Adventurer vs Seafairer

[billsbets]

Allright you Grady heads here's a chance to throw your two cents in

Looking to buy a Grady--Mid 90's or so

CAnt decide between the 20 or the 22--I see alot of the 22 seafairers--Adventurers are hard to find Why is that and what's the significant differences that might influence the choice??
Thanx for your help and smooth sea to all!!

 

[G8RDave]

All I can figure is that the Seafarer is significantly more boat for not a ton more money. If you make the leap to a 20 foot w/a the next step is easy. But, I could be completely wrong. I just went with the biggest Grady w/a my truck could haul.

 

[striped bass]

billsbets:
Both are great vessels. Where you do your boating is an important factor in boat selection. If you fish in New England waters or go off shore even a little you will need all the boat you can afford. The Seafarer 228G is 600 lbs heavier than the Adventurer and total length is about 26 feet with the Gil bracket. These two additional features make for a more sea worthy vessel which you will come to appreciate. As has been posted on this site many times - go for a test drive in both of these hulls and you will be able to determine a lot on your own. Good luck. Naturally we are all interested is some pictures when you make you final selection.

 

[NIGHTIDES]

228 and don't look back....!!

Way back when I was trying to make my selection, the 20' Grady was everywhere and the 228 was very very hard to find..

 

[hotajax]

Adventure!!

I can't speak for driving small fishing boats into New England waters. But I can speak about driving my 20 Adventurer into the tight high chop of the Chesapeake. Where I fish, there are 5 rivers that come together into the bay. Add the winds and the tides to this much water, and it gets rough fast. Tides working opposite the winds getting funneled up and down the bay can make it pretty tough to hold your heading. I am impressed with what this boat can do. Also, a breeze to handle at the dock, with one man loading the trailer. I can't believe I waited this long to get a Grady. Guys who own them tend to hold on to them.

 

[wahoo33417]

Billbets: First, welcome to the forum. This is a good place to post such a question.

A few years back, my wife and I were looking to trade up from our 1995 208. (A great boat, by the way.) I did a little exercise: I compared the weight of each model Grady to its cost. By that measue, the 226/228 was the most boat for the buck. So we rode the 228. Although I thought the layout of the 228 was head and shoulders better than my 208, the ride was only marginally better.

Either would be a good choice. Obviously, two more feet a bit more weight will help in a chop. But in my experience, not a world of difference either way.

 

[fshnfool]

I went through the same struggle last year. Ended up with a 208. All about cost in my opinion. Didn't have the extra money to put out so I went with the 208. If I had the money I would have gone with the bigger boat. Probably would have pushed for the 228 because of the closed transom. That all said, I have not looked back since my purchase. The 208 has done everything I have asked and more.

 

[VinMan]

This very website helped me make the same decision. In fact, I think i asked the exact same question. I loved both boats and they are very similar. I got lucky and found a 2006 228G that was brand new at a Grady Dealership in Aug of 2008. Zero hours were on it.

I was able to go the 228G and haven't regretted it. I have two small kids so the closed transom is great. Also, my son and I camp on the boat overnight, so the bit of extra space is welcome. Both are very trailerable (I use an F150 with no problem) and both are easy at the ramp and in the side yard.

Good luck. Both great boats. Depends on pocket book but there are great deals out there right now...

 

[HMBJack]

I looked at a 208 and loved it. Brought the wife and we ordered one following a down payment. Was going to take 4 mos. to build and deliver to me here in San Francisco. Then, a month after we ordered the 208, on a lark, we "looked at" a loaded 228 on the dealer's lot. Needless to say, we bought it on the spot. I think I saved a step in upgrading from a 208 to a 228. We do all of our boating in the ocean and the 228 has proven itself over and over in some really scary shit. So if you not a tuna fisherman and have one or two kids, the 208 will be fine. But if you venture offshore, the 228 will be a better choice. In summary, both are great boats - just ask yourself how you will use it over the next 10 years.

 

[billsbets]

VINMAN
One of my hesitations on the 228 is trailerability
You pull yours with an F150???
ANy problems? How far do you tow it?
I am very worried I would need a new tow vehicle with the 228!!

 

[Average Joe]

I bought the 208 simply because I couldn't afford the 228. I hope to move up in the next coupple of years.

I tow with a 2005 F-150 w/tow package and I'm sure it's more than adequate for the 228 as well (rated at just under 10k)

 

[plymouthgrady]

228 every day of the week and twice on Sunday. It is Sunday, right? so...go buy a boat! :wink:
If you plan to do an overnight, the 228 has a "more spacious" cuddy. Not the Ritz by any stretch but you won't feel like you slept in a box.
Also, with the enclosed transom and centerline livewell (among other things), you really can't go wrong.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes.

 

[magicalbill]

NA2P is right..

I had a Seafarer for 10 years..Great rig, no doubt.
I assure you, a Gulfstream is a HUGE improvement. It's in a whole other class, and it rides way better.
The only drawback is the 9'3" beam, and it's a LOT heavier to tow. It is not a boat to tow with a 1/2-ton truck, but that's a whole other debate.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes.

 

[G8RDave]

The Gulfstream would cause some serious towing issues for me. I have a 2003 F-150 with a tow rating of 6,700 lbs. With the 228 fully loaded I am just under that limit, although I have not had any issues whatsoever towing it all over the place here in Florida (very few hills to worry about). Plus, the Gulfstream would require an oversized permit to tow legally whereas the 228 does not. I would bet that the Gulfstream would be too much boat if the current decision is between the 208 and the 228.

 

[Drifter80]

I'm going to second (or third) the comment about the Gulf. I love my 226 but I saw a Seafarer and a Gulfstream side by side at the detroit boat show last weekend and the beam alone made me jealous. For me, thats the next boat... although thats several years down the road.

 

[billsbets]

Indeed the Gulf is out--Just too big now
I'm not even on the coast yet-just time to upgrade and looking foward.
Running the great lakes now
Thanx for all the good input though Keep it coming

 

[CJBROWN]

It's hard to figure out how you'll use a boat and what best fits 'till you get out there and develop your own style.

We wanted the biggest boat our motorhome would tow, so the 208 just barely fit - the 226/228 would be over limit. While the dry weight may only be 600lbs. more, there is considerably more weight with the bigger engine(s), gear, and trailer. Figure at least another thousand pounds or so. An aluminum trailer will help. Here you can see why we wouldn't want anything bigger:

We felt the 208 was a huge investment for a little boat, the bigger boat is even more, and requires more power to push it so a more expensive motor too. But we were looking new or almost new. I could not find a 4-6 year old boat in our region, and wanted the most modern outboard available. I knew I didn't want a ficht!!

Some other user thoughts....
The 228 has a nice live well setup in front of the motor/bracket, while the built in wells under the cockpit seats are marginal. We use a Kodiak 32 gallon mounted in front of the motor. The bigger boat is an advantage there.

We don't sleep on our boat, so the cabin is a potti and storage area. The 208 works fine here, no advantage on the bigger boat. As mentioned, if you're actually going to overnight, the bigger boat has a very slight advantage. For me, it would require something a LOT bigger.

I would not choose a hardtop for a boat that gets towed a lot. However they are great for fishing and ocean work. Something to consider on either size; they are fairly expensive. I put a helm tonneau on and it's very streamlined for over-the-road towing. It's a blessing when it's really windy.

If I was to move up today it would be to a 265 Express or a 272/282 Sailfish. I would just skip everything in between. Otherwise, the 226/228 is just a smidge larger all around than a 208, but basically the same thing. The cuddy serves as a great weather break too, and having spent a couple of years on it would not consider a center console style boat.

Good luck with your search and let us know how it goes. You can't go wrong with a Grady, they are outstanding boats, regardless of what they say on THT :mrgreen:

 

[VinMan]

To answer your question, my F150 is a supercrew (4-door) so its a little longer than a regular cab. It also has a towing package and limited slip rear differential. The boat is close to 6k loaded with gas and stuff but the truck can tow 8,500lbs. She does just fine but I do live in Fl where there are no hills. I did buy it in Louisianna and towed it back to South Florida and it was fine.

I love the Gulfstreams. They are beautiful boats but my side yard is 10ft and my 228 barely fits next to my garage where I like it. Also, trailering those is a different story. For me, the 228 is the biggest boat I could own, which is what some of the guys on this site told me to buy, the biggest boat I could... Good luck...both are great hulls...