A longtime industry stalwart, Grady-White has been building boats since the 1950s, starting with modest wooden lapstrake fishermen. Now catering to tournament fishermen as well as families, Grady’s upscale center console, dual console, walkaround and express models from 18 to 36 feet brook no conflict between form and function. The essence of practicality, Gradys have, for example, no below-deck fish boxes; bins, boxes and wells are all are situated above the waterline, draining directly overboard, eliminating clog-prone macerators and drain pumps. Instead, the voids between hull and cockpit liner are pumped full of foam, making the boats (including the 30-plus footers) unsinkable, even if the hull is ruptured.

Every Grady-White rides on a C. Raymond Hunt and Associates-designed hull, with a deep entry and high chines forward producing a smooth, dry head-sea ride. A warped bottom, with deadrise decreasing to about 20 degrees at the transom (called SeaV2 by Grady-White), increases lift aft, producing a more level ride on plane for improved propulsion efficiency and unhampered sightlines ahead from the helm. Chine flats increase form stability at rest while adding dynamic lift and deflecting spray on plane.

In the J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction study, Grady has been rated highest in its coastal fishing segment, by a wide margin, every year since the study’s inception in 2001. A combination of well-built, well-designed boats, high-quality outboard power, a top-notch dealer network and a customer-centric approach to doing business on Grady-White’s part has been a winner in this market segment.

The 305 Express rounds out Grady-White’s line of family-oriented fishing cruisers nicely, joining 33- and 36- footers. While not many express cruisers in this size range are suited for offshore service (their bottoms are too flat and full forward) this boat, which thrives in open-ocean swells, offers comfortable accommodations for four, along with everything needed for tournament fishing. Starting our tour back aft, a big insulated fishbox—with optional Cruisair refrigeration on our test boat—stretches across the transom, and cutting boards are built into the closed-molded, resin-infused fishbox lid. The easy-to-operate transom seat is one of the best foldaway designs I have seen on any boat.

Accessed from behind the transom seat, the lazarette is home to an array of seacocks with handles extending up to deck level, allowing them to be cycled open and closed regularly so they’ll work when you need them to. Also in the lazarette is the boat’s optional Fischer Panda generator, kept bone dry by a fiberglass sound shield as well as an effective system of hatch gutters and gaskets. The fuel filters are easy to get to, as are the battery switches just inside an access door aft.

The livewell and an insulated cooler (with optional chill plate) are forward with tackle drawers and storage space below. Four rod holders are built into the coamings, and rod racks are provided under the gunwales. Grady-White’s crème colored topsides reduce sunlight glare and make the boats easier to keep looking clean. The 305 is also an inherently safe fishing platform, with 28-inch high coamings and deep toe kicks and rails to hook your toes under when leaning over the side for a fish or dock line. The padded coaming bolster is also comfortable to lean against, and adds to the boat’s upscale appearance.

Big steps lead up to flat, 6-inch wide side decks where there’s plenty to hang onto on the way forward with the windshield and aluminum hardtop supports. A fine grit nonskid covers the foredeck, making things secure underfoot. Our test boat had an optional windlass to service the anchor kept secured in the pulpit’s hawse pipe.

Up two steps from the cockpit level, the bridgedeck’s centerline helm provides equally good visibility on both sides of the boat. It also improves traffic flow to the cabin (including excellent access to the mid cabin), and frees up room to port for both the companionway and a companion seat to port that’s raised for a good horizon view. There’s also a seating arrangement to starboard where facing seats convert to a single, small lounge.

The windshield is intelligently designed, which means there’s little to interfere with sightlines, with a large centerline sectionsin front of the helm. The narrow frames, or mullions, also help to provide excellent sightlines outside the boat, and the windshield is high enough so that you look through glass, not plastic filler curtains, when standing up to run the boat. Side vent windows open to provide a steady breeze on the bridgedeck, even with the side curtains zipped in place.

At the helm, the electronics box hinges up at the touch of a button, stopping at just the right angle for a direct view from behind the wheel and close enough for easy operation. In the closed position, lowered flush with the surrounding dash, out-of-sight electronics make them that much less of a target. There’s room for a pair of 10-inch GPS and radar displays on the electronics flat, which ought to keep tech geeks happy and meet anyone’s navigational and fishfinding requirements. The wheel and engine controls are comfortably positioned, at just the right height off the deck and angled for ergonomic seated or standing operation. The compass is up nice and high, close to the horizon from the operator’s perspective, and directly in front of the steering wheel where it belongs.

The devil may be in the details, but so are simple satisfactions: The wide companionway and excellent stairs make it so easy to enter or exit the 305’s cabin. The cabin’s one-piece fiberglass liner adds structural integrity, simplifies maintenance, and avoids the musty smell that carpet-lined cabins eventually acquire. Headroom is a comfortable 75 inches at the companionway, and the AC/DC electrical service panel is on the aft cabin bulkhead, right at chest level where it’s easy to see and operate. The cabin sports a teak-and-holly sole, Corian galley countertops and teak magazine racks along the hull sides forward. There’s even a hint of Herreshoff to it with the mix of varnished wood and white surfaces (there was lots of varnished mahogany on those 1950s and ‘60s Gradys).

The mid cabin, below the helm area and wide open to the main cabin, is easy to get in and out of. Inside, the amply proportioned 77 x 49 berth has 26 inches of headroom which, along with the open-tread stairway design, makes this one of the more functional mid cabin designs I’ve seen on any similar-size boat- including non-fishing express cruisers; many others take a contortionist’s skills to navigate. The fiberglass galley, structurally a part of the cabin liner, has lots of counter space, including a Corian lid over the stove, and a refrigerator, microwave and sink are included. Opposite to starboard, the big head has lots of shoulder room, and the sink faucet lifts out and attaches to a vertically adjustable bracket for use as a shower spigot.

Besides the attention to comfort and fishability, Grady-White has earned a well-deserved reputation for superior construction. The 305 has a solid fiberglass hull bottom and balsa-cored hull sides with a supporting stringer and bulkhead system of pressure treated plywood (that comes with a lifetime warranty) encapsulated in fiberglass. Limberholes are cut through solid glass to prevent water absorption into the core. Plywood is also used to core the transom, which is also supported by aluminum bracing. The hull-to-deck joint is sealed with a gasket and sealant and fastened with a mix of stainless screws and rivets. Foam injected in the voids between the hull and deck liner makes the boat unsinkable; in our book, this quality of unsinkability alone in a 30 footer is reason enough to give the nod to Grady-White. Unlike many builders today, Grady takes the trouble to provide a fuel tank access hatch in the cockpit so it will be easy to replace the tank when the time comes.

Conditions were perfect for a seatrial; lots of offshore wind so we could pick the wave height we wanted to operate in. Coming up on plane when seated at the helm, there was no loss of visibility ahead, even without using the trim tabs to lower the bow. Running at 30 knots into the 1- to 2-foot chop, the ride was active but superbly smooth (and dry) with no jarring accelerations. The boat heeled nicely in a hard turn, just the right amount to keep everyone onboard feeling secure and comfortable; with such predictable handling and great manners overall, the 305 would also be an excellent choice for inexperienced boaters.
Quiet surroundings really increase the enjoyment of being out on a boat; this boat obliges with its exceedingly quiet 250-hp Yamaha four-strokes. Running at a good 26-knot clip with the engines turning 4500 rpm, we measured a mere 83 dBA at the helm. Noise from the wind, even with the canvas up, was more noticeable than from the engines. The boat handled very well dockside, backing into the slip in a crosswind without our needing the bow thruster, though it’s nice to have when you need it.
A great looking, solidly built offshore family boat, the 305 Express is highly recommended as a multi-function offshore family fisherman. Many of the qualities that make the 305 a top-notch and desirable open-ocean fishing boat—a comfortable and quiet ride, seaworthy hull design, unsinkable construction, generous range—also make it a compelling cruiser that will pamper the whole family. For more information contact Grady-White Boats, (252) 752-2111; www.gradywhite.com.

Performance GRADY WHITE 305 EXPRESS
rpm mph knots gph nmpg Range dBA
at helm
600 2.5 2.2 1.3 1.69 442 57
1000 4.7 4.1 2.6 1.58 412 66
1500 6.8 5.9 3.8 1.55 405 68
2000 7.7 6.7 3.9 1.72 448 70
2500 9.0 7.8 8.5 0.92 240 73
3000 10.7 9.3 11.9 0.78 204 77
3500 16.9 14.7 14.3 1.03 268 80
4000 24.6 21.4 20.3 1.05 275 81
4500 30.0 26.1 25.2 1.04 270 83
5000 33.6 29.2 27.4 1.07 278 85
5500 39.2 34.1 35.2 0.97 253 86
6000 43.9 38.2 42.6 0.90 234 87
Grady White 305 Express, with T/Yamaha 250 four stroke,
2 passengers, full fuel

Specifications
Grady White 305 express
Base Price $223,060
LOA.............................30'6"
Beam...........................10'7"
Deadrise.............20 degrees
Dry weight.............8,850 lbs
(dry, w/out engines)
Draft (hull).......................19"
Fuel capacity......290 gallons