Center console or walkaround/express?

patrick16

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I have owned both center consoles and cabin style Gradys. The center consoles are great for fishing but lack storage space. My kids like to dive, spearfish and rod and reel fish. The cabin would provide extra storage and the ability to sleep out if we wanted, but the center console is more fishable and has bow seating for cocktail cruising.

I'm torn. The boat will be used in St Augustine Florida offshore and inshore and I would like the ability to trailer it around Florida on occasion for adventures. I'm thinking 28 - 30 feet.

Any insights or advice are appreciated.
 

Ekea

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if you have already owned both styles of boat and you know how you will use the boat, no one here will be able to answer the question better than you can. it sounds like you want a cc, but a cabin is more useful to you

that being said, if you are looking for ideas to increase storage on a cc or how to overnight on a cc, others could help.
 

MA208

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I have a Marlin. I do love the storage of the cabin. Never have to take rods and gear on and off. It’s all set ready to go in the marina. That being said I’d imagine it would be hot in Florida most of the time. AC is nice and I use it on hot days. Also means running the generator if away from the dock.

Either way the 28-30 footers would be a lot to tow regularly.
 

billyttpd

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maybe a CC with a bow dodger over the front platform so you can sleep in that?
 

Fishtales

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The larger CCs have the step down cabin albeit smaller but do have an enclosed head. They are a good compromise. It all depends on your use case. If you do a lot of day trips in decent weather a CC is pretty hard to beat. I'm not a fan when the weather turns and even when they are used for a good day entertaining can be 1/2 up front, 1/2 aft. I grew up in a walk with 4 children, a wife and a dog. I can honestly say for us, it was the right boat. The walk has recessed walkway (not large but enough to safely get to the bow for fishing, sitting up on the cabin roof pads, tending the windlass and great for emergencies. Climbing out a hatch would be a big downer especially as you age. Is the walk the better layout - maybe for some and maybe not for others. That being said, I've never been scared in the Marlin and I've gotten caught a couple of times in some narly stuff. Waves busing over the bow and a lot of water over the hardtop but the enclosure really closes you in away from the elements. The newer ones have higher windshields. I leave the two small Strataglass pieces in all season - plenty of air flow. We stayed a few times 2-nights all of us on her. Made a make shift camper in the aft and the older one stayed out there with me. Can't do that on a CC. If fishing is your thing, the CC wins hands down if you have the platform forward. Still, it is a lot of fun with everyone in the cockpit fishing in tighter quarters. Good luck with your decision.
 

SkunkBoat

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Most important question...Are you docking or trailering?

If you are trailering get a CC. You don't need the storage and the way you use the boat will be based on launching and recovering probably in the same day. You aren't going to launch if the weather might blow by noon. Forget about trailering a Marlin for day trips. Thats just insane.

If you are docking at YOUR house, you don't need storage. Will you leave in the dark and fish fish sunrise and come back if it blows.
CC is a better inside choice.
Express/ WA gives more protection outside & offshore

If you are docking at a marina, get an Express or a WA. The boat becomes a destination. You need stuff there.
 

Hookup1

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I tow a 268 Islander with twin F150's from Cape May to Islamorada every winter. My new Ford F150 tows it fine but I'm at the limits of the vehicle. Anything larger and you will need a F250 class vehicle based on weight.

My 2022 F150 XL has a 11,300 lbs tow capacity. Not loaded. 3.5 V6 Ecoboost. 3.31 rear, 20" wheels, 36 gallon fuel tank and trailer towing package. 10-speed transmission tows like a dream. $55,000. That's double what I spent on my 2007 F150!
 

billyttpd

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I tow a 268 Islander with twin F150's from Cape May to Islamorada every winter. My new Ford F150 tows it fine but I'm at the limits of the vehicle. Anything larger and you will need a F250 class vehicle based on weight.

My 2022 F150 XL has a 11,300 lbs tow capacity. Not loaded. 3.5 V6 Ecoboost. 3.31 rear, 20" wheels, 36 gallon fuel tank and trailer towing package. 10-speed transmission tows like a dream. $55,000. That's double what I spent on my 2007 F150!
Im in the "same boat" as you with trucks. I have a 2022 F-150 STX 5.0 love it except the price tag...but when I bought it I knew they weren't going to get any cheaper, I had a 2010....Im going to keep the new one at least 15 years
 

Mustang65fbk

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To the topic at hand, I think that in Florida and the other southwestern parts of the country where it gets really hot, especially during the summer, there's a huge amount of CC style boats, and for good reason. I've got a 2004 Grady White 228 Seafarer, of which it is a walkaround style of boat, and love pretty much everything about it. That being said, I'm in the Seattle area where the weather is quite a bit different and the water is especially different in terms of temperature. Most of the time, the water in the Puget Sound doesn't get to be more than 48-54 degrees or so, even during the summer. So you can imagine, you'd rather keep the water, spray and elements off of you when motoring, especially if you do any sort of winter/spring/fall fishing when the weather isn't ideal. I also love the 228 Seafarer because it does have a small cabin, but I can put my downriggers in there as well as all of my other fishing gear and everything else that I might need. You can put safety gear in there like extra lifejackets, a toolbox or tool kit, etc. She has a seating for 6 and I've actually had over 10 people out on the boat before that were either seated, standing or sitting up front on the bow cushions, yet there weren't any issues at all. It really depends on your fishing needs and what you want to do with the boat as everyone uses their boats differently.

Up here, we troll for salmon and typically always fish off the stern of the boat. Some people use their boats up here for mooching or jigging, so it might make sense for them to have an open bow, but I don't ever do that kind of fishing. For someone like yourself where you've got the wife and kids and will likely use the open bow, it might be something where you consider maybe a dual console style of boat like a 275/285 Freedom? That way, you can use the open bow of the boat for cocktail cruising, yet you've got the rear of the boat to where you can do just about anything with it that you'd be able to do off of a walkaround style of boat. From a quick glance at the GW site, the 275 Freedom has an 8'6" beam which would definitely make it a bit easier to trailer as opposed to the 285 Freedom which goes up to a 9'6" beam. With twin F200's on the 275 Freedom, you're looking at a tested weight of around 8k lbs, figure another 1k lbs or so for the trailer and another potential 500 lbs for whatever other gear you might have. At likely less than a 10k lb towing weight, you've still got a good multitude of trucks that you can pick from that will be able to tow that quite reliably. In regards to a tow vehicle, my tow rig is a 2010 Toyota Tundra with the 5.7L motor and purchased a couple years ago for less than $20k as well as 120 miles , it has a 11k lb towing capacity of which it easily tows my boat.
 
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Hookup1

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As Fishtales and SkunkBoat have said it all depends on use case. Over the years I have spent a lot of time in Florida crusing and fishing. So much so that I don't use my boat up North. It goes South every winter. Anyway given that you are in St. Augustine, if it were me, I would not tow around Florida. Save the truck money and buy a bigger boat. Move the boat to wherever you plan to fish and have a vehicle follow you around. The decision to stay on the boat or just fish can help with the enclosed/center console decision.

Bigger enclosed boat opens up the Bahama's to you as well.
 
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Fishtales

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Most important question...Are you docking or trailering?

If you are trailering get a CC. You don't need the storage and the way you use the boat will be based on launching and recovering probably in the same day. You aren't going to launch if the weather might blow by noon. Forget about trailering a Marlin for day trips. Thats just insane.

If you are docking at YOUR house, you don't need storage. Will you leave in the dark and fish fish sunrise and come back if it blows.
CC is a better inside choice.
Express/ WA gives more protection outside & offshore

If you are docking at a marina, get an Express or a WA. The boat becomes a destination. You need stuff there.
Excellent points...