Aloha,
This forum looks like a great resource as it looks like I’m about to drop a deposit down to have a 2021 208 Adventure built. I sold my first boat a few years ago (a little 18’ runabout), and have had been keeping an eye out for a good used walkaround since then. Hawaii has limited “quality” boats on the used market, espescially if you’re being picky on type and layouts.
I was always a big fan of the new Striper walkarounds and like what you get for the $. The new ones seem to have jumped up in quality a ton and I find many of the features hard to pass up. I was literally about to drop a deposit down on a new 200WA with the Alaska Pilothouse option for sale in California to have shipped over.
I loved the Alaska package idea for Hawaii as we almost always have some good winds and I wanted to be able to cross the Kaiwi Channel to Maui once in awhile without getting drenched. The Striper dealer however, was a bit slow to get me information and quote things out. Because of that, I shopped around more and decided to price out a new Grady.
The Striper was custom ordered but the buyer backed out and has a 175 Yamaha, bait tank delete and port swim step delete for a future kicker mount. It would end up being about $80k shipped to Hawaii. Which for me seems like a decent deal considering the Alaska package would essentially be free. Now, I began to research Grady-Whites more, and optioned out a new 2021 208 that I was told could be shipped by September. I added the following options:
-Hardtop with aft rod holders
-Seaglass Gelcoat color
-Yamaha 200 DEC (Electronic throttle)
-Ivory front, side, and back drop curtains
-Freshwater washdown
-Cockpit bolsters
-Garmin electronics package with 942xs+ That would be flush mounted with starboard rather than using the glovebox, GT23-TM transducer, radio with 8’ antenna
-handihead with overboard discharge
-Aluminum Trailer
My 208 is pricing out at about $97k, plus maybe another $5k to get it to Hawaii.
Now is this 208 worth nearly $25k more than the Striper? I am not sure, but I think I’d feel more confident in it holding up over decades of use and holding some of the resale (we all know buying a new boat is an awful investment) however that could be a substantial difference in what either boat is valued at in 20 years.
I do love the Grady, but there are some perks to the 200WA. The 200WA has the side channels funneling overboard, so when you take some water on the bow it pushed overboard rather than right onto those mid jump seats and the deck. Although the 208 has a larger fishing area on the stern, the 200WA seems to be wider in the helm area and roomier in the cabin. Another con to the 208, is honestly it’a dated. Yes, Grady has upgraded the materials and there is no wood anymore in the hull at all, but it’s essentially to their boats from the 90’s, and in some ways it kind of shows. The Striper although arguably lower quality, just has a “newer” look to it. It’s amenities are more designed around modern things such as a huge area for flush mounting any electronics versus the dated glovebox.
I’m 99% sure I’m going with the Grady, but it has been a tough choice. I’ll be doing some overnight “camping” trips to outer islands but mostly short day trips with friends to troll or just cruise around. I think I’ll end up loving the Grady. There is no perfect boat, but a 20’, easy to trailer, will fit in my driveway, sturdy, open ocean worthy, easy to fish and clean, with a cabin, hopefully the 208 will make me happy for decades.
This forum looks like a great resource as it looks like I’m about to drop a deposit down to have a 2021 208 Adventure built. I sold my first boat a few years ago (a little 18’ runabout), and have had been keeping an eye out for a good used walkaround since then. Hawaii has limited “quality” boats on the used market, espescially if you’re being picky on type and layouts.
I was always a big fan of the new Striper walkarounds and like what you get for the $. The new ones seem to have jumped up in quality a ton and I find many of the features hard to pass up. I was literally about to drop a deposit down on a new 200WA with the Alaska Pilothouse option for sale in California to have shipped over.
I loved the Alaska package idea for Hawaii as we almost always have some good winds and I wanted to be able to cross the Kaiwi Channel to Maui once in awhile without getting drenched. The Striper dealer however, was a bit slow to get me information and quote things out. Because of that, I shopped around more and decided to price out a new Grady.
The Striper was custom ordered but the buyer backed out and has a 175 Yamaha, bait tank delete and port swim step delete for a future kicker mount. It would end up being about $80k shipped to Hawaii. Which for me seems like a decent deal considering the Alaska package would essentially be free. Now, I began to research Grady-Whites more, and optioned out a new 2021 208 that I was told could be shipped by September. I added the following options:
-Hardtop with aft rod holders
-Seaglass Gelcoat color
-Yamaha 200 DEC (Electronic throttle)
-Ivory front, side, and back drop curtains
-Freshwater washdown
-Cockpit bolsters
-Garmin electronics package with 942xs+ That would be flush mounted with starboard rather than using the glovebox, GT23-TM transducer, radio with 8’ antenna
-handihead with overboard discharge
-Aluminum Trailer
My 208 is pricing out at about $97k, plus maybe another $5k to get it to Hawaii.
Now is this 208 worth nearly $25k more than the Striper? I am not sure, but I think I’d feel more confident in it holding up over decades of use and holding some of the resale (we all know buying a new boat is an awful investment) however that could be a substantial difference in what either boat is valued at in 20 years.
I do love the Grady, but there are some perks to the 200WA. The 200WA has the side channels funneling overboard, so when you take some water on the bow it pushed overboard rather than right onto those mid jump seats and the deck. Although the 208 has a larger fishing area on the stern, the 200WA seems to be wider in the helm area and roomier in the cabin. Another con to the 208, is honestly it’a dated. Yes, Grady has upgraded the materials and there is no wood anymore in the hull at all, but it’s essentially to their boats from the 90’s, and in some ways it kind of shows. The Striper although arguably lower quality, just has a “newer” look to it. It’s amenities are more designed around modern things such as a huge area for flush mounting any electronics versus the dated glovebox.
I’m 99% sure I’m going with the Grady, but it has been a tough choice. I’ll be doing some overnight “camping” trips to outer islands but mostly short day trips with friends to troll or just cruise around. I think I’ll end up loving the Grady. There is no perfect boat, but a 20’, easy to trailer, will fit in my driveway, sturdy, open ocean worthy, easy to fish and clean, with a cabin, hopefully the 208 will make me happy for decades.
