Info for Boat Purchase

[MIKEJORDAN5]

Hi All - I'm a previous boat owner (Chaparral Sunesta 246) which we used for day trips on the Potomac. I had it for 8 years, thoroughly enjoyed it, but sold it. Now I'm interested in another boat and have narrowed my search to three: GW Freedom 215, Boston Whaler Vantage 230, and Robalo R247. I plan to use the boat to cruise the Potomac, take grandkids out on and pull them around on the tube, and occasionally venture into the Chesapeake. I'd also like to trailer the boat to Lake Gaston and Lake Anna to teach the kids how to ski. I like the way all three boats look and I've seen the GW 215 at Tri State Marina. Cost is not a huge consideration for me -- I'd like to get the best boat for the family. What are you thoughts on these boats. Thank you all in advance. Mike Jordan

 

[Rustygaff]

If budget is not a major consideration, I would look at the Freedom 235. Great all-around family day boat that can handle the water in the CB if it kicks up and is easily trailerable. I think a dual-console of this particular size will do everything you want it to.
As far as the other boats you mentioned, BW makes a fine boat. IMO on par with GW. It boils down to layout that fits your needs and curb appeal to you. As far as how the Robalo sizes up to the GW and BW, to me its the old Chevy vs. Audi comparison. Both will get you to your destination but in what style do you wish to ride?
Before I bought my Freedom 255, I looked and drooled over boats at the local shows for several years before I jumped in. But nothing (maybe outside of a new Regulator) appealed to me more than a Grady. The fit, finish, and the curb appeal kept bringing me back to the Grady booth. Grady also has the best customer service reputation in the industry. So I knew what I wanted so it was nothing more than finding the right one and I eventually did. Good luck with your search.

 

[MIKEJORDAN5]

Thanks Rusty - I'm going to take a look at the 235.

 

[brdawg2001]

Good questions...I am not a whaler fan since they were purchased by brunswick...and you can only power with Mercs....i still own an 18 dauntless i bought in 98 or so amd love it.....robalo is a bit lower on the quality scale but take a look at edgewater too...sea hunt is a good buy as well...grady definitely has a sweet spot in this range and are very well balanced overall

 

[Byram]

Thats a tall order in a question. Everyone has a different personal taste, brand loyalty, financial capability, etc. Since your last boat was a 24 , I surmise that you towed so you have a capable vehicle and are familiar with towing such. You mention grandchildren. How many and will parents be accompanying them ?. I would eliminate the GW purely for the lack of a transom door. Much easier to access the stern for water activities. As has been said many times "its fun spending someones money" I would take a hard look at the robalo. I think it has great storage and the increased deck space will be easily swallowed up by a bunch of children. Youll be glad you have it. The chesapeake can be rough at times and if you happened to be out on the "occasional" trip the larger boat would be reassuring. Get the hardtop on the boat of your choice as there is nothing more miserable than a child with sunburn. There are many more details including fresh water capacity, holding tank size. Remember your making memories and possibly grooming future boaters so do it the best you can .This was short and sweet and my opinions are purely my own .

 

[Mustang65fbk]

In my opinion, out of the three boats that you mentioned I think that the Grady White looks the best. The Robalo and Boston Whaler I think both look a bit dated and I think that you're paying a premium for the Boston Whaler name. Again, that's just my opinion. As Rusty mentioned, I'd look into the Grady White 235 Freedom, or maybe even a 255 Freedom depending on your needs and your budget. Oddly enough I actually just bought my 228 Seafarer used from Tri State Marine back in early October and had a fairly positive experience in buying from them. I then rented a U-haul truck and trailered the boat back 3009 miles to just north of Seattle where I live. Have you looked at the Pursuit or Cobia brands of boats before? They both make pretty reputable boats, especially Pursuit with their DC 246.

 

[ilmmct]

Freedom 235 or 255 … you can’t go smaller than the 24’ Chap, if you are loaded up with family. I looked at the BW and Robalo products in the 24’ range and after crawling over all 3 extensively, chose the GW 251.

The BW and Robalos are really nice, but most members of this forum and present company included, believe the GW product is nicer.

In my two years of ownership, I have been throughly impressed with GW’s customer support, build quality and the ride quality of the SeaV2 hull.