From the classifieds: Grady-White Journey 258

The 60-year-old US fibreglass brand has built up its reputation with excellent build quality, longevity, exceptional bluewater sea-keeping ability and strong resale value.

In the mid-2000s, Grady-White officially made the leap into the Australian market, signing up dealers on both the east and west coast after noticing just like the US, we had a fantastic offshore fishing culture.

One of the boats used to launch the brand into Australia was the 7.5-metre Grady-White Journey 258. Big, beamy and featuring Grady-White’s SeaV² variable deadrise hull, it was a boat made to thrive in our waters.

Built tough, the boats featured hand-laid fibreglass with a foam-filled stringer system and sub-cockpit grid system for stiffness; alloy-braced transoms to cope with the load of big outboard power; through-bolted hulls, decks and liners for a one-piece or monocoque structure; and closed-cell foam flotation for unsinkability.

Other fishing-friendly features included heaps of storage and a cockpit large enough to accommodate four people comfortably. One of the highlights of the variable deadrise, 2.55-metre beam hull was it's ability to stay fairly flat at the rear even as people moved around the cockpit, giving it great stability at rest.

The boat came standard with a single 250hp Yamaha Saltwater Series four-stroke outboard engine fed by two fuel tanks providing more than 600 litres of capacity, meaning this wasn’t a boat that was shy of running wide.

Look for boats featuring the optional hardtop. This feature makes the Grady-White Journey 258 a true all-weather boat. It is quick, too, capable of almost 40 knots with twin 150hp Yamaha outboard engines. Importantly, it’s also fast over rough water, making it ideal for the run home.

Another benefit of the Grady-White is a liveable forward cabin that’s ideal for making the most of overnight fishing trips. The cabin features a locking door – great for tying up at the jetty – a sink with 40 litres of freshwater, head, and an optional holding tank.

Few Grady-White Journey 258s are for sale on boatsales.com.au, possibly a legacy of the fact that once owners have them, they’re not keen to let them go.

When new in 2007, the Grady-White Journey 258 was priced from around $150,000, with well-optioned dual outboard engined boats pushing $200,000.

The boats still fetch big money today. Expect to pay from around $130,000 for a good one sitting on a trailer.

This one is a pretty good-looking example, featuring twin 150hp Yamaha four-stroke outboard engines, anchor winch; Simrad and Raymarine electronics, freshwater shower, deck wash, live bait tank and insulated fish box, rocket launchers and rod holders, hardtop with new clears, and the standard rear seat and transom door.

However, it doesn’t come with a trailer.