MAKING THE GRADE
GRADY-WHITE’S NEW 33-FOOTER IS
THEIR BEST CENTER CONSOLE YET.
BY JOHN BROWNLEE
Grady-White’s new Canyon 336 has everything that a center console fishing boat should have, all intelligently designed and executed, prompting us to dub it the best Grady center console ever. It’s easy to forget that Grady-White has a complete center console line, since many people think of the company as the builder of high-quality express boats, but the 336 puts the company’s center consoles back in the public eye in a big way.
The 336 shares the same hull as Grady’s hugely successful Express 330, so you know you’re buying a solid and proven hull design. Our test boat sported twin F350 Yamaha four-strokes, a power plant designed expressly to provide better performance for boats in this size range. You can order the 336 with twin F250s if you want, but after running the boat with the 350s, I can’t imagine why anyone ever would.
The 350s provide exceptional acceleration across the power band, and get the 336 on plane quickly with almost zero bow rise. The big hull weighs 9,200 pounds before you hang engines on it, and combined with the C. Raymond Hunt and Associates deep-vee hull design, it cuts down waves like they’re nothing. We ran the 336 in a short chop that the boat simply ignored, and it tracked very well in high-speed turns. When running at any angle to the sea, you never hear a creak or a groan—if you leave the engines trimmed all the way under, you can take some spray, but that’s easily eliminated by trimming the engines up and getting more of the bow out of the water.
The boat’s most economical cruise speed comes at 3800 rpm when you’re traveling at 31.9 mph and burning a total of 23.9 gph, an economy of 1.33 mpg. But even when you move the throttles to 4500 and reach 38.9 mph, you’re still getting 1.12 mpg at a burn rate of 34.7 gph. That’s where I would run her. Put the hammer down, and you’re running at 51.1 mph at 6000 rpm. It’s an impressive feeling going that fast in this much boat. A level deck design from bow to stern makes the 336 an eminently fishable boat, with a host of innovative features to make fishing easier. These include a huge 291-quart insulated fish box in the transom bulkhead. Our test boat had the optional 4 kW Fischer Panda diesel generator that powered optional digitally controlled freezer lines to chill the fish box. The generator also powers the optional 5,000 BTU air-conditioning system for the sub-console compartment with two vents at the helm to keep you cool on hot days.
There’s a small bait tray in the transom bulkhead as well, to port of the fish box, and a beefy transom gate to starboard.A large lazarette hatch in the deck provides access to all thru-hulls, plus the generator and diesel tank go down there and everything is easily serviceable. A flip-up passenger seat folds down out of the transom bulkhead when needed for extra seating.
Grady-White really did their homework on the leaning post/rocket launcher/tackle center unit. It’s a massive affair with a large 45-gallon insulated livewell on the starboard side with a clear lid insert. Our test boat had an optional second well to port, which holds 26 gallons of water. If you don’t need the second well, that box comes standard as a drink cooler. Both wells introduce clean raw water through vertical baffles to keep a fresh supply moving throughout the water column, a vastly superior design.
The tackle center has a large tackle drawer and four tackle trays on its aft end, with six rod holders welded on a rail across the top. On the forward side, three separate bolster seats slide fore and aft independently of one another, and the flip-up bol-sters allow you to ride comfortably standing or seated. The boat’s batteries are easily serviced through a hatch on the forward end of the leaning post.
Electric rams control the large electronics box (above)
The massive console features Grady’s excellent powered electronics box, which raises and lowers on electric rams. There’s plenty of room for two 10-inch screens here. The helm area has a center-mounted helm with three drink holders, a large gauge surface above the wheel, and a wraparound glass windshield with a standard windshield wiper. There are even two large cubbies for holding loose gear.
Beneath the console, a head compartment has a double berth that extends forward beneath the foredeck, with storage beneath it. The boat’s electrical panel sits in the aft bulkhead, as did an optional microwave oven on our test boat. There’s a huge storage space aft, behind a canvas curtain, and that’s where the AC unit mounts too, if you choose that option. The VacuFlush head comes standard with a 10-gallon holding tank, and there’s vertical rod storage below for six rods.
Forward, two raised passenger seats contain two more insulated fish boxes holding 165 quarts each, and these drain overboard. There’s also a large seat on the front of the console. At the bow, a Lewmar windlass comes standard, with operating switches at the bow and at the helm. The windlass mounts below the bow deck for a clean look, and the Delta plow-style anchor sits outside the bow in a slotted anchor receiver, a design we’re seeing more and more of these days.
Additional optional features on our test boat included a bow thruster (enabling you to spin this thing on a dime), the factory fiberglass T-top with a radio box, spreader and dome lights, five rod holders and stereo speakers, and an outrigger kit. We also had the Teleflex power steering, which is truly outstanding. That’s an option unless you order the F350s—then it comes standard.
And as I said earlier, I think most people will opt for that power package. The F350s provide excellent performance in a boat that’s designed, engineered, and built as well as anything on the market, with a long list of practical fishing features thrown in as well.