new grady owner

[jgendr]

Hi all from the Mississippi Gulf coast. new member here and just bought a 84 25' trophy with twin Johnson 175's. I am very pleased with my purchase though she needs a little tlc. Over the next few months I plan a complete restoration and most likely a repower down the road to a set of 4 strokes. I am planning on starting a YouTube channel to document the restoration and hopefully help others interested in doing the same. Here are a few pictures for looks and i look forward to seeing your comments. thanks

 

[SirGrady226]

Nice solid boat, a bit of TLC and she will be a great ride.

 

[UCPA111]

Nice! I did the same thing to a 1984 Seafarer. Here's my Youtube page with the progression: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKY3HuZDoWwR_iSbBmZmWEkSuhFlgBwjb
Good luck and can't wait to see how it turns out!

 

[jgendr]

Nice! I did the same thing to a 1984 Seafarer. Here's my Youtube page with the progression: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKY3HuZDoWwR_iSbBmZmWEkSuhFlgBwjb
Good luck and can't wait to see how it turns out!

Shawn???? You don't know how many time in the last week I have watched your Videos. Your are the inspiration to the restoration. Great job you did. If you ever need a warm winter vacation along the gulf coast send me a message. you got a place to stay.... hope you don't mind but I may have Many Many questions. lol thanks

 

[leeccoll]

Yep nice boat, have fun with this project

 

[UCPA111]

Shawn???? You don't know how many time in the last week I have watched your Videos. Your are the inspiration to the restoration. Great job you did. If you ever need a warm winter vacation along the gulf coast send me a message. you got a place to stay.... hope you don't mind but I may have Many Many questions. lol thanks

That's great!! I am glad the videos provide some confidence. My Dad and I really enjoyed the project....so much that he's in search of an inexpensive hull. He wants to build another boat. LOL! I guess after you gain a little confidence in throwing around some glass and epoxy, it get's into your blood!!!

I am happy to provide all the information I can. I paid $2800 for the boat....I put some cash into it to make it reliable and able to meet my needs. I keep looking around and can't find anything I like better. Ironically, I had looked at a neglected 24' grady several years ago. It was on a trailer and full of water...to the deck. Guy wouldn't budge off $7000. I am glad I waited.

 

[Legend]

Amazing how long these boats can last if they are taken care. Good luck with the do over!

 

[Ky Grady]

Cool project for sure. Keep us updated with pics as it progresses.

 

[Jargon]

My Dad and I really enjoyed the project....so much that he's in search of an inexpensive hull. He wants to build another boat.

I don’t know if this is of interest...

https://cnj.craigslist.org/boa/d/fords-25-grady-white-sailfish/6934927148.html

 

[Finest Kind]

Older Grady's rule! Great platform to restore!
She may have a few years on her but the Trophy Pro has the best fishing set-up of any 25 footer with it's huge cockpit....Small enough to take out solo anytime you want, big enough to take out 4 other guys for a day's fishing without being overcrowded.

By the way, when you do re-power, go with 200's regardless of brand, the 175's are not enough on that hull....trust me, been there done that.
And look very seriously at the Etec G2s...I can't say enough about how great they are!

Congrats on your purchase and good luck with her restoration.

 

[RussGW270]

Nice! I did the same thing to a 1984 Seafarer. Here's my Youtube page with the progression: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKY3HuZDoWwR_iSbBmZmWEkSuhFlgBwjb
Good luck and can't wait to see how it turns out!

ruh roh.. will have to watch a few myself. Like that tractor.. LS? Almost got one of those, ended up with a smaller Branson.. heh

OP: Nice boat and welcome addicting stuff, these Gradys

R

 

[jgendr]

That's great!! I am glad the videos provide some confidence. My Dad and I really enjoyed the project....so much that he's in search of an inexpensive hull. He wants to build another boat. LOL! I guess after you gain a little confidence in throwing around some glass and epoxy, it get's into your blood!!!

I am happy to provide all the information I can. I paid $2800 for the boat....I put some cash into it to make it reliable and able to meet my needs. I keep looking around and can't find anything I like better. Ironically, I had looked at a neglected 24' grady several years ago. It was on a trailer and full of water...to the deck. Guy wouldn't budge off $7000. I am glad I waited.

Check this $1500 rare bird:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2298107600305014/

 

[RussGW270]

Check this $1500 rare bird:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2298107600305014/

Is that the rare bird you found?

nm.. it is not.. ok, do not feel guilty then.

THAT is not a rare bird.. that is a bird that some big animal ate, spit up, stomped around for 4 seconds so as to not break the 5-second rule, ate again.. and pooped out.

lol.. nothing to see here

R

 

[UCPA111]

ruh roh.. will have to watch a few myself. Like that tractor.. LS? Almost got one of those, ended up with a smaller Branson.. heh

OP: Nice boat and welcome addicting stuff, these Gradys

R

New Holland T4.95 is the tractor. Very pleased with it. Way more than I should ever need. Had to upgrade truck to pull it...LOL! 18,500# trailer and tractor combination.

 

[UCPA111]

Check this $1500 rare bird:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2298107600305014/

Yowsers. Would be cool to have a CAT. Curious how it would handle in tight chop of Lake Erie.

 

[Ky Grady]

Tigercat is a rare bird. Will take a small bankroll to bring back to life.

 

[UCPA111]

Older Grady's rule! Great platform to restore!
She may have a few years on her but the Trophy Pro has the best fishing set-up of any 25 footer with it's huge cockpit....Small enough to take out solo anytime you want, big enough to take out 4 other guys for a day's fishing without being overcrowded.

By the way, when you do re-power, go with 200's regardless of brand, the 175's are not enough on that hull....trust me, been there done that.
And look very seriously at the Etec G2s...I can't say enough about how great they are!

Congrats on your purchase and good luck with her restoration.

The cockpit of the Trophy does look awesome. I love the space of my Seafarer...and having customized the transom I have a ton of room that I just can't find in comparable boats.

 

[jgendr]

Yowsers. Would be cool to have a CAT. Curious how it would handle in tight chop of Lake Erie.

Your dad is looking for a project boat, a little cleaning and buffing it'll look like new..... Ha ha ha ha Probably nothing Y'all couldn't handle... I could go check it out if you were interested.... about 30 minutes from the house.

All lets monitor your responses, I don't want this to turn into a measuring contest of who boat is better. I did not buy this boat just because it was a Grady, I looked at a lot of boats and mine kinda chose me. It needs some love and I need a project to work on. lets remember what our Moms said " if you can't say something nice, Don't say nothing at all ! " thanks

 

[RussGW270]

New Holland T4.95 is the tractor. Very pleased with it. Way more than I should ever need. Had to upgrade truck to pull it...LOL! 18,500# trailer and tractor combination.

Ahhh, just saw the blue and thought it was a LS. I have a ranch in S. Texas, 4 tracts. We sold 1 of the 4 and are working on selling the other 3. I bought a tractor to work on it....was tired of asking and waiting on friends that had one, so wanted to be more self-sufficient. Then, a month after buying the tractor, got tired of the drama at the ranch and decided to sell it.. lol. So, now I have a Branson 2400HST and have yet to use it. I have like 5-9 hours on it from loaning it out though

I plan to use it a little this year then sell it.....maybe Still have 2 acres here

I like the 20ft trailer and zero turn I got with it.

OP: You will probably get more responses if you try not to tell people what they can and cannot say, just saying. Most are in the upper years, just like you, and while everyone is happy about your boat... in jest and fun, no-one is measuring anything here, just horsing around and enjoying the virtual company.

So take it all with a grain of salt, relax, enjoy. Not a single person here is saying anything out of meanness or to be degrading....

Just my 2 cents....you will want all their input to help bring out the full greatness of that awesome boat you got... you may not like every bit of input, but telling folks to answer how you think they should, will pretty much ensure you get an answer you do not enjoy.

So... back to the topic.. project or not, you, sir, are in for some fun with that boat, I have no doubt.

Keep posting pics and progress updates.

Russ

 

[jgendr]

On the contrary I welcome Constructive criticism.... "Constructive" not Destructive is the key word here. This is hopefully a father son project like Shawn and his father did on his. This site just so happens to have some of the knowledge base we are looking for and hope to inspire more to restore then to buy New. Not knocking those that have the money and not enough time to do so. I could go out and buy a new one if I wanted and just go out Fishing but wheres the fun in that? lol

It's like restoring an old Chevelle, Mustang or Corvette, However as Mythbusters proved "Sometimes its better to Polish a turd then to just flush it away..." ROFLMAO