Gregor MX-580 or 780 for delta use - stripers

[Marshal]

Any comments about the Gregor MX-580 and MX-780 will be appreciated. The 15.5' or 17' side console would be used mainly in delta type waters. The beam is 84 inches and they weigh 500 to 550 lbs..

[slimfishin's]

Since you asked... I think either of those boats would be fine, but I like the idea of the larger one. Gregor makes a decent boat, but I must say, I don't hold them in the highest esteem.

My experience with Gregor is a bit limited, but I have looked into them quite extensively, as I was looking to buy one. If you were going to buy one, I would buy the larger version - a bit more room, and a bit more sea worthy. The only Gregor I have piloted was a 16.5' Seahawk, with a 2 stroke 40hp. My impression was that the boat was too narrow for its height, and was erratic in the turns - its tough to describe, but I felt like the boat did not handle well in basic maneuvers. For a 16.5' boat, it was also a bit tippy. I felt like the boat was too narrow for how steep the V-hull was, making it tipsy.

At this time, I also have a 17 or 18' Gregor Seahawk center console at work - it is a total death trap. In fact, it hasn't moved this year at all, due to it's reputation for unpredictable handling. Normally it gets a lot of use on the lakes, but has been benched in favor of the Boston Whaler and Koffler Baybee that are also in our fleet. Putting all that aside, I have other issues with Gregor. One is that I don't like their thin hulls - take a look at the hull thickness on most models, and it usually 0.08". I would rather buy an aluminum boat at 0.10" and thicker. The other part is that I don't feel that their underlying structure and framing is very strong. Take a good look under the hatches of a Gregor and you'll see that the floors are riveted to thin aluminum angle. I just get the impression that they are not as well made as I had thought.

If you are going to buy such a boat, I would highly recommend looking into a Klamath. They are a bit more pricey, but I think you will get a much stronger, longer lasting boat. Just my two cents.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Those are both nice boats.

I would put a Honda 50hp on the 580.

On the 780 I would put on a Yamaha or Mecury 60hp.

They have them at Buck's Outboard in south Sacramento and at Sutter Marine in Yuba City.

Both are go dealers.

They are both light enough for a Minn Kota Auto-pilot 12 volt /55# thrust bow mounted electric.