Walk-around vs true fishing boat

[Peter A]

I don’t really understand the thread title, btw. Walkarounds were designed to fish, no? Pretty much any Grady has deep fishing cues and is fit for purpose.

 

[STRMH8TR]

The 228 has a huge cockpit for a 22 footer. However the beam is only 8' and there is no step up to the helm. That means the cabin is narrow with a low ceiling.
The 218 beam is 8'6" and the 232 is 9'3" with a step up to the helm, so the 232 has a higher ceiling.
You mentioned a 400 hp single for a 232. It doesn't exist unless you repower with a new Merc. You can find one on the shelf next to the hens teeth. Oh, and bring a wheel barrow full of cash!

They're all a boatload of cash to repower. Seen some 300 singles out there so I might try that route, trade in and up. Had use of a walkaround in the late 80s. Had twin 150s. Not a heavy boat like a Grady but we're going there. My last boat.

 

[STRMH8TR]

If you're questioning whether the 232 fits the family, you can pretty quickly rule out the 218. Seems like the real question is can the 232 do the job or do you need to find something like a 265 or 272/282. These would significantly open up your long distance cruising abilities, and can be had for less than a <5 y/o 232 where you're really going to be taking the pricing on the chin by going that new.

Only 2 of us, retired, but family will be in town now and then. Aren't purchasing a boat for them. It's ours.

 

[KP Mariner]

I own a GW Gulfstream 232 that was repowered with a white 300 HP all electronic Suzuki last year. Unfortunately recent back problems are preventing me from using it. I intend to list it for sale next week.
If you decide on the Gulfstream and you are interested let me know.

 

[Fishermanbb]

Do not get the 232 with a single. It is a totally different boat with twins. Rides and handles much better With the twins. Also, FWIW, I LOVE the 232 but don’t think that’s the right boat for what you want to do. I would look for a used Sailfish. Enclosed head, better bunk arrangement, better storage for that type of traveling. None of those hulls are ideal for water sports but it’s basically a push between them when it comes to that. Like I said…the 232 is the best 23’ on the market (IMO) but for your intended use I’d go 282. JMO.

 

[STRMH8TR]

Do not get the 232 with a single. It is a totally different boat with twins. Rides and handles much better With the twins. Also, FWIW, I LOVE the 232 but don’t think that’s the right boat for what you want to do. I would look for a used Sailfish. Enclosed head, better bunk arrangement, better storage for that type of traveling. None of those hulls are ideal for water sports but it’s basically a push between them when it comes to that. Like I said…the 232 is the best 23’ on the market (IMO) but for your intended use I’d go 282. JMO.

Thanks.I appreciate your input. Gives me a lot to think about. I'm looking at quite a few GWs so that'll help.

 

[STRMH8TR]

I own a GW Gulfstream 232 that was repowered with a white 300 HP all electronic Suzuki last year. Unfortunately recent back problems are preventing me from using it. I intend to list it for sale next week.
If you decide on the Gulfstream and you are interested let me know.

Curious as to the year. Know they originally come with Yamaha but would like Mercury if repowered but I'm flexible

 

[STRMH8TR]

Either can get it done, but bigger fits the travel bill much better. The 232 will have a bigger, taller cabin. The 218 will be better for water activities, but the 232 still works.
I went from a 248/258 to a 270. The height difference in the cabin was a major improvement for our use. We fish, but do more boating, swimming and tubing. Often we change and go to eat somewhere on the water. The taller, bigger cabin makes being below inviting. The 218 won't do that as well as the 232.
The 218 is very nice, but if it were my money, I'd go 232.

It's going to be 6 months to a year but your input gives me a lot to think about. Thanks!

 

[STRMH8TR]

I don’t really understand the thread title, btw. Walkarounds were designed to fish, no? Pretty much any Grady has deep fishing cues and is fit for purpose.

Hadn't had a boat since the early 90s so I'm looking for what I really want. It's always been a GW. Just want input for an informed decision. Thanks

 

[STRMH8TR]

I own a GW Gulfstream 232 that was repowered with a white 300 HP all electronic Suzuki last year. Unfortunately recent back problems are preventing me from using it. I intend to list it for sale next week.
If you decide on the Gulfstream and you are interested let me know.

Not sure I'd want a Suzuki. DM me. I'm interested.

 

[luckydude]

Not trailering. Will pay extra for dry dock, but have trailer available if necessary. Quite a few compliments on the 228. May need to take a look. Thanks

If you don't need to trailer, and you are able to afford a 232, I'd say get it. And I say that as a happy 228 owner. 232 is just a step up.

Don't get me wrong, I'll do offshore tuna runs in my 228, it's fine. I'd be happier in a 232. Though what I really want is a walk around config on the Canyon 271 hull, I fish with a guy who has that hull, so sweet.

 

[luckydude]

If you could find the most recent vintage sailfish, I'm with whoever pushed you towards that. If Grady made a sailfish cabin on the 271 hull now, I'd own one. I believe they stopped making them in 2012 or so. Sadly.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Have you looked at the Grady White 258 Voyager or Journey? It could very well be a "Goldilocks" boat for you where it's in between a 232 Gulfstream and a 270 Islander or larger in regards to length. Per the brochure section of the GW website, it looks like they made the 258 Journey up until 2017, so you should hopefully be able to find something newer if you wanted a newer boat. The 258 Journey is an 8'6" beam compared to the 9'3" beam on the 232 Gulfstream, so it's a little bit narrower, easier to trailer, it doesn't have the bunkbed style of cabin like the 232 Gulfstream and it isn't a 270 Islander or a 282 Sailfish or bigger. It might be the happy medium between what you're considering and what others are suggesting. Finally, it's a boat to where it can have either a single main motor or twins, so if you wanted one or the other you could find one in either configuration.

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[KP Mariner]

Not sure I'd want a Suzuki. DM me. I'm interested.

Your 6 month timeframe doesn't work for me. I don't know much about the 4 stroke Mercury but I have had bad experience with Yamaha, especially the 250 hp. 3.3 liter V6. The dry exhaust problem was fixed when I bought the boat/engine. Then, with less than 600 hours, the block developed a hole in the water jacket that was uneconomical to repair. Personally I think Suzuki is the best engine being made right now. Good luck!

 

[Hookup1]

A center console is easier to fish off of but there is no place to store anything. I seriously fish my walk-around. It has the advantage of being able to store equipment. It's my tackle box!

 

[STRMH8TR]

Your 6 month timeframe doesn't work for me. I don't know much about the 4 stroke Mercury but I have had bad experience with Yamaha, especially the 250 hp. 3.3 liter V6. The dry exhaust problem was fixed when I bought the boat/engine. Then, with less than 600 hours, the block developed a hole in the water jacket that was uneconomical to repair. Personally I think Suzuki is the best engine being made right now. Good luck!

And they wouldn't help you out? Not really a Suzuki fan but I'll listen. Thanks

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Everyone has their opinions and first choice for outboards, as well as just about everything else in life, of which I personally wouldn't hesitate to go with Suzuki. I think around here they get kind of a bad reputation because you don't see them on many boats. Out here it's definitely a Yamaha dominated market, followed by Honda, then likely Mercury and I'd say Suzuki is probably the last in terms of popularity. I kind of thought the same thing in that people didn't run Suzuki's on their boats because they must not have been a good outboard. Then, a friend of a friend, Grant Wooldridge who owns Wooldridge Boats here in Seattle, mentioned that he recommends Suzuki outboards to be installed on all of his boats. His reasons for doing so would be that they have a 5 year warranty vs the Yamaha at a standard 3 year warranty, the Suzuki's are usually quite a bit cheaper and finally their customer service he says is one of the best. He has few outboards coming back in for repairs and the ones that do, he has very few issues with Suzuki, getting parts from them and so forth. If I were to repower tomorrow, I'd probably get the Suzuki DF250AP that has the digital throttle controls. Sure, it weighs a little bit more than the Yamaha or a Mercury, but you can find them elsewhere throughout the country for under $20k. The Yamaha F250 with mechanical controls is usually closer to $25k and the digital or fly by wire version of it is closer to $30k. I always recommend anyone look into going with Suzuki for a repower or at least to not discredit them right off the bat before doing any research into them.

 

[STRMH8TR]

Get your d

A couple of thoughts here, take them for what ever they are worth. We routinely overnight and weekend on our boat either my wife and I or fishing trips with the guys. If you plan on cruising up and down the coast and/or doing longer extended trips you will want a bigger boat. In my experience most ladies will want an enclosed standup head with a real toilet. Plus most will also not want to sleep on top of a portipotti or a toilet in a cave. That alone puts you to at least a 25-26 ft boat. The next thing is storage. One of my biggest gripes with gradys are that they lack enough storage compared to other similar sized boats. When you stay on the boat for the weekend where are you going to put bags, clothes, food, bathroom supplies etc.? Are you going to eat out or do you plan to cook on the boat? If you plan to cook on the boat where are you going to cook and keep food, plates, silverware, cups etc. all of this stuff adds up quick. This is also in addition to normal boating gear, fishing gear, inflatables etc. Fortunately on my boat(305)we have an aft cabin so we can throw a lot of stuff in there, but once you get 2-3 people together stuff adds up quick. Also if you plan on overnighting on the hook, you can usually open the hatches and get a breeze. If your at a marina in the summer, that small cabin is going to get hot quick and A/C is very nice. My wife would not overnight on our previous 265, for a lot of the above reasons, but she will happily stay on our 305.

If you are planning on traveling with the boat but staying at hotels, this probably isn't going to matter. If your a minimalist and/or young these things may not be an issue for you either. These are considerations that I have learned/experienced through the years. Hell , when I was in my 20's I used to sleep on the deck of a cc in a sleeping bag. However as I have gotten older things have changed a little.

A couple of thoughts here, take them for what ever they are worth. We routinely overnight and weekend on our boat either my wife and I or fishing trips with the guys. If you plan on cruising up and down the coast and/or doing longer extended trips you will want a bigger boat. In my experience most ladies will want an enclosed standup head with a real toilet. Plus most will also not want to sleep on top of a portipotti or a toilet in a cave. That alone puts you to at least a 25-26 ft boat. The next thing is storage. One of my biggest gripes with gradys are that they lack enough storage compared to other similar sized boats. When you stay on the boat for the weekend where are you going to put bags, clothes, food, bathroom supplies etc.? Are you going to eat out or do you plan to cook on the boat? If you plan to cook on the boat where are you going to cook and keep food, plates, silverware, cups etc. all of this stuff adds up quick. This is also in addition to normal boating gear, fishing gear, inflatables etc. Fortunately on my boat(305)we have an aft cabin so we can throw a lot of stuff in there, but once you get 2-3 people together stuff adds up quick. Also if you plan on overnighting on the hook, you can usually open the hatches and get a breeze. If your at a marina in the summer, that small cabin is going to get hot quick and A/C is very nice. My wife would not overnight on our previous 265, for a lot of the above reasons, but she will happily stay on our 305.

If you are planning on traveling with the boat but staying at hotels, this probably isn't going to matter. If your a minimalist and/or young these things may not be an issue for you either. These are considerations that I have learned/experienced through the years. Hell , when I was in my 20's I used to sleep on the deck of a cc in a sleeping bag. However as I have gotten older things have changed a little.

Not anywhere near my 20s anymore. Comfort is a priority. Need to look further. Thanks for the info

 

[STRMH8TR]

Have you looked at the Grady White 258 Voyager or Journey? It could very well be a "Goldilocks" boat for you where it's in between a 232 Gulfstream and a 270 Islander or larger in regards to length. Per the brochure section of the GW website, it looks like they made the 258 Journey up until 2017, so you should hopefully be able to find something newer if you wanted a newer boat. The 258 Journey is an 8'6" beam compared to the 9'3" beam on the 232 Gulfstream, so it's a little bit narrower, easier to trailer, it doesn't have the bunkbed style of cabin like the 232 Gulfstream and it isn't a 270 Islander or a 282 Sailfish or bigger. It might be the happy medium between what you're considering and what others are suggesting. Finally, it's a boat to where it can have either a single main motor or twins, so if you wanted one or the other you could find one in either configuration.

Grady-White Voyager 258 boats for sale - Boat Trader

Find Grady-White Voyager 258 boats for sale near you, including boat prices, photos, and more. Locate Grady-White boat dealers and find your boat at Boat Trader!

www.boattrader.com

Going to be looking at the whole family of boats. Doesn't need to be new, well kept and taken care of. Plus what fits us. Thanks