Grumman Meter Series boats -Anyone familiar?

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Grumman Meter Series boats -Anyone familiar?

Grumman Meter Series boats-anyone familiar?

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They were built between 1978 and about 1985, and many that know them consider them the best aluminum boats ever built. Thats debatable of course, but they are certainly the best riveted aluminum boats ever built.. I have a 4.4 [14 foot], and am driving a 600 mile round trip to pick up the flagship of this sereis, a 5.0 Center Console-[ 17 ft]... Designed to be as stable and seaworthy as anything else built in their size range, very hard to find, and not all that cheap when you do find one.. It took me years to find this 17 footer.. I have my doubts that anyone here knows these boats, as they have been out of production for over 30 years,but figured it was worth a shot, maybe someone had or has one they would like to talk about.. When I have my 4.4 out in steady 30 mph wind on a heavy chop with raging caps on NY state Finger Lakes, I often shake my head, that I can fish easily and with good stability, when 16 footers of conventional design head back in to the ramp.. Is there anyone  on this forum that knows these boats?.. bob

 

 

[MCF]

The Grumman 17 or 5.0 was a wide body, a very wide boat for its size given that era or even now.  Made in the mid to late 80's I believe, center console, side console, I don't know if they ever did the walk through.  Then came the 16, which was conventional and led to a later 18.  Then OMC bought them up and slid the Sea Nymph into both the Lowe and Grumman lines, for the 17 and 19 footers.  

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 yes after about 85 they went to a cheaper more conventional design because they could not compete with other companies, and most boat buyers would not pay for the  stout, over built, but expensive  Grumman designs,,
  Back  around 2000 or so, i bought a MINT 4.4 with a super clean merc 25 and galvanized trailer for $1000,,, I  knew nothing of this design, but once I had it out  on the water I realized it was very special hull for a 14 footer.. Had it in the teeth of terrible winds and churning caps on the Finger lakes and Raritan Bay in NJ, and the stability and solid tight feel were 2 steps above any other aluminum boat I ever had, or ever been in.. I sold that boat like a DOPE, and was missing it terribly instantly.. It was a tiller model,  with a pull start  merc motorand I wasn't a tiller kind of guy.. It took me YEARS to find a  4.4 with a factory side console, and I found one a few years ago in Philly, and drove down to get it.. I powered it with a Johnson 28SPL, and thats my small boat these days, and it NEVER gets sold, until I drop dead... The 5.0 I am buying has also taken me years to find, and I hope its half the boat its little brother is... I will write about it on this forum after I have it out a few times... They are supposed to be very good in rough water... 8 foot beam on a riveted 17 footer is pretty impressive.... bob