New potential owner 1999 Grady White 208 adventure question

[cheap408]

Coming from a 1995 Seaswirl 2150WA, was in the market for a 21-24 fot walkaround like a proline 23 WA and hoping to get a newer model year mid y2k ish boat or the likes but came across a 1999 208 that has only 300 hours on boat and motor (200hp merc) and everything looks like it's in real good shape and no bottom paint which I I like.

I would be ok if the cockpit and cabin has similar space as my old Seaswirl and can handle the SF Bay waters at least 20-25 miles out on good days but be able to bring me back if unpredictable weather comes up.

My main concern is there's wood construction in these boats. My striper had soft floors even though I don't store it on water and only had 600 hours when i sold it.

Any input on this boat? We're at 21k at the moment on the boat and I'm going to spend another 3k to get the boat here to California. Would you recommend this boat for 4 adults or occassionally 3 adults and 2 small children?

 

[seasick]

I have a 2001 and I think the mold is the same. Yes there is wood but like most Gradys of that age, the main concern is a wet transom. The boat can tale a lot more pounding that I can. That is to say that in rough seas you will get a bit beat up. There are in effect 6 seats, two at the helm, two aft in front of the transom and two on the lockers behind the helm. In rough seas and at other times, the passengers in the rea seats will get wet. Whether or not the boat us suitable for you and your passengers depends on what you all are used to or willing to ride through.
Make sure you see if there are cushions for the aft seats and the mid seats. There may be cushions for the front deck in front of the windshield but those seats can not be used while underway. I assume the boat has a Bimini top. check the drop curtains. Is the motor 2 stroke and what year is it. If two stroke, the boat should be powered OK. If 4 stroke, there are other things to look at like how far down the scuppers sit and if below the water line. Regardless, with 4 adults and 2 children it is likely that there will be water backing up onto the deck.
Depending on the age and condition of that motor and taking all accessories into account, the price especially without a trailer seems high ( prices are unusually high now due to the pandemic)
That Merc was not original I suspect so the 300 hour figure doesn't mean a lot to me. If you are getting that figure from a dash mounted hour meter, I would have zero confidence in its accuracy. If the boat has Smartcraft gauges, I would have more confidence in the engine hours.
Your comment about bottom no bottom paint may be a concern depending on how long you plan on keeping the boat in salt or brackish water.
If you decide to go ahead, a marine survey is strongly recommended. Any sale should be contingent on those findings. A motor inspection is also a good idea and if possible that should include a dump of the engine stats if the motor supports that function.

 

[cheap408]

sorry, I should have added, comes with a 2020 aluminum tandem trailer. 2 stroke is a MY 99 as well. Factory hard top with full isenglas appears to be in great shape.

Not being the original motor does raise some question on the actual hours. Did this boat come with an hour meter?

he's not the original owner had it for 5 years and claimed it to be in dry storage and bought the trailer in recent month to ease the transportation of the sales.

No joke about boat prices. I sold my 95 striper for 15k in 24 hours but it had a newer motor and completely gone over. I come to think of it, I might have given my boat away for the amount of money i put into it in recent months and today's market.

Looking at old posts this boat should be 12-14k boat.

I was ready to spend 30k on a new boat but for the money and if the condition of this boat is what it seems, i'm really tempted. Just don't want to over pay for it

 

[luckydude]

Coming from a 1995 Seaswirl 2150WA, was in the market for a 21-24 fot walkaround like a proline 23 WA and hoping to get a newer model year mid y2k ish boat or the likes but came across a 1999 208 that has only 300 hours on boat and motor (200hp merc) and everything looks like it's in real good shape and no bottom paint which I I like.

I would be ok if the cockpit and cabin has similar space as my old Seaswirl and can handle the SF Bay waters at least 20-25 miles out on good days but be able to bring me back if unpredictable weather comes up.

My main concern is there's wood construction in these boats. My striper had soft floors even though I don't store it on water and only had 600 hours when i sold it.

Any input on this boat? We're at 21k at the moment on the boat and I'm going to spend another 3k to get the boat here to California. Would you recommend this boat for 4 adults or occassionally 3 adults and 2 small children?

I looked at the 208 and decided the cockpit was too small. I went with a 228 which is 2 feet longer in the cockpit. I find the 228 to be kinda
cramped with 4 people in it fishing. You can do it but you are on top of each all the time. I think the 208 would work well with 2 adults but not so great with more than that.

You said SF Bay so you are close, I'm in the Santa Cruz mountains if you want to come look at my 228 (you have to take COVID seriously, mask, social distance, etc. Our bubble includes my kids girlfriends family and they have elderly grandparents at risk).

I think the 208 is a seaworthy boat but kinda small for more than 2 people fishing. You could have one guy driving and 2 more fishing, I think that would work. It would be a royal pain to manage crab pots in that small cockpit, it's sort of cramped with 4 pots in the 228, workable but you have to be smart about it.

Other than too small, I'd be really nervous about the wood in that year. It was crazy expensive but I bought new to get away from that.

Good luck. Grady makes great boats, I love mine like crazy.

 

[seasick]

Something seems odd. Would you spend $3000 or more on a new trailer just to make it easier to sell? In any case was there any display of engine hours or did the seller tell you that? Again, take hours with a grain of salt.
If the seller had the boat for 5 years, how does he know what happened in the previous 16 years with regard to condition and hours?
About the comments on fishing: Two can fish fine. Three is a bit of a challenge. Four is undoable.

 

[cheap408]

I looked at the 208 and decided the cockpit was too small. I went with a 228 which is 2 feet longer in the cockpit. I find the 228 to be kinda
cramped with 4 people in it fishing. You can do it but you are on top of each all the time. I think the 208 would work well with 2 adults but not so great with more than that.

You said SF Bay so you are close, I'm in the Santa Cruz mountains if you want to come look at my 228 (you have to take COVID seriously, mask, social distance, etc. Our bubble includes my kids girlfriends family and they have elderly grandparents at risk).

I think the 208 is a seaworthy boat but kinda small for more than 2 people fishing. You could have one guy driving and 2 more fishing, I think that would work. It would be a royal pain to manage crab pots in that small cockpit, it's sort of cramped with 4 pots in the 228, workable but you have to be smart about it.

Other than too small, I'd be really nervous about the wood in that year. It was crazy expensive but I bought new to get away from that.

Good luck. Grady makes great boats, I love mine like crazy.

Thanks lucydude, that's very generous of you.

Based on the feedbacks and research I would agree, this boat is probably too small for my family. The cockpit looks tiny.

The only thing that really interest me was the no bottom paint and the condition of the boat. Back on the hunt for a 22+ footer.

 

[seasick]

What waters would you have used the boat? More importantly, why is no bottom paint such an important issue. There are a lot more critical things than bottom paint.

 

[cheap408]

all of my boats are trailer queens, especially 21-23ft range. Bottom paint is a preference thing, mainly cosmetic but why create drag when you don't need it?

I mainly fish out in Monterey/Moss landing area. I don't take my boats out more than 5-10 miles generally like to still be able to have visual of the shoreline. Again more of a personal comfort thing. This next boat will now need to consider the wife and kids so chances of me going further out is less likely but still would like that option in case the boys want to go chase tuna.

 

[luckydude]

I mainly fish out in Monterey/Moss landing area. I don't take my boats out more than 5-10 miles generally like to still be able to have visual of the shoreline. Again more of a personal comfort thing. This next boat will now need to consider the wife and kids so chances of me going further out is less likely but still would like that option in case the boys want to go chase tuna.

I'm biased, since I have one, but I think you want a 228. You really are welcome to come look at mine, if the weather holds then I'll drop pots probably Wednesday. I could meet you at the SC harbor and let you look her over. I'm relatively new to being the guy in charge but I'm pushing 600 miles on the engine so not as green as I once was. Still pretty green. That said, I love my 228. It's a well thought out boat, it says a lot that the last time GW changed the cockpit design was in 2006. It ain't broke so they don't fix it. She looks nice on the water (ignore my fat ass):

 

[cheap408]

That's a beautiful looking boat. wish i had the budget for a newer MY grady. That boat looks like a great balanced size. bracket mounted motors are super nice for fishing.

 

[luckydude]

That's a beautiful looking boat. wish i had the budget for a newer MY grady. That boat looks like a great balanced size. bracket mounted motors are super nice for fishing.

She is a looker, right? I love that boat.

The bracket is both nice and not nice. I don't know how familiar you are with Gradys, but the 228 has a sibling, the 226. The 226 is the same hull, no bracket, transom mounted engine. Some people prefer that because the bracket can push you around pretty good in a following sea, especially when the period is short. It's a tradeoff, with bracket and an unbroken transom, you can have pretty nasty conditions and have a dry cockpit. But you get pushed around as a swell comes up behind you. I've never been in a 226, people that have them seem to really like them.

I'm green enough that I haven't experienced stuffing the bow, but I can imagine the bracket makes that more likely, it's sort of a big handle that a swell can lift. If I'm worried about it at all, I just trim the engine back to raise the bow and so far that has been fine. I'd absolutely buy that boat again. A buddy of mine is close friends with a guy who fishes out of the golden gate. My buddy asked him what boat would be safe for tuna runs and he said "Grady White 228". So here we are. I'm very happy with the boat.

Good luck in your search and feel free to DM me and I'll send you a number, we can work out a time for you to look at her if you like.

 

[cheap408]

Found a 99 228 with about 800 hours 225 Yammie Series II.

Any of you family with this year? By the time I get it to CA it'll be about $23k not mint like the 208 I found but seems mainly cosmetic and will look good with a little elbow grease.

I told myself not to get a wood construction boat but the GW is really popular here probably for good reasons.

 

[luckydude]

Found a 99 228 with about 800 hours 225 Yammie Series II.

Any of you family with this year? By the time I get it to CA it'll be about $23k not mint like the 208 I found but seems mainly cosmetic and will look good with a little elbow grease.

I told myself not to get a wood construction boat but the GW is really popular here probably for good reasons.

I can't urge you enough to get it surveyed. But if it checks out, you're gonna love that ride. Just have it checked out, it's so worth it.

Also, 225 is underpowered for that hull. I have a 250 and it's fine for WOT but if the seas are really lumpy it struggles to get on plane a bit. I could see the 225 being a bit of a safety issue, maybe someone else has an opinion? If I were to do it all over again, I'd go 300 for a better hole shot.

 

[Holokai]

You’re not going to have much more useable protected space to hide from spray/chop in rough water with a 228 vs a 208. Both hulls have 8 foot beams. If anything you’ll need more room at the helm under the bimini or hardtop; maybe a 232 but that’s a lot wider and heavier so towing may be an issue.

As far as handling rough water goes, until you get a significant change in hull displacement/mass and waterline length there won’t be much difference between how two boats handle. The 208 and 228 are at the small end of the spectrum. A competent skipper is far more important.

The 228, however, will have a significantly larger rear deck/cockpit and some folks like the enclosed transom because it feels safer.

I have a 5 foot fishbox/cooler running down the middle of my 208 and we fish with up to 4 adults total though someone is usually at the helm. 3 seems optimal depending on the type of fishing you’re doing.

I’d definitely get a surveyor and try to find something repowered around that price range (higher for a 226/228). In general the 200 hp 4-strokes seem to be the sweet spot for a 208 and 250-300 for a 226/228. A trailer for that in FLorida will run less than $5k so it’s not totally odd that the seller purchased one recently.

Maybe a little more information about your intended use will get additional responses from the rest of the 208/226/228 owners. Good luck with the search!

 

[cheap408]

Thanks Luckydude and holokai

During the winter, I usually fish Suisan bay and bay point area anchoring out of sturgeon or stripers. When spring rolls around I'm out Monterey or Moss landing trolling for salmon or drifting around for rock cods.

My 7 and 8 year old showed a lot of interest in fishing, The "waiting game" we did this past season for sturgeon in the bay and delta was not exactly their idea of fishing. This coming season, i want to get them out to Monterey or Santa Cruz and get them on some rock fish where they can actually perform the entire process of jigging and bringing the fish up on their own. In a sense, I'm training my future Chief Mate(s) lol Generally it's, me, wife and 2 kids but quite often, it'll be 3 maybe 4 hardcore fishing guys. We did fine on the 21ft striper but I wanted to get away from an inboard so I sold it recently.

I have a $30k budget but of course, cheaper is always better, more money for bait and fuel. Plus there's something about spending 25-30k on a 20 year old boat, it just doesn't feel right, that's why Grady's never cross my mind. I've been focusing on looking at newer model years mid Y2k boats but always be opening GW ads that i in the 20k range.

 

[Fern]

Found a 99 228 with about 800 hours 225 Yammie Series II.

Any of you family with this year? By the time I get it to CA it'll be about $23k not mint like the 208 I found but seems mainly cosmetic and will look good with a little elbow grease.

I told myself not to get a wood construction boat but the GW is really popular here probably for good reasons.

 

[Fern]

I am looking to buy a 228 Grady white if anyone knows of one for sale.. 1997-2005 , hardtop 225/250 Yamaha
Please let me know if anything found.
Thank you

 

[cheap408]

I am looking to buy a 228 Grady white if anyone knows of one for sale.. 1997-2005 , hardtop 225/250 Yamaha
Please let me know if anything found.
Thank you

Are you talking to me? LOL

if I don't buy this I can refer you to him.

 

[Fern]

I’m in search of a 228, I’m asking Our Grady White Fambam for any help with a lead. I read your thread I wasn’t sure if you were on the edge of buying or selling... sorry didn’t mean to jump in ... Let me know if any cross your path... thank you.. I appreciate your time. My contact info is 805-207-8208 ; Email : fernscellphone@gmail.com

 

[Timcan]

‘This summer I purchased a used 1999 228 with a Yamaha 225 efi like the one you are looking at minus the hardtop. The 225 will push it 43mph and cruise around 28-30mph with a 3 blade prop. I changed my prop to a 4 blade PowerTech 15pitch and it’s a huge improvement hole shot is amazing and you can plane around 18mph top end 41mph. Ask if the gas tanks are original that boat has 2 gas tanks notice the 2 fills. Ask for a list of things that have been updated on the boat include hoses in the list. Like Lucky said get it surveyed. These boats are well made my boat is solid all around. Same as Lucky, I’ll be happy to show you my boat I’m in San Jose just send me a pm.