Questions on Carolina Classic 25

[Reel Draggin' Tackle]

I am thinking about selling the Round-Tuit, a 23 foot Grady White Gulf Stream and moving up. I make 12 to 16 canyon runs (50 to 80 miles) a season. I am seriously considering a Carolina Classic 25. I am looking for a capable canyon runner, that I can still trailer. The CC 25 with the inboard diesel looks real interesting. I love my Grady, and if I stick with Grady I will be looking at the Sail Fish and 265 Express, both get difficult to trailer. I am looking for opinions on the cc 25.
Thanks, Ken

[jawz12]

I am thinking about selling the Round-Tuit, a 23 foot Grady White Gulf Stream and moving up. I make 12 to 16 canyon runs (50 to 80 miles) a season. I am seriously considering a Carolina Classic 25. I am looking for a capable canyon runner, that I can still trailer. The CC 25 with the inboard diesel looks real interesting. I love my Grady, and if I stick with Grady I will be looking at the Sail Fish and 265 Express, both get difficult to trailer. I am looking for opinions on the cc 25.
Thanks, Ken

for what it's worth....
those gradys can not be compared with the carolina classic,the carolina classic is a much better product.the construction,the hull design as well as the electrical systems in the carolina classic put the grady to shame...notice we have not discussed the ride either??? the carolina classic has the tested deep v hull-exactly what's needed to run offshore,think of how bad that grady beat you to death in a sea-it's all gone with a carolina classic...this my friend is a very easy decision....carolina classic
i've never performed a structual repair,or a void on a carolina classic hull-ever
i can't say the same thing about the grady white-i've posted numerous pictures on this site backing up what i say...the grady whites,in my opinion,are incredibly overpriced as well as overrated,they're just not that good...here's a little test to show you what i mean...marine grade wire is tinned-when it's cut and stripped,it will appear to be silver-this is "marine grade",also the strands of wire are much finer....walk out to the grady,cut a wire in the boat's harness-pick one....strip it...look at the wire..i know the answer,it's plain ol' cheap copper automotive wire...that's what you're paying for with a grady,now how many other short cuts do you think grady takes in their production???? that's some quality huh???
again,smart play....carolina classic...

[Getsome]

I owned a Carolina Classic 25 and fished it in the Chesapeake. The boat is a tank! Very solid, takes rough water very well. I would recommend the deisel, as the 454 gas motor I had was always thirsty. Mac Privott and the folks at Carolina Classic are very nice to deal with.
The only reason I sold the boat was because of the way it rocked in the Chesapeake chop while trolling. That boat is made for the ocean!

Getsome

[Squid]

Ditto what the other two guys have said! A good friend of mine had one that we fished out of Morehead all the time. The boat is an absolute tank! Will ride in any sea! The only problem we had was the motor, but he had the 454 gas Volvo. We kept it at 70 West Marina in Morehead City (what used to be the Carolina Classic dealer) and there were several other 25 Classic's there with the diesel motor. Every one of the owners loved their boat and couldn't say a bad word about them. They also reported GREAT mileage. (We could only muster about 1.25-1.5 mpg out of the gasser.) I will also back up what jaws12 said....Grady's are WAAAAAAAY overpriced and overrated. I would NEVER buy one---they beat you up going down the Waterway and not to mention the wiring and overall construction. As they said, this is a no brainer. GO WITH THE CLASSIC!!

[Grog]

For running out to the canyons the Classic is a much better boat. Be sure you have the means to tow that beast. It's 25' but it's HEAVY.

[costaricasportfishing]

I miss my Classic ALOT!! Best small boat I have ever fished/run. I ran mine in out of Oregon Inlet and it can handle some sea for sure. Great setup on the boat. The folks at CC are awesome. They stand behind the boats! Not a big fan of the outdrive but I liked the Jackshaft setup. Volvo would not be my first choice. Great Boat!!

[Capt Larry]

I owned a 28 Classic and they are truly canyon machines. The 25 is a strong boat. My only hesitation is with one engine and the issues that raises and trailering you will need a strong diesel powered truck to pull it. Good luck.

[costaricasportfishing]

I think they are around 8500 pounds. Nice to be able to pull if needed. I agree about the single. I still run a single screw charterboat but thankfully I don't run nearly as far as a jersey trip.

[Graceland]

Here's a copy of my reply on CC25's from another forum on here. Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

Mine has a 315 Yanmar diesel in her with a jack shaft. In the diesel models the only other one I would recommend in the 25 is the Volvo 300. The smaller Volvo diesels were way underpowered. This hull wants to run at least 25 knots to stay planed out nicely. You can feel it really lift around that speed, and it takes very few rpms to go from 25 up to 30 knots. The 315 Yanmar and Volvo 300 boats both will cruise around 28 knots and get about 3 mpg. I am not sure on the other power options.

I don't know of another boat that size that can handle heavy seas as well. It is a pure tank. Dry weight is 8,500 lbs minimum, loaded they can go over 10,000 lbs easily. Between that weight and 24 degree dead rise, well you should get the idea.

The boat fishes really well. You have a wide open and flat cockpit area with no engine box to deal with due to the jackshaft placing the motor under the helm. Mine is set up with 2 rod holders on each gunnell, 2 rod holders on each stern corner, 6 rod holders on the hard top legs and 4 more rod holders across the top of the hard top. Some people even mount a pedestal and fighting chair on them, it's a factory option. Most boats come with 18 ft Lee heavy poles mounted on wish bones.

Mine has the optional tackle cabinet on one side of the helm, and the cooler on the other. These are handy for storage and provide additional seating for 2 people. Some people leave these options off and sit a large cooler, like a 270 Icey Tech, across this area just behind the helm seats.

The only real gripe I have is with fish box room. You have a small live well in the transom, and that's it. Not large enough for offshore trips. I carry a 270 qt cooler on the rear deck, and a 6 foot tuna bag in the cabin in case we have a really good day. There is no tuna door.

Depending on the power plant and condition of the boat I have seen them priced from $45,000 up to about $70,000 used. Most of the diesels have been $60,000 and up. You can get a new diesel IO pretty well rigged out for around $90,000. The gas, straight inboard, bare bones runs about $70,000.

[wbfish]

The 25 Carolina Classic is a great boat. Rode one in Morehead and enjoyed the ride and all the fishing room on stern. I wouldn't put down Grady White either. Been on some mighty rough seas on a 27 chase and 28 Release and both handled excellent and cut through the waves, however have become well overpriced. Just about anything beats the ride I had to put up with this past weekend on a new 26 Reg.