Grady-White Boats has been recognized with the highest ranking for excellence in customer satisfaction in every third party study ever conducted in the marine industry including eight NMMA CSI awards in a row and eight J.D. Power and Associates awards in a row for the highest ranking in customer satisfaction in its category.

NMMA's CSI award aims to raise the bar for the consumer boating experience with a tool to measure and improve customer satisfaction, allowing manufacturers to monitor experiences on an ongoing basis. The companies receiving awards achieved a benchmark score of 90% or better from model year 2008 boat owners who rated "overall satisfaction with boat (or engine)." NMMA employed an independent firm to survey and measure the satisfaction ratings. Grady-White received an exceptionally high benchmark score.

Grady-White Boats will be formally recognized for this achievement as a part of the NMMA 2009 IBEX Show, October 12-14 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The award recognizes Grady-White's commitment to quality as well as customer satisfaction, and support of industry efforts to enhance the consumer boating experience.

SPECIFICATIONS Beam Amidships: 13' 2" Bridge Clearance w/ T-Top: 9' (approx.) Center Line Length: 36' 7" Cockpit Depth: 28" Cockpit Square Footage: 85 sq. ft. Hull Draft: 29" Maximum HP: 1050 Outboard Shaft Length:   Port and Starboard Engines: 25"   Center Engine: 30" Standard Fuel Capacity: 420 gal. Freshwater Capacity: 65 gal. Weight w/o Engines: TBD Fish Box Capacity:   Fwd Boxes (2): 263 qt. ea.   Aft Box: 291 qt. Livewell Capacity: 41 gal.

“The hard enclosure around the three seats at the helm area on the Canyon 366 provides a whole new level of protection from the elements, a real evolution in center console,” says Joey Weller, Grady-White vice president of sales and marketing. When you visit a Grady dealer and see the Canyon 366, or learn about it via your dealer’s showroom touchscreen kiosk, or just take a first look online at www.gradywhite.com/366, expect to encounter a boat unlike anything you’ve seen before from Grady-White or anyone else. “Here’s a center console that offers all the comfort of a 'family fun’ cabin boat without sacrificing one iota of fishing function. The layout is magnificent, from the tip of the bow anchor locker to the 13'-wide beam to the heavy-duty transom door that’s wide enough to pull aboard a 350-pound big eye tuna. The Canyon 366 can accommodate up to three Yamaha 350s, producing speeds up to 55-plus mph. This boat just eats up the ocean! And it doesn’t just perform; it looks great!”

The exclusive, proven SeaV^2® hull developed with C. Raymond Hunt and Associates delivers a ride that is beyond any other center console in this size range. The sleek aerodynamically designed hardtop is made of Imron^®-painted aluminum with form-fitting aluminum overhead grab rails. (Imron is a super quality metal paint used for heavy-duty applications in the automotive and aviation industries.) The stylish Imron paint is also featured on rocket launchers as well as on the helm seat lean bar support adjacent to the livewell and rigging area. The helm and cockpit area design is not only ergonomic and highly functional from a fishboat performance standpoint, it’s plain classy looking. The 366 looks like the top boat in her size range and she is, no question. One sea trial will confirm that this boat is the culmination of Grady-White's 50-year experience, thousands of fishing trips and hundreds of hours listening to customers. Nobody but Grady-White could or would build a boat like this one.

“Like any captain does, let’s start with the helm area,” says David Neese, Grady-White vice president of engineering. “The helm seat is on the centerline instead of situated to port so passengers/crew can easily come and go on either side, making this a better fishing boat. Tending bait and handling lines are thus effortless, and the skipper doesn’t have to move. The big tinted windshield has a super quality windshield wiper and is safety glass, not Plexiglas^®. The protection is incomparable, and the visibility is great. The sturdy stainless wheel really fits your hands and the boat handles like a dream. Controls for everything are at your fingertips. For example, raising and lowering the anchor is controlled from the helm or from the windlass area. With the touch of a button, a sturdy plow anchor is extended and retracted through the bow. The lean bar/helm seating is far different than what you typically see. The ease of boat operation is nothing short of fantastic for comfort, ergonomics and visibility. Throttles and controls are up front and center, easy to use. The electromechanically operated electronics enclosure is adjustable to suit any helmsman’s viewing height, or weather conditions and time of day. Complete protection is provided for electronics when the enclosure is lowered. Plus, the sleek T-top enclosure offers a nice big ventilation hatch, a mammoth radio box, radial mounted outriggers, dome lighting, molded-in sound system speakers plus molded-in spreader lights fore and aft.”

The helmsman and passengers can sit in the adjustable chair or fold up a seat bolster to create a deluxe lean station for themselves, and either way there are deluxe cushions, armrests and footrests for genuine comfort. There is an option for air conditioning in the helm area and console interior, powered by a diesel generator.

Step down the cherry steps leading inside the lockable console and you’ll quickly see other reasons why Grady-White calls this boat a new kind of center console, great for both family and fishing. The console’s cabin-like interior not only features a roomy stand-up shower area including a “hidden” head with standard VacuFlush^®, but also a galley with Corian^® countertops and nice deep stainless sink plus a stainless refrigerator with interior illumination. A nearby area converts to a freshwater shower with just a pull of a heavy-duty shower curtain, and includes a cherry seat to sit down on to scrub off. An optional microwave oven heats food and beverages. There’s a clever mirror that can hide an optional TV and DVD player, and a great quality Kenwood sound system with MP3 and auxiliary sound connection. The radio system can be optionally ordered satellite ready for Sirius. There is a berth with plenty of room for two that extends forward, with storage along the side, providing a place for a tired fisherman to get some rest. A tinted rounded skylight and the additional new-style side window make the area airy and open feeling.

There is an enormous amount of deep bulk storage in the console. Roomy drawers and net storage keep items easy to locate. There is a stand-up rack for five rods with flip up cherry rod holders, and more than enough room to lock up and store many more. The whole area is attractive with wood accents and a cherry cover over the head itself. Access to the switch box and boat systems controls is right inside the console door, with color-coded wiring that makes maintenance a snap.

The helm seating support structure includes a bait station. For starters, aft of the helm and companion seating is a roomy 41-gallon lighted livewell, equipped with an 1100 gph pump and full column aeration-a proven system for lively bait. (A second equally large livewell is optional.) The livewell drains overboard for easy clean up, as do all Grady boxes. The area also incorporates a rigging station with freshwater washdown, a cooler, tackle drawers, plenty of rod holders, and more than enough bulk storage to accommodate any change of gear the fishing situation demands.

With Grady-White’s patented aft fold away bench seat in the stowed position, the Canyon 366 aft cockpit measures a roomy 85 square feet. There are six rod holders on the gunwale, and six rod holders on the lean bar so tackle is always ready to go. Add two freshwater outlets, a cutting board atop the cavernous 291-quart aft fish box, a pressurized raw water washdown, and the big fiberglass transom door with a super heavy-duty latch and positive locking device, and you will see that the aft cockpit is a bait rigger’s delight, a perfect scene for multiple hook-ups with big quarry.

Forward, the bow area features two 263-quart insulated fish boxes, port and starboard, that double as seating. Access all the way to the bow is at one level, which really helps when fishermen are working their catch. Deck hardware is all through-bolted premium grade 316 stainless, and all cleats including the spring line cleats are pop-up style, easy to clear in a fish battle.

An optional table insert converts the easy-to-fish bow area to a roomy picnic or sun-and-fun area for those family days and weekends inshore. With cushions, this makes a great sun deck. Very comfortable cushioned seating for three adults is just forward of the console.

left to right: Todd Markusic, J.D. Power and Associates; David Neese, vice president of engineering, Grady-White Boats; Joey Weller, vice president sales and marketing, Grady-White Boats; and Kris Carroll, president, Grady-White Boats.

Kris Carroll, Grady-White president, recognized the company's long-term management team as being a large factor in continuing to deliver the customer satisfaction levels that have earned the J.P. Power and Associates ranking. "David Neese, our vice president of engineering, has been with us for 33 years. Joey Weller, vice president of sales and marketing, has been with us 21 years."

"I speak for the whole organization, including our dealer network, in thanking our customers for their support in reporting their satisfaction with Grady-White boats," said Neese. "Customer expectations, technology and society are always changing and we continue to design boats that aim to provide real pleasure in life for our boat owners."

"Grady-White is the only company in the Coastal Fishing Boats segment that has received highest J.D. Power and Associates ranking, each time that these studies have been conducted," added Weller. "We have a tremendous advantage because our company culture has always placed the customer first, and has embraced the vision of Grady-White owner Eddie Smith in striving to keep our customers satisfied."

J.D. Power and Associates overall customer satisfaction scores are based on performance in eight categories: cabin, engine, ride and handling, helm and instrument panel, design and styling, sound system, water sports, and fishing.

J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information firm that represents the voice of the customer. The company is well known for customer satisfaction studies in the automotive industry.