New Grady-White 290 is Steady as She Goes

There are no gimcracks here,
just the solid, functional boat building that we have all come to expect from
Grady-White, and the 290 walk around does not disappoint. She was introduced
this summer and she replaced the 28’ G-W. Owners said they wanted something a
bit larger, but not too big. There has been a serious downsizing trend this year
and we suspect the Grady 290 might just be the right size for both people moving
up and down. She is powered by twin Yamahas, either 250 or 300-hp. 

Grady-White 290 Chesapeake.

This 29 walk around is full of fishy features.

As you would expect all of the fishy necessities are built in as standard, but
as we looked over the boat a couple of other aspects caught our eye. First, the
boat is designed to be comfortable to drive. The helm seat is of good quality
and adjustable vertically as well as horizontally, as is the companion seat.
Buyers often take this for granted, but shouldn’t. Some builders make only the helm
seat fully adjustable. Doesn’t the companion count, too?

All of the basics have been done right on this 29.

Second, the windshield is large and high, just as it should be. Sitting or
standing, you are looking through a windshield which has both washers and wipers
as standard. Again, a windshield seems like an obvious thing to have right, but
many builders have missed the obvious.


Third, we like the 28” high bulwarks in the cockpit. We’re going offshore for
goodness sakes, and boats with 22” or even 25” deep cockpits just don’t work for
us. We read every month about people falling overboard in rough
conditions, or when the skipper goes hard over to miss a pot at speed. The 9’11”
beam, and 7,650 lb. displacement (without the engines) are typical specs for
good boats in this size range.

Below Deck –

Below, the boat has an aft “double berth” which gives the boat added
functionality. The V-berth forward actually fits a 6’6” man (or lady). We like
the teak and holly sole which always makes a boat look her best. The rest of the
interior looks pretty standard (what can you do in a 29” WA?) and comfortable,
and that is the keynote of this whole boat. As we said, “steady as she goes.”


There are a couple of options which are bit unusual – the 4kw generator and the
bow thruster. You’ll need the genset for the optional A/C and electric
stove.


We look forward to testing this boat and getting the perspective of one of our
Captains about her offshore performance. Stay tuned.



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