New Here .... 265 questions

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sneakattack

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I grew up on Gradys my whole life. Dad started with a 24 Offshore, to a 272 Sailfish, 300 Marlin, and finally a 330 express. He sold the 330 a few years ago because of not using it enough and using their mountain property more, so he bought a 20 tournament for that. In the meantime I have been running a 36 yellowfin for a buddy of mine but it is now time to start looking for myself a boat.

I originally wanted a 25-27 contender or 29 sea vee, but with two little ones they wouldnt have too much fun on those Saunas. So I am thinking a good compromise maybe a 265 express. I love the express style over the walkaround and from what I have read (not much) it tends to be an effcient boat.

A few questions I have are:
- Has anyone put a/c and a small generator in theirs? I know westerbeke makes a 3 kw but Im not sure if there's room in this boat for one.
- What is the rod storage like in the cabin?
- What are some real world numbers as far as fuel consumption on one with 225 fs's?
- Would a 2011 expedition pull this boat?

I may have more questions over time but if anyone else has any questions reguarding the 4 aforementioned boats dont hesistate to ask. I have a ton of time on each one and plenty of miles pulling the 330 on the trailer.
 
I don't know if anyone has tried putting in an a/c unit or generator. On my boat storage space is tight, not sure where I would put either without having to sacrifice something else. I know of a couple guys who use a small honda generator on the swim platform or the bow when overnighting. Another power option may be an inverter and additional battery.

There are ceiling mounted rod holders in the cabin, 6 total. If those are filled I just throw and additional rods on the bunk with everything else. Most of the time we are on the boat the rods are in the holders or on the hardtop.

I would say I average about 1.5mpg. Obviously this changes dependent on load and sea state etc.

Don't know anything about towing the boat. Mine lives at the dock or in the boat yard.

hope this helps. I'm sure some other owners will chime in to fill in the pieces I missed. There are a few of us on here.
 
I've thought about the AC and genset but there really is no space for a nice clean install. If you removed the fridge, you might be able to use that space. Rod holders are decent in the cabin but I usually don't keep rods in there - trying to keep the funky smells out of the cabin. That said, I have slept on the boat once in 10 years and that was by myself. I had visions of family trips and sleep-outs but it never materialized. Looking back, I probably should have purchased a center console which better fits my heavy fishing use. The 265 is a great boat though - no regrets.

This is a big boat, with wide beam so you would needs to get permits to tow. Just run the numbers on weight - heavy boat, especially with fuel, water and gear on board.
 
I have a 2001 265 with twin 2011 225hp Optis. Love it. Swings 17 inch 4 blade Rev props. Consistent burn at cruise is 1.7 to 2.0 mpg. WOT 50mph. If and when we launch signifcantly, the landing is stable and soft. The faster she goes the smoooother she gets. Very dry too. Grady really messed up when they took this model out of production. Trailering is not that bad with a good trailer and tow vehicle. I use a 2500 HD. Width is a tad over but have never been questioned. Great boat!!!
 
I have the 265 with A/C the condenser unit us under the forward birth. I cannot say how it works because on the west coast there is really no need for it. I may actually be ripping mine out for the extra storage.
As for the boat, LOVE IT! mine can store 6-12 rods on the ceiling. depending on length and how good you are at placing them in there.
 
Sneakattack

Hey. I'm new to the 265 as well. 2002 with f-225s. got it in December. been out several times. each time, I like it more and more. I've trailered it 6000 miles since January. "we go to the fish" no problems at all. Its wide, but I avoid narrow roads if possible. I pull it with a 08 f-250 super duty, and new 15k loadmaster triple axle with 6, 12" disks, and EOH brakes. stops very well.

I put A/C in the cabin. its under the helm. used to be drawer assembly there. my boat did not have it, so I used the space for a 5 ton LG window unit "slightly modified" works great. the wife and I have slept on it 3 times. Not the Hilton, but not bad either.

the boat is a serious fishing machine. I spent a week, this past week" in fort Walton beach. Left the pass with a 28 or so center console. we were running 30+ miles per hour in 2 foot seas. she was happy with forward wave. soon it turned into a race. :) I followed him. had my two son-in-laws on board. there are 30 something. they were dogging the old man for buying a old-guy boat. the go fast boat could wax me for a short distance. But the big girl developed a fairly comfortable "gallop" We caught some air "or almost" a couple of times, but the ride was much more comfortable than the other boat. After about 15 minutes of those guys getting beat up and wet, we went on by them. Even my fighter pilot son-in-law, said he was impressed. "I burnt a lot of gas :D"

Btw, I've put a plexi windscreen on as well. which was an improvement for me. I also mad the rear hatch a storage spot, which is also good.

overall, I think these boats are a bargain. I like the quality, ride, trailer ability, and the center helm. just wish it had a sitting area down stairs. My plans are to make or buy screen for the helm area, for a private sitting area at the dock.
 
I installed reverse cycle A/C unit in my 2005 265 express. There is room forward of the refrigerator in the cabin. Easy install. Cut the return grill into the cabinet door beneath the sink. there is free flow from there into the return on the a/c unit. 6500 BTU Marine air unit. A/C on shore power only, or will run cleanly on a Honda EU2000 Gen with soft start circuit installed. Raw water pump in rear by aft bilge pump. Raw water return by sink drain.
Condensate runs into forward bilge and is removed by forward bilge pump.
 
Cloudnine9 said:
I installed reverse cycle A/C unit in my 2005 265 express. There is room forward of the refrigerator in the cabin. Easy install. Cut the return grill into the cabinet door beneath the sink. there is free flow from there into the return on the a/c unit. 6500 BTU Marine air unit. A/C on shore power only, or will run cleanly on a Honda EU2000 Gen with soft start circuit installed. Raw water pump in rear by aft bilge pump. Raw water return by sink drain.
Condensate runs into forward bilge and is removed by forward bilge pump.
Click to expand...

I assume that you do not have a hot water heater in that location. My boat and a few others I had looked at had the water heater in that location. Maybe its just a northeast thing.
 
I do have the hot water heater. The A/C unit is mounted behind the refrigerator. If you pull out the refrigerator you will find that there is enough room to mount the unit.
 
Cloudnine9 said:
I installed reverse cycle A/C unit in my 2005 265 express. There is room forward of the refrigerator in the cabin. Easy install. Cut the return grill into the cabinet door beneath the sink. there is free flow from there into the return on the a/c unit. 6500 BTU Marine air unit. A/C on shore power only, or will run cleanly on a Honda EU2000 Gen with soft start circuit installed. Raw water pump in rear by aft bilge pump. Raw water return by sink drain.
Condensate runs into forward bilge and is removed by forward bilge pump.
Click to expand...

Would love to see some pics/schematics of that install!
 
sneakattack said:
- Would a 2011 expedition pull this boat?
Click to expand...
I think you want a 3/4 ton to tow that, not a 1/2 ton Expedition. At least I don't feel like I could tow my Sailfish with my Ford Expedition on a regular basis.
 
I pull our 265 with a gas 6.0 2500 HD and it works but by no means is it a breeze. A 3500,or a diesel 2500 would be a much better choice.
 
Not sure which are the factory and which were aftermarket but my 265 has pretty good rod storage, 3 on either side of the bunk cushions plus the overheads, 3 to starboard and 5 to port. With a little creative placing I can get a lot of rods in there, biggest issue is length, I use some 7' and 7'6" rods that end up on the bunk most of the time as there are only a couple spots that'll fit them.

Can't speak to the A/C though it'd be nice to have on occasion. My F225s with factory props runs between 1.5 and 1.8 on the meter.

Keep the boat in the water but do have a triple axle trailer I use a couple times a year. Had a 1500 Suburban with the 5.3 gas when I first got the boat home, it'd pull but not well and certainly didn't feel safe or comfortable. Upgraded to a Denali HD with the diesel last year and it's a night and day difference. With the 'burb I'd pull 10 miles from the marina to home but not much further. With the diesel (and an eventual upgrade to EOH brakes) I'll happily make runs up and down the east coast with no worries. Won't even mention mileage with the gasser.

Your Expedition will likely be similar, biggest issue I had was tongue weight and how much the Suburban would set down when hooked up, almost felt like the front tires were barely making contact. There are some upgrades you can make that will improve the ride but if you're going to make trips of any real distance I'd strongly recommend a 3/4 or 1 ton with a diesel.

It's a fantastic boat, best of luck.

Brett
 
Was in Lowes today and saw some small window A/C units on sale. Reminded me of dale1 post above using a window unit where the two drawer unit is on the 265. What were the minor modifications. I assume a condensate tray and drain as well as enough support under it? Really a clever idea for infrequent use, and WAY cheaper and simpler than a true marine A/C unit.
 
Hi - I can't offer any help on your questions, but I did want to send some info your way regarding the genny. For what it's worth, I come from a boating family and have boated my whole life. I've also worked in the marine industry for 26 years and am a "technical advisor" (that and a dollar will buy me a coffee :) ) on a Sea Ray forum. The below is something I wrote to another member here on this site. It's worth nothing more than the paper it's printed on, but please don't take the use of a portable generator lightly. Just because you see other people doing it (I see them, too) and they might say "It's fine, I've been doing it for years" does not mean it is safe. This is not something that you'd get a second chance at if it goes wrong. And as much as it bothers me to type this, kids are more susceptible to carbon monoxide dangers than adults.

Portable genny's are nothing new to the boating world, but they need to be used with lots of caution - every year there are deaths associated with portable genny use - even when people thought they were using them properly. Using them on a boat is not the same as using them on land. Electrical grounding is different, gas safety requirements are different, even exhausting is different.

I'm copying and pasting this (below) from another website - partly because I'm lazy, and partly because I don't think I could say it any better. If you decide to use it, just be extra careful and treat this situation with the caution it deserves. This is not something where you just get it going and "forget about it". Be smart with this so we don't read about you in the paper!

1.Carbon Monoxide (CO) is present with all generators, but on portables, the exhaust is discharged at the generator, within an inch or so of the exhaust port on the cylinder. The exhaust system on a portable generator is usually constructed of non-marine alloys that can rust through after brief exposure to a salt water environment.ﰀ There is no engineered system to remove the exhaust from near occupied spaces. When placed on a swim platform, normal air flow can cause a station wagon effect and suck CO into the cockpit or cabin. While the same problem may exist with marine generators, the exhaust is mixed with cooling water and is discharged well away from occupied space at or near the waterline and is usually cleared by wind or sea breezes.


2. Fuel Systems on Honda's and other portables are vented to the atmosphere, not internally as with marine generator installations. That means explosive gasoline vapor is released at the generator, usually through a vent in the fuel fill cap. There is also the risk of a fuel spill if the generator is upset or you encounter rough seas or a large wake when the generator is close to full.

Their carburetors have a bowl drain that releases fuel inside the generator case. That means where you run it, store it or put it under way will have gasoline fumes released in the area and if the bowl drain leaks, you have raw fuel spilled.

Portable generators has simple fuel fittings and single ply fuel lines attached with hose clamps, both are substantial risks to fuel leakage if the generator isn’t new and has been around a while. Marine generators have USCG approved double ply braided fuel lines with swaged on end fittings that thread into the generator fuel pump.

3. Ignition Protection – None of the electrical components on portables are ignition protected. Marine generator electrical components are.

4. Shock Hazard Exposure –Portable generators pose an additional shock hazard since the portable is not grounded to the boat or to a shore side ground. Likely not a problem with a drill or power tool, but if you connect it to your boat's AC system, you have essentially disconnected the green wire. Yes, most portables sold today have 3-wire systems. Where the problem lies is that the portable generator is not part of the global ground when you plug in. When you plug into shore power you are also plugging into the ground for the entire local power system. When using a stationary mounted marine generator away from the dock, your boat is its own ground system. Even if the portable has GFI circuitry, they won’t work if there isn’t a continuous ground system. I think real risk here is that while the boat owner may understand grounding, not everyone on the boat….kids, wives, girl friends, helpful (?)guests…..usually don’t.

Additionally, most portable generators now use invertors. An inverter drives both line and neutral so it is possible to have voltage between neutral and ground. With ground bonded to the boat's bonding system, which mean to the water, this means a shock hazard may exist that normally should not.
 
That's good information on the generator.

I've not used one on the boat yet. We've used the A/C three separate weekends while docked. it works great. it also takes the humidity out of the cabin. Been there for 2 years now. no issues. if it fails, ill take it out and throw it overboard :<>< I only have a couple hundred bucks in it. I threw away that much in bait the last time we went to try that thing that some people do when they use a stick and string, and retrieve fish. I've seen it, but cant seem to do it properly. :doh

At least the A/C makes the wife sleep naked.
 
If the Honda 2kw 120v unit doesn't have a built in gfci, can add one. They come as in line and waterproof, for temp use. A gfci does not require a 3rd wire to function, nor a separate ground.
 
No way you can tow this with that truck, also need to check regulations as 9.6 beam is a wide load. Certain states would require a permit, etc.
 
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