I am new to the forum, and am working on finding my next boat. I have looked at the 247 Advance, and the 263 Chase. I like both of those boats, but am also considering an express or walk around. I have not been on one, but I am also interested in the 232 gulfstream, and the 248 voyager. I fish out of NC, and want a boat that can handle some chop and give us a good ride. I usually fish in the 30 to 50 mile range and usually troll for dolphin, wahoo, tuna, etc. I don't want something that is too big, I will be trailering the boat. What is the best riding/fishing boat in the 23-26 ft. range? Is the fuel economy any different from the CC to the walk arounds....motors being equal...etc? Thanks for any advise.
In the market.....help making decision
- Thread starter pappacannon
- Start date
I own a Gulfstream and am really happy with it. It is not your ideal boat for 2 reasons.
1.) It is 9' 3" wide and to be legal, you'll need towing permits. it's also heavy; mine is 10,100 lbs, trailer included.
2.) I don't think it will give you the ride you need for offshore duty in the Atlantic. It's a good hull, but you'll have to pick your days more often than you'll want to. It's just too small.
I have no hands on experience with the other boats you mention, so I'll stay out of the way there. You might consider the Journey 258 also; I have ridden on one of them and they ride a little better than my 232 and with twin 150's it's over 2 mpg.
1.) It is 9' 3" wide and to be legal, you'll need towing permits. it's also heavy; mine is 10,100 lbs, trailer included.
2.) I don't think it will give you the ride you need for offshore duty in the Atlantic. It's a good hull, but you'll have to pick your days more often than you'll want to. It's just too small.
I have no hands on experience with the other boats you mention, so I'll stay out of the way there. You might consider the Journey 258 also; I have ridden on one of them and they ride a little better than my 232 and with twin 150's it's over 2 mpg.
I have been fishing a 220cc Sea Pro, so I am sure that any of the above mentioned boats would be an upgrade. I did not see any fish box for the 232 Gulfstream in some of the late 90's early 2000's models? I did see the transom fish box on some of the newer models. Certainly there is a fish locker right? I do not want to go too large, as I live right at the coast, and pick my days when the weather is nice, but would like a better ride in the afternoon when the winds pick up and you get that slop. I am looking for more fishing room, cockpit pit room mainly. Thanks for the information!! I will check out the other mentioned boat.
Fuel economy should mainly be affected by weight because most of the cabin boats you mentioned use the same Hull as the cc (length and beam being equal) .
I have been told and would have to agree that the best riding boat up to 26' would be the tiger cat. Up here where the chop is often nasty, one will see the charter guys running catamarans.
We personally feel the Voyager is very sensitive to load to get it to ride well. Some days we are amazed at how well it does, others we.shake our head in disappointment. I have often wondered if a loaded Voyager with twins and more weight would perform better. I'm sure others on here will be able to comment.
I have been told and would have to agree that the best riding boat up to 26' would be the tiger cat. Up here where the chop is often nasty, one will see the charter guys running catamarans.
We personally feel the Voyager is very sensitive to load to get it to ride well. Some days we are amazed at how well it does, others we.shake our head in disappointment. I have often wondered if a loaded Voyager with twins and more weight would perform better. I'm sure others on here will be able to comment.
That handle is very familiar. Are you on FryingPanTower fishing board?
As for models, a good friend had a 263 and that boat was a beast. It has a really high bow and could handle anything my 272 Sailfish could handle. Given the beam to length ratio, I would say that boat was be the best riding of the lot but also the heaviest.
BTW: If you are around Wrightsville anytime, stop by and I will show you Megabytes. I can also help with any Grady info.
As for models, a good friend had a 263 and that boat was a beast. It has a really high bow and could handle anything my 272 Sailfish could handle. Given the beam to length ratio, I would say that boat was be the best riding of the lot but also the heaviest.
BTW: If you are around Wrightsville anytime, stop by and I will show you Megabytes. I can also help with any Grady info.
Keep in mind he wants to trailer the boat.
When you get into the 26' and above crowd, it becomes cumbersome to jerk the thing around on a trailer, plus you need a hefty tow vehicle.
I just checked on the spec's of the Journey 258 and it's an 8' 6" beam, so it's legal to tow without special permits. With twins,(which I highly recommend) fuel and gear, you should be around 6000 lbs or a little under. Add a 1500 lb. trailer, set up to support your boat properly and your under 8000 lbs total towing weight. This is well within the range of any 3/4 or even some specially-equipped 1/2 ton pickups.
It's also important to be aware of height. You'll probably have a hardtop, so make sure your around or under 13 feet. I had to develop a whole new awareness of low hanging tree branches, power lines, canopys, etc.
Admittedly, the Journey is a pretty big boat to tow, but I think you need a boat that size to go offshore the way you want to do.
When you get into the 26' and above crowd, it becomes cumbersome to jerk the thing around on a trailer, plus you need a hefty tow vehicle.
I just checked on the spec's of the Journey 258 and it's an 8' 6" beam, so it's legal to tow without special permits. With twins,(which I highly recommend) fuel and gear, you should be around 6000 lbs or a little under. Add a 1500 lb. trailer, set up to support your boat properly and your under 8000 lbs total towing weight. This is well within the range of any 3/4 or even some specially-equipped 1/2 ton pickups.
It's also important to be aware of height. You'll probably have a hardtop, so make sure your around or under 13 feet. I had to develop a whole new awareness of low hanging tree branches, power lines, canopys, etc.
Admittedly, the Journey is a pretty big boat to tow, but I think you need a boat that size to go offshore the way you want to do.
Yes, I am on fryingpantower.com.....I have been on there for many years. I live in the Wilmington area, and would love to come check your boat out some time. Thanks for all the advise guys, I want to make sure that I get the right fit for me. I don't fish all that often, maybe half a dozen trips a year, weather dependent. Is there a big difference in the way the 247 Advance and the 265 chase ride/fish? I know there are almost mirror images of each other, the chase being a bigger machine. I guess I want a balance of more room, better ride, but want to try to keep the economics of trailering and fuel consumption of the boat in mind as well. Thanks again for the help!
The 263 also has an 8-6 beam for trailing but it is more boat. There is a clear trade off between smaller to trailer and larger to handle seas. I trailered my first boat (a 228g) and it was a handful. After 2 years I went into dry stack and have been there since.
The best answer of course is to sea trial the two hulls if possible. Not sure what Atlantic Marine has in stock. If you are looking at pre-owned, the seller should provide a chance to run the boat.
You also have a decision on center console vs. cabin. It really depends on your needs.
The best answer of course is to sea trial the two hulls if possible. Not sure what Atlantic Marine has in stock. If you are looking at pre-owned, the seller should provide a chance to run the boat.
You also have a decision on center console vs. cabin. It really depends on your needs.
Also be aware 4 strokes will give you better fuel economy with no cost for the 2 stroke oil, this is a consideration when looking at older boats.
I really liked the 263 chase when I went on a test run. I am looking at a 247 advance tomorrow. I am not too concerned about trailering either one of these models as I only go about 15 miles to the ramp a handful of times a season....does anyone know of a 232 gulfstream in the Wilmington/ southport region I could look at?
I believe there is still one at our marina (Creekside). You could call and ask. Perhaps the owner would be willing to show it to you.
Be aware the beam on the 232 is 9-3 so it requires a special permit for trailering.
Be aware the beam on the 232 is 9-3 so it requires a special permit for trailering.
If I were looking for a Grady to run 30-50 miles offshore that I would be trailering, and wanted it to be somewhat economical, I would be looking at a SeaV2 hulled center console or walk around cutty cabin, 24-25ish footer with 8'6" beam & twin 150 4strokes or etecs. Normally, as a rule of thump, trailering a boat larger than 22-24ft and a 8' 6" beam starts to become a chore and owners usually end up putting them in a slip.
I'm in ILM and have a '01 247 w/ twin 150 4 stroke and go to the stream, I came out of a 232gt twin 150's and like the 247 MUCH better. At 32-3300 rpm get 2.3 mpg about 9.8 to 10 gph. This boat does great even on bad days. pm me and we'll talk.
Biggest boat GW ever built that can be legally trailered anytime, anywhere. Islander 270, 26'11" (plus bowsprit), with 8'6" beam. Dozens of trips 75nm offshore to fish the Norfolk Canyon area. But we do keep ours in a slip. 
Brian
Brian
We love our 263 Chase. Lots of room, lots of seating, nice ride. We even get over 2mpg if I keep it below 3600 rpm (twin 200 HPDIs), and it carries 203 gallons.
We also looked very hard at the newer 257 Advance with twin F150s. It has considerably less room (and presumably less "ride"), but would be better on fuel, towing and is a more modern layout.
Believe it or not, my wife pushed for the center console over the walk around (we had a 228G) even more than I did. We all like the CC room and seating much better.
We also looked very hard at the newer 257 Advance with twin F150s. It has considerably less room (and presumably less "ride"), but would be better on fuel, towing and is a more modern layout.
Believe it or not, my wife pushed for the center console over the walk around (we had a 228G) even more than I did. We all like the CC room and seating much better.
I don't have a boat in NC but I have a house on Oak Island and charter with different captains. I don't think any have Gradys but I would like to mention I've seen under 20 footers out at the tower and I know at least one was a 16 foot aluminum skiff....yikes! it takes all kinds and if they can you can! I'll wait here,lemme know......
I have a 2004 ,258 Journey with twin 150 hpdi 2 strokes , I average 1.8 mpg off shore and a bit more in the bay. I have fished several time out of O I , You still must pick your day and I found out the hard way one day were out at the POINT and the wind blowed up much higher than forcasted . I could only run 8 to 10 mph home but the boat handed it as well as I could expect for a 25ft to do in those sea conditions , I thought we were in real trouble but we never felt un safe very wet ride home ( no curtains ) ,home non the less. I moved up from a 228G to this boat and now concidering a 282 sailfish next. The 258 behaves very well near shore and off shore but with any 25ft in the blue water know your limitations. The only thing I need to change is the props from 3 blade to 4 blade for ocean use ,it will loose rpms up the swells and you constatly are adjusting .I dont think you would be sorry
I have an Islander 270 with twin F225s that tows very well with my diesl pickup. I fish Lake Ontario and yes it can get really nasty at times. Easy to launch and retrieve and no over size permits are required. I used to have a 23' Mako walk around with a 2 stroke 225 and my Grady with twins burns less fuel at 28 MPH than the Mako did. They quit making this model a few years ago so good used ones are hard to find but I couldn't be happier with mine.