Hello everyone. Just a quick intro. My names Mark and I live in southern Maryland. I just purchased a 2006 Grady White 208 Adventure with a Yamaha 150 four stroke. Engine has 213 hours. I have grown up with boats in the family.... Sailboats and power. This is my first Grady White. I have always admired the boats and always wanted one. Now I have one and am excited. I took the wife and 2 daughters out on the Patuxent river this weekend and everything went great! I was very impressed with how the boat handled. I am curious if anyone has any advice? Specifically if I need to be concerned with gasoline/ethanol? Anything I should or should not be doing maintenance wise? a checklist maybe? General care for the boat? I feel I understand boats well and have a fair amount of common sense (at least I think I do?) I will be using the boat for pleasure, tubing, and fishing. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
New Grady Owner Intro and Questions?
- Thread starter Mark DV
- Start date
Definitely non ethanol gas. It is usually a good idea to do an annual service on the engine if you don’t know the service history. Annual contains engine oil, lower unit oil, h20 pump, fuel filters, and zinc check. Thermostat is done every 2 to 3 years. Also be sure there is a quality water separator installed in the boat. Preferably a racor brand with a clear drainable bowl. Check fuel hoses, primer ball etc. also control cables. And very importantly, the bilge works on auto and manual.
Congrats. I think the 208 came with trim tabs. If it didn't think about adding them down the road..the variable dead rise hull geometry is tab friendly in adjusting the ride. To maximize the geometry in a head sea , tab down to get the stern up and bow into the waves. The short steep chop will be easier to manage having the boat trimmed properly.
Enjoy her...
Enjoy her...
Yes. I have trim tabs. Was playing with them a lot this weekend. They do adjust the boat ride very well.
Mark - congrats on your purchase! I bought my 1999 208 in late 2018. I also purchased a F140 yamaha 4 stroke for it. I would go thru all the mechanical on the boat, make sure all the switches etc work. + 2 on the basic fuel service Spark mentions above. I changed all fuel lines when I upgraded my motor. Make sure your bilge works and check it often on your first few trips. I actually added a 2nd bilge for redundancy. Check your batteries, makes sure they hold a charge. I also changed all my pry up hatches with spin off hatches, so far they have worked better for me.
Also - check the "transom cap" or "bang plate" on your transom - if that is compromised it will cause future issues. Do a search on this board and you will get tons of info. I also posted on how i addressed my transom cap.
So far - I am l happy with the boat, I have made several offshore trips (60-100 miles roundtrip) and get about 2.5 to 3 mpg. I am in CA and I only have access to gas with Ethanol. My typical load is 3 passengers and a full 38 gallon bait tank (not the one that came with the boat).
My previous boat was a 17 whaler, this boat is way more comfortable to fish, I fell much less fatigued at the end of the day.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Also - check the "transom cap" or "bang plate" on your transom - if that is compromised it will cause future issues. Do a search on this board and you will get tons of info. I also posted on how i addressed my transom cap.
So far - I am l happy with the boat, I have made several offshore trips (60-100 miles roundtrip) and get about 2.5 to 3 mpg. I am in CA and I only have access to gas with Ethanol. My typical load is 3 passengers and a full 38 gallon bait tank (not the one that came with the boat).
My previous boat was a 17 whaler, this boat is way more comfortable to fish, I fell much less fatigued at the end of the day.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Fowl Hooked
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Not much beyond what others have already stated, get her out and enjoy the boat. I'm a fan of marine Sta-Bil and Yamalube with every fill up, could be snake oil but it's a small investment if there's any benefit at all. Our water is only brackish but flush the outboard after every use, I use Salt-Away as well when I do mine. Tri-State up in Deale is the closest GW dealer to us and I've used them for years with no complaints. I'm also local to you (Saint Inigoes) if you need a second set of eyes to look at anything. Congrats and good luck. - Brett
Replace and lightly grease the O-ring on the fuel cap, and keep a spare on-board, make sure you look at it and inspect each time you fuel up. Easily the best and primary way to keep water out of your fuel tank(s).
Safety gear up to date? PFDs for at least maximum capacity on board (8?). You can store spares in the cuddy compartments under the cushions. Epirb/PLB registration info changed? Since it’s used did you get the MMSI number info changed or are you getting a new vhf? Anchor/chain/rope in good shape? Have a spare? Have spare rope in case you need to tow or be towed?
Check your deck/cockpit drain hoses for condition and any signs of water leakage.
Check the swim step mounting points for water intrusion into the transom. The lag screws might need to be re-bedded with 4200. Better yet, through bolt them (easy to do).
The boat is 14 years old so check all of the fittings that should be bedded with sealant. Hunt down any rattles/vibration for loose hardware.
Spend as much time as possible on the boat and get used to her in all kinds of conditions.
I have a 2005 208 so feel free to ask questions and/or pass on tips; we’ll learn faster collectively.
Check your deck/cockpit drain hoses for condition and any signs of water leakage.
Check the swim step mounting points for water intrusion into the transom. The lag screws might need to be re-bedded with 4200. Better yet, through bolt them (easy to do).
The boat is 14 years old so check all of the fittings that should be bedded with sealant. Hunt down any rattles/vibration for loose hardware.
Spend as much time as possible on the boat and get used to her in all kinds of conditions.
I have a 2005 208 so feel free to ask questions and/or pass on tips; we’ll learn faster collectively.