1987 grady white

[fitz67]

My brother-in-law is considering a 1987 23ft grady White gulfstream. It comes with a 1987 250 Mariner outboard. When looking the boat over, are there any tell tale signs we should be looking for?

[borderline 350]

Dear Fitz67,

Look at all the corners of the chine and transom corners on the outside of the hull. Look for spider cracks and signs of damage and repairs. Check the transom close to the OB mounts for cracks. this will tell you if the boat has been worked hard or abused. Above all have the OB examined and test run by a prof. mechanic. Replacement cost for a 250 HP OB will exceed 16K $$$$ The used ones will bring 8 to 10K $$$ if in excellent condition. GW's are a great fishing boat, but not built to the better standards in my "Opinion" Open all compartments too and look for mildew and cracks. You want to look carefully (and critically) at all the cosmetics of the boat for at least one hour. This will actually tell its life history and previous owners treatment. If at all possible, water test the boat before deposits or money changes hands. You are looking at a 20 year old boat ! Fiberglass boats in freshwater, reasonably cared for will last 15 years before MAJOR repairs or replacement. Salt water boats, especially fiberglass will need gel coat refinishing or painting in less then three years UNLESS Dry Stacked or Stored under cover.

And yes, look at the wire harness under the dash and where ever you can see it for NO green corrosion and neatly bundled/dressed. Previous owners may have altered the excellent assembly work done by the GW factory. GW takes great pride in their product, but 1987 was the beginning of the great boat value Depression! Examine very carefully before you buy!

Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

[fitz67]

Bill,

Thank you very much for the response and your helpful tips. We have only fished from aluminum boats and are not familiar with fiberglass and the associated maintenance issues.

In your opinion, who offers a fiberglass boat that meets the better standards you mentioned in your response. Inboard vs. outboard, what is your opinion?

Thanks for your help, I appreciate your input.

[UpGrady]

'87 was about the first year for the 23' Gulf Stream and I believe that they intoduced the Grady Drive bracket with the Gulf Stream, so the outboard should have the ability to lift completely out of the water to reduce corrosion on the lower unit. I am imagining that this is a saltwater boat, since I have seen very few in freshwater. Obviously, a 20 year old saltwater boat is likely going to have a significant amount of corrosion underneath which is unavoidable. Chances are alll wiring should be replaced if it has not been done in the past 5 years, I would be skeptical. The biggest concern about this boat will be the fuel tank. Grady tanks are aluminum, but saltwater will get the best of them within 15 years or sooner depending upon the bilge water and you will not see it from the top, so unless the tank has been replaced within the past 5 years as well, then this will be a likely replacement as well as all of the fuel lines to and from the tank.

I would also be concerned about the Mariner outboard, this is an old outboard and a single 250 on that gulfstream is underpowered, nevermind the age of the engine. I'm not certain I would trust it and it certainly will have issues idling down to trolling speeds in the lake. I'm sure that others will have some praises for Mariner's, but in my experience, these outboards were not the best for reliability.

My brother is running an '88 Sailfish down in SC which he purchased used from NC and had to go thru all of this stuff. I am running an '86 Sailfish on the Big-O which has only been in freshwater. So the fuel tank is not a concern, but fuel lines are as well as wiring even in freshwater due to age.

Use extreme caution with this boat and ask a lot of questions about the preventative maintenance described above and by Borderline.

[borderline 350]

Dear Fitz67,

What's up from GW? It's more in the realm of what you prefer for your type of fishing, Trolling for Salmon? Drift Fishing the Niagara river, etc. It's best you go for rides in various types of hulls and boats and decide what you prefer and what you can afford!!!! A boat buyer is in the drivers seat today as the used market is flooded. Your dollar will buy you a lot of value. The Tiara boats are excellent construction and sell quickly used, if in good condition. Certain SeaRay models are on a par with GW. PennYann made some good fishing models. Remember that repairs to any boat can get very expensive!! Finding one in good condition is the problem. Evaluate your financial position before jumping into a 23' glass boat. It would require a substantial vehicle for towing 7000 GVW. Fuel consumption trolling is now a major concern $$$$$$!!! Talk to the ProAm fishermen and see that their extreme efforts and sucesses require a small bankroll! Right now it is cheaper to charter a good Captain, then maintain & own a 23 to 25' boat. Yes, I love owning my own boat and the pride of ownership, but the cost of living is effecting everyone and the inflationary fires are burning!! Good luck in your quest.

Sincerely, Jet Boat Bill

[fitz67]

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your responses and sharing your thoughts and opinions. You have given us a lot to think about and digest. We don't want to get in over our heads. This particular boat can be viewed at www.wheelhousemarine.com

Any other thoughts and input are always appreciated.

Thanks again,

Fitz67/Mitch

[Billy V]

Fitz,

It looks like a nice boat from the pictures! The easiest way to ensure that you're getting a quality boat that won't leave you flat-busted trying to fix it is to hire a qualified marine surveyor and have them perform a survey on the boat. They'll uncover just about every issue the boat has and then you'll know exactly what you're getting into. I imagine that the marina that has the boat listed can help you with the names of a few good surveyors. I learned a ton of info about my boat from the survey before I bought it.

Best of luck.

[UpGrady]

Fitz,

Wow... rare boat in this neck of the woods... does not look bad... repowered with a four stroke and a kicker. I would do some research on that Mariner engine though.

The Gulfstream was a nice addition to the Grady lineup at the time. A 23 footer with a wider beam to bridge the gap between the 25 Sailfish and the 22 Seafarer or 24 Offshore with only 8' beams. You might sacrifice a little bit of comfort trolling due to the deep Vee hull on a Grady, but when you power up to run into 3-5' seas on the lake and bury the trim tabs full down, you'll be very happy as you watch the the waves push aside sipping on your beverage of choice.

You're paying for a name, but you're also paying for the construction. There's a reason that there are so many Grady's on the ocean. They can handle being beaten and run hard in the saltwater environment. This statement is not to downplay any other great boats being built and run day in and day out on this lake, but the Grady reputation was built on the ocean under daily conditions that we can only imagine up here. My personal opinion is that if I were running 30 plus miles out into the ocean, I'd rather have a Grady hull than any other small boat hull under me. Does that translate into necessary on the Big-O, probably not... so that's what gives Grady a bad rap up here for being overpriced and built for this freshwater market.

I'd check into it more with a surveyor and make certain that it did not see salt water in a previous life...

[mike fronczak]

That price seems high. This past summer I purchased a 1999 23' Striper, with a 225 Johnson Offshore engine for not much more than your looking at, for a lot newer boat. I would keep looking, I used to fish out of a Grady 25', had a 260 hp I/O. The boat I have now handles the lake much better.

[UpGrady]

The 25's with single 260's were not only grossly underpowered, but were indeed ill-handling boats. The weight distribution left a lot to be desired, esp. in a following sea.

The price of this Gulfstream is fair compared to what else is on the market and would be a steal on the ocean. For comparison sake, you won't touch a mid 80's 25 footer for less than $25k on the ocean and a late 90's 20 footer won't be found for less than $30k as well unless you are buying the hull only.

Which emphasizes my other points, that it can be tough to justify a Grady based upon price comparison alone with other boats. Esp. with the number of "Similar" designs in the Freshwater market. Grady prices everywhere are held up due to the saltwater market, which is good for an owner and bad for a potential buyer.