When it comes to center console fishing boats, it’s true that bigger is not always better, but the all-new Grady-White Canyon 456 proves that sometimes size does matter. In this case, it’s quite a leap up from Grady’s former center console flagship, the Canyon 376. What does that leap get you? A Godzilla-sized footprint with more oceanic capability, more stowage, more console cabin, and more comfort than one could previously imagine finding on a Grady-White center console.
Canyon-Style Fishability
First things first – can a center console yacht like this really be considered a “hard-core” fishing machine? Truth be told, that’s a bit of a stretch. This boat splits the difference between fisher and cruiser and much of the bow cockpit is taken up with huge sunpads and settees, which are indicative of the boat’s emphasis on creature comforts. That said, there is room for a pair of anglers to cast from up forward and Grady-White does place flush-mount rodholders up there amongst all the cupholders and cushions. Besides, most of the serious angling will take place back aft and trollers in specific will be thrilled with what they find.
In the cockpit, Grady wisely doesn’t mess with the fishing territory. The transom holds a 115-gallon fishbox fitted with integrated freezer plates and a digitally-controlled thermostat. It’s bracketed on both sides by insulated 35-gallon livewells with full-column inlets, lights, and dedicated 1,500 gph pumps. Yes, this does make for a very large transom and when combined with the quadruple outboards hanging off the back, and a reach much too long to get a rod past the propellers. All fish will have to be played accordingly and landed on the hip.
One perk of the boat’s sheer size is the presence of double under-gunwale racks. Sure, virtually all center consoles have a pair of rod racks under the gunwale. But in this case, the length is there for a pair of racks on each side – for a grand total of four. Locking doors swing over the reels so they’re protected from spray as you run, and from theft if you pull into a waterfront restaurant for some chow.
The Grady-White Canyon 456 also has a pair of features you won’t find in any other center console’s cockpit. The first is the aft-facing seating station which has room for three (or four good friends) and is, rather obscenely, chilled by air conditioning vents that blast a frosty breeze out into the open cockpit. The unit also houses oodles of tackle stowage drawers as well as bulk stowage compartments. The second eye-opener is a 24-inch LCD screen mounted right in the face of the transom. It can display the helm electronics, or better yet, the view from underwater dredge-cams and the like. Nifty.
One beef back here: the outriggers, a pair of 22-foot Gemlux carbon-fibers, are considered optional. That seems a bit nutty considering that things like an integrated outdoor grill, a Seakeeper gyroscopic stabilization system, and a ZipWake auto-leveling dynamic trim system are all included on the standard features list. C’mon Grady, throw in the outriggers, will ya?
Console Yourself
One of the beautiful things about building a center console this big is that there’s plenty of room available to turn the console itself into a rather spacious cabin. In this case, it gets you a full stand-up head, a galley, and a forward dinette which converts into a queen berth. More importantly, Grady designed in rod racks on either side of the berth, into the galley sole, and even in the head, accommodating a dozen big rigs below decks, in total.
We couldn’t really find any faults with the cabin to complain about, except perhaps to point out that between the teak sole, supple upholstery, and lighted glass shelving, you’ll need to make dang sure you wipe the mahi blood off the soles of your flip-flops before you dare enter.
If you build a center console this massive and well-equipped, will it be a slug on the water? Heck no. What it will do, naturally, is burn up oodles of fuel. Hey, don’t act surprised – the 456 weighs in at 24,500 pounds sans engines and carries a grand total of 1,400 horses on the transom. But it cruises in the mid-30’s and tops out at a zippy 55 mph. At cruise, it gets around 0.6 mpg. That might not sound so great at first but consider the fuel economy of a 45-foot twin diesel express. A Viking 45 with twin Man 2848LE’s gets right around 0.6 mpg at 33 to 35 mph, and a Hatteras GT45X gets closer to 0.5 at the same speed with a pair of CAT C-18’s.
So comparatively speaking, the Grady-White Canyon 456 is more efficient than one might have thought.
Grady-White Canyon 456 Specs
- LOA – 45’0”
- Beam – 14’0”
- Draft – 2’6”
- Displacement – 24,500
- Transom deadrise – 21 degrees
- Fuel capacity – 616 gal.
- Water capacity – 80 gal.
Should the Grady-White Canyon 456 be your next fishing boat? That’s a question only you and your bank account can answer. (Base price: approximately $1.2 million). But we can say one thing without hesitation: in this particular case, heck yeah – bigger is better.
For more information on the Grady-White Canyon 456, visit Grady-White Boats.
Photo Credit: Grady-White Boats
