A deep cockpit and high bow rails keep ûanglers inside the boat. Note the significant ûfreeboard forward, which helps the 263 punch ûthrough waves, and the pleasing sheerline ûthat steps down amidships.

We’ve always thought of the Grady-White as the battleship of small saltwater boats. These heavily built, durable deep-V hulls have been pleasing their customers for nearly 40 years.

Back in 1958 when the company was founded, Grady dealt with a scant field of competitors. Today, though, at least 20 other companies—including some very reputable ones like Pursuit, Contender and Regulator—are pumping out hundreds of fishing boats from 20 to 30+ feet. How does Grady stack up against this rapidly multiplying competition? To find out, we took a close look at the Chase 263, a 26’11" center console (note: 2002 models will be called the Chase 273). …