Question about Parker Boats

[Marshall4949]

I have heard rumor on another board from a local Parker dealer that they are bringing back the 2830.

Those boats are so awesome. I hope this is true.

 

[A-K]

Those boats are so awesome. I hope this is true.

its very true. I’ve seen the pics with my own eyes.

 

[IcyAtlantic]

I have owned a 2021 2320, the fit and finish is fantastic. I've had zero issues whatsoever. Will this change? who knows, but looking at other brands at boats shows the Parkers generally stand out for fit and finish and quality.

Funny you mentioned GW... These boats are coveted on THT.
Here is the transom/splashwell finish on a Freedom 275 I saw today at a NJ boat show. Pretty appalling if you ask me.
View attachment 32278
View attachment 32279
You could say this could be just a sloppy one-off. But the rest of this boat was also not very impressive. Parker is just simple, this "flagship" felt cheap. The windshield frame was cheap. The upholstery was like something you would expect to see at a discount furniture store (picture: Weekends Only, of one of those... lol)
View attachment 32280

This boat is priced at about 3 times that of my Parker.

I would say this: if Parker stays true to form they have nothing to worry about.

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I saw this too! Pretty incredible!

 

[pelagic2530]

its very true. I’ve seen the pics with my own eyes.

A-K, without revealing anything you’re not supposed to (seems very hush hush)… does this look like the old 2830 coming back to life? Or is this a totally new design? Somewhere in between?

 

[A-K]

A-K, without revealing anything you’re not supposed to (seems very hush hush)… does this look like the old 2830 coming back to life? Or is this a totally new design? Somewhere in between?

Somewhere in between.

I was told the hull is the same.

The cabin has a new window design.

Inside the cabin looks completely rearranged, they eliminated the forward bulkhead and the captain drives from a “console” with a head inside.

Of the pics I saw it looked pretty good.

 

[Tail Feathers]

I can't imagine buying that Grady White and seeing the butcher job they did in those photos. I definitely would not be following through on that purchase!!

 

[A-K]

Of the Grady White boats I’ve fished on. I have found the ride is softer. But the decks and bulkheads not as strong feeling as the Parkers. Just my impression.

 

[Andy]

Of the Grady White boats I’ve fished on. I have found the ride is softer. But the decks and bulkheads not as strong feeling as the Parkers. Just my impression.

I thought I'd add my 2-cents here on the Grady-White's conversation... Sorry, this will be 'wordy', but funny ! ☺
I had lived and worked in Greenville NC (home of Grady-White) off-and-on since 1974. I knew, and still know people who have, and still do, work at Grady-White. Via my job/work (now, retired 10 years ago) I've been in their factory many times. I've met Eddy Smith and have been in 'meetings' with him over the past 30+ years. (Once when he and his wife, my wife and I, and Dr. Williams met with the Coast Guard in a pre-announced public-forum meeting to decide if or if not to remove all the navigation day-marks from the Tar River to Washington; a long story I'll share if anyone is interested)... Smith is an amazing business-person who has kept Grady-White completely debt-free for decades. (no Grady leaves the factory that is not pre-paid. And the work force comes and goes as the demand dictates). Like most boat companies, they have had their successes, and failures of design. I have been on countless Grady's (most ride well!) and have have worked/made repairs on dozens of them. A lot of the older ones were horrible for many reasons, and the newer ones? I don't know; I've not been on a newer one.....
My worst memories of all Grady's is to NEVER, under any circumstance, rub your hand into any place on a Grady, that you cannot see. If you ignore this advice, you will likely rip your hand open from the raw, ragged fiberglass that you'll spend the rest of the day picking out of your hands with tweezers!
My favorite, true Grady story is about their 25' model 1980's era. I loved that boat! It had one of the coolest layouts I have ever seen on a 25 foot boat. It had a large cockpit with huge 'scupper's', a super 'cuddy' cabin with small galley, head, and near stand-up head room, AND it had 4 (yes FOUR) comfortable berths; a good sized split V-berth forward, and two separate 'quarter-berths' under the raised pilot/control area mid-ships... It had twin V8's with stern-drives and could run 50+ and could take a Pamlico Sound beating with the best of them! It did have one minor flaw. With those twin V8's it was a bit stern heavy. If by chance you docked it, in the water, over night, it would very likely, sink. The huge 'scuppers' I mentioned earlier, designed to remove water from the cockpit, would do so very well when the boat was 'on plane'. But, did the opposite when the boat was sitting still. The scuppers were too low, or the engines were too heavy, or a combination of both. Any time the boat was in the water, and sitting still, water came IN the scuppers, and then into the bilges. When the batteries died from the continual running of the bilge pumps, the boat sank.... My friend who owned the boat, sued to have his insurance company pay to replace the engines the first time it sunk, and they did.
The second time it sank, the insurance company sued my friend for insurance-fraud; this time, they came out ahead.

 

[A-K]

My worst memories of all Grady's is to NEVER, under any circumstance, rub your hand into any place on a Grady, that you cannot see. If you ignore this advice, you will likely rip your hand open from the raw, ragged fiberglass that you'll spend the rest of the day picking out of your hands with tweezers!

I have taken a hole saw many of times to my 2320. I can honestly say the glass work is always consistent, smooth, and professional. Even in the areas you can’t see when I run new wires for chart plotters, auto pilots, cut holes for additional rod holders, electric down riggers, thru hull transducers…I’m yet to find any poor workmanship.

My 2016 2320 has 700 hours all on the Pacific Ocean, and is yet to exhibit any stress cracking in the fiberglass or gel coat.

 

[Andy]

I have taken a hole saw many of times to my 2320. I can honestly say the glass work is always consistent, smooth, and professional. Even in the areas you can’t see when I run new wires for chart plotters, auto pilots, cut holes for additional rod holders, electric down riggers, thru hull transducers…I’m yet to find any poor workmanship.

My 2016 2320 has 700 hours all on the Pacific Ocean, and is yet to exhibit any stress cracking in the fiberglass or gel coat.

Hi A-K, Thank you!... I should have mentioned that in my comment. One of the many things I love about our Parker, is the opposite of the thing I mentioned about raw fiberglass in the Grady-Whites.... I had posted a Youtube video on the 'undersides' of our Parker lockers; the 'undersides' of the pilothouse floor; the 'undersides' of the gunnels and the undersides/insides of the lockers and of the other hard-to-see places. They are smooth, safe to touch, and professionally finished, even where you cannot SEE it. This is another sign of a very well-built boat. If the builder takes great pride and effort to finish off places that most will never see, or touch, then it says a lot about the quality of the boat... (some of the worst I've seen are Renkens, Century, Imperial, Sea Fox and Grady-White).... Even our Albins, and over-seas C.T. Ta Chiaos were well-finished in the hard-to- reach/see places...
By the way, and as you too pointed out, our 2013 2520, with about 1100 hours, mostly in the Hell-on-Earth Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, also has ZERO stress cracks in the glass or gel-coat.

 

[A-K]

Andy your neck of the woods has some amazing boat builders or so I hear. I always thought Albemarle would be a pretty sweet boat but probably out of my price range for a new or slightly used one.

My friends brother lives in NC and has a 28’ Regulator. I’m yet to ride on it but one of these days I’m going to travel over there!

 

[Andy]

Andy your neck of the woods has some amazing boat builders or so I hear. I always thought Albemarle would be a pretty sweet boat but probably out of my price range for a new or slightly used one.

My friends brother lives in NC and has a 28’ Regulator. I’m yet to ride on it but one of these days I’m going to travel over there!

It would be worth the trip! a 28' Regulator is one of the best!
Both Regulators and Albemarle's' are made in Edenton, NC just north of where I live. Regulators are about a mile northeast of the town, and Albemarle's are made just south of the airport, right on the Albemarle Sound. Both are super, well built boats.... And yes, eastern NC is a haven for both custom and mass-produced boats; Some are gone (Buddy Davis; Paul Mann, who just now retired), plus Bayliss, Jarret Bay, Hatteras, Caison, Grady-White, Parker, Pair Custom, Baja, MJM Yachts, World Cat, Tideline, Ken Craft, Shearline, Radcliff/Privateer, Pacific Sea Craft, Fountain, Viper, Carolina Classic, C-Hawk, and this is just a partial list.... there are many more, some well-known, and a lot of smaller custom builders.

 

[A-K]

It would be worth the trip! a 28' Regulator is one of the best!
Both Regulators and Albemarle's' are made in Edenton, NC just north of where I live. Regulators are about a mile northeast of the town, and Albemarle's are made just south of the airport, right on the Albemarle Sound. Both are super, well built boats.... And yes, eastern NC is a haven for both custom and mass-produced boats; Some are gone (Buddy Davis; Paul Mann, who just now retired), plus Bayliss, Jarret Bay, Hatteras, Caison, Grady-White, Parker, Pair Custom, Baja, MJM Yachts, World Cat, Tideline, Ken Craft, Shearline, Radcliff/Privateer, Pacific Sea Craft, Fountain, Viper, Carolina Classic, C-Hawk, and this is just a partial list.... there are many more, some well-known, and a lot of smaller custom builders.

When I bought my Parker. The buddy’s brother who has the Regulator said “Those boys down at Parker are some glass laying mo-fo’s”

The only knock I hear on those hulls from Regulator and Albemarle is they are so deep that they get rocky while drifting. But have heard they ride like the cats meow!

 

[Andy]

When I bought my Parker. The buddy’s brother who has the Regulator said “Those boys down at Parker are some glass laying mo-fo’s”

The only knock I hear on those hulls from Regulator and Albemarle is they are so deep that they get rocky while drifting. But have heard they ride like the cats meow!

Yes, that is true about their very-deep-V's, and most other super-deep-V hulls; there is always that trade off. Those boats are built for the local, rough conditions around here. Most of the waters in eastern NC are huge, expansive (so a lot of 'fetch') and yet very shallow, so we contend with 'square waves' as we affectionately refer to them; very tall, short-span, steep waves! The Albemarle and parts of the Pamlico Sound are considered to be some of the roughest water on the eastern seaboard. Our inlets (Oregon Inlet, Hatteras Inlet, Ocracoke Inlet, Beaufort Inlet, etc) can be hell-on-earth. The videos I see on Youtube of the 'rough' inlets in Florida are laughable! (imho).... they can be rough/choppy for a few hundred feet; around here those condition exist for MILES!..... So, the deeper the V, the better it cuts those waves. But as you mentioned, they are rocky while drifting, and you can really tell it when you board one at the dock. When you step on the gunnel, the boat will move/dip (how much will it dip? depends on how heavy the 'dipper' is! ☺)

 

[A-K]

Yes, that is true about their very-deep-V's, and most other super-deep-V hulls; there is always that trade off. Those boats are built for the local, rough conditions around here. Most of the waters in eastern NC are huge, expansive (so a lot of 'fetch') and yet very shallow, so we contend with 'square waves' as we affectionately refer to them; very tall, short-span, steep waves! The Albemarle and parts of the Pamlico Sound are considered to be some of the roughest water on the eastern seaboard. Our inlets (Oregon Inlet, Hatteras Inlet, Ocracoke Inlet, Beaufort Inlet, etc) can be hell-on-earth. The videos I see on Youtube of the 'rough' inlets in Florida are laughable! (imho).... they can be rough/choppy for a few hundred feet; around here those condition exist for MILES!..... So, the deeper the V, the better it cuts those waves. But as you mentioned, they are rocky while drifting, and you can really tell it when you board one at the dock. When you step on the gunnel, the boat will move/dip (how much will it dip? depends on how heavy the 'dipper' is! ☺)

The United States coast guard has proclaimed the roughest river bars or inlets are the Oregon inlet and the Columbia river bar (ilwaco Washington state).

While I have not crossed the Columbia on a bad day, I’ve spent enough time on the coast of Wash. and have seen some truly big water (relative to the size of our boats). The coast guard has a training center on the Columbia river there are some pretty cool vids of on YouTube. Here’s one I found down in Oregon state that’s pretty wild at the beginning



I agree those Florida bars are not in the same category!

 

[Andy]

The United States coast guard has proclaimed the roughest river bars or inlets are the Oregon inlet and the Columbia river bar (ilwaco Washington state).

While I have not crossed the Columbia on a bad day, I’ve spent enough time on the coast of Wash. and have seen some truly big water (relative to the size of our boats). The coast guard has a training center on the Columbia river there are some pretty cool vids of on YouTube. Here’s one I found down in Oregon state that’s pretty wild at the beginning



I agree those Florida bars are not in the same category!

Great video on the Columbia River Bar! Back in the 1980's I remember seeing, and reading about the Coast Guard conducting 'Roll-Over-School' there. They actually, intentionally, rolled the boats over 360 degrees to train the Coast Guard guys how to do it, and how to survive it. In one article, one of the trainees did not survive it. I don't know if they still do 'roll-over' training there, or anywhere else for that matter?... It would be impossible to conduct such training in North Carolinas' Oregon Inlet. It's much too shallow; not enough depth to do a 360! ☺
Here's a video on our NC Beaufort Inlet; our BEST and deepest inlet.
https://www.newsflare.com/video/361934/boat-damaged-in-rough-seas-beaufort-inlet-north-carolina

 

[Realtor]

That GW at the show was a one off... Was on a new 2021 Canyon yesterday, and the fit and finish was as good as I've seen. I was looking harder because this post had it on my mind. nice and tight. Things I noticed was the stainless steel is much higher quality than on the Parker. along with the completeness, meaning (to me at least) there isn't as many places for the wasps to start their nest making... like in the area of the tuna door on the 2520. that area is all closed off in the GW's. GW's are a fine, fine boat, but you pay for that too.... BIG money... I still prefer my Parker though...

 

[Mpellet]

I have owned a 2021 2320, the fit and finish is fantastic. I've had zero issues whatsoever. Will this change? who knows, but looking at other brands at boats shows the Parkers generally stand out for fit and finish and quality.

Funny you mentioned GW... These boats are coveted on THT.
Here is the transom/splashwell finish on a Freedom 275 I saw today at a NJ boat show. Pretty appalling if you ask me.
View attachment 32278
View attachment 32279
You could say this could be just a sloppy one-off. But the rest of this boat was also not very impressive. Parker is just simple, this "flagship" felt cheap. The windshield frame was cheap. The upholstery was like something you would expect to see at a discount furniture store (picture: Weekends Only, of one of those... lol)
View attachment 32280

This boat is priced at about 3 times that of my Parker.

I would say this: if Parker stays true to form they have nothing to worry about.

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THT has a fairly vocal Parker hating contingent. Some of them may have even stepped foot on a Parker but there is a LOT of,

”my future ex brother in law’s buddy, who was a long time guide in Venice used to fish on a buddy’s Parker and he said the ride was horrible and all the wood in the hull rotted, he hated the boat.”

There is some truth to the Parker Pilot House Boats delivering a bit of, let’s go with a “STIFF” ride into a headsea but after running the same Parker for 16 years, off shore in New England Waters, I find most of the Parker hate written on THT to be mostly BS......

 

[Swatski]

THT has a fairly vocal Parker hating contingent. Some of them may have even stepped foot on a Parker but there is a LOT of,

”my future ex brother in law’s buddy, who was a long time guide in Venice used to fish on a buddy’s Parker and he said the ride was horrible and all the wood in the hull rotted, he hated the boat.”

There is some truth to the Parker Pilot House Boats delivering a bit of, let’s go with a “STIFF” ride into a headsea but after running the same Parker for 16 years, off shore in New England Waters, I find most of the Parker hate written on THT to be mostly BS......

Parkers are just so solid, there is no flexing of the hull, cabin, gunnels, no matter how hard you push it.

Most newer boats with similar cabin/PH design we have personally looked at, and tested, especially the cute ones like Cutwater /Ranger Tug frankly feel almost flimsy next to Parker; all the "no wood" construction means nothing if the structure flexes as it does in most of those plastic (FRP) boats.

With Parker there is ZERO flexing of the structure. The boat is totally, completely, rigid and nothing moves or flexes. I LOVE IT.
Yes, I can hear pounding riding in hard chop but it is purely acoustic, the sound reverberating from the bilge box under the cabin, without any flexing.

To be completely honest, I'm very torn about "moving-on" from the 2320, as I would hate to find myself regretting it... For now, we decided not to trade-in and will keep her, at least for now.

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[Swatski]

That GW at the show was a one off... Was on a new 2021 Canyon yesterday, and the fit and finish was as good as I've seen. I was looking harder because this post had it on my mind. nice and tight. Things I noticed was the stainless steel is much higher quality than on the Parker. along with the completeness, meaning (to me at least) there isn't as many places for the wasps to start their nest making... like in the area of the tuna door on the 2520. that area is all closed off in the GW's. GW's are a fine, fine boat, but you pay for that too.... BIG money... I still prefer my Parker though...

That is good to know. I still was completely unimpressed by the fittings such as windshield frame that seemed cheap (in a premium brand). Not that I would ever consider a GW. The styling is stodgy. To me, Parker styling is "classic", and the build (judged by my own boat and what I'd seen at boat shows over the last 2-3 years I've been looking at them) is simply SOLID.

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