with our first year of boat ownership our Freedom 21 was a great boat and checked all the boxes for what we needed as new boaters. looking ahead we plan to have one more season with our current boat. After this coming summer we are looking to upgrade I would have thought the 255 or 275 would be logical choices but having the 8’6 beam the same as our current boat the 285 seems much more appealing being a foot wider at 9’6. I was just wondering if anyone on here has any knowledge on how big the difference is between the 275 and 285.
Freedom 275 vs 285
- Thread starter Beaur90
- Start date
Based on my research, the 285 does not pound as much s the 275 and in handles rougher seas more comfortably. Some of that better handling is due to the heavier hull and some is due to the wider beam. The 285 is less prone to rolling when seas are abeam and the boat is stopped or moving slowly In my quest for a newer boat, I focused on the 285 over the 275 based on feedback from other forums. It feels a lot bigger than the 275.There are accepted design parameters for the ratio of length over water (LOW) and beam over water (BOW). As a hull gets longer and the beam stays the same, longer hulls will be less stable roll wise ( think canoe as opposed to a barge
).
It may or may not be an issue but note that in many states, you would technically need permits to trailer the 285 on public roads.
The 285 weighs somewhere near a ton more than the 275 when fueled up. If you plan on towing, verify that your tow vehicle can handle the load.
). It may or may not be an issue but note that in many states, you would technically need permits to trailer the 285 on public roads.
The 285 weighs somewhere near a ton more than the 275 when fueled up. If you plan on towing, verify that your tow vehicle can handle the load.
The boat will be on the dock with a lift so no worries about trailering. But I have seen comments about the 275 having a rolling feeling while under way. Most likely a sea trial will put all of my concerns to bed. I definitely think the 285 would be the best fit for what we need.
Dolce Vita
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- Canyon 336
We had this discussion this morning:
I started my Grady journey with the 275 Tournament 2010 model with twin 150's purchased in 2012. So I am familiar with the boat, 8.6 beam and the handling characteristics. I used her primarily up and down the Chesapeake bay. Often I say beam and weight is everything but I am going to revise that. I now have a 33 Canyon that is extremely comfortable due to beam and weight. But in between the 275 and 336 I owned a 228 center console Edgewater. The beam was also 8.6 on a 22-23 foot hull with a single 250hp. The weight difference was 4900lbs vs 3000lbs. You could imagine my trepidation to "downsize". I made the decision to downsize because at the time we were considering a larger cabin boat but I always wanted a CC for fishing. The 228CC overall with one engine centerline performed a ton better than the 275 stretched out with the same beam. On the 275 if someone moved to the side I was ALWAYS correcting by moving in the opposite direction. No use correcting with tabs as they were to slow. I would say she was riding on her rails if people moved to either side. That was not an issue in the 228 with same beam and engine located on the centerline and 1900lbs lighter. The 275 was a much wetter ride compared to the 228. She was notorious for taking spray in the tight chop of the Chesapeake bay. All this said, the 275 with a family of 3 boys 6,9,12 was the best decision for spending time together and I fished a ton with her. I was so worried to downsize thinking we would not go as far to destination weekends and that was simply not the case. The 8.6 beam is just suited much better for a smaller hull than the 275.
In short I think you will notice a huge difference in picking up that extra beam and the engine package is such a great motor. And you are buying a boat that many people want so your resale will be excellent. The beauty of the 275 was selling her 5 years later for exactly what I paid -2K. By the way we never got the larger cabin boat, held the 228 for 4 seasons until upgrading to the 336 Canyon. I look forward to hearing the differences of the two boats after you put a few hours on her. Good Luck
I started my Grady journey with the 275 Tournament 2010 model with twin 150's purchased in 2012. So I am familiar with the boat, 8.6 beam and the handling characteristics. I used her primarily up and down the Chesapeake bay. Often I say beam and weight is everything but I am going to revise that. I now have a 33 Canyon that is extremely comfortable due to beam and weight. But in between the 275 and 336 I owned a 228 center console Edgewater. The beam was also 8.6 on a 22-23 foot hull with a single 250hp. The weight difference was 4900lbs vs 3000lbs. You could imagine my trepidation to "downsize". I made the decision to downsize because at the time we were considering a larger cabin boat but I always wanted a CC for fishing. The 228CC overall with one engine centerline performed a ton better than the 275 stretched out with the same beam. On the 275 if someone moved to the side I was ALWAYS correcting by moving in the opposite direction. No use correcting with tabs as they were to slow. I would say she was riding on her rails if people moved to either side. That was not an issue in the 228 with same beam and engine located on the centerline and 1900lbs lighter. The 275 was a much wetter ride compared to the 228. She was notorious for taking spray in the tight chop of the Chesapeake bay. All this said, the 275 with a family of 3 boys 6,9,12 was the best decision for spending time together and I fished a ton with her. I was so worried to downsize thinking we would not go as far to destination weekends and that was simply not the case. The 8.6 beam is just suited much better for a smaller hull than the 275.
In short I think you will notice a huge difference in picking up that extra beam and the engine package is such a great motor. And you are buying a boat that many people want so your resale will be excellent. The beauty of the 275 was selling her 5 years later for exactly what I paid -2K. By the way we never got the larger cabin boat, held the 228 for 4 seasons until upgrading to the 336 Canyon. I look forward to hearing the differences of the two boats after you put a few hours on her. Good Luck
Thanks for the information, we are on the bay in the west river and our current freedom 21 with the 8 foot beam has handled the bay nicely I’ve had no problem fishing the Thomas point lighthouse in a bit of chop. But the larger beam on the bigger Grady’s will definitely make the ride with multiple passengers much more comfortable and not having to tell friends to move to the other side of the boat to prevent tons of listing.