The POD influence

[Holokai]

Only issue I’ve have with the 208 is space. Engines on the transom provide a more consistent ride/handling up vs down sea due to being closer to the center of gravity/balance fore/aft. The captain’s skill level can easily compensate for this; a couple friends have/had 228s and they handle downsea fine. Just keep the throttle on and the engine being set back acts like a surfboard skeg/rudder and provides traction/grip. Upsea performance varies due to the fuel tank/fishbox layout of their particular boats but they’re generally pretty good.

We fish rough water (running on plane doesn’t happen often) so the advantage of a pod/bracket is kind of negated in most situations. That said, I’m enclosing my transom and adding a bracket for more space

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Only issue I’ve have with the 208 is space. Engines on the transom provide a more consistent ride/handling up vs down sea due to being closer to the center of gravity/balance fore/aft. The captain’s skill level can easily compensate for this; a couple friends have/had 228s and they handle downsea fine. Just keep the throttle on and the engine being set back acts like a surfboard skeg/rudder and provides traction/grip. Upsea performance varies due to the fuel tank/fishbox layout of their particular boats but they’re generally pretty good.

We fish rough water (running on plane doesn’t happen often) so the advantage of a pod/bracket is kind of negated in most situations. That said, I’m enclosing my transom and adding a bracket for more space

I'm definitely curious to see what/how you do this, if in fact you are going to enclose the transom and add a bracket to your 208 Adventure.

 

[luckydude]

I'm definitely curious to see what/how you do this, if in fact you are going to enclose the transom and add a bracket to your 208 Adventure.

He's in Hawaii I think which is maybe why. Personally, I'd try and find a 228, 2 more feet of cockpit and the transom/bracket is already done.
I really wonder if the cost of upgrading a 208 is worth it compared to the cost of a 228. But probably a moot point unless he wants to upgrade to this:

Grady-White Freedom 275 - boats - by dealer - marine sale

Just Listed, 2011 model, She is a Gem! The Grady-White Freedom 275 is a Dual Console that’s well suited for family boating & offshore fishing! The stability & responsiveness are amazing....

honolulu.craigslist.org

There's a Grady Tigercat also for sale but I've heard not so great things about that.

Watching with interest.

 

[Holokai]

He's in Hawaii I think which is maybe why. Personally, I'd try and find a 228, 2 more feet of cockpit and the transom/bracket is already done.
I really wonder if the cost of upgrading a 208 is worth it compared to the cost of a 228. But probably a moot point unless he wants to upgrade to this:

Grady-White Freedom 275 - boats - by dealer - marine sale

Just Listed, 2011 model, She is a Gem! The Grady-White Freedom 275 is a Dual Console that’s well suited for family boating & offshore fishing! The stability & responsiveness are amazing....

honolulu.craigslist.org

There's a Grady Tigercat also for sale but I've heard not so great things about that.

Watching with interest.

It’s not worth the incremental improvement to get a 228 as the market here is absurdly overpriced and shipping one in would require a significant amount of modification, putting me well over $100k. The rear seats/livewell are in the way for fishing rough water and equate to wasted space for my use.

If I were to upgrade I’d get something more suited for use here with a larger, built-in fishbox, command bridge, and different deck layout. The hull would also be more along the lines of a 23’ Seacraft or 24’ Saltwater (locally made copy).

Not a fan of cats here for all around use but a few people have them for deep dropping.

Not a fan of open-bow boats for offshore fishing. Unfortunately, “normal” tradewind days would result in a lots of green of water coming over the bow. Even the walkaround on the 208/228 let’s a bunch a water in; an express style layout would be a lot better for my use but alas there is no perfect boat.

 

[Holokai]

I'm definitely curious to see what/how you do this, if in fact you are going to enclose the transom and add a bracket to your 208 Adventure.

I don’t want to hijack this thread so I’ll start a new one if I get around to it. The basic premise is straightforward but I admittedly suck at/dislike glasswork and am slightly allergic to the fiberglass dust so it Will undoubtedly be a long project.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

It’s not worth the incremental improvement to get a 228 as the market here is absurdly overpriced and shipping one in would require a significant amount of modification, putting me well over $100k. The rear seats/livewell are in the way for fishing rough water and equate to wasted space for my use.

If I were to upgrade I’d get something more suited for use here with a larger, built-in fishbox, command bridge, and different deck layout. The hull would also be more along the lines of a 23’ Seacraft or 24’ Saltwater (locally made copy).

Not a fan of cats here for all around use but a few people have them for deep dropping.

Not a fan of open-bow boats for offshore fishing. Unfortunately, “normal” tradewind days would result in a lots of green of water coming over the bow. Even the walkaround on the 208/228 let’s a bunch a water in; an express style layout would be a lot better for my use but alas there is no perfect boat.

How about a 232 Gulfstream? Here's a couple on the east coast that are 2006 and newer models, one has a single outboard and the other has twins. One is $54k and the other is $65k, but I can't imagine it would take anywhere near $35k-$45k to ship it from the east coast to Hawaii, could it? When I bought my boat back in October of 2021, most shipping companies were around the $5k mark going from the east coast to Seattle, with the lowest being just over $4k. How much is it to ship something from California, or somewhere on the west coast to Hawaii? I like the 2006 and newer style of 232 Gulfstream as it has the fish box built into the enclosed transom of the boat, and then it has the flip down seat. The 2005 and older versions had the cut out in the stern for the seat and it seemed like it wasted a ton of extra space in doing so.

Shop Grady-White Gulfstream 232 Boats For Sale | Boat Trader

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Grady-White 232 Gulfstream boats for sale - Boat Trader

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[Holokai]

I know of one Gulfstream here and it apparently handles well due to the weight but the rear deck/cockpit is pretty small for the overall size of the boat.

Cross country trucking/towing and ocean transit would run between $8-11k, maybe more. It would be a pain to trailer as the Gulfstream beam is right at the legal limit and our roads here suck (narrow and full of potholes). I would also need to upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck to make it up the hill to my house.

The bigger Grady’s are a little too geared toward comfort for my preference/use (cabin would be wasted space) but if I had to pick it would be a 265 Express. That would also come with significantly higher operating expenses that I can’t justify.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I know of one Gulfstream here and it apparently handles well due to the weight but the rear deck/cockpit is pretty small for the overall size of the boat.

Cross country trucking/towing and ocean transit would run between $8-11k, maybe more. It would be a pain to trailer as the Gulfstream beam is right at the legal limit and our roads here suck (narrow and full of potholes). I would also need to upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck to make it up the hill to my house.

The bigger Grady’s are a little too geared toward comfort for my preference/use (cabin would be wasted space) but if I had to pick it would be a 265 Express. That would also come with significantly higher operating expenses that I can’t justify.

Yeah... that's one of the reasons why I never upgraded to a 232 Gulfstream. It's a bigger, wider boat but it doesn't really add any fishing room on top of what my 228 Seafarer has. That and the cabin with the bunk bed style design is kinda funky, but I imagine with the extra weight and the wider beam that if would have to handle considerably better than the 228 Seafarer will. Good luck with the search!

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I know of one Gulfstream here and it apparently handles well due to the weight but the rear deck/cockpit is pretty small for the overall size of the boat.

Cross country trucking/towing and ocean transit would run between $8-11k, maybe more. It would be a pain to trailer as the Gulfstream beam is right at the legal limit and our roads here suck (narrow and full of potholes). I would also need to upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck to make it up the hill to my house.

The bigger Grady’s are a little too geared toward comfort for my preference/use (cabin would be wasted space) but if I had to pick it would be a 265 Express. That would also come with significantly higher operating expenses that I can’t justify.

Ever considered a 258 Journey? There's one back in Florida for sale that's relatively decent in regards to pricing...

Grady White 258 Walkaround Journey - boats - by owner - marine sale

Beautiful boat.. Lots of room.. Great for offshore fishing and Cruising.. LOTS of updated equipment.. Like Windlass, Marine toilet, cabin fans, ( NEW ) GARMIN 1042 chart plotter, w/ 18' radar and...

tampa.craigslist.org