Grady-White Boats

Since 1968, Grady-White has been something special in the boating world-and honestly, once you understand their story, you'll get why boat enthusiasts are so passionate about the brand. Founded back in 1959 but really hitting its stride when Eddie Smith purchased the company in 1968, Grady-White has been built on a simple but powerful philosophy: make boats that are tougher than they have to be.

What sets them apart isn't just marketing fluff-it's measurable performance. Their SeaV2® hull has been ranked #1 in each of the eight J.D. Power and Associates Marine Studies, which is pretty remarkable when you consider how competitive the marine industry is. Truth is, boat length for boat length, there really is no ride that compares to Grady-White's. They deliver boating's driest, softest and most stable ride through a unique multi-faceted hull design.

Here's where it gets technical but fascinating: Grady-White's hull shape continuously sharpens from the transom to the bow, ranging from under 20 degrees deadrise at the stern to a sea-cutting 30 degrees or so amidships, then reaching a wave-slicing 50-plus degrees at the bow. That deeper vee forward means a softer ride you won't find on other hulls, while less vee at the transom gives superior stability when you need it.

The company builds ruggedly elegant outboard powerboats ranging from 18' to 45' in center console, dual console, walkaround cabin and express cabin styles. They've got the most comprehensive lineup in their category, which means whether you're looking for a bay boat for inshore fishing or a serious offshore machine, there's probably a Grady that fits.

What's really interesting is how they've maintained their culture over the decades. Eddie Smith has steadily done what he does best: inspire his crew to work hard to provide customers the best quality, reliability, safety, performance and long lasting value. In large part, Grady-White's success comes from developing close relationships with customers and dealerships, asking questions and carefully listening, then incorporating features people actually request. Current company president Kris Carroll promotes this "ultimate in boating satisfaction" management style.

Few independent companies have had as much success as Grady-White, which has maintained an excellent reputation for high quality, flawless fit and finish, good seakeeping abilities, user-friendly deck layouts, and top-notch customer satisfaction. They have one of the highest resale values around, which makes up for their relatively high initial cost when bought new-they retain value far better than the norm and represent a good investment, as far as boats go.

And here's something you don't see much anymore: Grady-White welcomes visitors to tour their facility so they can see for themselves what makes them unique-the craftsmen who passionately build these boats to delight their customers. They've been awarded top rankings in every third party Customer Satisfaction award ever done in the marine industry, including all consecutive awards from the NMMA since its inception in 2003.