Grady-White Freedom 325: Where the Fishing Family Stops Compromising

Photo Credit: Grady White

The conversation between spouses goes something like this: one wants a serious fishing boat, the other wants something comfortable enough to spend a full day aboard without feeling like a passenger on a work vessel. For years, that conversation ended in compromise — a boat that did one thing well and the other adequately. The Grady-White Freedom 325 exists to end that negotiation permanently. This is the dual console that gives the angler tournament-grade fishing capability and the family first-class comfort, all wrapped in a build quality that has earned Grady-White the NMMA Customer Satisfaction Index Award every year since the award was created in 2001.

Who It’s For

The Freedom 325 is for the family that is serious about the water — not casual about it. You want to run 30 miles offshore to the reef, fish hard through the morning bite, and then transition seamlessly to a family lunch at anchor without a single complaint from the crew. You have owned a center console and loved the fishing but heard about it at dinner. Or you had a bowrider and loved the comfort but missed the offshore capability. The Freedom 325 solves both problems. If you are cross-shopping the Pursuit DC 295, the Boston Whaler 280 Vantage, or the Cobia 280 DC, the 325 raises the bar on what a dual console in this size range can deliver.

Design and Layout

At 31 feet 2 inches on centerline with integrated swim platforms extending the overall length to 33 feet 1 inch, the Freedom 325 maximizes its 10-foot 9-inch beam to create a remarkably spacious platform. The high freeboard — 33 inches at the stern, 47 inches at the bow — delivers genuine offshore confidence while keeping every passenger feeling secure.

The dual console layout is where this boat earns its name. The port console houses a VacuFlush head with a 10-gallon holding tank, sink, and storage closet, while the starboard console features a cushioned berth with indirect lighting — a proper resting space, not an afterthought. The electromechanically extendable lounge seating on both sides of the cockpit deploys at the touch of a button, instantly converting the fishing cockpit into a comfortable cruising arrangement. A flip-out transom seat adds two more riding spots for the run home.

Forward, twin bow lounges measure 5 feet 10 inches long and 33 inches wide with flip-down armrests — these are genuine relaxation stations, not token seating. Beneath the port lounge sits open storage with flip-open panels that convert to rod storage extending into the head compartment. The starboard side holds an insulated 180-quart cooler/fishbox. The AV2 hardtop with integrated supports provides comprehensive weather protection, with an overhead hatch for easy access to the masthead light and reinforced sections for outrigger mounting.

For anglers, the 325 delivers without apology. A 32-gallon livewell with Grady-White’s proprietary water-inflow manifold keeps baitfish alive and active. A 254-quart insulated fishbox at the transom and the 180-quart bow cooler handle even a productive day. Rod holders line the caprail and the hardtop supports, and reinforced sections accommodate outriggers for the serious offshore angler. Cockpit coaming pads, toe rails, and a self-bailing deck ensure comfort and safety while working fish in any conditions.

Performance

Standard twin Yamaha 300 outboards deliver a top speed of 48.1 mph at 6,000 RPM, with 53.9 mph available when equipped with the optional 350s. Best economic cruise comes in at 27.1 mph and 3,500 RPM, burning 17.2 gallons per hour for a fuel efficiency of 1.6 miles per gallon — translating to a cruising range of approximately 409 miles from the 288-gallon fuel tank. The boat reaches planing speed in just 3.5 seconds and hits 30 mph in 8.2 seconds.

The SeaV2 hull is the foundation of everything Grady-White builds, and on the Freedom 325 it delivers exactly what the company promises. Variable deadrise progresses from 20 degrees at the transom to approximately 30 degrees amidships, creating a hull that slices through head seas cleanly, throws spray low and wide, and tracks through turns as if on rails. In a 5-foot sea during testing, the 325 remained steady at 30 mph — the kind of rough-water composure that turns an uncomfortable day into a manageable one.

The helm features a split dual seat with bolsters for the captain and companion, Yamaha’s LCD digital boat display, and a blank canvas dashboard ready for your choice of dual navigation screens. With the optional Yamaha 350s, the Helm Master system with joystick control and a bow thruster makes close-quarters maneuvering virtually effortless — a significant comfort factor for the spouse who occasionally takes the helm.

Ownership

New Freedom 325s typically list between $280,000 and $525,000 depending on engine selection and options, with average pricing around $318,500. That positions the 325 as a premium offering in the dual console segment, and Grady-White’s resale values justify the investment consistently. The all-composite structural construction, Grady-White’s legendary customer service infrastructure, and that unbroken streak of Customer Satisfaction awards create an ownership experience that extends well beyond the boat itself.

The Freedom 325 does not try to be everything to everyone. It is a dual console built for families who take their boating seriously — who want the offshore capability of a center console with the comfort and layout of a bowrider, all built to a standard that ensures the boat you own in year ten feels as solid as the one you bought in year one.

The Meeting Point

Karen and Steve had been debating boats for three years. Steve wanted a 33-foot center console for offshore fishing. Karen wanted something their two teenagers could enjoy without the sun exposure and the constant salt spray. Their dealer suggested the Freedom 325 as a middle ground, and Steve went along skeptically — he had seen too many “dual purpose” boats that were really just compromised fishing platforms. The first offshore trip changed his mind. They ran 25 miles into the Gulf, trolled for wahoo in a four-foot sea with the hull never missing a beat, and Karen sat comfortably under the hardtop reading a magazine while the kids explored the bow lounges. By afternoon, the retractable mezzanine seats were deployed, the transom seat popped out, and Steve grilled burgers on a portable grill while the family anchored over a nearshore reef. On the ride home at 30 knots, Steve’s daughter leaned forward from the companion seat and said, “Dad, can we do this every Saturday?” Three seasons later, they have — and Steve has never once complained about what the boat cannot do.

The Bottom Line

The Grady-White Freedom 325 is the dual console that proves you do not have to choose between a fishing boat and a family boat. It fishes with conviction, cruises with comfort, and rewards its owner with a build quality and customer satisfaction record that no competitor in the segment can match. For the family that refuses to compromise, this is the boat.

Explore full specifications at YachtSpecsDirect.com

Browse available Grady-White inventory at mintedyachts.com/gradywhite