2019 Grady-White Express 330 review

Grady-White is one of the world's leading makers of outboard-powered sport fishing boats. Established in the US more than half a century ago, this Greenville, North Carolina-based company is renowned among anglers. For decades, Grady-White has churned out wonderfully equipped, finely crafted fishing boats for bay anglers through to bluewater game fishermen.

The Grady-White boat range has consolidated in recent years, and yet there are still almost 30 models to choose from. About three quarters of these craft have either a centre console or a dual-console bowrider configuration, and stretch between 5.0m and 11.0m in length.

The Grady-White boat range has long featured walkaround fishing boats with cabins. This configuration is not as popular as it once was, but Grady still has half a dozen or so models available.

Complimenting the walkaround cabin craft are two full-cabin models with an elevated bridge-deck layout, spacious forward cabin and a large fisher-friendly rear cockpit. The smaller of the two, the Express 330, is the subject of this review.

The Express 330 is essentially a scaled-down version of the larger Express 370. The 330 doesn't have quite the interior space and sleeping capacity of the larger boat, but it is equally practical in design and layout, and almost as capable at sea. The Express 330 is also a whole lot cheaper than its larger sibling.

Mind you, cheap is not a word you would ever associate with a Grady-White. These boats are premium, high-end products and command top dollars.

Our test boat, for example, is priced at a cool $843K with options and when paired with dual Yamaha 425hp XTO (Extreme Offshore) V8 direct fuel injected, extra-longshaft (25-inch) four-stroke outboards.

The substantial sticker price for a Grady-White is partly attributed to the very high standard of fit-out. These boats come highly equipped direct from the factory, lacking only your choice of navigation electronics before being ready for the water. Relatively few options are available because just about all the good gear is included.

The most notable addition to our test boat was the enclosed helm option to the standard hardtop. This has the helm enclosed on three sides with a full deck-to-hardtop front windscreen and glass windows to either side. In contrast, base boat packages come with a standard windscreen with zip-out drop curtains all-round.

Our test boat package also gained a bow thruster, helm air conditioning (in addition to the included cabin A/C system), cockpit refrigerator and electric grill, cockpit hot shower, cockpit side door, and underwater LED lighting. That's it. Everything else is standard, including things you can't see such as the high-tech fibreglass composite construction (no timber in structural areas), and the world class standard of fit and finish.

Whilst you do pay a price premium for the Grady-White's quality and all-inclusive fit-out, you can save a few dollars by opting for a base, or mid-level engine package. Our test boat was rigged with the big Yamaha V8 425hp outboards, but you can downgrade to dual Yamaha 350hp V8 engines, as well as dual Yamaha 300hp V6 four-strokes. With the latter, the Express 330 is priced from $778K.

The Grady-White Express 330 is a 10.2-metre outboard-powered cruiser with 3.53m wide deep vee monohull bottom, coupled to an express style bridge-deck cabin configuration.

This heightened mezzanine, or helm deck, is great for sport fishing as it affords the skipper and passengers with an unrestricted view, as well as providing space in the cabin underneath for a 2.0m x 1.5m transverse double berth. The latter, in combination with the traditional vee double berth in the forepeak, provides comfortable accommodation for four people.

Entry to the cabin is via a lockable door and hatch to the port side of the helm deck. Descending three steps into the cabin reveals the galley to port and enclosed head compartment to starboard, behind a cherry finished timber door.

Galley features include a two-burner electric stove (with clever pop-up pot holders), sink with mixer tap and infill wine bottle holder, microwave oven, Isotherm fridge/freezer, and a Corian faux-marble counter-top and cutting surface.

There is ample storage space surrounding the galley with satin-finished cherry timber cupboards overhead complimented by similarly attractive cutlery and general storage drawers underneath, and storage nooks in the counter-top.

Nearby entertainment includes a pull-out flat screen TV on a swivel bracket and a Fusion Bluetooth stereo with six speakers scattered around the boat.

There is close to 2.0m of headroom in the main part of the cabin and a maximum of 800mm above the forward berth.

Tasteful white and beige coloured fabrics to the ceiling, berth cushions, back-rests and surrounds are used successfully to offset the strong reds of the cherry timber cabinetry, doors, dinette table and trimmings.

The head compartment on the starboard side has a VacuFlush toilet with a 40-litre holding tank and pump-out, sink with mixer tap, shower, vanity mirror, full-length door mirror and storage cabinets.

The starboard dinette seating area will comfortably seat two adults, three at a pinch. The gorgeous high-gloss finished timber dinette table top is height-adjustable so it can lower to form an infill to create a berth for a small child.

As well as the galley storage cupboards, there is a compartment in the forepeak, under the primary double berth, and storage trays and a recess accesssed from the dinette area.

Anglers will also appreciate the six-rod horizontal storage rack suspended from the ceiling in the forepeak, along with the dual acrylic hatches overhead that provide ambient light and ventilation to the cabin.

An extra, larger ventilation hatch is situated up on the helm deck, built into the hardtop. This hatch, along with an opening recess at the top of the windscreen, is essential to provide fresh air to the helm area, although our test boat was fitted with the optional 12000 BTU A/C system to the helm deck.

The helm station itself is ergonomically well designed, having been refreshed back in 2015. A single, large pedestal helm chair is centrally located, flanked by reconfigurable bench seating for the crew.

The helm chair has a flip-up front bolster and is adjustable every which way, so you can set yourself up to drive the boat comfortably while seated or standing before the tilt-adjust steering wheel and binnacle throttle box.

The dash has the Yamaha Command Link display mounted to the port side of the steering wheel with the switch panel opposite and a radio box under the hardtop overhead.

More impressive, however, is the pop-up fascia/electronics box. Press a switch and the box rotates up from the dash to reveal a panel space that is wide enough for two 16" flush-fitted multi-function displays – though none were fitted to our test rig.

Having a retractable electronic box is great for boats kept in marina pens, as  expensive displays can tuck away from view and shelter from the weather.

Other helm deck features include drink holders, 12-volt power sockets, a netted storage area overhead, an insulated icebox under the port side passenger seat, and hardtop spreader lights.

As you would expect from Grady-White, the rear cockpit and transom in the Express 330 is very well designed for offshore game fishing. The self-draining cockpit is uncluttered and more than 3.0m across by 1.75m in length.

There's ample space to fit a game chair, and the cockpit sole is reinforced in the centre for just this purpose.

Check also the 200mm wide side decks, the 700mm plus cockpit freeboard and the thigh cushioning-padded coaming bolsters.

At floor level on the starboard side there is a horizontal rod storage rack, along with a full length toe rail that allows anglers to stand and fish up against the padded coamings with extra security in rough weather.

Opposite, our test boat was optioned with a port side entry door to match the transom door on the other side.

Most fishing craft in this size range have one or two underfloor fish boxes. Instead, the Express 330 has a massive 270L fish box stretching across the transom. This location for the fish box/kill tank does make it difficult to install centre transom rod holders, but otherwise it is quite practical.

The transom fish box is  insulated and can be optionally refrigerated to keep your catch chilled. There's also a lift-out divider board to separate the compartment into two sections, as well as gas-strut supports to hold the lid open.

The live bait tank in the Express 330 is situated just aft of the helm deck on the starboard side. With a capacity of 170L, it too is very large. Live well features include rounded corners, a blue-coat finish and a water inlet tower with lots of outlets to ensure a constant flow of aerated water.

Opposite the live well, over on the port side, our test boat was fitted with an optional electric grill with a fridge/freezer underneath. Standard models come with a freshwater sink with tackle storage drawers below.

Other cockpit features include a fold-down transom bench seat, battery master switch compartment, raw and freshwater deck wash outlets, transom shower, and a service hatch in the floor to access the bilge, 5kW generator, pumps, steering gear, etc.

Whilst the deck and interior in the Grady-White Express 330 has upgraded regularly over the past decade, the time-proven deep vee hull remains unchanged

Designed by renowned architect firm C. Raymond Hunt Associates, the Grady White Express 330 hull has a variable deadrise, raised sheer to the deck line and pronounced Carolina flare to the topsides to shed water clear of the boat whilst underway.

The vee angle starts at 20 degrees at the transom and sharpens steadily to a very steep angle at the stem of 50 degrees. This combination provides excellent wave-cutting capability with rock-solid stability at rest.

During our sea trial in mild sea conditions we could not fault the handling, ride, or performance of the test boat; the Grady-White was soft, comfortable, sure-footed and very well balanced. It rides easily out of wave troughs in a following sea, and parts cleanly through waves when heading in the other direction.

With the big Yamaha V8 425hp outboards on the transom the test boat was also agile, manoeuvrable and fast. The top speed of 46.2 knots is a figure you might expect to see form a social ski-boat, not an offshore game fishing cruiser – so yes, this boat is quick.

You could easily get away with a pair of smaller Yamaha V6 outboards, but the big V8s certainly enliven the hull and make for a fun drive.

Those F425s are pretty special engines, too, as they are the first four-stroke outboards to use direct fuel injection to maximise power whilst improving fuel efficiency.

The Yamaha F425s also use their own dedicated propellers for pushing big offshore rigs, along with features such as a super high-compression ratio, a wider tilt range (to lift the legs out of the water), dual flushing system, a high output 90 amp alternator, electric power steering, a two-stage cooling water pump, and more.

Performance

*Both engines

Maximum range on 95% of 1253L fuel supply: 332.13nm @ 3000rpm

The Grady-White Express 330 is a very special boat, unquestionably a leader in the field of outboard-powered game fishing boats. And yet it is much more than that. The aft cockpit and fishing feature set is superb, but so too is the layout, design and amenities for family boating and weekend cruising.

On the water the Express 330 is a true cross-over boat, practical and versatile enough to perform exceptionally well as a bluewater fishing boat one day, and as a family entertainer and social boat the next. The price of admission is high, but the Express 330 is a premium quality product and a world class outboard power cruiser.

Model: Grady-White Express 330
Priced from: $777,851 including dual Yamaha 300hp V6 four-stroke extra-longshaft (25”) outboards.
Price as tested: $843,207 including duel Yamaha 425hp extra-longshaft (63.5cm) V8 4-stroke outboards, bow thruster, enclosed helm station with glass side windows and full height front windscreen, helm air conditioning, cockpit refrigerator and electric grill, cockpit hot shower, cockpit side door, and underwater lights.
Hull length: 10.21m
Beam: 3.53m
Draft: 640mm
Deadrise: 20 degrees
Dry weight: 4917kg
Dry weight with engines: 6000kg (est)
Bridge clearance: 3.0m (no outriggers)
Maximum power: 850hp
Engines as tested: Dual Yamaha 425hp four-stroke
Fuel capacity: 1253L
Diesel generator fuel capacity: 45L
Freshwater: 167L
Water heater: 45L
Toilet holding tank: 37.9L
Live bait tank: 170L
Flotation standard: Basic

Supplied by: Game and Leisure Boats