It's official - 228 is no more :-(

[doug228]

Watch out,my 228 might hit the market after summer so I can upgrade. Located on Bowen Island, not far from you...

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Thanks Don, I now also have the measurement from wrxhoon with thanks.
I feel small and inadequate, almost in a state of depression. Found myself wallowing in misery on realizing I have the smallest yacht in the Grady line up. What kind of a man can be satisfied with a boat this size? .......Unfortunately they have discontinued the 228 so any aspirations I may had to upgrading have left me with little choice but to find happiness and contentment even joy in cruising, fishing, prawning and boat camping in my 208. It is quite step down from my 40 ft. commercial fishing troller, but with time and therapy I believe I am managing to adjust and look forward to another summer of fun in the sun on the "small one". Thank you for your concern and attempt at support.

Trapper, don't worry most the guys who run 30 plus footers are over compensating for something. Talk to their wives. lol.

The 208 is a fine boat and I contend most Grady's under 24 feet are truly the best boat in their size class. My 192 was a great boat. I somewhat miss it. When I decided to move up the 208 was not on my radar because going from a 19.5 foot boat to a 20.5 boat made little sense for us. Now going from a 19 to 22 foot in an upgrade ,well that's going up 3 feet and now the boats are different. I kind of wish I had looked at the Journey more to be honest as that is a great 24 footer. Technically the Fisherman 180 is the smallest in the fleet and not the 208. So you got that going for you! lol.

 

[luckydude]

Thanks Don, I now also have the measurement from wrxhoon with thanks.
I feel small and inadequate, almost in a state of depression. Found myself wallowing in misery on realizing I have the smallest yacht in the Grady line up. What kind of a man can be satisfied with a boat this size? .......Unfortunately they have discontinued the 228 so any aspirations I may had to upgrading have left me with little choice but to find happiness and contentment even joy in cruising, fishing, prawning and boat camping in my 208. It is quite step down from my 40 ft. commercial fishing troller, but with time and therapy I believe I am managing to adjust and look forward to another summer of fun in the sun on the "small one". Thank you for your concern and attempt at support.

Your 208 is fine, I almost bought that boat but my buddy told me bigger is better and now that I've gotten into crabbing, I'm happy for the extra space. If I were just fishing, I think the 208 would be fine for two people, maybe 3 if one guy is at the helm. It's a good boat, go have fun in it.

 

[Ky Grady]

258 was on my short list but it wasn't driftsock friendly like my 228 is. Fished 4 guys before and plenty of room for everyone. 3 is ideal, 2 is excellent. 208 would have been too small for me and with the bracket, the 228 runs like a bigger boat.

 

[luckydude]

258 was on my short list but it wasn't driftsock friendly like my 228 is. Fished 4 guys before and plenty of room for everyone. 3 is ideal, 2 is excellent. 208 would have been too small for me and with the bracket, the 228 runs like a bigger boat.

What size drift sock are you using and where do you attach it? I have two and I stuck them both off the bow to try and swing the bow into the wind and the boat wasn't buying it. I bought a surplus 60" parachute at the advice of my local forum, haven't tried it yet.

That rear bracket makes it drive like a bigger boat, but as the 226 people will tell you, it pushes you around quite a bit in a following sea.

 

[Ky Grady]

What size drift sock are you using and where do you attach it? I have two and I stuck them both off the bow to try and swing the bow into the wind and the boat wasn't buying it. I bought a surplus 60" parachute at the advice of my local forum, haven't tried it yet.

That rear bracket makes it drive like a bigger boat, but as the 226 people will tell you, it pushes you around quite a bit in a following sea.

I drift from the rear and pull two socks, the biggest I pull is 72". I hook to the transom tie-down eyes. This was when I was making a bridle to pull one on center when the wind dictates only one sock.

 

[luckydude]

Huh. My local forum was telling me to tie off on the bow for 2 reasons, A) to try and point the bow into the wind so the helm doesn't act quite so much as a sail and B) tie it off short enough that you can't get it wrapped around the prop.

In theory that makes sense to me but I'm pretty inexperienced with drift socks.

 

[Ky Grady]

Been drifting for 30+ years. Been doing it this way the whole time. We travel with the wind and have a 5 rod spread out the back with lines out behind us.

 

[Ky Grady]

With what you're doing sounds like you are trolling, not drifting. Socks keep your speed down with big motor in gear.

 

[luckydude]

With what you're doing sounds like you are trolling, not drifting. Socks keep your speed down with big motor in gear.

No motor involved, just drifting. I'll play around with it, locals have told me the drift socks can't do much in our west coast wind and that has matched my experience. Even with 2 socks out, my lines are close 45 degrees and it's hard to stay near the bottom. That's why I got a parachute, I've been told that will work better. We'll see.

I like the 5 rod spread, I'm gonna do something similar for tuna, probably this year.

 

[Ky Grady]

West coast wind and current to deal with. I'm drifting on a lake, wind only, no current.

 

[davescarp]

Watch out,my 228 might hit the market after summer so I can upgrade. Located on Bowen Island, not far from you...

ship it out east I'll buy it.. hopefully some day anyway.

 

[luckydude]

Watch out,my 228 might hit the market after summer so I can upgrade. Located on Bowen Island, not far from you...

I'd take a good hard look at the used 228 market when you price your boat. I bet a 228 in good shape, 5 years old, will get pretty close to a new boat price. In my opinion, the 228 is close to the perfect boat for west coast waters, more perfect the more north / cold you go.

I could imagine that there could be a bidding war for any 228 that comes on the market. But that is just starry eyed me who loves his 228, Grady White is a business and they decided the 228 isn't doing it for them. So maybe the market isn't as big as I thought. All I can say is every 228 owner I've talked out here on the west coast is pretty much as in love with their 228 as I am.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I'd take a good hard look at the used 228 market when you price your boat. I bet a 228 in good shape, 5 years old, will get pretty close to a new boat price. In my opinion, the 228 is close to the perfect boat for west coast waters, more perfect the more north / cold you go.

I could imagine that there could be a bidding war for any 228 that comes on the market. But that is just starry eyed me who loves his 228, Grady White is a business and they decided the 228 isn't doing it for them. So maybe the market isn't as big as I thought. All I can say is every 228 owner I've talked out here on the west coast is pretty much as in love with their 228 as I am.

Here is the deal. Boat dealers can order their inventory and pick and chose what boats to bring in. If the perception is dual consoles and center consoles are perceived to be hot, the dealer orders the hot boats. maybe they order a 228 or maybe not . If they don't order a 228 , they don't have it to show and step on. If they have the Freedom 23 on hand and the buyer has a choice between buying what's on the lot or ordering and waiting 4 or 5 months,what do many buyers do? They buy on the lot. To me if you see a 228 and have a 208 next to it or the fisherman 222 , then maybe they sell more. Salesman want to sell what's on the lot . I don't buy they simply are not selling , I think dealers are not pushing it. you guys up north and on the west coast keep saying how great the boat is for your waters. I believe you ,but then I scratch my head and wonder why Grady ain't popping 228s like pez in those markets? I also can't stand the myth of how hot the cabin is in Florida. I boat in Florida all the time and call that as nonsense. I think they would sell more if boat dealers and salesmen pushed them more.

 

[luckydude]

They buy on the lot. To me if you see a 228 and have a 208 next to it or the fisherman 222 , then maybe they sell more.

My dealer's sales guy just groaned when he heard that they were not going to make more 228s. "My favorite Grady is no more". He always had a 228 and a 208 on the lot.

I suspect it has a lot to do with the price. $30K more for a 2 foot bigger cockpit, platform, 50 more HP, that's a lot. Grady could have priced it better and made money and sold a boat load of them.

Whatever, I got mine, super happy. A little bummed that if one of my kids wanted one I can't buy that but so far, my 228 seems enough for our family.

 

[trapper]

Just returned from therapy and have been told I am on the road to complete recovery from any 208 size issues. Thank you all for your support especially Smoky who pointed out there is the smaller Grady the 180.

 

[luckydude]

Just returned from therapy and have been told I am on the road to complete recovery from any 208 size issues. Thank you all for your support especially Smoky who pointed out there is the smaller Grady the 180.

Not about the size, it's about the motion in the ocean (sorry, couldn't resist).

 

[trapper]

Thank you Lucky!!! Oh what a fool I am, all this time I thought it was all about the size! Appreciate the notion about the motion in the ocean, I am learning so darn much on this valuable Great Grady site!

 

[luckydude]

Thank you Lucky!!! Oh what a fool I am, all this time I thought it was all about the size! Appreciate the notion about the motion in the ocean, I am learning so darn much on this valuable Great Grady site!

We're here to help, why don't you take a seat over there. Now, then, Mr Trapper, when did you first have 228 envy? It's OK, you can admit, we've all been there. I myself come from a horrible Triumph with the dreaded gas guzzling 2 stroke before I saw the light and came over to the 228 side. Dr Lucky Dude is here to help, and I'm worth every penny you paid

Enjoy your 208, I just put 6 crab pots in my 228 and I had about 2 feet of space left in the cockpit so I think you could stack carefully and crab out of that boat. Nice boat, embrace your 228 envy but enjoy your 208. Therapy is over

 

[trapper]

So appreciative Lucky for your "professional" help and guidance!! I have fully embraced my envy and now, only now have found the joy!!! Bless you father you have shown me the light!!