One of the best parts of owning a Grady-White boat is the community that comes along with it. You’ll find fellow Grady enthusiasts all around the world—including right here on the Suncoast. Our local Grady-White Club boasts 125 passionate boaters and Cannons Marina customers who gather to learn about marine safety and technology, take boating excursions, and, of course, discuss their passion for Grady-White.
The Suncoast Grady-White Club is helmed by commodores Mike and Mary Robinson, who moved to the Sarasota-Manatee region from California in 2020. They’d vacationed on Anna Maria Island for years and planned on retiring there, so the location was a no-brainer for them. Two years later, in 2022, they bought their first Grady-White boat from Cannons Marina.
Mike grew up fishing with his dad in Delaware. “I always liked the look of boats,” he says. “I liken it to people who love classic cars. And Gradys always captured my eye in marinas—I liked the style and classic lines.”
After moving to Florida, Mike and Mary decided to trade up to a Grady-White Freedom 307 because of Mike’s love of deep sea fishing. “I was going 80 miles off the coast in a single engine, and my wife was upset that I was going out that far,” he recalls. “She said I needed to get a two-engine boat. So we sold our boat and upgraded to the Grady, which is truly an offshore fishing boat.”
“The great thing about the Grady is the ride,” he continues. “I’ve never owned such a smooth-riding boat. It doesn’t matter if it’s a flat day or a rough day, you get the same type of ride thanks to the Seav2 hull. It’s unlike any other boat—and then, of course, there’s the fit and finish. The construction shines through all the time. We do everything with it—we do overnights in it, sunset cruises, lunches, dinners, breakfasts. We use the boat for everything.”
Their enthusiasm for their Freedom 307 is so infectious that the Cannons Marina crew asked the Robinsons to commodore the Suncoast Grady-White Club. “I love the Grady and I’m a pretty gregarious guy, and my wife is extremely detail-oriented and very good at organizing, so it works out well!” he says.
The Grady-White Club has hit the water at high speed, with sandbar outings, a trip to Grady-White HQ in North Carolina, visits from Garmin Fusion reps, and, last year, a Christmas party and toy drive that benefited Child Protective Services. And there’s plenty more planned for this year and into 2025. Here’s a look at what’s coming up.
September 2024
A member of the U.S. Coast Guard will offer emergency operator training. “It’s emergency training for non-captains,” Mike explains. “If you’re on the boat and the captain is incapacitated, the training teaches other people what to do—how to call in emergencies, and how to drive and operate the boat.”
November 2024
In November, reps from Garmin Fusion will return to do equipment demos. “When Garmin comes out, the reps bring a mock system and do a whole demonstration with their electronics that they can project on a TV,” Mike says. “They talk about radar overlays, chartplotting, and everything Garmin has.”
December 2024
December will bring a boating trip to Captiva, the charming island off the coast of Fort Myers that’s known for its beautiful Christmas lights. “Everyone will take their boats, and we have docks set aside for us and the hotels are booked,” Mike says. The club will also host its now-annual holiday gathering and do another toy drive benefiting Child Protective Services.
February 2025
In February, the club has planned a boat trip to Tampa Bay, where they’ll dock in the marina right on Davis Island and walk over to watch a Tampa Bay Lighting game. A block of rooms has already been set aside, Mike says.
And, as if these fun events and excursions aren’t enough, Grady-White HQ gets in on the fun, too. “A lot of times when we do events, we’ll call Gwen at Grady-White and she’ll send us door prizes, coolers, T-shirts,” Mike says. “Cannons does it, too. They provide food and drinks for our events and donate raffle prizes; they’re extremely generous.”
The club also has its own private Facebook page, and anyone who has purchased a Grady-White from Cannons can join. “There’s not one type of person in the club,” he says. “What brings us all together is that we currently all have Gradys, and my assumption is that 99.9 percent of us are always going to have one.”
Want to join? Click here to sign up and get in touch with the Robinsons to find out more. (Please note that the club is limited to Cannons Marina customers only!)