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Grady White 330 Express Cabin: Off-Shore Grunt

If the consistent maintenance costs and logistics of running a large sport fisher are getting too much, or it’s just time for a stylish upgrade from the old faithful, then look no further than the latest Grady White 330 Express Cabin. This premium sports fisher-cum-overnighter, family cruiser, entertainer, and off-the-continental-shelf game hunter most certainly ticks boxes and takes boating to a whole new level.

Over the years I’ve tested a number of Grady’s from the USA, seen them being built at the factory, and developed a natural soft spot for Grady White brand, regardless of the size or model. Grady Whites are as refined and innovative as they come in all areas and when it comes to finishes, they are most certainly at the top of their game.

Game and Leisure Boats on the Gold Coast move a number of Gradys every year with some of the big boys stretching the budget close to a million bucks – and Gradys offer some serous value and the finest quality for your buck. The latest Grady to hit the Aussie shores is their stylish 330 Express Cabin and to top it off it was fitted up with Yamaha's new powerhouse F425hp V8 twin – if that doesn’t grab your attention then I don’t know what will.

At a glance the 330 Express Cabin naturally draws you in for a closer look as 850hp of V8 Yamaha four-stroke grunt sits proud at the transom. No doubt they mean some serious business when it comes to performance. Some would classify it as overkill and attention seeking, but we will be the judge of that after checking out the internal offerings and taking it for an offshore spin.

Aesthetically, Grady White's refined lines and design are epitomised by the range. On the 330 Express Cabin the newly designed hard-top with full screens, wide flared bow and gentle sheer-line tapering to the stern most certainly catches the eye. 

Stepping aboard, it's easy to see how the 330 Express Cabin has earned a reputation in the US as a premier offshore sports fishing, family cruiser and entertainer. Catering for serious big-game fish hunting, the spacious cockpit layout includes a port-side boarding/tuna door which leads to a nice wide fishable space, which may double as a dance floor. The coaming lined gunwales with rod storage, dedicated down-rigger weight storage, abundance of rod-holders, colossal sized split fish box that can be optioned with freezer plates, large volume live-well, self-drain deck, hot and cold shower, deck wash and rear fold away bench most certainly screams out big tuna and marlin hunting days on the water. 

Instead of having the standard sink and bait prep-station behind the passenger helm-seating on the port-side, this 330 had an electric smokeless grill and stainless fridge, which is a win in my opinion; nothing beats a sundown cook-up and direct access to a few cold ones while fishing offshore or out on the islands. 

The helm station has the new and well-appointed enclosed hard-top with full screens, and I prefer this design as you never have to worry about replacing or maintaining clears. What about ventilation for the tropics? That’s no concern as the screen has a vent and the natural airflow is pretty good. As tested, the 330 was optioned with external air-con vents to the helm station, and what a difference it makes. For those keen on overnighters or four seasons boating, there are a number of options available to fully enclose the helm-station. 

At the helm the deluxe captain's seat is centred to the dash with passenger lounge seating on the port- and starboard-side. It’s another spacious and well-thought-out design to create maximum sociability. A worthy mention is Gradys electronically retractable dash set up, which at the flick of a switch opens up the GPS and sonar electronics panel. Once closed your electronics are safely locked away from the canal predators. 

I must say that Grady White are exceptionally innovative at incorporating more into their layouts without being overpowering. The helm-station is loaded with drink-holders, charge points for mobiles on the front dash, LED lighting throughout, finely finished trims, numerous storage options, electronics box/panel built into the hard-top, and again that awesome 12,000 BTU air-con, which runs off the diesel gen-set for the hot summer days.

Below decks the cabin is yet again another well-appointed and designed feature of the 330 Express Cabin. It's surprisingly comfortable when you take a look at the inclusions and how spacious it actually is. There’s a port-side galley with storage, microwave, electric glass-top stove and another stainless fridge. The sink even serves as an ice bucket for wines and champagne with cut-out infill top to prevent the bottles from falling over. 

The enclosed head on the starboard-side is well-ventilated and includes VacuFlush marine head with holding tank and pump-out, as well as hot/cold shower and small vanity. Up in the bow the V-berth is a comfortable size and complemented with finer plush finishes, stereo system, TV/DVD player, dimming LED lighting for a bit of on-water romance, and the additional aft double berth is what really transforms the 330 Express Cabin into the ideal overnighter and family boat.

PURE GRUNT

Aside from mellow cruising in style and comfort, the 330 Express Cabin sports performance attributes are incomparable to other similar sized boats, thanks to Yamaha’s latest twin V8 XTO Offshore 425hp outboards installed. Designed to suit sizeable and heavily weighted offshore sport fishing vessels, the maxed-out 850 horse power of torqued-up Yamaha muscle takes big loads and big offshore runs in its stride. 

As previously mentioned, it might look and seem a bit overkill, but more horsepower generally means less strain on outboards and even better economy. The new generation XTO 425hp most certainly looks the part – its bold, big, even looks muscular, but still modern and stylishly suited on any transom that deserves it. 

These muscular V8s boast some really interesting technology including a DOHC V8 32-valve 5.6L (5,559cm³) direct injection powerhead with the highest claimed outboard compression of 12.2:1. The unique three-stage fuel system with five fuel pumps produces up to 2,900 PSI of fuel pressure, along with the motor having in-bank exhaust, endurance driven cam-shafts, plasma fused cylinders, dual chamber oil pump, quad thermostats, two-stage heavy duty water pump, and extra heavy duty gear-box.

The multi-part cowling system allows for easy access and the in-water gear lube change system provides easy maintenance. The first of its kind integrated electric steering with no mechanical pump or hydraulic lines, integral electronic steering control (joystick operation), upgraded helm-master and CL7 display add to the plethora of XTO features – and this is only a smidgen of what this motor comprises. It's an involved piece of outboard machinery and well worth a look its own. 

To cut a long (and technical) story short, the XTO 425s high performance is obviously the key attraction and without a doubt the twin 425’s are the perfect pair for the Grady White 330 Express Cabin.  Punching out through the Gold Coast Seaway and offshore in a 12 to 15-knot south-easterly, with up to two metres of swell and chop was more like a relaxing cruise in comparison to a standard trailer boat. The 330 Express Cabin is a healthy 30-foot-plus boat and is no feather weight on the scale either, however, the twin 425’s responsive hole-shot torque make it feel more like driving a smaller and sportier craft. 

The optimum cruise speed offshore was between 25 and 30 knots; however, the ride is so comfortable that it feels like you are crawling. For those with heavy hands on the throttle you can punch on at 35 to 40 knots offshore in fairly rough conditions. Economy interested me considering the horse power and higher than average speeds achieved – surprisingly, a cruise speed between 18 to 25 knots chews around 67 to 96 litres per hour, and that’s not out of control for dual fuel V8 outboard motors. 

Cranking it up to see what it's really got to offer, 46 knots (85km/h) is the WOT number, and that’s flying on a boat of this size. Economy? Who cares – all outboards chew fuel when flat-stick. What about the ears? They're big V8s and they do crackle some tone from the mid-range to WOT – nothing excessive, but most certainly and expectantly a bit higher than the standard six-cylinders.  

On the transom you are looking at around 864 kilograms of motor weight, of which the 330 Express hardly feels. As mentioned earlier, the new built-in electronic steering system not only enhances simple and smooth operation, but also completely reduces bulky rigging at the transom. There are some really sophisticated and technical features to these motors and far too many to mention in a few words, so if motors interest you then jump onto the Yamaha website to have an in-depth look. 

At 10.21 metres (33'6”) overall length, the Grady white 330 Express Cabin is by no means a toy, however, the sophisticated but smooth and easy to operate XTO 425s combined with bow thrust make it a really simple boat to drive and manoeuvre. Grady’s ‘Captain Grady’ app also adds to the overall simplicity of operating and understanding of these boats.

TO THE SHELF AND BEYOND

Aside from the abundance of creature comforts incorporated into the 330, the long range handling capabilities are second to none. And with 1,252 litres of fuel available and a hull that canes the open ocean, you can do some serious distance out to the sacred and out-of-range fishing grounds with ease, doing so comfortably with a soft, dry ride at cruise speeds between 20 and 30 knots. For the big-game chasers, a slow troll speed of around five knots sips 14 litres per hour combined, and high speed of 10 knots or so will get up to around the 40 litres per hour combined economy.

THE WRAP

Grady White, and in particular the 330 Express Cabin, boasts numerous standard and optional inclusions – and simply too many to mention. This is a high-end sports-fisher with refined finishes, it's loaded with up-market creature comforts to please the fussiest, maintenance would be far less than the larger diesel-powered sport fishers, and its far easier to operate and manoeuvre at the dock-side.

Grady’s build quality and resale value is another positive, so if that leap of an upgrade or downscaling from a 40- to 50-footer is on the cards, definitely have a look at one these before making that final decision.  

FACTS AND FIGURES

Grady White 330 Express Cabin

OPTIONS FITTED

Twin Yamaha 425hp digital CL, enclosed helm, cockpit refrigerator, air conditioner (helm), cockpit grill, underwater lights, bow-thruster, cockpit door, hot water cockpit shower.

PRICE AS TESTED

$799,000

GENERAL

Type Sport Fisher/Cruiser

Material GRP

Length (overall) 10.21m

Beam 3.53m

Weight (dry) 4.9t

Weight as tested (appr.) 6.9t 

Deadrise 20°

CAPACITIES

People Sleeps 4

Rec. HP Twin 300-425hp

Max. HP 850hp 

Fuel 1,252L 

Water fresh 166L

ENGINE

Make/model Yamaha XF425

Type 32 Valve Direct Injected 5.6L V8 w/VCT 

Weight 432kg 

Displacement 5.6L 

Gear ratio 1.79 (25/14) 

Propeller XTO OS SST w/SDS /16 ? × 21 

MANUFACTURED BY

Grady-White Boats USA

SUPPLIED BY

Game and Leisure Boats

Factory 1, Runaway Bay Marina, 

247 Bayview Street 

Runaway Bay Qld 4216 

W www.gandlb.com.au

E sales@gandlb.com.au

P (07) 5577 5811.