malarky

I’m considering a DownEast style center console 20-22’ for fuel economy and ease of trailering. I’m currently running a 1993 Grady White 209 CC with original Yamaha 150 2 stroke. I love the boat and the engine purrs but she sure loves gas (pic below). Not sure I want to invest in a repower of a boat that old. I spend 50% of the time doing freshwater activities (cruising, tubing, etc.) with the family and 50% saltwater fishing the NH seacoast. I trailer 30 minutes to the coast so I burn gas on the way there and on the boat. Thinking running a DownEast hull with a 90 or 115 HP four stroke and single axle trailer would be both economical and better for the environment but I’ve never been on one. I don’t care about top end speed just practicality and seaworthiness. Thoughts?

gf

I think you would be disappointed with the performance of something like an Eastern 20 or Sisu 22. Those boats are expensive too. Repowering your Grady with a Suzuki DF150 or Mercury 150 4-stroke seems like a better solution to me.

Toothpick 10

That 2-stroke 150 hp uses that much fuel? I have an OX66 250 hp and if I keep it around 4000 rpm, fuel consumption is not that bad. Are you propped properly?

Smitty_81

You'd be hard pressed to find a better boat than what you've got... but the good news is that you can search and search and search while still using your boat, so keep your eyes out.

malarky

17” pitch 3-blade Yamaha stainless steel runs 40 mph at 5,100 (peak HP on that engine is at 5,000). Also have a four blade 16” pitch that hits 5,000 at 38 mph that Ken at prop gods recommended for better hook up tubing with a boat load of people. Pretty sure if I went to a 18 or 19” prop I’d lose top end RPMs. I guess my concern about fuel economy is that I’m using about twice as much as the Yamaha F150 I had on my 20’ NauticStar dual console.
I’m also hoping to minimize the environmental impact of my boating habit. The Grady is in good shape and is worthy of a repower but the fuel tank and transom are original, although both are solid for the timebeing.

TTaxi

Here are a few more downeast style boats in that size range.:

General Marine 22
https://www.generalmarine.com/our-boats/gm-22
:
Older Tripp Angler 22 CC
https://www.bing.com/images/search?v...x=2&ajaxhist=0

Roth-Bilt 21
https://www.smartmarineguide.com/L49688979

1st light /Annisquam 21
https://www.firstlightboatworks.com/annisquam-line-up ( or their coming similar Weetamoo 22)

Pemmaquid Marine/ Banks Cove 22

RickC137

Go to your local Eastern dealer and sea trial their offerings. Ride and fuel economy are superior. However, they are wet, and comparatively slow.

I cruise at about 17 knots and around 3.25 GPH on a Sisu 22. Wet in a chop, but I'm in a pilothouse. 115 Yamaha

malarky

I’m 22 miles from the Eastern facility in Milton, NH and want to go check it out when the COVID situation wanes.

I’d be buying used but would like to learn about how they’re built regardless.

icemang

Eastern bought the Seaway name and molds some time ago and now makes the Seaway line. They sell them alongside their own Eastern models, kind of competing with themselves but both lines of boats have their believers. I personally am a Seaway believer, but given a choice I'd rather have an older one, they were built more heavily and ruggedly before Eastern bought them imo. The new ones are still good boats now though.

If you look at the pics on their site you can tell which line is which from the logo they show on the pic that's with the description on this page: https://www.easternboats.com/our-boats

StarsandStripers

I highly doubt the ride would be better than the deep v grady.

Ct Contender

The ride is going to be different in a semi displacement hull compared to your deep vee planing hull. A DE is going to be more stable on the drift too. One thing to remember if your looking for a family boat most DEs in that size range are going to built as working boats so there won’t be much seating or amenities. Speed is also going to suffer as well which may be a factor if you’re doing a lot of tubing.

Definitely try and sea trial one before you make your choice. I really like a nice DE boat but that’s all personal opinion.

210VenturaForShura

LOL... maybe you should take a ride on one first. When you are not worried about speed Deep V has nothing on a full keeled downeast. These are completely different hull designs.

inaforty

Having own both types of hull design my personal choice is a V hull. No hull is perfect in every condition. If given the choice between a 22 Sisu or a 20 Grady I'd take the Grady. A 22 Sisu doesn't have a full keel like a true DE if it is outboard powered.
There are two molds for the 22. One is soft or round chine the other in hard or square. Soft chine is going to roll like a sail boat (that my opinion from my own experience). There is no wrong choice it's just depends on what or where you want to compromise.

RickC137

You can see here where the keel is cut back just forward of the aft strap

StarsandStripers

LOL I've owned both hull types and enjoyed the benefits of both but going 15 knots in a 20-22 foot boat isnt for most people. Lets also be honest even if you had equal speed in a small downeast it would ride terribly in any sea. deep V hull in a boat that size is the better option for 99 percent of people out there.

TUNEE

That general marine is a kick ass boat and would handle just fine in sporty weather.

Bruce H

They are advertising a 22' on Instagram that is pretty sweet It is similar to the link provided above but the IG posted model is very sweet looking

BST24351

I’ve been on them not impressed at all. Sure the ride fine at a snails pace but why wouldn’t it be. I run a modified v Parker I can go fast when it’s nice and when it’s rough I slow down and burry the bow and it handles fine. The Grady is far superior except for fuel economy and may be tender on the drift

dell30rb

That looks like a carb 150, those carb yamahas really sucked down the gas. We had a 1992 carubreated V6 yamaha 225 on a 23' pro line and repowered with a V6 suzuki four stroke, it used half the fuel. An ox66 is somewhere in the middle, they were a lot more efficient than the old carb yamahas.

I really don't like downeast hulls until you get into the 28' + range. Larger hulls can take advantage of the lightweight and efficiency of having a relatively flat bottom, while still being able to slice through just about anything at 18-20 knots.

HarborRd

Jesus did a guy with a DE hull run over your dog or something? That last sentence is just foolish, you have no idea what hull is a better option for 99% of the boating population.