Grady-White Freedom 325?

[capeman]

I have owned a Freedom 255 for the last 4 years and now feel that the time is right for a bigger rig. I really appreciate the dual console design as it works for fishing and recreation. So, I have been leaning towards a Freedom 325 as I believe it would enable new missions ( offshore, fishing in rougher conditions). Given that the model is relatively new (2018), I am wondering if anyone has any experience with the boat that they could share.

I also have a couple of questions related to options I am considering:
1. Twin F300 vs F350c ? I am leaning towards the F300s as they are bullet proof vs the 350s history. Its a heavy boat, so will I miss the extra 100HP?
2. Helm master - Assume I should purchase as it will only assist me in the small marina's I operate in ( I will have a bow thruster). That said, anyone with real world experience using it? I am also interested in using it for fishing... hold point, drift heading hold.. something I could really see myself using. However, does it actually work?
3. New Chartplotter/sonar - I have a Garmin 7610xsv/radar on my 255 and it does the job. Most likely will go w/ 8616xsv/radar in the new boat. However, there are many other strong competitors out there. So wondering what other brand(s) I should given consideration towards?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

BTW. I am based on the south shore of Cape Cod and boat/fish in Nantucket sound and east, south of the cape and islands.

 

[Rustygaff]

Looking at GW's performance charts, I'm not seeing a tremendous difference. Taking into account the issues that Yamaha has had with the 350's and the reliability of the 300's, I might opt for the 300 twins. As far as GPS/sonar goes, I've had good luck with Garmin products. I recently upgraded a 720S touchscreen to their 1042XSV which is the single knob control. It works well but there is a learning curve for the knob. You will need to determine how much real estate you will have on the new console to decide whether or not to go with a single or dual screens. IMO, bigger is better. Boats Inc. had the 325 at the Mohegan Sun show. Beautiful vessel. Good luck.

 

[bea5454]

No firsthand experience on the 325 (and heavier than I would have expected), but I would go 300's without question. Only slightly slower cruise, better fuel efficiency and I can't tell you the amount of downtime my friends have experienced with the 350's.

 

[Halfhitch]

I don't own a boat with Helm Master but have watched several boats being maneuvered inside marinas with them and I am not impressed. They stir up a considerable ruckus because the computer puts on lots of throttle till it is happy with it's position compared to what is being asked of it. I didn't know any of the skippers I watched and I have an idea some were inexperienced and were using the technology to make up for their lack of understanding of the forces they were trying to overcome. If you were making that much underwater noise and commotion while holding position or heading to bottom fish, I would expect your bait to last a long time. There wouldn't be a fish in a quarter mile that wouldn't be on guard. My opinion is that a good quality well installed bow thruster of sufficient power combined with outboards and some decent seamanship, you can maneuver quite adequately in most any marina. That is a system I have used myself and it is a good one.

 

[capeman]

I don't own a boat with Helm Master but have watched several boats being maneuvered inside marinas with them and I am not impressed. They stir up a considerable ruckus because the computer puts on lots of throttle till it is happy with it's position compared to what is being asked of it. I didn't know any of the skippers I watched and I have an idea some were inexperienced and were using the technology to make up for their lack of understanding of the forces they were trying to overcome. If you were making that much underwater noise and commotion while holding position or heading to bottom fish, I would expect your bait to last a long time. There wouldn't be a fish in a quarter mile that wouldn't be on guard. My opinion is that a good quality well installed bow thruster of sufficient power combined with outboards and some decent seamanship, you can maneuver quite adequately in most any marina. That is a system I have used myself and it is a good one.

Hey Halfhitch - I've spoken to a couple of other people and they also point out that backwash while maneuvering in a marina can lead one to be fighting the very system you are using to dock. I suspect that with a bow thruster and some decent seamanship that I can manage without the system. That said, the dealer noted that one positive point would be resale of the boat as many buyers value this option. Also, fishing in Nantucket sound in and around some significant rips might be a good use case for the system. However, in currents up to 3-6 knots I do wonder if the system would be able to hold position well enough. I have my doubts.

 

[capeman]

No firsthand experience on the 325 (and heavier than I would have expected), but I would go 300's without question. Only slightly slower cruise, better fuel efficiency and I can't tell you the amount of downtime my friends have experienced with the 350's.

Consistent feedback here on the thread and from others I've spoken to recently. I am going to go with the F300s.

 

[SCW]

Congrats on the 325! I just purchased a 2011 Freedom 275. I will be on the south side of the Cape as well. Maybe see you out there.

 

[capeman]

Congrats on the 325! I just purchased a 2011 Freedom 275. I will be on the south side of the Cape as well. Maybe see you out there.

Congrats on your Freedom 275! You fishing, recreation or both?

 

[Fishtales]

Consistent feedback here on the thread and from others I've spoken to recently. I am going to go with the F300s.

The only way to go.... That power will be sufficient for the hull.

 

[Toddwein]

I have owned a Freedom 255 for the last 4 years and now feel that the time is right for a bigger rig. I really appreciate the dual console design as it works for fishing and recreation. So, I have been leaning towards a Freedom 325 as I believe it would enable new missions ( offshore, fishing in rougher conditions). Given that the model is relatively new (2018), I am wondering if anyone has any experience with the boat that they could share.

I also have a couple of questions related to options I am considering:
1. Twin F300 vs F350c ? I am leaning towards the F300s as they are bullet proof vs the 350s history. Its a heavy boat, so will I miss the extra 100HP?
2. Helm master - Assume I should purchase as it will only assist me in the small marina's I operate in ( I will have a bow thruster). That said, anyone with real world experience using it? I am also interested in using it for fishing... hold point, drift heading hold.. something I could really see myself using. However, does it actually work?
3. New Chartplotter/sonar - I have a Garmin 7610xsv/radar on my 255 and it does the job. Most likely will go w/ 8616xsv/radar in the new boat. However, there are many other strong competitors out there. So wondering what other brand(s) I should given consideration towards?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

BTW. I am based on the south shore of Cape Cod and boat/fish in Nantucket sound and east, south of the cape and islands.

I would agree with the consensus of the thread and go with the 300's without question. 350's just have too many issues. I owned 3 Grady's since 2011, Freedom 275 w/ twin 250's, Freedom 375 with trip 350's and now Fisherman 236 with 300. The only boat I had any power issues with was the 375 with the 350's. I had trim and tilt issues on 2 of the 3 motors. 250 and 300 have been bulletproof. I did have the helm master on my 375 prior to the time it had setpoint and drift point etc. Overall I would say its pretty good, not perfect. If I were buying a new boat I would definitely go with it. I never had an issue with docking but it does make your ability to dock in any condition. Resale would also be another good reason. The feature I really liked is the auto-trim of the motors as the boat planes. Love the 325 btw. Garmin all the way! Good luck

 

[capeman]

I would agree with the consensus of the thread and go with the 300's without question. 350's just have too many issues. I owned 3 Grady's since 2011, Freedom 275 w/ twin 250's, Freedom 375 with trip 350's and now Fisherman 236 with 300. The only boat I had any power issues with was the 375 with the 350's. I had trim and tilt issues on 2 of the 3 motors. 250 and 300 have been bulletproof. I did have the helm master on my 375 prior to the time it had setpoint and drift point etc. Overall I would say its pretty good, not perfect. If I were buying a new boat I would definitely go with it. I never had an issue with docking but it does make your ability to dock in any condition. Resale would also be another good reason. The feature I really liked is the auto-trim of the motors as the boat planes. Love the 325 btw. Garmin all the way! Good luck

Thanks Toddwein for your insight and feedback. Its clear that the F300s are the way to go. As for the Helm Master, well it sounds like it has the potential to help in docking situations and Ill likely get some use while fishing as I drift and fish many rips in the area - so I will move forward with that option. I do believe Garmin is the right choice.

 

[SCW]

Congrats on your Freedom 275! You fishing, recreation or both?

Mostly recreation with the fam, but definitely some fishing!

 

[magicalbill]

Mostly recreation with the fam, but definitely some fishing!

I own a 2018 Marlin and was faced with the same power question; the overwhelming advice was to get the 300's. They are certainly proven and by no means a wrong choice.

I wanted the 350's, however. I went with them and could not be happier. The engines are 2018's and Yamaha assured me they will replace flywheels for the life of the engine, no charge. I have 97 hrs on them and besides being flawless, they give incredible power & torque. I am not interested in top speed,(I have yet to crack the throttles) but really enjoy the mid range cruising stats.

3800 RPM 34-35 MPH 1.3-1.4 MPG
4000 RPM 36-37MPH. 1.3 MPG
4300 RPM 39MPH 1.2 MPG

Will I have problems? Maybe. My tech and Yamaha and others I believe in tell me the new 350's are reliable and marvelous. I agree.

I wish you many years of enjoyment with your new Freedom and am not trying to sway you. I just wanted to give some insight on the new 350's.

 

[bea5454]

I own a 2018 Marlin and was faced with the same power question; the overwhelming advice was to get the 300's. They are certainly proven and by no means a wrong choice.

I wanted the 350's, however. I went with them and could not be happier. The engines are 2018's and Yamaha assured me they will replace flywheels for the life of the engine, no charge. I have 97 hrs on them and besides being flawless, they give incredible power & torque. I am not interested in top speed,(I have yet to crack the throttles) but really enjoy the mid range cruising stats.

3800 RPM 34-35 MPH 1.3-1.4 MPG
4000 RPM 36-37MPH. 1.3 MPG
4300 RPM 39MPH 1.2 MPG

Will I have problems? Maybe. My tech and Yamaha and others I believe in tell me the new 350's are reliable and marvelous. I agree.

I wish you many years of enjoyment with your new Freedom and am not trying to sway you. I just wanted to give some insight on the new 350's.

Not intending to derail, but very impressive performance on your Marlin. Do you have generator and is bottom painted? Reason I ask is I have never been satisfied with my fuel efficiency on my 305 (usu 1.15 mpg @ 4300, some chop, 30-31 mph with generator, bottom paint and reasonably heavy load). Bought boat used with sws II 19", clearly over-propped at 5350 max rpm. Switched to sws 17" which runs around 5600 rpm.

 

[magicalbill]

Not intending to derail, but very impressive performance on your Marlin. Do you have generator and is bottom painted? Reason I ask is I have never been satisfied with my fuel efficiency on my 305 (usu 1.15 mpg @ 4300, some chop, 30-31 mph with generator, bottom paint and reasonably heavy load). Bought boat used with sws II 19", clearly over-propped at 5350 max rpm. Switched to sws 17" which runs around 5600 rpm.

I'll keep this short so we won't derail; I'll be happy to expand on this for you in another topic.

The boat has no bottom paint and yes it is equipped with a generator.

 

[capeman]

A quick update. I traveled down to the Miami boat show a couple of weeks ago to board the 325 before I committed to the purchase. The Freedom 325 is a fantastic boat, but it didn't feel like enough of a difference between my 255 other than its larger size. However, the 335 was a significantly different boat and given I was looking to add most of the options on the 325, the price difference was worth it in my opinion to upgrade to the 335. I was also able to get twin XTO 425s which are just amazing engines and technology. Went out on the demo Yamaha / Freedom 335 w/ twin 425s.... 52 mph! Placed order and can't wait for delivery.

 

[Jargon]

Consistent feedback here on the thread and from others I've spoken to recently. I am going to go with the F300s.

Me too.

 

[Jargon]

A quick update. I traveled down to the Miami boat show a couple of weeks ago to board the 325 before I committed to the purchase. The Freedom 325 is a fantastic boat, but it didn't feel like enough of a difference between my 255 other than its larger size. However, the 335 was a significantly different boat and given I was looking to add most of the options on the 325, the price difference was worth it in my opinion to upgrade to the 335. I was also able to get twin XTO 425s which are just amazing engines and technology. Went out on the demo Yamaha / Freedom 335 w/ twin 425s.... 52 mph! Placed order and can't wait for delivery.

List your 255 here if it’s for sale. There might be a buyer in the midst! ; )

 

[Ky Grady]

A quick update. I traveled down to the Miami boat show a couple of weeks ago to board the 325 before I committed to the purchase. The Freedom 325 is a fantastic boat, but it didn't feel like enough of a difference between my 255 other than its larger size. However, the 335 was a significantly different boat and given I was looking to add most of the options on the 325, the price difference was worth it in my opinion to upgrade to the 335. I was also able to get twin XTO 425s which are just amazing engines and technology. Went out on the demo Yamaha / Freedom 335 w/ twin 425s.... 52 mph! Placed order and can't wait for delivery.

Now that right there is the way to buy a boat. Congrats on the new rig. I went to the Grady factory last week. Very cool to see. You should coordinate with your dealer and Grady and make the trip to see your boat being built as it goes through the process.

 

[capeguy]

Congrats, awesome boat and those engines look incredible...