Picked up a 2015 Freedom 307 this past November, have put about 30 hours on it and wanted to share my experience with anyone considering a similar boat.
The bottom line - Overall this boat is excellent and I think I'm a Grady owner for life now.
The details:
Ride - She rides surprisingly well for a 30 foot boat. I came from a much larger and heavier 37 foot Four Winns cruiser and the Grady handles better in rough water despite being smaller, lighter and having a smaller beam. I continue to be impressed with how it handles a strong following sea. My years of boating have trained me to expect a certain response from a boat in these seas and the Grady is forcing me to retrain my brain as to how a boat can and should respond in these conditions, it's pretty amazing and a lot of fun. Because it's lighter and smaller I have to use trim tabs more than I'm used to from the Four Winns but that's fine. The layout of the boat makes it so easy for people to move around comfortably that it contributes to the trim tab need as people are constantly moving because of the ease and comfort of doing so. Have been in up to 6 foot waves thus far and she handles them just fine. Very dry boat, everyone that I've taken out is surprised at how dry it is, much drier than my Four Winns. It is an impressive ride, I've received multiple compliments as to how surprisingly smooth the boat rides.
Quality - Great but not perfect. Grady advertises itself as top notch and they are. All the HW is solid and built to last. Finishes are top notch. I've had a few minor issues thus far: aft bilge pump float switch wasn't working, windlass didn't come with a guide to hold the line and chain on top of the roller so it comes off the roller at times (going to add one myself), minor crack in the gel coat by the aft radio control, 1 LED light in the hardtop stopped working almost immediately after I took delivery, fuel sender stopped working at about 10 hours and had to be replaced, the bow seating cushions have these snaps that hold them to the boat that are very difficult to remove and came broken from the dealer as a result (I just don't use them as they are so hard to remove and unnecessary), windshield wiper assembly was rubbing against the windshield and scratched it a bit (fixed it with a couple of tie-wraps, hard to explain without a visual). Most of these issues aren't Grady's fault but rather failed components integrated into the boat so I don't hold it against them but hope they are paying attention and either reconsider their component suppliers or work with them on improving their quality. Considering how many components are in this boat and how many haven't failed yet I think overall the quality has been great.
Service - Every issue I have reported to my dealer has been quickly addressed and without question. I'm very happy with the experience thus far. My dealer is Quality boats of Tampa and they've been great thus far. Thank you Eric in sales and Ed in service.
Performance - I have Twin 300HP Yamahas and I'm very happy with them. The boat likes a lot of trim so that took some getting used to initially but I've been able to get 1.4-1.5MPG ~19-20GPH at 29-30 MPH with 14 people on board 60% fuel on the flat. Top speed with that load was 47MPH and with a lighter load I've been able to get up to 50MPH as advertised by Grady. Very happy with these numbers, they are almost exactly as Grady advertised. Engines are quiet and can hardly be heard when in idle. My only complaint is that my boat sits on the water in a wet slip and the engines don't come out of the water 100%, about 2 inches of the lower units sit underwater, seems like a common issues with Yammys from what I've read online.
Comfort - Extremely comfortable! 0 complaints here. The seating configuration is perfect, the materials used are excellent, the cushioning is soft and luxurious, the back supports are great all around. The cabin is easy to get in and out of. This was a huge consideration for me as I have a large family and Grady excelled.
Safety - Feels solid even in rough waves. My passengers nor I have felt insecure at any time. Grady puts handles in all the right places. You can tell this hull was designed well and for rough water, it moves through the water well, the boat doesn't catch air and the bow rarely if ever slams the water hard. It's very impressive and hard to understand until you experience it yourself.
Amenities - Hardtop is solid and perfect, toilet is easy to use but a little loud and I wish it was freshwater based, refrigerator works great and is very well designed and laid-out for storing items, windlass works well although the anchor has gotten stuck a couple of times and hasn't descended without manual intervention, trim tabs work perfectly, are very responsive and auto-retract, power steering is great and makes it so simple to drive the boat, Yamaha command link digital gauge is awesome, switch configuration is perfect and easy to learn, adjustable seats are awesome, helm foot rests are great and well positioned, hardtop LED lights are awesome and change colors, spreader lights are very bright, livewell is well-designed and illuminated as is the windlass compartment and port side under-helm storage area. Wet bar is well designed although I wish the storage compartment right next to the sink was a little deeper for it to be more practical as a cooler area, I assume the refrigerator underneath it prevents this from being possible. Aft freshwater shower is perfectly located and a is a great compliment to the raw and fresh water wash downs. Love the rods connecting to all of the sea cocks making them so easy to access. Garbage can is great. Radio is great especially since it comes with built-in bluetooth and multiple control points throughout the boat to adjust volume, track, station, etc... Cup holders everywhere! 12V plugs for charging phones and other accessories in all the right places! Grady has thought of nearly everything, they are clearly focused on the customer experience details and I greatly appreciate this.
Opportunities for improvement - Quieter and fresh water based toilet. The bow's navigating (red and green) lights create glare at night and hurt visibility. Put a roller guide above the anchor line roller to prevent the line and chain from falling off to either side of the roller. The windshield has a mechanism that holds the windshield when it's open, the screws on that have loosened and have required tightening. Cabin currently has a vent hole but no fan within the vent, add a vent, also add a ventilating fan to the port-side under-helm storage area. Find a better retention mechanism for the bow seat cushions. Larger garbage can in the wet bar if possible although I don't think it is. Add a subwoofer and/or better speakers and/or amplifier for the factory audio system. The storage drawer that pulls out from the helm station would be better configured as 2 smaller (less deep) storage drawers.
As I said at the beginning, I'm very happy with this boat overall and I am likely a Grady owner for life after this experience. I spent nearly 2 years researching which boat to get while I waited for my previous boat to sell and I don't think I could have made a better decision than what I made here by choosing Grady and the Freedom 307 model, it's absolutely perfect for my family and I. We use it mostly for cruising around Biscayne bay with our large family and driving down to the Florida keys however the versatility of this boat has driven me to start fishing with it as well and I'm having a blast doing so. We've had up to 5 people fishing comfortably from it thus far and it's far smoother in a drift than my previous boat was despite the major size difference. I never felt confident enough in my last boat to take it over to the Bahamas but the Grady is just begging for the journey and we can't wait for summer come to make the trip over.
I highly recommend Grady and the Freedom 307. I've driven about 5 different models of boats of varying sizes over the past decade and this is the best experience I've had yet.
-Frank
Palmetto Bay, FL
The bottom line - Overall this boat is excellent and I think I'm a Grady owner for life now.
The details:
Ride - She rides surprisingly well for a 30 foot boat. I came from a much larger and heavier 37 foot Four Winns cruiser and the Grady handles better in rough water despite being smaller, lighter and having a smaller beam. I continue to be impressed with how it handles a strong following sea. My years of boating have trained me to expect a certain response from a boat in these seas and the Grady is forcing me to retrain my brain as to how a boat can and should respond in these conditions, it's pretty amazing and a lot of fun. Because it's lighter and smaller I have to use trim tabs more than I'm used to from the Four Winns but that's fine. The layout of the boat makes it so easy for people to move around comfortably that it contributes to the trim tab need as people are constantly moving because of the ease and comfort of doing so. Have been in up to 6 foot waves thus far and she handles them just fine. Very dry boat, everyone that I've taken out is surprised at how dry it is, much drier than my Four Winns. It is an impressive ride, I've received multiple compliments as to how surprisingly smooth the boat rides.
Quality - Great but not perfect. Grady advertises itself as top notch and they are. All the HW is solid and built to last. Finishes are top notch. I've had a few minor issues thus far: aft bilge pump float switch wasn't working, windlass didn't come with a guide to hold the line and chain on top of the roller so it comes off the roller at times (going to add one myself), minor crack in the gel coat by the aft radio control, 1 LED light in the hardtop stopped working almost immediately after I took delivery, fuel sender stopped working at about 10 hours and had to be replaced, the bow seating cushions have these snaps that hold them to the boat that are very difficult to remove and came broken from the dealer as a result (I just don't use them as they are so hard to remove and unnecessary), windshield wiper assembly was rubbing against the windshield and scratched it a bit (fixed it with a couple of tie-wraps, hard to explain without a visual). Most of these issues aren't Grady's fault but rather failed components integrated into the boat so I don't hold it against them but hope they are paying attention and either reconsider their component suppliers or work with them on improving their quality. Considering how many components are in this boat and how many haven't failed yet I think overall the quality has been great.
Service - Every issue I have reported to my dealer has been quickly addressed and without question. I'm very happy with the experience thus far. My dealer is Quality boats of Tampa and they've been great thus far. Thank you Eric in sales and Ed in service.
Performance - I have Twin 300HP Yamahas and I'm very happy with them. The boat likes a lot of trim so that took some getting used to initially but I've been able to get 1.4-1.5MPG ~19-20GPH at 29-30 MPH with 14 people on board 60% fuel on the flat. Top speed with that load was 47MPH and with a lighter load I've been able to get up to 50MPH as advertised by Grady. Very happy with these numbers, they are almost exactly as Grady advertised. Engines are quiet and can hardly be heard when in idle. My only complaint is that my boat sits on the water in a wet slip and the engines don't come out of the water 100%, about 2 inches of the lower units sit underwater, seems like a common issues with Yammys from what I've read online.
Comfort - Extremely comfortable! 0 complaints here. The seating configuration is perfect, the materials used are excellent, the cushioning is soft and luxurious, the back supports are great all around. The cabin is easy to get in and out of. This was a huge consideration for me as I have a large family and Grady excelled.
Safety - Feels solid even in rough waves. My passengers nor I have felt insecure at any time. Grady puts handles in all the right places. You can tell this hull was designed well and for rough water, it moves through the water well, the boat doesn't catch air and the bow rarely if ever slams the water hard. It's very impressive and hard to understand until you experience it yourself.
Amenities - Hardtop is solid and perfect, toilet is easy to use but a little loud and I wish it was freshwater based, refrigerator works great and is very well designed and laid-out for storing items, windlass works well although the anchor has gotten stuck a couple of times and hasn't descended without manual intervention, trim tabs work perfectly, are very responsive and auto-retract, power steering is great and makes it so simple to drive the boat, Yamaha command link digital gauge is awesome, switch configuration is perfect and easy to learn, adjustable seats are awesome, helm foot rests are great and well positioned, hardtop LED lights are awesome and change colors, spreader lights are very bright, livewell is well-designed and illuminated as is the windlass compartment and port side under-helm storage area. Wet bar is well designed although I wish the storage compartment right next to the sink was a little deeper for it to be more practical as a cooler area, I assume the refrigerator underneath it prevents this from being possible. Aft freshwater shower is perfectly located and a is a great compliment to the raw and fresh water wash downs. Love the rods connecting to all of the sea cocks making them so easy to access. Garbage can is great. Radio is great especially since it comes with built-in bluetooth and multiple control points throughout the boat to adjust volume, track, station, etc... Cup holders everywhere! 12V plugs for charging phones and other accessories in all the right places! Grady has thought of nearly everything, they are clearly focused on the customer experience details and I greatly appreciate this.
Opportunities for improvement - Quieter and fresh water based toilet. The bow's navigating (red and green) lights create glare at night and hurt visibility. Put a roller guide above the anchor line roller to prevent the line and chain from falling off to either side of the roller. The windshield has a mechanism that holds the windshield when it's open, the screws on that have loosened and have required tightening. Cabin currently has a vent hole but no fan within the vent, add a vent, also add a ventilating fan to the port-side under-helm storage area. Find a better retention mechanism for the bow seat cushions. Larger garbage can in the wet bar if possible although I don't think it is. Add a subwoofer and/or better speakers and/or amplifier for the factory audio system. The storage drawer that pulls out from the helm station would be better configured as 2 smaller (less deep) storage drawers.
As I said at the beginning, I'm very happy with this boat overall and I am likely a Grady owner for life after this experience. I spent nearly 2 years researching which boat to get while I waited for my previous boat to sell and I don't think I could have made a better decision than what I made here by choosing Grady and the Freedom 307 model, it's absolutely perfect for my family and I. We use it mostly for cruising around Biscayne bay with our large family and driving down to the Florida keys however the versatility of this boat has driven me to start fishing with it as well and I'm having a blast doing so. We've had up to 5 people fishing comfortably from it thus far and it's far smoother in a drift than my previous boat was despite the major size difference. I never felt confident enough in my last boat to take it over to the Bahamas but the Grady is just begging for the journey and we can't wait for summer come to make the trip over.
I highly recommend Grady and the Freedom 307. I've driven about 5 different models of boats of varying sizes over the past decade and this is the best experience I've had yet.
-Frank
Palmetto Bay, FL