Tournament 307

[BobP]

Mok, that's silly.
Grady makes coastal fishing boats, don't they?

And why is a center console boat not for families? They put heads in consoles, don't they? I see plenty of families on CCs. Let's not confuse the admiral's purse string influences in design with "family values".

Can someone fish off a bayliner cabin boat ? What's the difference, same fish ? Can it fish coastal ?

I guess since family means more than one, no one person alone should ever be caught out on a family value Grady, correct? Taboo? Always have to drag along the admiral to be politically correct ?

So if Grady comes out with a pontoon boat for fishing lakes, how would you feel about that, how about some fishing equipped kayaks ?

So what's the secret about "family" fishing that Grady is catering to, beyond porta potties, that they didn't before ? Maybe Grady is using the term "family values" because it is one of those stylish words that make a sales impact, like "dual console" vs. "bow rider" ? Or integrated transom vs. euro transom?

I can see you are a believer in sales speak, nothing wrong with that.

To each their own, Grady can start selling jet skis with rod holders for all I care. Can it fish coastal? Why not. Put two people on it and it's a family coastal fishing boat.

Members always get defensive when comments are made about their model of choice, no need to, whatever floats your boat, buy it.

And finally, do you care at all about the price tag on these boats ? Or do you don't even look at the price tag?

 

[BobP]

striped, don't confuse the great hoax with your model, I was referring to sales speak. And of course you have to take care of the Admiral.

There was an interesting thread over at THT a while ago where a "family" guy wanted a little bigger boat than his twin OB boat, but wanted to save fuel and have it more fishing focused if you know what I mean. The admiral found that cabins with open heads, the kids and adult men missed the potty (like me) and it discusting, entirely unacceptable and puking bad - she was on thread too. Every more economical single inboard style bigger fishing boat suggested by the 8 zillion members over there didn't have an enclosed head. And closing the cabin door didn't cut it for her since the pee was hitting cushions and the like.

So this guy is never getting a fishing boat, period, for her it is going to hav eto be Tiara, Stamas, Pusuit, Grady Marlin, etc. No savings there.

All way out of his budget, TO GET A NICE FRICKEN ENCLOSED HEAD

I use the public toilets in Penn Station, enclosed - no, for number 1s only, is it discusting? probably, so what? Pee is pee. In the Admiral's case, it was her own kids and mate's pee, not strangers.

Fisherman and fisherwomen are concerned with fishing first, and secondly, adequate toilet facilities, I repeat "adequate". I'm sure at home the boys have their own toilet to use.

Now, was I talking about fishing, head accomodations on more economical boats, or upchucking about pee getting loose, pee phobias, and having to clean it up?

 

[Tashmoo]

WHAT???,

Where did this come from?? More then I want to read please keep it in bounds BobP.

 

[megabytes]

I posted a long response on the other 307 thread so I will keep this brief. While I respect BobP's opinion, I must disagree that family features are reducing fishing features. Here are some examples on various models:

o new, larger fishboxes
o chill plates in fishbox
o additional cockpit rod holders
o downrigger ball storage
o new rod storage (helm, cabin, gunnels)
o new tackle storage
o new livewell designs
o transom doors
o flushmount for electronics

 

[striped bass]

megabytes
There are some items Grady might sharpen their pencil on for those of us who want only a GW dual console bow rider. I am one of those persons. I have a running discussion with Grady (as have others) on some fishing features that went bye-bye on the 275 and 307. This is not to denegrate these two models because I really admire both, just a push back to Grady to pick up the slack in a few areas. These items are:
No tackle drawer which was omitted to make way for the head compartment. Grady states they are now puting in a tackle drawer on the 275 (so they do listen). The 307 is not included as yet.
Stern rod holders were omitted to make way for the fold down transom seat. I am not a hard top fan so there would be no other space for rod holders. We like just the Bimini which opens up maybe once a season.
Unlikely to happen but the fixed seat cushions and bolsters in the bow section need to be removable because they get under foot when fishing off the bow. This applies to the 225 as well.
The lounge seat and wet bar behind the port and starboard captain's chairs need to be options because they get in the way of needed cockpit space for fishing. The 275 now allows these items as options so that the cockpit has only two deluxe helm chairs. Very nice layout. The 307 configuration is fixed so no flexibility yet, but I expect a few more letters to Grady will adjust their attitude.
Unrelated to fishing, but David Neese, Grady-White Vice-President Engineering, did not engineer the F350 to rise all the way out of the water which definitely needs to be rectified. As Tashmoo points out the torpedo water intake sits in the water all the time. Not good.
Bottom line is that Grady is very good with their designs but not perfect, not yet anyway.

 

[striped bass]

UPDATE
Grady won the J D Power awards again this year in the coastal fishing class.

"Coastal fishing segment (17 to 30 feet)
For a seventh consecutive reporting year, Grady-White ranks highest in the segment, performing particularly well in four of the six factors driving overall satisfaction: fishing; ride and handling; design and styling; and helm and instrument panel. Grady-White also has the fewest reported problems of any manufacturer in the segment."

 

[megabytes]

Absolutely!

If GW models were perfect they would not be continually updating and improving the design and features. One of the qualities that draws me to the brand is that they DO listen while making improvements to their products.

If they become perfect what will we do on this board?

 

[BobP]

MegaB -- I respect your opinions too - see my comments

I posted a long response on the other 307 thread so I will keep this brief. While I respect BobP's opinion, I must disagree that family features are reducing fishing features. Here are some examples on various models:

o new, larger fishboxes (costly and useless waste of space up here due continuing legal larger min sizes, lower daily possession limits, and shortening season. You would need about 5 guys on my boat catching monster bluefish limit 10 each to fill the wells to presumably take home. If you don't know bluefish, ferrocious, but taste - forget it, can't give them away at the dock - not a prise, many consider trash fish. The inshore fish is striped bass, one per day, that's it. Need about 16 guys on my boat to fill wells on my 1992 with montauk class stripers). I do not allow illegal fish on my boat, for the benefit of kids generation, including teh kids of those who take illegal fish).

o chill plates in fishbox - (entirely a convenience, need generator & fuel, very very expensive luxury. Charters use crushed ice and block ice for longer durations, stop by fish dock on way out, they lower large bore hose to boat, out shoots crushed ice like magic, or hand you block ice. Fish don't know difference, they are dead.

o additional cockpit rod holders (after market one-to-four adapters to tree (4) rods out of one holder, and varying angles. Provides more useful in place rod holders than anything inside a gunnel can do).

o downrigger ball storage (luxury, I use a kids beach pail/shovel, cut off all but last 4 lower inches, for lead sinkers up to 16 oz and ball, keep in helm seat compartment, I think pail cost me under 4 bucks, didn't need shovel)they shovel away. Very durable).

o new rod storage (helm, cabin, gunnels) (I have 10 rod holders in cabin, and a combined total of 17 out of cabin (all but 4 are original). That's more than enough for us. If we can't catch fish with that many rods, time to through everything over the side).

o new tackle storage (agreed)

o new livewell designs (mine works fin, and behind me when fishing, not in betweem me and the fishing, placing me further back from the water). I'm right on top of water, which means i right on top of the fish, not LW.
JC Charters alway have LW in middle of cockpit, behind anyone fishing, just like my boat).

tuna door (used more typically for getting on/off boat at dock incl for pets, than tuna/shark. Lift a leg over the gunnel, like getting on a bike. For bigger fish, use two men with two gaffs, there is no fish too big you will not be able to lift over a gunnel by two man lift, presuming the two men could have caught the fish, w/o and electric motor reel please).

o flushmount for electronics

(agreed, but do electronics perform better or degarde by gimbal mount?)

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And how much of this is on the 30 ft dc if that i swhat you are referring to? Didn't notice much of it at all. The entire port and right sides as well as stern has continous seating mostly bench style, as I recall. That's got be be about 50 linear feet of seating space. What's you estimate? There was one bench seat that came out of another bench seat at the press of a button, whoa! Lie a car antenna.

So what models became family boats when they weren't before, and when?

 

[striped bass]

BobP:
I know of only one GW that made this transition. The Grady White Tournament 225 was all fishing. Starting in 2002 it has become more of a family boat tricked out similar to the 275. However, Grady has provided flexibility in the design options for both; the 225 and 275 can be configured from the factory as fishing boats, i.e. no port side electric lounge seat, no starboard side wet bar behind the captain's station leaving plenty of cockpit space for fishing. Eliminating the lounge seat gets rid of the port/stern sweep around seating you referred to since the transom seat folds up.
Maybe other posters will know of other GW boats that were all fishing and transitioned to "family" boats.

 

[striped bass]

BobP:
BTW we crossed the Sound today and spent the afternoon in Montauk harbor. We saw a Grady Sailfish docked on the Snug Harbor side (right) of the Bay. I assume that was yours. Sorry I forgot you were from Montauk or I would have given you a heads up.
I am always astounded by the large number of mega-sized sport fisherman vessels in Montauk. You must be use to them but so many in one locaction is always a treat to see.

 

[BobP]

No that wasn't me, and working day for me otherwise, not likely at dock if I was there.

But there are tons of Gradys out here, the Gradys, Parkers, and BWs go out fishing, the big dogs you mentioned do at lot of dock time workin the blenders as second home, unless of the charter business.

Did I say my first boat owned was a 1978, 17 ft Crusers Rally bow rider, had matching "butterscotch" band on gelcoat and seating. 70 HP Johnson.
Whenever I get or offered some hard candy, pick the butterscotch, I think of that rally and and theh fun (fishing) we had on it.

Folding down the back to back seats, became not much less than Grady dc. Stayed in bay of course, trailer all over LI, coming home late on water with afternoon breeze close chop used to blow up water over bow and down center of boat, like a river, "feet up" all the way back. The carpet smelled like fish all the time, and seemd to be soaking wet all the time. Fish smell ok, carper wet no, made squishing sound all day when walking on it.

I, sure Grady will come out with a 33 and 36 DC, each has same benefit over a CC you 27 DC guys stated, doesn't seem any more reason for CCs if price jump over CC doesn't matter. CCs become more slower selling than they are now.

A 36 ft DC will have, I estimate, approximately 55 linear feet of continuous perimeter seating capability, incredible. like half a commuter railcar, Not my ballywick, but no problem, I wave to DC Grady boats out there too !

See you on the water where Gradys belong (not at the dock!).

 

[megabytes]

BobP,

I was pointing out general areas where GW has improved fishing features on some models. Clearly the 307 slants more toward family use. In fact the 30x hull offers these choices:

o 300 traditional GW blend of fishing and family features
o 305 adds some fishing features but trades cockpit space for helm seating
o 306 CC design which is optimized for fishing (especially bottom) but still has some nice amenities
o 307 cruising/family boat with some fishing support

I think it is GREAT to have so many choices in 30 feet of hull. Now if GW dropped the 300 in favor of the other 3 you can bet I will be starting an Internet campaign to "SAVE THE MARLIN". There will be several others here which I suspect will join. :lol:

I have not yet seen the 290 or 307 up close but look forward to doing so. Of even greater interest to me is what the next 300 redesign will entail.
GW has folks who follow this board so perhaps they will chime in occaisionally with questions, polls, answers, etc. They would be hard pressed to find a better source of candid feedback from loyal customers.
Asking in person sometimes reduces the amount of negative feedback which is often the most useful.

And finally, while I was not sad to see Jimmy leave I respect Bob as our leading poster and hope he will stay.

 

[ROBERTH]

I am excited to hear that they are working to make the 275 more fishable. I now have a 20' dual console bowrider and like it and have been thinking on nothing but a WA model to get more out of the weather and to be able to sleep a few hours if needed, but now I have a place at the coast so no necessary to spend the night.
I was just looking at the 275 and thought, gee, they should add more rod holders, and remove the lounge seat and make it the same as the starboard configuration to free up floor space. Sounds like that is what they are going to do! Excellent.
Going to look at this one again next time down at the dealer and think if it is a possibility.
Wow, a 275 with hardtop, curtains and twin 250's! NICE!

Oh yeah, add a bow cover and slide underneath and take a nap or keep the weather out of the front on a bad day!

 

[BobP]

MegaB & others, thanks, see the other dc subject.