Boating

Tests

EXTRA POINT

D

ESIGNING ROOMY OUTBOARD BOATS

under 20 feet in length is tough. Many look

stubby and ride hard, especially in the short chop

of the shallow coastal bays for which they are built. But

those many don’t have the benefit of a SeaV^2 hull and

construction done by a Grady-White lamination crew.

Those folks are now turning out the elegant 191 Coastal

Explorer, a small bay boat with a shallow but nice-riding

bottom, plus graceful Carolina raised sheer and bow flare.

Want to know what difference that excellence-oriented

lamination crew makes? Look at a photo or watch a video

of the 191 CE running and note how its reversed chines

and lifting strakes turn down spray. The crew has carefully

made the hull’s fabric and resin follow the sharp corners of

strakes embodied in the design and the tooling (mold). That

spray-damping ability is a

good index of Grady-White

quality. This hull faithfully

follows the promise of the

SeaV^2 hull’s designer.

Our test boat performed

well at intermediate

speeds, even though

the dealer had not yet

installed trim tabs. We

recommend tabs because

this relatively small

investment gives the

skipper the ability to dial

in tab and engine trim,

fine-tunes the ride, and

allows boats like the 191 CE to deliver a comfortable ride

in conditions generally regarded as beyond the paygrade

of smaller boats. With prudent attention to weather

conditions in coastal waters, a savvy skipper can happily

run the 191 CE in seas that would send many 22-footers

home. Doing so means learning to run the boat at speeds

in the lower 20s and teens, adjusting fore-and-aft trim,

and using the hull’s sharp bow entry to cleave seas.

The 191 CE’s interior is fish-friendly with insulated

boxes that can be plumbed as live- or release wells placed in

the console seat and the center of the stern deck. Fish-box

space resides under the leaning post and in the foredeck

(a huge space there, augmented by an anchor locker).

Both the stern deck and foredeck make great platforms for

casting or throwing a cast net. There are four rod holders

in the gunwales and four vertical holders neatly tucked into

recesses on the sides of the forward console seat, but we’d

want at least four more, perhaps installed onto the back of

the helm seat.

This boat is designed for versatility. A set of bow cushions

and an optional table in front of the console seat turn the

191 Coastal Explorer into a picnic boat. A removable stern

pylon sets it up for tow sports, and the standard Yamaha

F150 provides a proven track record of power, efficiency and

durability. Do you need more boat than this? Think carefully

Grady-White before you decide. — Capt. John Page Williams

191 Coastal Explorer

( #2943 )

Grady is one of

the only builders

to incorporate

a “soft patch” — a

screw-down hatch

that provides full

access to the fuel

tank should it need

replacement.

High Points

XClassy-looking Carolina raised sheer and bow flare

XGenerous beam and the SeaV^2 hull make it both roomy and seaworthy.

XVersatile interior makes it fishy and family-friendly.

XEasy on fuel when on the water or trailered on the road.

Low Points

XFour interior rod holders are not enough for a serious inshore fishing boat

of this size.

XSpace between the rear edge of the helm seat and the stern deck

is tight.

Toughest Competitor

XBoston Whaler’s 190 Dauntless ($51,295 with 150 hp Mercury FourStroke)

is another able, well-built center-console. It is 6 inches shorter, 2 inches

narrower and 310 pounds lighter with a deeper V (18 degrees).

XLOA: 19'4" XBeam: 8'2" XDraft: 1'2" (engine up) XDisplacement: 2,360 lb.

XTransom Deadrise: 14.5 degrees XFuel Capacity: 52 gal. XMax Horsepower: 200

XAvailable Power: 150 to 200

Price: $58,800 (with test power)

HOW WE TESTED

ENGINE: Single 150 hp Yamaha four-stroke DRIVE/PROP: Outboard/14¼" x 18" Reliance

SDS 3-blade stainless steel GEAR RATIO: 2:1 FUEL LOAD: 40 gal. CREW WEIGHT: 400 lb.

Grady-White Greenville, North Carolina; 252-752-2111; gradywhite.com

To see more photos of the Grady-White 191

MORE ONLINE Coastal Explorer, visit boatingmag.com/2943.

TBOATINGCertified Test Results

SPEED EFFICIENCY OPERATION

rpm knots mph gph^ naut. mpg stat. mpg range range n. mi. s. mi. angle levelsound

1000 3.65 4.20 0.70 5.21 6.00 244 281 0 62

1500 5.13 5.90 1.20 4.27 4.92 200 230 0 64

2000 6.26 7.20 2.10 2.98 3.43 139 160 1 70

2500 7.30 8.40 3.60 2.03 2.33 95 109 4 74

3000 14.08 16.20 4.40 3.20 3.68 150 172 4 81

3500 20.86 24.00 5.30 3.93 4.53 184 212 2 81

4000 25.55 29.40 6.70 3.81 4.39 178 205 2 81

4500 29.63 34.10 8.80 3.37 3.88 158 181 1 82

5000 33.72 38.80 10.70 3.15 3.63 147 170 1 82

5500 40.00 44.00 14.00 2.86 3.07 134 144 1 82

6000 41.90 46.30 16.40 2.55 2.82 120 132 1 83

MOST ECONOMICAL CRUISING SPEED

AVAILABLE POWER:

OUTBOARD

PHOTO: COURTESY GRADY-WHITE

58 BOATINGMAG.COM APRIL 2016