Hi all , Please allow Me To introduce Myself

[fog ducker]

Hey ,

thought id introduce myself , my names Felix , I reside in Beautiful BC, West coast vancouver Island , im an avid lifetime boater/fisherman , its in my blood. Im finally jumping to a Grady here soon . I currently have a 2301 Striper ( the Fog Ducker ) . Ive babied her for 10 years. just repowered with a Verado 350. I figure with only 10 hours on it , prices on boats are insane here right now . buyers scoopin them up for above asking price !! , may put it her on the market soon , nicest , cleanest Striper around ,I will miss her for sure , great time to kick some tires down south . ( bought my Striper in Maryland )

Anyways , Im pretty committed , going with a 2003-2005 265 Grady Express , Ive been in a few now , love them , perfect for what i do. I will keep ya posted , i will have questions for any of you willing to help me out .

hope to meet a few of you

cheers

felix

 

[Peahead]

Hi Felix! Greg here from North Vancouver. Chatted with you a bit over the years on the BC fishing forum - not on there much at all anymore though. CONGRATS on your decision to come over to the Grady side! I know you will be happy with the quality and fit/finish of the Grady you purchase. You'll love the smooth ride too ....even with my Seafarer at only 22' I just keep bow down and slice through a 2-3' chop nicely.
As I recall Pat Ahern has a 265 Express but I suspect you have talked with him about his boat or been out on it. Yes it sure is crazy with boat sales here in BC - not much inventory as boats get snapped up so fast.... moorage also long wait lists. Like used cars ( and homes) here right now, your Striper will probably be in a multiple offer situation !!
WELCOME to the Great Grady forum. I am one of a much fewer Canadians on here I think ......not on here too often either but a great source for info on everything Grady. If you ever have questions you can always contact Grady too as they are very helpful with info on older models: custserv@gradywhite.com Good luck with the purchase!

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Welcome to the forum. I feel like I see as many, or sometimes even more, Striper’s in the Seattle area when I’m out fishing as opposed to Grady’s. I like the looks of them but it seems like a lot of them have a ton of room that’s taken up by the motor well or whatnot. Between that, and the ride quality, are two of the biggest reasons why I sold my previous boat, which was a 21’ Arima, and bought my 2004 GW 228 Seafarer. Which ironically I also bought back on the east coast in Maryland. I love how the 228 has the transom bracket on the back so you don’t lose fishing space and the ride quality is so much better than the Arima that it’s not even in the same realm.

If you’re thinking about selling your boat, I’d definitely list it soon while there are still some more nice days of weather before winter sets in. And yes, definitely check the east coast for buying a boat as they’re oftentimes much cheaper than buying one out here in the Seattle area. The one I just bought was about half of what they sell for out here and even with driving it back on my own, I’m still probably $20k or so ahead of the game in terms of savings. Good luck with your search, now is a good time to start looking before next summer. Make sure you start soon though, it took me over a year to find the right boat and you’ll probably go through a bunch of “no’s” first before you find the right one.

 

[Uncle Joe]

Hi Felix......welcome!

 

[ScottyCee]

Welcome!

I 2nd the idea of looking East for your Grady. Mine came from Virginia Beach in January of 2020. It needed (a fair amount of!) work but I couldn't be happier that I made that move...

 

[Mustang65fbk]

And if you're like me, where you know a fair amount about boats in general, but not a ton about Grady White's... then I'd recommend paying a reputable surveyor to go out and look at the boat with you, or for you if you're out of state and can't do it yourself. I'd recommend a reputable surveyor on just about any high dollar purchase like a home, vehicle, boat and so on. But especially with a boat, they're not too expensive, they can look at things like moisture readings on the hull for any water intrusion. They can also check the things on the inside of the motor that aren't visual, like checking the compression on the motor as well as scope the inside of it, since most people don't have that kind of knowledge or the tools to do so. I've had a surveyor inspect every boat I've purchased except this last one, and even had a couple of boats surveyed that I didn't purchase.

This last one, I had a forum member on here who lived nearby come look at the boat with me. I bought him lunch and thanked him for his time, checked out the boat and then made an offer on it. He knows way more about GW's than I do and buying through a GW dealer that said they replaced the motor gave me a bit more confidence as opposed to dealing with a private party and looking at the boat myself. One previous boat that I was looking at purchasing, I had a surveyor go out and look at it and it had higher than average moisture readings on it as well as damage to the boat. Another boat had the dry exhaust corrosion issue with the motor, which was an early 2000's Yamaha 225 outboard. Spending the $500-1000 on a surveyor can save you lots of money in the long run by passing on a boat that isn't as advertised, and can also help you barter or negotiate the asking price if there are issues with it. I think they've invaluable and help give me better peace of mind at least. The only reason I didn't do one this time is because the dealer I went through only does business in person and wouldn't allow an over the phone transaction and then have a surveyor come out to inspect it. That, and most surveyors in the area were still 2-3 weeks out and I didn't want to pass up on a great boat and fantastic deal.

 

[wahoo33417]

Felix: Welcome to the Forum. And good luck with your search for a 265. The right one for you is out there somewhere.

Rob

 

[trapper]

Welcome Felix, I also live on the Island, have owned a 208 purchased in southern California 11 years ago.. Drove down and hauled it back.....great trip, Ten day vacation tour (Pacific Coast highway on the way down, then three days on I5 heading for home I have done many mods and the Grady is without doubt best sports fishing boat I have owned. Owned a Striper before the Grady. May your treasure hunt be successful! Been keeping my eye out for a 228 but so far ......not yet

 

[Capt Bill]

Welcome to Great Grady, Felix, and good luck on the hunt for your next boat.

 

[Meanwhile]

Welcome. I had a 2601 Striper prior to my Grady Marlin. My Grady came from Louisiana. I love your coast up there. I've been lucky enough to fish from Port Hardy and launch from Port Albernie and fish the west side a bit. Looking forward to following your search.

 

[fog ducker]

thx Guys !! hope to meet a few of you , will keep you posted on my GW purchase journey...

 

[vocz]

I have 2003 265 Express with F225’s moorage in Everett, Washington. Brought her last year from Eppe, a member on this forum as he upgraded to 30 Marlin. Ordered a new trailer and had her towed here from Connecticut. Wonderful blue water boat, stable, fast and solid like a tank. She is not for sale but let me know if you have any questions about 265.

 

[fog ducker]

I have 2003 265 Express with F225’s moorage in Everett, Washington. Brought her last year from Eppe, a member on this forum as he upgraded to 30 Marlin. Ordered a new trailer and had her towed here from Connecticut. Wonderful blue water boat, stable, fast and solid like a tank. She is not for sale but let me know if you have any questions about 265.

hi , thanks so much , i will definitely reach out to you , i have family in Seattle !!