Grady White Freedom 275, From Tournament 275 to Today

Grady White Freedom 275, a 27-footer on an 8-foot 6-inch beam

The Grady White Freedom 275 is unusual in the dual console world. Most builders give a 27-foot dual console a beam of 9 feet or more. Grady-White kept this one at 8 feet 6 inches, so the boat carries twin Yamaha outboards, a standard hardtop, an electric-flush head and a 184-gallon tank while staying within normal towing width and fitting rack storage built for narrower boats. Grady-White markets it as the ultimate transformer, a boat that fishes in the morning, tows tubes after lunch and takes a crew to dinner.

That narrow beam shapes everything about the boat, good and bad, and it is why the 275 has survived nearly two decades while wider sisters such as the Freedom 285 were added around it.

Three names for one hull, Tournament 275 to Freedom 275

The boat first appeared in Grady-White's 2008 catalog as the Tournament 275, introduced alongside the Canyon 336 as the company's ideal coastal family boat. Owners quoted in that catalog called it the perfect combination of fishing and pleasure and singled out the electromechanical sleeper seat. The specification then listed 26 feet 11 inches on the centerline, a 500 hp rating and 200 gallons of fuel.

For the 2011 model year Grady-White grouped its six dual consoles into the new Freedom series, and the Tournament 275 became the Freedom 275. The 2014 specification sheet shows a 184-gallon tank, 4,972 pounds without engines and still a 500 hp rating. Today's published rating is 400 hp, which in practice means twin F150s or twin F200s.

What the 2016 retool changed

Rather than a cosmetic face-lift, Grady-White reconfigured the layout for 2016. Salt Water Sportsman's review listed the changes, and they are the reason later boats are worth more.

• Wider helm area with a deluxe adjustable helm seat and an optional plush seat with flip-up bolster
• Wider companion seat with an aft lounger that extends at the push of a button
• Wider, lockable port console entry and a step-down head with marine head, macerator and pump-out
• Horizontal rod racks in the head long enough for longer rods thanks to the reworked bow
• Enlarged aft cockpit with Grady's patented foldaway bench
• New inward-facing wet bar with Corian top, sink, storage and optional grill and refrigerator
• Dash space for a 16-inch display, plus a glove box, tablet pocket and lighted tackle storage

The anchor chute and other details owners notice

The first thing Salt Water Sportsman's tester noticed was the anchor protruding from a through-hull chute in the stem. The windlass inside the locker feeds rode and chain straight out, so neither ever crosses the gunwale or scuffs the gelcoat, and the hatch is covered in nonskid. It is a small detail that makes anchoring at a sandbar a one-person job.

Forward, raised port and starboard boxes under the cushions seat six around a removable table that also mounts in the cockpit. Current boats list an 88-quart insulated box to starboard and dry storage to port. Aft, a 185-quart insulated transom box and a 32-gallon livewell with an 1,100 gph pump take up most of the transom, with a transom door and integrated ladder in the corner.

The standard hardtop comes with spreader lights, four tricolor recessed lights, four side-mounted rod holders, a radar flat, outrigger plates and front and side curtains. Options include 18-foot crank outriggers, a SureShade retractable cockpit shade and Yamaha Helm Master EX with full joystick maneuverability.

Twin F150 or twin F200, and how far each tank goes

Grady-White's published test used twin Yamaha F200s at a heavy 7,866-pound loaded weight. The boat topped out at 48.9 mph at 5,800 rpm and cruised most efficiently at 30.3 mph and 3,800 rpm on 13.0 gph, or 2.33 mpg. Salt Water Sportsman's 2016 test with 400 hp recorded 50.2 mph at 5,850 rpm on 39.6 gph, a 30.1 mph best cruise at 3,800 rpm, and zero to 30 mph in just over five seconds while running in 2-foot chop with wind gusting to 30 mph. It stayed dry; trimming out moved spray aft before it could reach the cockpit.

Twin F150s are the standard package and the more economical one, and they suit owners who cruise at 25 to 30 mph. The F200s pay off with a full crew, water toys and a cooler full of ice. With 184 gallons, the boat's useful range at cruise is well over 300 nautical miles, which is exceptional for a dual console.

Living with a narrow 27, the honest trade-offs

An 8-foot 6-inch beam on a 27-foot hull produces a long, slender boat. That helps the SeaV2 slice through a head sea and makes towing legal without a permit, but it also means a 27-foot dual console with less elbow room in the cockpit than wider rivals and more roll at anchor in a beam swell. Trailering is possible, but with a dry weight near 5,000 pounds before twin engines, fuel and a heavy-duty trailer, most owners keep the 275 on a lift or in a rack.

If you want a sit-around cockpit and a big sun pad, the 9-foot 6-inch Freedom 285 is the obvious alternative. If you want twins, range and a hull that runs well in a chop without needing a wide trailer, the 275 is in a class of very few.

Resale, running costs and the best years to buy

The 275's long production run gives buyers choice. Tournament 275s from 2008 to 2010 and early Freedom 275s cost the least, though many will need repowering soon if they still have their original engines. The 2016 and later retooled boats are the sweet spot for most buyers; they have the better helm, the wider console entry and the modern head.

Budget around $11,000 to $20,000 a year for twin-engine service, insurance, storage, and a normal season of fuel at roughly 13 gph. Sport Fishing's buyer's guide survey respondents rated Grady-White highly for construction, customer service, resale value and safety, which matches what we see in the used market.