Hypothetically..would you rather

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Buy a new boat your same size or trade up ?

I have a 228 ..I actually enjoy her and have had the boat new since 2009. I keep wanting a Sailfish,Marlin or Express 305 /330 . That new Adventure 218 is really nice especially with the 8.5 foot beam . it's just a few inches shorter when you look at the running or wetted hull length. I love the helm on it and the stern is kind of cool.

paid for boats are sweet and my 228 is owned free and clear but I have 6 plus feet-itus. I would love a bigger boat but I could never afford new. i could afford a new 218 . I turn 56 in a few weeks and honestly if I could trade up to Sailfish , Marlin or Express it would be my last boat purchase . I still drive a 2008 Tundra . I tend to hold onto things for a long time. .
I am not truly in the market for either ,but I kind of wanted to kick it around here . I working on my 228 this afternoon cleaning her up.

 

[Hookup1]

Tow vehicle is a big factor in trading up. My new F150 towing limit 11,600 lbs. I have a 268 Islander that I absolutely love. 8' 6" beam. They are basically a narrow beam Sailfish. The 270 Islander is similar and newer. To upgrade to the boats you listed you are probably going to need a new truck - probably a F250.

I decided last year that I'm keeping this boat. I did a big cosmetic makeover. Repaired glasswork and repainted. Came out great. More work to do this year. If I were to get another boat it probably would be a 270 Islander.

One thing I would look for is new transom preferably composite. New fuel tanks depending on age. These are things that I'll need to do in the coming years. Probably re-power too.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

My tow vehicle is not necessarily a factor. I live in the smoky mountains and if I go big the boat woukd be kept in Florida ,likely aty brothers house in Titusville. My 2015 Tundra is rated at 11,000 pounds. The only way I tow something like an Islander is to beef up the rear end with better shocks and a TRD anti sway bar on the rear . I have been kicking this around for a while .

 

[Andrew93]

Although I have never been in the market for new, I have never been disappointed in moving up in size. We went down once, from a Sailfish to an Islander, it wasn't the plan but it was a good deal so we jumped on it which ended up helping in the long run. I do not see us going bigger than the 305 Express we have now since I do my own maintenance and rely on trailering for repairs and in/out beginning and end of season, but never know what the future will bring.

 

[Beyond A Wake]

Good questions,
one being 56 is no age for "my last boat" I am 72 and traded boats for a bigger (lot smaller than I once had) now GW335. Not big difference to previous 31ft Pursuit but the BEAM is the main advantage making it a lot more stable end enjoyable for cruising with people.
Main differences for you would be that it is significantly bigger, nice in FL. It is a lot thirstier which in most cases really doesn't matter unless u run it 100's of hours a year. It does cost more in maintenance and if you kept it at a Marina dry stack it also would be at least twice what a 22ft one is. Oh and insurance can be an issue, but depending on financing you can be innovative on that front as well.
So short summary if u can do it, if you want it, if you have the time to use it,,.........GO FOR IT........
Life is short and you can not take with you anything so enjoy it while you can.

H

 

[Ky Grady]

2005 and up 282 Sailfish, no bottom paint and F250's would be my 6 footitis go to boat. Pulling is a non-issue since I drive a dually, could still travel around to different locations, granted, not as easily as I can with my 228. May be somewhat overkill for catfishing with they guys on Santee,,, but would be a sweet ride for the Keys and Lake Erie.

 

[Fishermanbb]

Don’t go new at the same or similar size. Your boat is not really that old at this point and you will end up being disappointed after the initial shine wears off as it will do the same thing as what you have. Move up if you can find what you are looking for. With the increase in size you will get comfort, more space to store gear, safety, range, etc. You’ll also get more in operating and maintenance costs so keep that in mind. As long as you are realistic about the latter you will never be disappointed moving up.

 

[kirk a]

Absolutely trade up. No way I'd drop the coin on a new 330, for the delta between my 2003 and a 2023. A repower makes a ton more sense than new.

Even then, going bigger is not really an option financially, either. I'm already close to the tipping point on annual costs, and adding say 10' more to each per foot charge would not be worth.

I'd probably be more likely to downsize a bit to a Sailfish which would be possible to store at home for the winter, resulting in a significant cost reduction.

 

[family affair]

My tow vehicle is not necessarily a factor. I live in the smoky mountains and if I go big the boat woukd be kept in Florida ,likely aty brothers house in Titusville. My 2015 Tundra is rated at 11,000 pounds. The only way I tow something like an Islander is to beef up the rear end with better shocks and a TRD anti sway bar on the rear . I have been kicking this around for a while .

FWIW, I know a guy who tows a 270 on a tandem axle Continental all over Florida with a bone stock Tundra of the same vintage as yours. If the trailer is set up right, your truck can get it done - at least in the flatter parts of the world.

 

[JJF]

Hi,

Apologies in advance for all of the parentheticals.

I bought my 2012 Hydra-sports 22' in 2017 (I was 51). In 2020, I decided to upgrade to something in the 26'-28' range, but a buddy suggested I go to 30'+. In 2021 (I was 55), I sold the Hydra-sports and decided to buy a super clean, low hour 2018 GW Canyon 306. The annual budget for the 30' is approx. 2x that of the 22' (maintenance on and fuel for two engines vs. one, anything charge by the foot (slip, storage, bottom paint, etc.) is approx. 33% more {30 vs. 22 = +8 feet}, insurance is 2x+, my F150 won't tow it (even though is rated for it). See note below.

I don't regret it one bit. I love the size and scale of the boat (especially the console/head). It's great to be able to cruise at 30+ and not have the boat bouncing around. It's just plain old more comfortable.

Being in my mid/late 50s, I figured this would be my last CC/fishing boat and we don't what the future brings regarding how long we can actively fish/boat.

Note regarding towing: although my F150 is rated to tow up to around 10k lbs, the service manager at my local GW dealer said there is no way my F150 can tow the boat. He said their yard truck (not sure what it is) is really necessary for towing the larger boats. He even mentioned that he didn't think my buddy's Chevy 2500 would tow it very well. Additionally, because of the 10' 7" beam, a wide load permit is required.

 

[Legend]

I went from a New Seafarer to a New Gulfstream and lastly to a 4 year old Sailfish (in great condition). The transition from the 22 to 23 Gulfstream was dramatic in terms of stabilty and ride. The Gulfstream was of the SV2 hull design and had the wide beam. The Sailfish is a great boat and also a big upgrade bc of the twin 4.2 L F250's engines, shore power, head etc. I'm very happy with the Sailfish but still eye the Marlins and Express but since I recently repowered it is probably wishful thinking.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

My neighbor has a 2005 GW 270 Islander and I thought that with his boat having a slightly wider beam at 8'6" that it would be a game changer and make a major difference over my 228 Seafarer with only an 8' beam. But, the boat is also proportionally larger, and to me it didn't seem like that big of a difference considering the relative length of the rest of the boat. Ultimately it depends on what you'll use the boat for the majority of the time, where I use my boat almost exclusively in protected waters fishing for salmon and crabbing, so the 228 Seafarer is just about perfect for me. Others that fish out on the open ocean or in much worse conditions will likely want a bigger, heavier boat or maybe they even want a CC/DC style of boat compared to mine. I will sometimes consider whether or not I should trade up and get a bigger boat but 99 times out of 100 my boat will do everything that I need it to and then some. If, I were fishing on the open ocean or in less protected waters, had to motor 40-50 miles each way to go fishing or something was drastically different... then I might give it more consideration. Currently though, I have no plans on getting a bigger boat, and I don't really expect that to change anytime soon.

 

[ROBERTH]

I went from a 20' bowrider to the '92 252G Sailfish. I love the layout and this series years model. I tow with a Ford Excursion with 6.8l V10 engine rated to tow 11K. It does a great job in the Carolinas, not too hilly. However, this Sailfish is a beast to tow. I love the towing, to me it is fun, but it is a job and would not want to tow long distance very much. I tow 3 hours to the coast and back when needed, but keep it at the coast during the fishing season, only bringing it inland to do any maintenance/repairs or away from Hurricanes.
Now, from a 20' boat to a 25' Sailfish, she is a heavy boat and rides very well. Most days I am passing others without too much impact...I am 63 but would love a bigger boat for a less impactful ride. However, there is no perfect ride.....maybe a cat....lol.
I fish upwards of 12 hours on a trip and run out to 60 miles off NC coast. I am very soar at the end of the day, but after a few hours sleep, I revive pretty well.
Can you do the same in a 22' Grady? Yes, no problem. Will the 25 ride better? Yes, in most conditions. Consider the tradeoff for towing, even with a dually, is still more to deal with and much more costly in fuel pulling the heavier load. Would I reverse back to a smaller boat? No.....love what I have.
If I could find the same style in a 28' sailfish, I would get serious, but not a fan of the euro transom. However, I would go up to that 28 Sailfish if I could find a deal with no transom issues and no motor issues. From what I see mostly, that does not exist. So happy where I am right now. My .02.

 

[loubeer]

Started with a lake ski boat; then a 17' Whaler; then a 25' GW Advance; then a 30' GW Marlin; and for the last 13 years I have my last boat, a 330 GW Express. All my boats have been carefully selected used boats. I've enjoyed every boat I've owned, but desires, needs and wants evolve and change. Make your checklist and, if true, tell your wife you can afford it and that the boat will only enhance your family's life. My boating experiences, friendships and family experiences have been priceless. So, if all good, make the buy and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

 

[luckydude]

Buy a new boat your same size or trade up ?

I have a 228 ..I actually enjoy her and have had the boat new since 2009. I keep wanting a Sailfish,Marlin or Express 305 /330 . That new Adventure 218 is really nice especially with the 8.5 foot beam . it's just a few inches shorter when you look at the running or wetted hull length. I love the helm on it and the stern is kind of cool.

paid for boats are sweet and my 228 is owned free and clear but I have 6 plus feet-itus. I would love a bigger boat but I could never afford new. i could afford a new 218 . I turn 56 in a few weeks and honestly if I could trade up to Sailfish , Marlin or Express it would be my last boat purchase . I still drive a 2008 Tundra . I tend to hold onto things for a long time. .
I am not truly in the market for either ,but I kind of wanted to kick it around here . I working on my 228 this afternoon cleaning her up.

I actually put $35K down on a new Marlin but ended up backing out. The reason I wanted bigger was for a fast and comfy ride home in the afternoon Pacific chop.

I backed out because I was on the ocean on a snotty day, a buddy who had bought a new Marlin was out in the same area. I had a bumpy ride home and I called him to see how his ride was. "Pretty shitty". A new Marlin was, about a year ago, $365K. I'm not spending that kind of money unless the ride is dramatically better.

The other reasons I backed out is there is a 20 year waiting list for a slip in my harbor (yeah, there are rumors you can buy your way in but I never found any credible ones), I can't trailer it home (my road is a tiny, twisty, mountain road, 228 is as big as I can get down it, Fisherman 236 would not fit), bigger gas bill if I want to run north or south.

The 228 is a sweet little/big boat. If Grady brought back the sailfish, I'd think about it. The Marlin is too much money for not enough boxes checked for me. I pick my days, took at my boat running at 26 mph getting 2.2-2.4 mpg and smile. I absolutely adore my 228, unlikely that I'll ever upgrade.