freedom 192 vs 215 2018

[JP81]

I'm looking to buy my first Grady and find myself going back and forth on these two boats(freedom192 and 215):

intended use (family of 4):

80 percent lake boat about 5000 acre chain of lakes size, with cruising and water sport half of that time and fishing the other half.
20 percent Florida gulf and bay areas fishing and cruising mix.

Being Cost aware the 30k difference in price seams like a lot for a small head and 25sqft of deck space. I've sea(lake) trialed both and like them both. the boats I have leads on are both 2018 and both 200hp. Thanks for the insight ahead of time.

 

[GH236]

If you or your guest ever need the head, the cost will seem small.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I am by no means an expert or too terribly knowledgeable on open bow/dual console boats so I’m probably not the best person to offer an opinion on the matter. That being said, which did you like better when you sea-trialed them? If you think you’ll need/use the extra space and/or head consistently then I’d go that route. If you don’t think you’ll ever use it then maybe go with the smaller boat? Being that you have a family of 4, I’d think the women will especially like having the head as an option, and the added space will be nice if you’re consistently having 4+ people on the boat. They don’t call it “2 foot itis” for no reason… typically people start off with a smaller, less expensive boat because it’s their first, second or whatever and it’s what they can afford at the time. Pretty soon afterward “2 foot itis” kicks in where they want a slightly bigger/better/different boat and then they upgrade.

My parents had a 17’ Arima when I was growing up, thought at the time that it was a great boat and all we ever needed. The first boat that I purchased was a 21’ Arima and wondered how we ever managed with something 4’ smaller than it. Sold that after a couple of years and then bought my GW 228 Seafarer last October and the difference between the two boats both in terms of size and quality is night and day different. If you like the bigger boat and think there’s any chance you’d dislike the smaller one at any point then I’d go with the bigger one. I also think the bigger one will likely retain its value a bit more and be the more sought after boat, if/when you did go to resell it in the future.

 

[glacierbaze]

If you want your wife, daughter(s) if you have one, and their friends to enjoy boating, you need a head. I hope it doesn't cost you $30K!

 

[Halfhitch]

You mentioned there was a small head in the 215. It should be called "an unusable head" . I owned a 205 with the same head in the port console and it would work if you were 10 years old or less. A grown person has difficulty. Make sure you crawl in there and try going through the motions before you break out your wallet.

 

[JP81]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback, I'll try and climb into the port side head space prior to making the final purchase. Leaning towards the 215 at this point.

 

[TommyGirl225]

For what it’s worth, we loved our 192 for many years. Ended up upgrading to a 225 because we wanted the head and 10-passenger capacity. Definitely needed the 10-passenger capacity and have yet to use the head after two seasons.