[steven]

Need large outbd boat for family of 5, shallow water (3') free dockage near my doorstep and inshore and offshore fishing mix. I am close to pulling the trigger on a 2001 or 2002 Grady White 33 Express. Big bucks. Have owned a 20 and now own a 25 Grady. Any feedback from anyone with experience on the 33?

[steven]

Also, any insight into pushing this 9500 lb boat with Yama twin 250 2-strokes vs 225 4-strokes?

Thanks

I am actually looking to buy one of these pups myself. Don't mean to correct you, but the DRY weight on this guy (without motors) is 11,500 lbs.

I have owned an Express 330 for about two years (I had a 27 Sailfish for many years before that). I had a few problems initially with the 4-stroke Yamahas, but those were quickly fixed (under warranty). I used to run the boat out of Virginia about 70 miles offshore to fish. It handled everything with relative ease. It really cuts through the ocean, doesn't pound, and is a very dry ride. I live in Florida, so big seas are not as much of a problem. It is an excellent fishing platform. With twin 225's and full tanks, I can get a top speed of about 34 knots. With trim tabs down, the boat gets on plane easily. Efficient cruising speed for me is about 24 knots. I burn about 19 gph at this speed. I did have the bottom painted, so that slows me down a little. When I repower, I will certainly step up to higher horsepower engines. But running at speed, the 4-strokes are very quiet. As far as amenities, it has everything to cruise comfortably. The only thing that I would offer is to ensure that when you spray down the boat at the end of the day, you open up the bilge and spray down the generator. The generator sits in the lowest part and the farthest aft part of the boat. Any saltwater in the bilge will splash all over the engine. Corrosion doesn't take long after that. Hope this helps.