What should I do?

[catch22]

However long the Marlin remains in production, it will always be the bigger but younger brother to the Sailfish.

LOL, Bob, always reminding us of the legacy of the Marlin as the stepchild of the Sailfish.

...

And what about the poor 26 Express? that b@st@rd child lasted what.. 4, 5 years?

I always liked that boat... nice size. I think they should have kept making it, but with a regular, bracketed full transom, like the Gulstream.

 

[BobP]

The Marlin and Sailfish were always complaint free boats, unless you consider the "lacking A/C vent on bridge" a complaint on the Marlin I read a few yrs ago here - that has since been fixed.

If that's all there is to complain about in 20 yrs, some heck of a boat.
Oh, I forgot the POS generators and access thereof issues.
-------------------------------------------------

The 265 is an interesting design. Short lived, but no comparison to the Tiger's short lived similar life.

The 265 is a paradox, at the crossroads in time when Grady changed direction away from fishing (cabin) machines to multipurpose boats and associated heavy admiral influence in product design and check co-signing.

This is backed up by the recent demise of the Islander & Sailfish.

A dual console liner was placed into the Islander's hull, need I say more?

The Admirals luv the euro drives with their fresh water sinks, built in lounge seats, cabin window curtain boxes and matching fabrics, teak holly, corian, no leg up and over the gunnel to get off the boat combo doggie access door (I mean tuna door), etc.

The 265's stern will never draw a look of approval from the admiral, continues the same in the cabin. The center stack console is another fishing machine feature adopted from the larger fishing machine inboards.
Too intimidating for the admiral, the admiral wants things in their right place like their RX330s.

Where is the TV and dvd player? Oh no! No below berth for storage, where we we put all these things we have, need more storage space!

Not one of these mean squat to me, need I say.

I wash the blood and guts off with saltwater thank you very much. Good enough for the deck, good enough for my hands.

The only true pure to the breed fishing machines left for us is center consoles, that remain mostly unaffected by Admiral influence.

But the Admirals don't let that pass, they just don't let Captains buy center consoles. Can't beat them at the game, have to marry (re-marry) the land luving sea sick types that never even appear within 100 yds of the marina !

 

[catch22]

Admirals... can't live with em, can't kill em. :shock:

Stole that line from "True Lies", lol.

 

[BobP]

That said it all

I bet no one believes the admirals new found influence is responsible for product direction change, the greatest driving force at Grady design wise IMHO

I tell you it has to be true.

Who designed the Cheasapeake, a fisherman?

The last half of the 90s were gonzo years in the marine industry, Grady included. Elimination of all other engine choices than the outboard and Yamaha only, one design only Sailfish - no more fishing friendly trophy models, war declared on larger engines on transom gradys, single inboard diesels, catamaran gradys not one model but two.

Mercury selling outboards with Yamaha powerheads, exploding fire ball FICHTS - at least they were more fuel efficient ha ha ha . Bombardier the train builder selling outboard motors.

Weird times. Who was President?

My advise to the unwed youngster male fisherman - take your prospective wife dates on the boat, when they turn green say nothing, when they heave over the side and want to return take your time getting back, make sure they dry heave a bit , they will never forget or even get on a boat again for eternity - then marry them!

Otherwise you will have nothing to say about anything fishing ever again, much like kitcheen and bath remodeling.

So everyone can thank the admirals for bending Kris's ear ending in the the 265 demise, Islander demise, 282 demise, and we all know what models are next.

 

[SlimJim]

That is the problem. The ECUs were changed out as well. A surveyor still would not know the true hours with new gages and ECUs. The computer shows the 671 as well as the gages. If I did not know the prior owner there is no way I would have ever known the true story. The boat next to this one was hit by lightning and fried the electronics and ECUs on this boat as well. These were swapped out 4 years ago by this dealership.

What I need to know is what is the depreciation of the boat with the higher hours? $5k? $10K? I plan to put about 100 to 150 hours a year on her. I see me in this one for three to four years before I go to a 305 Express or 33 Express.

50k is about what its worth if you can find a buyer who will buy a boat with 1300 hours on the engines.

 

[Bama96]

Bob I think the big brother Marlin may be next on the block. I looked at the 2009 Chesapeake and the 2009 Marlin sitting side by side. Both with 350s. Way too close in size. Just dosent make sense to keep them both.

 

[Bama96]

A few more pics of my high hour worn out Marlin that I over paid for!

My Marlin at the dock and my fishing buddies mint 1993 Tournament Hanging in the lift.

Me at the helm. Boy she rides good.

My old man sipping his coffe.

The Crystal Clear Emerald Blue Destin Waters in the pass

Me at the Helm.

 

[SlimJim]

awesome pictures and boat Bama. Get some dollars taken off the deal and keep her if you like her. ps: looks like you need to trim the motors or tabs in that one picture of your dad sipping coffee. :lol:

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

She looks great. Just put all behind, get the 5K and keep the boat.

 

[Bama96]

awesome pictures and boat Bama. Get some dollars taken off the deal and keep her if you like her. ps: looks like you need to trim the motors or tabs in that one picture of your dad sipping coffee. :lol:

Yes I was playing with the tabs and had them messed up in that pic. Still learning to drive her. It's a big jump from my 222 Fisherman thats for sure. But of course my big butt 6'5" 265 was on that side thus the lean. :shock:

 

[catch22]

Yes I was playing with the tabs and had them messed up in that pic. Still learning to drive her. It's a big jump from my 222 Fisherman thats for sure. But of course my big butt 6'5" 265 was on that side thus the lean. :shock:

Lmao... I was gona make a wise crack about that.

Doesn't help when entire crew is on the same side either. :lol:

That boat is gorgeous!

 

[BobP]

No one has ever or will ever say the Marlin is not a good looking gal.

Whoever designed her new style side cabin windows in year 2000 should have been awarded the window of the year champions's belt.
The parallelogram original windows had to go. Little brother Sailfish received same window upgrade.

I'm still waiting for the first Cheasapeake owner to join GG.
How many more years will it be?

Speaking of windows, I don't like the Chesapeake's cabin windows.

 

[SlimJim]

awesome pictures and boat Bama. Get some dollars taken off the deal and keep her if you like her. ps: looks like you need to trim the motors or tabs in that one picture of your dad sipping coffee. :lol:

Yes I was playing with the tabs and had them messed up in that pic. Still learning to drive her. It's a big jump from my 222 Fisherman thats for sure. But of course my big butt 6'5" 265 was on that side thus the lean. :shock:

lol is that "Little Bama" in the cabin in the last picture?

 

[Bob's Cay]

Keep the boat but please get a new hat!

 

[Strikezone]

How was the fishing?

 

[Bama96]

Keep the boat but please get a new hat!

Easy Bob thats a Coach Nick Saban special I am wearing. :lol: Football season will be here soon. 8)

 

[Bama96]

awesome pictures and boat Bama. Get some dollars taken off the deal and keep her if you like her. ps: looks like you need to trim the motors or tabs in that one picture of your dad sipping coffee. :lol:

Yes I was playing with the tabs and had them messed up in that pic. Still learning to drive her. It's a big jump from my 222 Fisherman thats for sure. But of course my big butt 6'5" 265 was on that side thus the lean. :shock:

lol is that "Little Bama" in the cabin in the last picture?

No thats my fishing buddies son. He loves the aft berth. He napped in there most of the day. I have 7 month old daughter and she already loves looking at boat pics on the net.

Fishing was good that day. Got our Red Snapper limit, a few Kings, Mingos, and triggers. No groupers that trip. I got frieght trained by a big boy though. He snapped my 60lb leader like it was sewing thread. Going back next week for him. :shock:

 

[Capt Armchair]

Man that Marlin looks sweeet! Congrats.

 

[Grog]

Just you isn't going to lean the boat, but you, your dad and 1 (or 2) others will. Your a big guy and you don't seem crowded at the helm. You don't get the same perspective at shows of the boat's size. You gave me boat envy, enjoy it and don't let the BS eat you up.

 

[VeroWing]

Thats a fine looking vessel. Glad to hear that dealer is willing to work out something with you. In my opinion, since everyone else has given theirs, each 100 hours of extra time on each motor that wasn't revealed to you, should be worth $1000. This is based on a $15,000 engine with a lifespan of 1500 hours. Engine value and lifespan is just my "rule of thumb" numbers, and not cold hard facts. It is hard to argue with though.
JMO, Mike.