New guy here with a few questions about a 228 Seafarer

[Mustang65fbk]

Good evening everyone. My name is Blair, I'm new to this forum and have a couple questions about a 228 Seafarer. First off, I'm 34 years old, live in the Seattle area and currently own a brand of boat called an Arima. It's a 21' boat with a skip tower and a Honda 130 hp outboard on it. I've had it for 3 years now and enjoy it but thinking about getting something that's bigger and more comfortable in the chop. The Arima has a modified vee as opposed to the GW which I believe all have a deep vee? Anyway, my questions, and I'm sure they're probably rather broad, would be... did they change over to no wood in the cockpit in the year 2000? What's a fair price for an early 2000's GW 228 Seafarer with either a single or twin 4 strokes nowadays? How do they ride in the chop? I've never ridden in a GW before and have to imagine just about any boat rides great when it's in flat water but the Arima does take a pounding in the chop. I'm assuming a 228 Seafarer is doable in terms of launching/retrieving/fishing in by oneself? At least I'd assume so compared to my uncle's old boat which was a mid 1990's 26' Bayliner Trophy? Are there any quirks or things to really look out for when potentially purchasing one, other than the normal? I know that for my Arima it has a motorwell as well as motorwell drains where if the plastic fittings come loose from the motorwell drains then the water will drain down into the bilge. Not a great design imo, and it tried sinking on me 3 different times on our mooring buoy before we figured out what the problem was. Do the GW's have foam injected into them? Will they float if they take on water? I mainly fish for salmon and halibut but also do shrimping and crabbing as well at our beach cabin on Whidbey Island. What bits of advice would you give me? Is a single motor on this size of a boat decent? I see a lot that are in the 200-250 hp range, or would twins be better? On top of that, what about a kicker? Is one needed? Will twins or a single 200-250 hp outboard be slow enough to troll for king salmon? I'm looking at a 228 Seafarer currently with the thought of selling my boat, if the deal were to go through. I'm not a huge fan of the wooden trim in the cockpit and believe they must've changed that after the year 2000? Anyway, I have seen pricing anywhere from the mid teens during the off season on up to over $50k. Does a 228 Seafarer have scuppers for draining water or use bilge pumps? Will a standard half ton pickup tow a 228 Seafarer or will a 3/4 ton pickup be needed? These questions and any other words/suggestions/comments from the wise or experienced would be very much appreciated. Thanks again!

 

[Joez]

Wont find very many seafarers with twins, especially not with a bracket. I want to say the extra wide notched transom for twins stopped in '92, the last year before the transition to the new SeaVee2 hull design. Most of the new 4 strokes will idle down enough to troll for kings, i use a kicker for both piece of mind having a backup, and sometimes here in Lake Michigan the fish can get extra picky, and we need to get down under 1.5mph to get the flutter spoons to act right. I get much more control with the kicker.

Now, i keep my seafarer in a slip through the spring/summer/fall, but for the towing back and forth to the marina twice per year i use a midsize SUV rated at 6500 pounds. I am right at the limit, but it tows, handles and maneuvers just fine for my two 60 mile trips per year here in the Midwest. I wouldn't want to tow it cross country, but in reality any of the modern half ton full size pickups will handle it just fine. You will get plenty of responses saying you need a 3/4 ton diesel, its up to you. I don't have a hardtop, have an older 2-stroke, but do have a T8 Yamaha, dual batteries, and tow it down with most of my fishing gear for the season already in it. On my aluminum trailer, it tips the scale right at 6100 pounds.

As far as handling, i can take it in and out solo no problem, in fact at the end of the season I usually just handle it by myself. Single motor is fine on these, but i do enjoy having my little Yamaha. Again, more precise speed control, and just sips fuel. The wood look trim isn't actually wood, even on my '93. Its duratrim, meant to give the look of teak without the maintenance. Cockpit is self bailing, the 226's will have the deck plates that could possible pop out, i will say though with how tight the engine well is, i have never worried about it. I know it "could" happen, and if i was truly worried you can swap them for screw in style. Hull is foam filled for level flotation if you ever did swamp it.

IMHO, it is one of the most seaworthy 22' boats on the market. But at the end of the day, its still a 22' boat. It handles the chop well here on the great lakes, in a following sea i have found myself looking for more power a couple times. Mine is only rigged with a 175 Mercury. Again I don't have a hard top, but with the bimini deployed, three people, a full tank of fuel, kicker, and all of my salmon gear, she will top out at 39.1 mph on the GPS, and that is with bottom paint. Cruises nicely between 27-31 mph. They are great all around boats, with a lot of cockpit space, and a very seaworthy hull.

 

[ScottyCee]

I live 60 miles North of you on Samish Island. I had a GW 22 for 4 years and loved it. I fished kings, bottomfish, spot prawns, etc. The boat handles fine alone, and I towed and launched 2x/yr with my V6 Tacoma no problema. Single 225 was great power, i definitely loved having kicker for maneuverability in tight spaces and trolling, and I went home on it twice due to fuel / oil shortages. 8^) If you're like me, an autopilot on the kicker is something you will never want to be without once you try it. We would put the kicker on AP and cruise at 4-5 mph for hours - or sometimes just let it drive home. Uses about .5-.75 gph. Fantastic!

The 1994 handled Puget Sound style afternoon chop with aplomb. So completely different than an Arima (buddy has one of those), due to greater weight and much better "slicing." That hull really never went "bang" for me in the conditions we see up here, and it loves the long groundswells and ferry wakes. It also gets less fuel economy than lighter boats of the same size, but worth it IMHO for the ride. I cruised at 11-12 gph @ 28-30 mph. I bought mine for 20K, ran it 4 years and sold it in pretty much the same condition for 24K. Considering the values of the 2015 Yamaha kicker, Garmin autopilot, 1994 GW hull, and the rebuilt 1997 225hp 2-stroke, the big motor was the lowest. You will probably spend more than I did for a 226/228 with a good 4-stroke. And you'll love it!

 

[magicalbill]

Not much else to add; good info above.

You do not need a diesel to tow one; a well equipped 1/2 ton will do nicely; 3/4 is better if you tow thru the mountains, etc.

Get an oversized trailer. I have learned this lesson more than once. Otherwise, you'll have premature bearing failure and too much stress on components.
A tandem rated for a minimum of 8000lbs would be ideal.

It is a stable, safe platform and, as stated above, is one of the best 22 ft boats out there. Anything over 2 footers in choppy conditions will be an unpleasant ride and a damp one, depending on the wind direction. When I had one, if the wind went over 15kts in open water, I found something else to do.

I enjoyed mine; luck to 'ya.

 

[Parthery]

Second on an oversized trailer. Get one with 7000 GVW which will be close to 6K net.

I've owned both a 228 and 226. They were great boats.

 

[Ky Grady]

I have a 228 and headed to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico in a few weeks. Very capable 22' boat. Buddy of mine runs a 228 out of Seattle, I'm sure he'd take you out to let you see what it's like. I launch and load solo majority of the time, not hard at all. I currently run a F225, which is satisfactory. A F250 is ideal. The newer 228's are rated for a 300.

 

[Holokai]

Hi Blair,

Pretty sure I remember some of your posts from the Arima forum. I had a 17 Chaser that I sold to my friend and ended up with an Adventure 208.

There is no comparison between the ride and handling of the two boats other than they both feel safe and will get you home. For drift fishing and efficiency the Arima wins hands down. Underway the Grady’s weight and deeper vee will cut through chop; albeit at the expense of efficiency. For flat water use I’d stick with the Arima but if you’re having with issues with chop the Grady wins hands down.

The Arima has a ton of cockpit space for its size so I’m thinking there won’t be much of an improvement with a 228 but the Grady does have built in fishboxes at the helm (not as long as the Arima center box but deeper/wider). The cuddy seems to be more useable on the Grady and access is easier than the Arima.

You shouldn’t have a problem selling your Arima as it’s pretty much the unicorn model (21 with a skip top) but in all honesty the Grady White is a different class of boat. They ride better and generally have better fit and finish than the Arimas. Cost to operate and maintain is higher due to heavier weight, larger engines, and more auxiliary systems but for me it’s worth it. I loved my Arima but knew deep down that it wasn’t my forever boat. Now that I have my Grady I’ve stopped wondering “what if”.

Feel free to message me directly if you’d like to chat. More than willing to help out a fellow Arima guy!

Mahalo,
Jason

 

[luckydude]

Hi, another new 228 owner here, got it just before this COVID-19 stuff so only been out twice. 2nd boat, hopefully the last boat I'll buy.

Lots of detail below but what I'm looking at is could I get by with a recent model Toyota Tacoma, V6, tow package as a tow vehicle.

I read through this thread, just went out and checked, my boat came from the dealer on a 7000 pound trailer with 4 disc brakes. That seems fine, I believe everything including gear and gas and fresh water, is about 6500 pounds. So trailer sorted.

On to tow vehicle. I live in the Santa Cruz mountains, my path to the harbor takes me to 1800 feet down to sea level (duh). One tow option is my Chevy duramax 6.6L dually flatbed, weighing in at 9800 pounds but is rear wheel drive only. I deal with that by putting 500-600 pounds of tractor grapple over the wheels, that has been "good enough" to get up the ramp. It's not idea because it is bench seat, so really at most 2 adults and a kid, and the lack of 4WD sort of sucks.

I also have a 2005 chevy half ton 4WD. My previous boat was a triumph where the whole shebang was maybe 4500 pounds (in theory, the hulls take on water so it could have been more) and my truck was in 2nd going up the mountain to get home. It was doing it but it wasn't happy. It's a tired truck.

Given that I have the diesel flatbed for hauling big loads, I don't really need an 8 foot bed truck for hauling. The Tacoma gets better gas mileage and on paper, seems like it could do it.

Anyone hauling a 228 up down 2000 feet with a Tacoma? Or is that nuts?

 

[Holokai]

Hi, another new 228 owner here, got it just before this COVID-19 stuff so only been out twice. 2nd boat, hopefully the last boat I'll buy.

Lots of detail below but what I'm looking at is could I get by with a recent model Toyota Tacoma, V6, tow package as a tow vehicle.

I read through this thread, just went out and checked, my boat came from the dealer on a 7000 pound trailer with 4 disc brakes. That seems fine, I believe everything including gear and gas and fresh water, is about 6500 pounds. So trailer sorted.

On to tow vehicle. I live in the Santa Cruz mountains, my path to the harbor takes me to 1800 feet down to sea level (duh). One tow option is my Chevy duramax 6.6L dually flatbed, weighing in at 9800 pounds but is rear wheel drive only. I deal with that by putting 500-600 pounds of tractor grapple over the wheels, that has been "good enough" to get up the ramp. It's not idea because it is bench seat, so really at most 2 adults and a kid, and the lack of 4WD sort of sucks.

I also have a 2005 chevy half ton 4WD. My previous boat was a triumph where the whole shebang was maybe 4500 pounds (in theory, the hulls take on water so it could have been more) and my truck was in 2nd going up the mountain to get home. It was doing it but it wasn't happy. It's a tired truck.

Given that I have the diesel flatbed for hauling big loads, I don't really need an 8 foot bed truck for hauling. The Tacoma gets better gas mileage and on paper, seems like it could do it.

Anyone hauling a 228 up down 2000 feet with a Tacoma? Or is that nuts?

Just to be clear can you verify if the 7,000 rating is total or net? I’m guessing you might have 2 - 3,500 lb. axles and your trailer might be a little over 1,000 giving you a net/boat/fuel/gear/ice capacity of a little under 6,000 lbs. Most people’s setups weigh more than the calculated numbers so I’d venture you’re near the limit of your trailer with the 228.

That will translate to 500-750 lbs of tongue weight which is getting to the higher range of payload for a Tacoma. Additionally, the Tacoma itself is not a heavy truck so it inherently will not have the stopping power of your bigger trucks. A V6 current model will have enough power to pull but I’d suggest adding an electric over hydraulic brake actuator and maybe Timbren SES to replace the rear bump stops since Toyota leaf springs are relatively soft (especially if you have a TRD Off-road) and sag quickly.

If possible I’d choose to trade your two bigger trucks for a diesel 4wd with an extended cab. Your Tacoma can do it but the vertical gain on the tow will add wear faster than on a diesel.

 

[Parthery]

7000 GVW which is 2 3500 lb axles.
A fully loaded and fueled 228 on an aluminum trailer will scale out about 6400 including the weight of the trailer.

Get one with 6.5 I-Beams. Some of the trailer manufacturers use 5.5 I beam in that size. It’s a couple hundred bucks more but provides more strength.

 

[wrxhoon]

A late model 228 with hard top full tank of gas and water weighs 5300 lbs .

Carolyn Ray <cray@gradywhite.com>







Hello Jerry,

Yes Sir, That is the heaviest fully loaded weight of this boat. Full of fuel, water, largest engine package and all options.

Kind Regards,

Carolyn Ray
Customer Relations
Grady White Boats
252-830-8600

To: Carolyn Ray <cray@gradywhite.com>
Subject: Re: 2013 228G Seafarer
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for the quick reply, that helps as I'm building a new trailer.
As for the boat weight, mine has a hardtop, do you know the weight of the hardtop?
Does the 5300 lb include the 250 hp 4.2lt Yamaha, batteries and 125 gal gas, 10 gal water ?



Hello Jerry,


Here’s some info below on the LCG/Bunk for the 228G. The fully loaded boat weight of the Seafarer is 5300 LBS. We share two optional bunk locations for all our boats. 1)26 ¾” apart or 2)56 ¾” apart. See notes highlighted in yellow.

 

[ScottyCee]

I pulled a 226 loaded and full with a Tacoma v6 w/towing package and it was fine. ~14 mpg. But no problems at all - good authority. I had Ventura dual axle with disk brakes.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Thanks for all of the replies everyone! I've emailed the guy with the boat for sale a couple different times over the past couple days and haven't heard anything back from him. So I'm not sure if it's a fake ad, the boat has sold or maybe he had a change of heart? I'm thinking if it was a fake ad or scam that he would've responded immediately, or at least within 24 hours. Anyway, I'm still on the hunt and would love a 2000 or newer 228 Seafarer with a 4 stroke motor in the low to mid $20k's with a trailer, if possible. I've seen a few recently in that price range throughout the country and would love to get one in the next month or so. So if you do see one and could let me know, that would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Punch53]

Question? Wasn't the 1992 the first year for the SeaVee2 hull design on the Seafarer?

 

[Ky Grady]

Question? Wasn't the 1992 the first year for the SeaVee2 hull design on the Seafarer?

You are correct.

 

[Summertop511]

Yeah what you are looking for is usually in the very high 20’s if not 30k+. And if you go four stroke I would personally recommend a 250.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

There is a reason Grady still makes the 228. I think it's the second longest running hull in production behind the 208. I have one and tow it with Tundra equiped with 5.7 v8. Towing is easy . Stopping is key. I am a Toyota junkie but I can't imagine towing it with a Taco.
It's great 22 footer. Maybe one of the best . I have had mine now since 09 and it's been a great boat. Good luck in your search..

 

[ScottyCee]

Well under the capacity of the v6 Tacoma w/towing package. No problem...

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Well under the capacity of the v6 Tacoma w/towing package. No problem...

Is this the new Taco or previous model? I am curious because I have 2 Tundras , an 08 and a 15 and until the COVID economy hit, the admiral has suggested getting a new vehicle to replace the 08 Tundra, which by the way has 227,000 miles and runs like a top. My brother has the new Taco and it's nice.

So, I am curious if you really do pull it with a Taco? Does the rear sag? What about stopping power? Do you pull it in hilly country? I live in the Smoky Mountains. Yes, my trailer has 4 wheel disc surge breaks, Kodiak at that, but stopping to me is as important as towing. So, if you could elaborate on the model year and how your truck handles it all that would be great! Due to COViD economy I don't see a new vehicle for at least a year.

 

[ScottyCee]

2015 limited 4x4 V6 w/towing. I had a Venture w/disks and it always felt safe and sane towing the 226. I think the rating was 6500 and I guess the boat was maybe 4500. Ymmv.

I launch mine in June and retrieve it in September. I don't spend a huge amount of time with the boat on the trailer. I also pulled it 80 miles home after purchase and probably got up close to 60 miles an hour that day. I noticed a huge drop in gas mileage.