Question on the SeaV2 Hull

[Graybeard]

OK, I signed my retirement away for a GW Freedom 225 that I take delivery on this Saturday. I had a Parker 21 deep vee walk around cutty and I thought it handled the Chesapeake chop much better than my friends Adventure 208 WAC. But I was on a GW 226 with an engine bracket and it seemed to handle the chop even better. My buddy said it was because of the SeaV2 hull, which is 6" narrower with a much finer bow entry than my old Parker. Some say boat length is a bigger factor in handling the short steep Chesapeake Bay chop than deadrise. I don't know about that but I sure hope the F225 with a SeaV2 hulk and engine bracket provides a better ride than my old boat. I know it will be quieter

 

[zimm]

Well good luck with the new boat. Just a correction- the 228 has the bracket, 226 has the notched transom. So you were probably on the 228. I read that the deadrise starts at 55, goes to 30 amidships, then 20 at the transom.

 

[Graybeard]

Opps...must have gotten my model numbers wrong. It was a 22 walk around cutty with an engine bracket. I liked the enclosed transon on the F225 a lot more then the notched transom on my old Parker 21 because I think it's a safer set up. And I always wanted a boat with an engine bracket and the one on the F225 is a big one. 30 degrees of deadrise amidships is pretty interesting and I can't wait to splash the new boat and run it in the chop.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

The longer the wetted surface the faster a boat typically is, this especially true of kayaks. With that said Grady' are typically heavier foot per foot than other boats in the same hull size. Mass has a lot to do with how a boat rides through garbage water. The SV2 hull has a lot to do with it too, dont get me wrong, but combined their mass and the hull design they tend to flatten out the water ahead of them. The other factor here is since most Grady's use wood stringers they are also not as flexible as composite boats, so you have a more rigid hull as well.

I was in the Florida Keys a few years ago and we had some 3 to 4 swells chop in Hawk Channel running from Bahia Honda to Big Pine Key and there was a fellow in a Sea Swirl walkaround about the same size of my 228 and they were getting totally hammered and wet traveling at the same speed we were and they backed off big time. The Admiral does not like to pound at all and our boat was doing well given the garbage water we were in. There are faster boats than mine that is for sure and there are cheaper boats too, but few boats in the 19 to 24 foot range in my opinion ride as well and nice. My only real complaint if I had one is in a quartering sea, the boat can be wet at times. If Grady enhanced the Carolina flair on the bow it may help some.

 

[Graybeard]

Thanks for the insight on the CV2. My old Parker WAC had a big Carolina Flair bow and I never took any spray in any sea conditions. My GW dealer is also the Parker dealer and in the showroom I did notice the GW bows are not as flaired as the Parkers. But that said I found the Parker to be a bit tricky in a following sea. I wonder id that had anything to do with the flair on the bow??

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I think the tricky following sea has a lot to do with the dead rise at the stern and how the boat is weighted perhaps? Grady had a 265 Express and the hull shape gave it some quirky following sea handling characteristics. Many here with 265s swear by their boats and I have never been on one, but a friend of mine down in Fla has been selling Gradys for over 20 years and my opinion is really his opinion. My brother had 1985 Tournament 192 and I looked at pics of that when we were out on it, before the CV2 hull and it had a much more pronounced Carolina flair than my 1998 CV2 192 did.

 

[wrxhoon]

Freedom 225 is the same hull as the 228G with the same bracket.
I have a 228G in Sydney Australia, we get a lot heavier seas here than you guys in the east coast USA.
I find she handles the chop and swell , sometimes 10 foot plus and 20 knots + very well for its size , it's not comfortable in that kind of sea but anything up to 6 foot swell and 15 knots I can sit on over 20 knts speed head on and at least 25 knts following sea.
I fish up to 40 miles offshore and up to 60-70 from the heads, you will get spray over the top when she blows from the sides but clears keep us dry.
The very sharp bow entry helps head on trimmed in and trip all the way up on following sea otherwise the sharp bow will dig in.
I re-powered mine with a 250 Merc Optimax and she is good for 50 mph with light load.

I hope you enjoy your new boat.

 

[RUFcaptain]

Congrats on the new Freedom 225! It's a great boat.

 

[Graybeard]

Thanks guys,
I take delivery on Saturday and it's supposed to be 60 degrees here in Annapolis, Md. So I'm thinking I'll get the boat wet before I take it home. When it's snotty we have a short steep chop in the Chesapeake Bay and it can bang you around. So I'll learn alot if it's windy and the chop is up.

 

[zimm]

Thanks guys,
I take delivery on Saturday and it's supposed to be 60 degrees here in Annapolis, Md. So I'm thinking I'll get the boat wet before I take it home. When it's snotty we have a short steep chop in the Chesapeake Bay and it can bang you around. So I'll learn alot if it's windy and the chop is up.

Congrats. I'm picking up my 226 on Saturday as well! Good thing the snow storm fizzled. Plan to shake down run on Sunday on the potomac.