2012-2013
Demand for Versatility in Boating Inspires Breakthrough Designs in Big Water Dual Consoles, While Not Forgetting Center Console Fishing Legacy
At Miami in February 2012, Grady-White unveiled a prototype that would not be deemed “complete” until summer–a real game-changer, and the largest outboard dual console ever built to that date: the Freedom 335. Designed to “Fish in comfort, cruise in style,” the Freedom 335 was big, luxurious and loaded with never-seen-before features and handsome detailing. Each console, port and starboard, is essentially a cabin. The port side console is set up for resting, with a clever sliding full-sized bunk and an entertainment system. The starboard side console head area contains full-sized cabinetry and counters, and other amenities previously unheard of in any dual console. Seating and a table at the bow were innovative and very smartly engineered to be out of the way. And in the cockpit, the port side features electronically controlled seating with great storage and a neat fold-down countertop, and the starboard cockpit is set for entertaining with a wet bar, refrigerator, and optional grill. The aft cockpit is perfect for competitive fishing, if that’s the owner’s choice, and a SureShade™ retractable shade device covers the aft cockpit. Truly, the 335 exemplifies comfort and style, and appeals to a wide variety of age groups. So, at the top of the 2013 model year, Grady-White offered a company record 27 models‚ truly a size and shape boat for any serious boating family! But the record wouldn’t last long.
In the fall of 2012, early in the 2013 model year, Grady-White continued to sweat the details on engineering great new features and products in anticipation of an improving economy. The Grady-White team hosted another excellent sales training seminar that December. And behind the scenes, Grady-White worked to introduce yet another incredible dual console. Actually, a new phrase was born for this special product: the “dual cabin boat,” touted as the “ultimate transformer,” the “biggest and best”– the Freedom 375, with literally dozens of features designed to make anyone’s idea of a dream day on the water come true, including for the first time anywhere, the trademark AirView2™ enclosure. (See the 375 video.) By the time that the Miami show arrived in February 2013, the company was building nine different Freedom Series models and 28 models of all descriptions.