Written By Steve Knauth

Multi-tasking.

We ask it of our computers, our telephones, and even ourselves these days.

Boats can deliver on the multi-tasking front, too. Just ask the people at last July's Grady-White fishing tournament and rendezvous held at Port of Egypt Marina in Southold, NY, on Long Island's North Fork. While more than a few of the score of owners attending were serious about the fishing, there were couples out for a weekend getaway, and cruising families spending quality time on the water.

And they were all riding in Grady-Whites. Whether it's fishing or family, you don't have to sacrifice one for the other with today's "multi-tasking" boats, says Mike Owen, 35, of Basking Hollow, NY. Owen and his wife, Christene, along with their son, Bryce, and daughter, Braelene, have owned their Grady-White 330 Express--their fourth Grady--for just two months, but it's filled the bill on two fronts. It's ready for a run with the guys out to Hudson Canyon for tuna and it also takes the family on weekend getaways. "It rides real well, and we've been in six-to-eight footers 30 miles offshore," said Owen.

And the same cockpit that handles six or seven fishermen works for a cruise, too. "You can sit with the kids, and there's plenty of room for them to have their water toys and run around," he said. "The microwave, shower and head are convenient, and the mid-berth is great for the kids."

Glenn Grady and Don White started building Grady White wooden boats in 1958 in the offshore North Carolina style with wide, flared bows. The company was sold to Eddie Smith in 1968 who transformed the boats from wood to fiberglass construction. Today, under President Kris Carroll the company produces sportfishers from 18 to 33 feet, still built to take on the hazards of the state's rough inlets and offshore weather. With plenty of scuppers and sealed cockpits, water can't get into the bilge and even the boat's insulated boxes drain overboard by gravity--which makes the family happy by keeping odors out of the bottom of the boat. The company claims that you can leave a Grady out in the rainiest weather without having to use battery power to drain sumps and bilges.

All of the company's boats--not just those under 20 feet as required by law--also have enough floatation to keep boat, motor and occupants from sinking. Grady's hull is designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates and has some serious deadrise amidships--about 30 degrees--and is designed to slice through head seas yet give stability at the dock or while trolling.

Grady-White owners tend to be quite passionate about their boats, which are perennial J. D. Power Award winners.

Like Mike Owen, 57-year-old auto dealer Anthony Cravotta from Aquebogue, NY, is working on his fourth Grady-White, too. He came to the rendezvous in his year-old 330 Express for a laid-back summer weekend.

For Cravotta, boating is a family activity, and a cruise with his wife, Antonia, their daughter, Michelle, and son Mike and his wife, Angela, might find them on the Connecticut River or Block Island. "We're fair-weather boaters," said Cravotta. "Today, we've been out for some relaxed fishing, now we're coming back in to have a swim, take a shower and head for the barbecue."

Don't let him kid you. Cravotta and his son do get out for some serious fishing, and they've been in some rough weather, too. "Coming through the Plum Gut with waves breaking over the [outboard] engines is when the boat really shows it stuff," Cravotta said. "And what's good for the fisherman is good for the family, too. Whether I'm out fishing or just cruising around, I know we're safe in this boat," he said.

Tom and Kathleen Jung plan to "grow into" their two-year-old 300 Marlin, along with sons Patrick, eight, and Sean, five. The 41-year-old Cutchogue, NY, pilot and his wife have discovered the fun of offshore fishing, and bought the boat with that in mind. "We're really getting into it," said Tom. "We go out for tuna and shark off Montauk."

It's also perfect for long weekends and vacations with the whole family on board. "We spent a wonderful Fourth of July on the Connecticut river in Essex [Conn.]," says Kathleen. "And, for us, the boat offers a big cockpit and plenty of cabin room. One isn't sacrificed for the other."

Tom sees something more in his Grady-White than its performance and versatility. The Marlin is helping him to connect his young kids to the water, a lifestyle that can be lifelong. "I grew up around Great South Bay, digging clams, water skiing--it was absolutely the best of everything on the water," he said. "With this boat, I feel as if I'm passing that on to my kids. Patrick caught a 22-inch fluke [recently], and that's a memory he'll have all his life."

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Article Source: Boat/US Magazine - November 2004 - FindArticles.com