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Still fishing for a replacement to my Scout 172 SF we brought down to NC from VA, and several of the boardmemebrs have recommended looking into the Edgewater 225. I'm looking for a good fishing boat, comfortable for my wife to go with me (she's a keeper), and have narrowed the search down to Parker, Grady, Cape Horn, and Edgewater. Would like to hear you share your experience ont he QUALITY, RELIABILITY and FISHABILITY of the Edgewater 225 CC.
Thanks in advance
PROBLEM is about $10K more and in the GW 225 you CAN't get a live well without getting the lean bar seat. We have decided that we want the separate captain chirs AND the live well as a part of out minimum configuration. On the GW 225, my wife (a small woman) just "hangs out there." The T-top grab bars are too far, there's not lateral seat support and that makes for a very uncomfortable and unsafe (in a rolling sea) ride. SO....what do you know about Edgewaters?
Thanks.
iNSHORE
I have a 1998 185CC that I am pleased with. The hull is sound, the electrical wiring is good, and I have no major complaints about the boat. Ride quality is good, and I fish her in Mass from March until November, she is a fairly dry boat for her size. She is outfitted with a T-top, dual batteries, etc and has decent storage. I have Yamaha 130 on her, and she will run about 40 wide open, good on gas if you cruise around 24 mph. I trailer the boat and it is easy to tow and manuever at the ramp.
Cons: The fit and finish is something to check for, specifically check for backing plates or washers around the gas fill, the leaning post rod holders were not thru bolted, the stern rod holders were not thru bolted causing spider cracks in the gel coat. I have fixed these items with proper hardware and grinding out the gelcoat and refinishing it(almost done with this project . The caulking around the inner liners by the rod rack holders is breaking down, this will have to be redone before I lay her up for the winter. The cleats etc will get rebedded in the spring, but it is a 7 year old boat that does get used alot.
Fishability on my boat is hindered by having a T-top on a boat this size, it is great for 2 people, but gets crowded after that. The livewell I have is very small, I use an aftermarket livewell. I have storage for enough rods to cover all aspects of the fish we are targeting that day, I usually carry 8 to 10 rods. Any specific questions, email if you wish, my address is in my profile.
Stripa
__________________ 215 CC Kencraft Challenger
225 Ficht (so far so good.)
I've got about 400 hours on a 2001. Other than minor electrical problems (lost power to the livewell twice), all is well with the boat. No cracks at all. To me it seems to provide the best compromise between fishing and day cruising.
It has an old style carbed Yamaha, and runs about 38 mph at WOT. I didn't care for the Lenco tabs but it responds nicely to Bennets. When I move up, it will probably be to another EW, although Gradys are awfully nice and Scouts aren't out of the question. Whalers are way overpriced and most of the others I looked at were more fishing oriented with less seating and other amenities.
Inshore4me, I own a 2000 225 with an 225 Optimax on it. The boat/engine have almost 300 hours on it and the 225 is a perfect match for the boat even though it is rated for a 250. 2 people onboard, 1/2 tank of gas, 1ft seas, I hit 50mph. Bought it used from a gent 2 years ago and love the boat. I fish the Ches bay, live in Chesapeake myself and the boat is made for this bay. I can now fish year round. Would I buy another one? Absolutely! I have the twin Captains chiars on mine and like them better than the leaning post, because you can sit down. Wife likes that a lot. She was a big part of the decision process. The Aft livewell is more than enough for my needs. Went to the Bahamas in it last year Jun 03 as part of the Edgewater Rendezvous hosted by Edgewater every year. 180 miles one way, we saw 4ft seas going over and 6-8 coming home (crossing the gulfstream) and the boat was absolutely safe and predictable. I owned a Whaler previously, nice boat, but wet and beat us to death. Edgewater boats are just as good as Whaler in my opinion but much less. The only difference is that Whaler completely foam fills all voids, where Edegwater does not. The draw back to foaming in all voids is the lack of storage space and the price you pay for it. You need to ride in one to see for yourself. You won't be disappointed. Atlantic Marine in Wrightsville Beach carries them. Their website: (www.atlanticmarinesales.com)
I have a 245 EW with F150's . I love it . I ran a 225 when I was shoping and liked it a lot. Money (wife) aloud me to go with the 245. The ew is built very well for the money. The lay out is very fish and cruise friendly. The ew is very stably, fuel efficant, and ride very good and dry. Good luck.
In my view, the Edgewater 225 is the most family friendly 22-foot center console you can buy. Deep cockpit, great molded bow seating, two more folding bench seats at the stern and forward of the console, roomy head compartment with all surfaces smooth gelcoat. It is NOT a hard core fishing machine so if you need that kind of boat, look elsewhere. But if you like to fish but also enjoy cruising with a lot of family and friends aboard including small children, it is an ideal choice.
I liked the Edgewater 225 a lot until I actually went for a ride in it. I ran and fished one in choppy 2' seas last summer and was very unimpressed with the ride. The boat had tabs and we still couldn't make over 15 knots without getting pounded and soaked. I did like the layout and the boat seemed to be finished nicely, but the ride was not what I expected. I've fished the Grady 222 also and thought the ride was a lot smoother, although it still is a wet boat.
THANKS...for all the info. In the end I eliminated the Edgewater 22 CC for several reasons...fit, trim, layout, small deck space, and attention to details (like lack of back plates on some fitting, no latches on some lids, rather poor transom layout, and most importantly the Admiral's opinion.
I fugured i would step in ans run down the reasons I ended up with a Edgewater 225CC. I ran down all the options Seapro, Grady (10K more) end i looked long and hard at the sailfish. But there is no way that someone could convince me that the fit & finish, workmanship etc was not far superior on the Edgewater vs all the mid level boats i viewed. The Grady has the same quality finish and it is clear why they command a premium. But at the end of the day i could not find enough seperating the Edgewater from the Grady to justify spending the extra 10-15K. I ended up with the edgewater at the end of the season at a price point only a couple thousand K above Sailfish, seapro etc. A couple of first impressions:
I am taking this out in late summer NE weather, so 2-3' seas would be a good day. This boat is an animal in the messy stuff, it hands everyhting that has been thrown at it and it is a extremely dry ride. The Yamaha 225 4-stroke is quiet and sips gas, a great combination. The package came through with a 19p SWS prop. You may be able to easily move to 17P as the 19 seems to max out at 5K and yields 43mph in less than ideal conditions.
So in the end I would highly recommend the Edgewater. I also would plug New Wave Yachts in Manachester MA. They nade the numbers work and have been solid in the support area as little as has been needed so far.
THANKS...for all the info. In the end I eliminated the Edgewater 22 CC for several reasons...fit, trim, layout, small deck space, and attention to details (like lack of back plates on some fitting, no latches on some lids, rather poor transom layout, and most importantly the Admiral's opinion.
As far as backing plates. Some areas have aluminum plates you can see and some areas have melamine plates glassed in that you can't see real easy. This is the same plate Whaler uses and is VERY strong. I wish I had all melamine and no aluminum on mine. I was wondering which lids have no latches on the 225? I just don't remember seeing any and I looked at the 225 before making my purchase also.
I just ordered a 265 CC from Edgewater after a long search of other boats. Glad to hear your comments on the 225. Edgewater does seem to have a strict regard for quality in their boats and although I do not get mine until November I have a pretty high regard for them already!
__________________ T'anks Darlin! Don't mind if I do!
In the end I want to reaffirm to anyone who is considering buying or in the prior case awaiting on delivery these are the real deal. We had the 225 out today off Gloucester in the aftermath of Hugo. Everyone was turning tail and heading for port, we had to make our way across 8 foot swells and rising whitecaps to get back to our port. I had my 13 year old daughter and her friend with me.I have been out in this slop in the past and frankly I assumed getting soaked was a given. But we rode those swells and the 225 stayed solid and dry the whole time. The only water that came aboard was blow by off the white caps. This hull design is outstanding and sheds water effortlessly under very tough conditions. Also my brother in law was with me and all he could say was #1 Christ I have never been in seas like this and #2 I can't believe how solid this boat is. For ayone considering these hulls I can not recommend them strongly enough. In the worst chop I did not hear a rattle or creak. This is one very well constructed boat and one I am very happy I bought.
I am considering an edgewater 265 and have been alittle concerned with a liminate prob. they had w/this boat but from what I hear they have fixed this prob. and they do seem to bend over backwards on warranty issues. I noticed your in Augusta....do you plan to trailer the boat or leave it on the coast? This is my only other concern the 9'6" beam...I'm in Atlanta and plan to trailer it to Panama City 5-6 times per year. I've heard of other people trailering this boat but at the same time may others seem to stick w/8'6" as the limit for trailering. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Thought I would throw in a couple of items I have picked up as I move through the ownership process with the Edgewater 225
On the boat
Pros:
- Great handling in chop
- Very strong and fast with the F225.
- Well constructed and assembled. The little touches are very nice both in the way they give you access to the hull through many deck plates to the extra touches on hidden items like wire runs etc.
- Center console inside is nicely finished
- Edgewater customer service is unbelievable. You call and leave a message with a question and they not only call you back but the person who calls back (within the hour) actually knows what they are talking about. They are not reading out of the owners manual. So you get your answer and also the opportunity to discuss it in more detail which is why I read this forum.
I would have to say that I like nice stuff so I pay for the ownership experience. Rarely does it meet expectations.
This is a exception. Best customer response I have ever seen not only dealing in boats (where the bar is set low for service) but across the board.
Cons:
Seems like the deck shows dirt very easily and does require constant care if you want it to look good
A few of the options pricing is a joke. $850 for a transom seat which does not include a back bolster. This is not unique to Edgewater but a joke just the same.
I sea trialed the 245 and liked the twins but could not find enough difference between the boats to make the move up. Though the 245 really jumps with twin F150's. The 265 is a different boat all together. Just an animal and probably a great boat and ride based on my current view.
Edgewater 225CC - Worth it? 
. The caulking around the inner liners by the rod rack holders is breaking down, this will have to be redone before I lay her up for the winter. The cleats etc will get rebedded in the spring, but it is a 7 year old boat that does get used alot.
