Possible future Parker owner

[longranger]

Hi,

My name is Mike. Live in southern California and really enjoy this site. I am shopping for a boat educating myself along the way. Parkers are at the top of a short list of manufacturers I like along with Grady-White and Glacier bay. This is going to be a tough decision but fun too.

For those of you that have tried several of the above or just Parker what sets them apart? Why are they your favorite?

Thanks in advance for your input,

Mike B

 

[Outta Here]

Try this...
http://classicparker.com/phpBB2/viewtop ... c&start=25


hope it works.

 

[Megabyte]

That post is a classic FF.
I have to say that I'm serious! :wink:

Welcome aboard longranger!
If there is anything you'd like to know that you don't see posted here, ask away! 8)

 

[cbigma]

Mike,

The most important thing we do here on ClassicParker is to help each other out. It's Parker owners helping fellow Parker owners (and Parker Owners - at heart) with tips, how-tos, diagrams, tricks, ideas, encouragement, and even the occasional spare parts. 8)

The second most important thing we do here is provide future Parker Owners like yourself with an honest, no-nonsense viewpoint of what life is like aboard a Parker.

There are over 300 Parker owners standing by, several of them probably have the exact model you are interested in, and use it on the same coastline for the same activities/interests that you are looking to explore. You couldn't have landed in a better place on the Internet to find out about Parkers. :mrgreen:

What you -won't- find here is a lot of "boat-bashing" or negative press about other brands. Parker owners will give you an honest comparison against other brands if they have direct experience with them, but generally do not engage in "brand sniping". :wink:

They realize that all boats are a compromise, and even within the Parker line itself, there are model compromises to be made based on how you plan on using your Parker.

So like Kevin said, welcome aboard, and ask away!

I'm serious!

...John

 

[dave-j]

I recently went through the same analysis and ended up with a Parker 23 DV Center Console. I looked at Grady, Dusky, North Coast, Everglades, Edgewater, Jone Brothers and Bluefins.

What attracted me was the clean, no-nonsense (I guess that's the same as serious!) design as well as the build. I have owned a lot of boats from custom racing sail boats in the 40 foot range to simple skiffs. The one thing I learned is that fancy and loaded with extras soon translates into maintenance. The more experienced the owner, the simpler his boat is.

Parkers excel in clean, simple designs that keep you dry. And they are built like a brick you-know-what.

Around here there are lots of Gradys and they are a hell of a boat! I personally don't care for the look and the stuff they put on them to attract the family buyer. However, they do hold value really well and you can't go too far wrong with a Grady.

The real outlier in your list is the Glacier Bay. Cats aren't that popular yet on the east coast, but I did get to ride on a GB last summer. If a smooth ride is highest on your list or requirements, then it will be hard to beat the cat! Again, I can't get past the look, and I didn't want two engines to maintain.

Good luck!

Dave

 

[DaleH]

Loneranger:

Also use the search feature for posts containing the words "Parker" and "Grady". As stated, you'll get honest assessments of each boat's strengths and weaknesses.

Or I should say "compromises" in lieu of weaknesses, as I don't believe there's any inherent weakness in any Parker boat ... less the factory installed 12x12 trimtabs.

 

[missjuliana]

hi mike

i just bought a parker 1month ago i have had a lot of boats in my life the parker is a solid rugged boat that takes the seas and the weather great .i highly recomend the boat so far.

 

[Porkchunker]

Welcome aboard,

If I didn't buy the Parker, the Grady 272 Islander was the first choice of the Admiral. Grady makes a great boat, but like the others have said, the frills (carpet, headliner, curtains, full head & partial galley, all translate into extra maintenance.

Fishing is too much fun to spend time maintaining the boat, so it gets deferred. Therefore I have a deferred maintenance list of about a page long, even with the highly-functional, no-frills Parker. I can't imagine how long it would be if I had the Islander.

After 5 seasons, the frills that attracted the Admiral wouldn't have helped. She only gets on the boat about 3-5 times a year, and only for an afternoon or so. So...all those frills would have gone to waste anyway, and I'd be spending far too much time maintaining and not fishing.

Both manufacturers make great boats, but you have to decide what the Admiral wants, what she will really use, and how that impacts what you really want to spend your time doing.

If you want an awsome fishing machine for Bay and coastal, you can't beat the Parker. If you want a dual-purpose fishing and cruising/overnight machine, Grady looks good (but expensive). If I was inclined toward a dual-purpose boat in the price range of the Grady, I'd be tempted to start looking at the Judge and a couple other custom boat builders in the Ches. Bay area.