2026 Grady White FM 285

This new 2026 Grady-White Freedom 285, stock #4782, is finished in classic Grady-White white and specified toward the fishing end of the range. Twin Yamaha 300 hp four-strokes for 600 horsepower, 28 feet on a 9-foot 6-inch beam, and 214 gallons of fuel.

The fishing equipment is real rather than decorative: multiple insulated fish boxes, a livewell, and abundant rod holders, on a self-draining deck. Combined with the SeaV2 variable deadrise hull, which gives one of the softest, driest rides in the class, this is a boat that will genuinely trailer to the coast and fish offshore, not just troll a lake.

What makes it work the other six days of the week is the dual console layout and the equipment around it. Convertible bow seating with a removable table turns the forward area into a proper lounge. There is an enclosed fiberglass head compartment with a freshwater sink, a cockpit wet bar and entertainment center, refrigerated cockpit storage, and large in-floor compartments. A fiberglass hardtop with integrated windshield keeps the helm dry and shaded.

Two practical items are worth calling out. An electric windlass with a stainless anchor means nobody goes forward to wrestle with ground tackle, which matters when you are anchoring repeatedly through a day at the sandbar. And Helm Master EX joystick control is available on this boat: on a 6,500 lb hull with a 9-foot 6-inch beam catching wind, joystick docking removes essentially all of the stress from coming alongside.

The helm carries large multifunction Garmin touchscreens with GPS, sonar, and depthsounder, Yamaha digital engine monitoring, hydraulic steering, VHF, and a JL Audio Bluetooth system. Twelve-person capacity.

Why this is the right boat: if the boat has to satisfy an angler and a family in equal measure, the Freedom 285 is Grady's most balanced answer, and this one is specified with the fishing hardware, the head, the windlass, and the wet bar all present. There is nothing you would need to add in year two.

It is new and available at Kelly's Port in Osage Beach, a family-owned full-service marina on the Lake of the Ozarks since 1977. Factory-trained outboard service with a same-day guarantee, slips, wet and dry storage, a ship store, and a gas dock are all on the property. Call 573.348.3888 to see stock #4782.