer, I've not taken any spray over the front or sides of my Grady. I've been out in all kinds of conditions with the boat from flat as glass to probably 4'-5' swells or rollers. The only time I've ever gotten wet on the boat was when I was out fishing and it was raining as well as windy at the same time to where I'd be standing underneath the hardtop but still get wet. I could've thrown up the canvas curtains but I didn't want to try that for the very first time when out in 4'-5' swells.

 

[BigD808]

That's interesting, my previous boat was a 21' Arima which will sit very low in the water and will take waves/spray over both the from windshield as well as the side windows. Comparatively, and yes I know that a 21' Arima is vastly different from a 228 Seafarer, I've not taken any spray over the front or sides of my Grady. I've been out in all kinds of conditions with the boat from flat as glass to probably 4'-5' swells or rollers. The only time I've ever gotten wet on the boat was when I was out fishing and it was raining as well as windy at the same time to where I'd be standing underneath the hardtop but still get wet. I could've thrown up the canvas curtains but I didn't want to try that for the very first time when out in 4'-5' swells.

This condition I experienced, is typically with the tabs heavily deployed and a lot of weight up front heading upsea in short interval swells on a windy day.

 

[luckydude]

That's interesting, my previous boat was a 21' Arima which will sit very low in the water and will take waves/spray over both the from windshield as well as the side windows. Comparatively, and yes I know that a 21' Arima is vastly different from a 228 Seafarer, I've not taken any spray over the front or sides of my Grady. I've been out in all kinds of conditions with the boat from flat as glass to probably 4'-5' swells or rollers. The only time I've ever gotten wet on the boat was when I was out fishing and it was raining as well as windy at the same time to where I'd be standing underneath the hardtop but still get wet. I could've thrown up the canvas curtains but I didn't want to try that for the very first time when out in 4'-5' swells.

Huh, I run with the curtains on 3 sides, I don't use the ones facing the cockpit. I've definitely needed them in Northern California's Pacific. But that's in pretty snotty conditions, 6 foot swells with some wind chop on top (yeah, I shouldn't go out in that, 6'@9s is sort of where I go "why am I here?"). Normally, the flair of the bow does a fantastic job keeping the water off the boat, makes you wonder why all bows aren't shaped like that, I see boats with straight up and down sides and go why?

Where I will need the enclosure on 3 sides is when it is snotty with a cross wind. I don't think there is any boat that can stay dry in those conditions.

So Mustang, you run with no eisenglass at all? I would have thought that's pretty cold, I use mine mostly to keep out of the wind.

 

[Don Davis]

I keep my front and side curtains on all year long and in all weather but I fish mid Vancouver Island to the northern tip all year just to keep dry and out of the wind. I have only stuffed the bow once going slow around Cape Sutil in about 8 ft standing waves, gets exciting looking at water when looking out the windshield, a very humbling experience. Those scuppers work awesome when water barrels down the walk around channels.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

So Mustang, you run with no eisenglass at all? I would have thought that's pretty cold, I use mine mostly to keep out of the wind.

That's correct. I'm more of a fair-weather fisherman in that I don't do much fishing or boating before June or so, and then typically put my boat in the water in either late June or early July. The summers up here have gotten a bit warmer after the last couple years, though I typically don't get cold very often at all. Even if I wake up at 5 in the morning to go fishing, I'm still typically wearing a t shirt, shorts and flip flops. If it's cooler then it's usually a long sleeved shirt, though I did that a few times last summer and after a couple hours I was wishing I had worn just a regular t shirt because it was getting a bit warm out. I don't ever use the isinglass, I like to be able to get the wind and breeze going through the helm area and keep myself cool. The water up here is protected so there are usually pretty favorable conditions, but there have definitely been a couple of times where we've had 4'-5' swells or greater. I've yet to take a wave over the bow or sides of the boat and I think the only time I'd put up the isinglass would be if I were going out fishing during the winter or when the weather wasn't very good at all.

Anything above 45 or 50 degrees is fine with me, especially if I'm able to stay dry, and I could be out there in shorts or jeans and a sweatshirt or long sleeve shirt all day. Anything less than that, or if it's windy or raining, then I'll typically bring a windbreaker or something to keep the rain off of me. My buddy and I went out fishing in Port Angeles for a fishing derby a few years ago on my old 21' Arima and it was snowing the night before. It was in mid March and the morning we went out, the temperatures were in the high 20's to low 30's and with ice/snow on the ground. I wore some sweats underneath a pair of jeans and then a thermal underneath a sweatshirt, but after a few hours I took those both off as I was starting to get sweaty lol.

 

[luckydude]

That's correct. I'm more of a fair-weather fisherman in that I don't do much fishing or boating before June or so, and then typically put my boat in the water in either late June or early July.

I fish year around and I'm a wuss, I never take the curtains down. If it is really warm, I'll roll up the sides but in 3 years, I think I've done that once. Different strokes...

 

[Fishtales]

Watching posts for a while and the OP seems to be in a middle ground. Likes his boat but the slop and weather is an occasional problem thus looking at a Marlin and now a Gulf walkaround.
My advice is:
- Stick with one boat. You need to drive a decision to your problem and I don't believe 2X the cost and aggravation is the best solution.
- Record on paper every experience on the water for a period of time and decent amount of data. What is the frequency of bad weather/experience?
- Fish or cut bait. By that decide to get a walk or stick with what you have. From afar, it seems like a small walk may be your solution.