So a friend of mine sold his 360 express a few years back because the fiberglass was starting to blow out under the aluinum transom angle plate. Since his sale all I keep hearing about Grady wet and all its moisture issues with this brand. So im trying to ignore the chatter and still love the look and performance of a grady so I took a look at a 2009 306 Bimini for sale by me locally and low and behold im seeing the same transom problems. The 360 Express was an 06, the bimini was a 09. What year is it safe to buy a grady, what models, and what years can I feel confident im not going to have the same "grady wet" issues when im ready to resell? What a PIA for such a reputable company for boats that dont come cheap? I dont hear these comments from other well known brands just with Grady.
Transom Moisture-Grady Wet Models
- Thread starter wreckdiver60
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It's not really a "model year" issue. It's a "how it was maintained" and "where was it used" thing. Salt will cause more issues than fresh water.
The problem is that the transom is not sealed/fiberglassed - it's only filled and then covered. The "bang plate" then reacts with the screws (dissimilar metals) and causes corrosion of the plate which makes the hole larger and lets in water. The other thing that comes in to play is whether or not the bang plate has been resealed on a regular basis... or improved upon. The ones with the plastic bang cap will suffer less.
Yes, it's a shame. All they should have done is completely glassed the transom edge. Why they insisted for sooooo long on doing that is beyond me. It's not rocket science.
The problem is that the transom is not sealed/fiberglassed - it's only filled and then covered. The "bang plate" then reacts with the screws (dissimilar metals) and causes corrosion of the plate which makes the hole larger and lets in water. The other thing that comes in to play is whether or not the bang plate has been resealed on a regular basis... or improved upon. The ones with the plastic bang cap will suffer less.
Yes, it's a shame. All they should have done is completely glassed the transom edge. Why they insisted for sooooo long on doing that is beyond me. It's not rocket science.
Fishtales
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I'd add it's also a design weakness that as Dennis stated should have been addressed years ago. Best to know what the core material is for the year you are looking at it and if stored in cold winter areas. Water getting wood wet is one thing but so is water getting in and expanding due to freezing. The latter is made worse if the boat isn't stored indoors or properly covered during layup.
Mustang65fbk
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That is one of the many reasons why I went with a 228 Seafarer, because they don't have the bang plate/cap like a lot of the other models do and they don't tend to have anywhere near as many issues like the models that do have them. I looked for my boat for just over a year and was in the back of my mind "open" to the idea of getting a 208 Adventure or a 226 Seafarer if I could find a decent one. But both of those models have the bang plate/cap and I didn't want to have to worry about maintenance and/or replacing the transom on my boat. I guess the transom brackets on the 228 Seafarer's can have issues but it's pretty rare and that's typically only if you lose the drain cap underneath. Good luck with your search!
Hi Don, I have a 1988 Seafarer and the transom is solid as a rock, I have the bracketed model also. What is "the drain cap" that you referred to?
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I'm not sure who Don is, but at least on the new model 228's have a drain cap on the bottom...
Couple of motor bracket questions
Ok finally removed the drain plug from the out board bracket on the 228 and drained about 30 gallons of water but have a question. The pics below show the bracket and the drain plug but shouldn't there be some type of rubber gasket on that drain plug?
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Sorry, there was a Don who liked your post.I'm not sure who Don is, but at least on the new model 228's have a drain cap on the bottom...
Couple of motor bracket questions
Ok finally removed the drain plug from the out board bracket on the 228 and drained about 30 gallons of water but have a question. The pics below show the bracket and the drain plug but shouldn't there be some type of rubber gasket on that drain plug?
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2000 model above. You can check the old brochures on GWs site. Bang plate is shown right of the motor. It covers the liner/hull joint. All GWs with outboards have them to my knowledge. Having an aluminum (now stainless steel) angle screwed thru the fiberglass may look finished, but it is not a good design practice. Production boat makers do it because it is easier, cheaper and allows shorter build times. The problem is water will eventually get in and then the big problems start.
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Fishtales
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Final note. It's called a bang plate because it protects the glass from being banged should the motor installer lower it a little too much and contact occurs during installation/removal. It really is an early fiberglass build technique that should be re-engineered - especially for the price of these new boats.
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The picture that you posted above is also a 226 Seafarer as opposed to the 228 Seafarer. The 226 Seafarer has essentially a motorwell whereas the 228 Seafarer has the enclosed transom along with the transom bracket. Norcoastal said his boat is a 1988 model year and he also mentioned it is the bracketed version, which would be the 228 Seafarer, not the 226 Seafarer. The 228 Seafarer as well as a few other bracketed boats like the 232 Gulfstream don't have the bang cap/plate. Here's a picture of my boat, admittedly not the best one, but it shows the transom bracket area and it doesn't have a bang cap/plate on it.
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Mustang65fbk
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I'm not sure what you mean by that but I believe the bracket is aluminum, not 100% positive on that though, but I also believe that it is solid where the outboard mounts to it and to where water shouldn't be able to get in through where the bolt holes are. Even if it did, as mentioned above, there is a drain plug on the bottom of the bracket to allow water to drain out freely.
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That bracket should have no water in it at all! there should be a gasket on the drain plug. Make sure the top inspection plate is well sealed also. As a matter of fact, check and reseal the entire bracket where it is attached to the boat.I'm not sure who Don is, but at least on the new model 228's have a drain cap on the bottom...
Couple of motor bracket questions
Ok finally removed the drain plug from the out board bracket on the 228 and drained about 30 gallons of water but have a question. The pics below show the bracket and the drain plug but shouldn't there be some type of rubber gasket on that drain plug?
Mustang65fbk
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Bracket is bolted to the transom with like construction methods (caulk) I believe.
www.greatgrady.com
Removal of caulk around Engine Bracket (2004 Gil Bracket)
I need to remove the original caulk around my 2004 Gil Engine Bracket and replace with new caulk. Any suggestions on the type of caulk to use?
www.greatgrady.com
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Mustang65fbk
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I guess my point would be that 228 Seafarer doesn't only have the bang cap/plate to keep the water out from coming in. Here's a post I found on the subject, Ky Grady added a picture of the bolts behind the livewell on his boat that attach the bracket to the stern. Perhaps asking him might settle the matter and be advantageous as to whether he's ever had to re-caulk the bolts and thru hardware on his boat before, or if it's needed. I believe he has the same model year as I do, a 2004, of which looking at the picture and the boat being 15 years old at the time, I'd say it looks pretty good. Especially since, and I could be mistaken here, that as long as you don't get any water inside the transom bracket, it shouldn't have any contact with any water and "shouldn't" have any corrosion. Though again, I'm no expert and could be very much mistaken. Maybe Ky Grady will chime in here with his words of wisdom as he knows much more about these boats than I do. Lastly, and again I could be mistaken, but from his picture, it appears as maybe all but the bottom two bolts are likely even above the waterline?Bracket is bolted to the transom with like construction methods (caulk) I believe.
Removal of caulk around Engine Bracket (2004 Gil Bracket)
I need to remove the original caulk around my 2004 Gil Engine Bracket and replace with new caulk. Any suggestions on the type of caulk to use?
Engine bracket removal on seafarer 228
Can anyone help me with how to remove engine bracket on my seafarer228 do I unbolt through the access hole on the bracket or do I need to remove the live well and access the bolts from there?
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I had a wet console in my Freedom and the reason was new water coming in with every rain. The horn was never sealed so when it rained much water entered the console. Try to find your leaks and fix them. Its easier to keep new water out than it is to get rid of water once its in any enclosed space since they typically have no or very inadequate ventilation. Without that the water will be in those spaces forever. Be suspicious of ANY top surface penetration. Every penetrations, even a through bolt, ought to have an RTV or other sealant used.
Well except for one thing. The bolts holding the bracket are internal to the bracket and as long as the bracket remains water tight there is no wet transom issue . The bracket Grady's don't really suffer the Grady wet fate. The other thing is when Grady switched to Greenwood XL material with a 50 year no rot warranty ( for whatever that's worth) while the transom could get wet it likely won't rot for the model years of like 2000 to 2015. Sure you could delamination if it's too wet between the transom and fiberglass but the material itself should be good for long time even if it has some moisture. I think it's like after 2015 all Gradys went composite and that eliminates rot but even composites have issues . Maybe target a Grady after 2015 to avoid the wet and rot ?
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Definitely some good information and I agree with most of it, though from what I've read before, I believe the Greenwood XL was added in 1997. But yes, the transom brackets on the Grady's "shouldn't" have any issues if they aren't exposed to water or don't have any structural damage from hitting or running into something. And I think the only way that they could be exposed to water would be if the cap on the transom bracket was missing or not sealed correctly.