Grady-White’s Canyon 366 is a multifaceted center-console. It can fish the blue water effectively, comfortably and safely. It’s also a wonderful family boat, with amenities that include a generous cabin with double berth. Another distinction that sets the Canyon 366 apart from other jumbo center-consoles is that it runs great when powered with just a pair of outboard motors.
The Canyon 366 has a huge beam. This results in huge interior volume. For instance, there’s space for four to lounge about and watch TV in the console cabin. Stash the kids here after a long day, while the adults socialize on deck. Also, with its head, shower, minigalley, double berth and massive stowage, a pair of tournament anglers could weekend aboard. So could a skipper and his mate.
That galley is functional, with microwave and refrigerator, but I’d order the optional grill ($1,145). Installed in the tackle center, it allows grilling burgers, steaks and fish for a crowd, rather than the microwaveable fare you’d likely cook in the galley. Located behind the leaning post, the tackle center’s standard arrangement includes a livewell, a fish box, capacious tackle stowage, leader dispenser, a sink and a really functional Grady-built rig rack that held lures securely when we ran offshore during the test.
At the helm, I enjoyed the protection of a three-sided glass enclosure integral with the massive t-top. With thunderstorms forecast, I’d packed my rain gear, but when the drops began falling and the spray began flying as we shot into a squall line, I didn’t bother donning it. Neither did my three companions. We all fit at the helm bench. Air conditioning ($4,380) ducted here staved off North Carolina’s July heat.
The ride proved as comfortable as the climate control, the Canyon 366 maintaining a jar-free, straight-tracking experience at 30 mph in three-foot seas. Performance? During my test, the twin Yamaha F350 outboards saw to it that the Canyon 366 posted a one-way top speed of 47.6 mph. At 29.9 mph, burning 27.1 gph, its economy exceeded one mile per gallon, providing 374 miles of range. Could you ask for more? Some do.
Power the Canyon 366 with triple F350s, according to Yamaha, and at the same speed, the engines turning 3,600 rpm, you’ll burn the same fuel for the same range. Topend is faster than with twins, the Canyon 366 bulleting to 55.3 mph. At a base price of $402,595, that means you pay $5,000 for each of those extra 8 mph. Consider some other costs of the third engine.
Put the levers in the corner and you’ll burn 66 gph with twins and 99 gph with trips, a 50 percent increase. Then there’s service. Triples mean eight more spark plugs, more oil and another set of filters, not to mention another prop to send out for reconditioning following the inevitable contact with sandbar, sunfish or sodden log.
Money isn’t everything, though. My test boat’s transom allowed for easy removal of the cowlings and more superior access to dipsticks and filters than would be possible with trips. This is a durability issue, since something easier to service is more likely to get serviced. I just wish the engines completely cleared the water at full tilt. They don’t. You’ll need to paint the gear-case torpedoes.
The integral bracket is shorter than most, a feature I like. This is also true of Everglades’ narrower, lighter 350 CC ($325,500 powered like my tester). A short platform doesn’t eat into cockpit space like longer ones do. Another solution is to use a bolt-on bracket like that found aboard Regulator’s 34SS ($234,595 powered like my test boat). The 34SS, carrying a 10-foot-11-inch beam, measures 38 feet 7 inches to the end of its armstrong bracket and comes with a shorter standards list than either the Grady or Everglades.
Taking a break from helm duties, I sat on the aft bench, which folds out of the way for fishing. I could easily lean forward, grab a rig from the rack, and then sit back down and reach behind into the cold box ($7,595) on the transom for ballyhoo. With a bucket at our feet, we rigged a bunch of baits this way, at 35 mph on open ocean, more comfortably than we could have done standing at the rigging station.
Naturally this bench is also a comfy spot to relax. As is the bow lounge. Bow lounge? Yup. Hit a button and the optional cherry table ($1,230) rises, allowing four to chill. This option makes access to the anchor locker dicey, as you have to get at your rode from beneath the table. But that was the only access glitch I found. Pumps and fittings are easily serviced through a large hatch in the aft cockpit sole. Electrical access from within the console is topnotch: well-lit, a short reach and no scrunching.
Comfortable to run, serviceable and versatile, the Canyon 366 delivers admirable performance with twins, making it more comfortable on your wallet too.
Comparable model: Regulator 34SS
Grady-White Boats – Greenville, North Carolina; 252-752-2111; gradywhite.com
