The way they became THE GRADY BUNCH
The Grady Bunch, based out of Vero Marine Center, enjoys a “raft-up” in the Sebastian River, with the first and oldest Grady-White boat owners group. BRIAN CUNNINGHAM
Boating club navigates adventure together
From the top of Elbow Reef Lighthouse, the Grady Bunch fleet is seen docked in Hope Town, Abaco Islands on its traditional Bahamas summer adventure. BRIAN CUNNINGHAM
In the late ‘80s the folks at Vero Marine Center realized something interesting about some of their customers – they weren’t using their boats enough.
“We thought they either don’t know how to use their boat; they’re afraid to use their boat; or they need a good reason to use their boat,” Brian Cunningham, co-owner of Vero Marine Center and leader of the Grady Bunch, said.
From there, the Grady Bunch began, setting itself apart as the first, and now the oldest, owners’ group of the Grady-White Boats.
“Our group is unique because we started something nobody else was doing with a specific boat brand,” Cunningham said.
The boating club gives Grady-White owners, who purchase their boats from the Vero Marine Center, the opportunity to develop as boaters and enjoy life on the water with a crew of like-minded people. The Grady Bunch looks forward to yet another year traveling to the Bahamas in a convoy of 15 Grady-White boats, which will set sail in mid-July when the weather pattern stabilizes.
“Something people don’t realize is where we live in Vero Beach is closer to the Bahamas, by distance, than to the Keys,” Cunningham said.
The trip itself — adventure, fellowship, and memories — is a Grady Bunch signature experience.
Grady White boats that are part of Vero Marine Center’s Grady Bunch anchor off Schooner Cay, Eleuthera, Bahamas.
Karen and Brian Cunningham spend a day in the Abacos with their grandchildren and other families representing generations of the Grady Bunch club. KELSEY WHEELER
ADVENTURE AWAITS
The first Grady Bunch expedition to the Bahamas occurred in the group’s inaugural year and kickstarted the long-standing summer tradition. This summer they will spend two weeks exploring a variety of the Bahamas islands.
The crew will all be together for the first half of the trip and then split into two groups. One group will head to the Exuma Islands and the other will go to a Grady Bunch favorite: Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Islands. Cunningham works with in-house coordinator Laura Sitko to plan trips that reflect the preferences and best practices the group has learned through years of exploring the islands.
“The fact that we’re that close to that beautiful water, great snorkeling and diving, fishing and those beautiful beaches — that in itself is something memorable,” Cunningham said. “Those are experiences that create memories that last a lifetime.”
The Grady Bunch plans a total of 10 to 12 get-togethers for its eight-month season. On water events range from lunch at a local yacht club to snorkeling and fishing in the Keys. Other previous destinations for the Grady Bunch include Charleston, South Carolina; the Outer Banks of North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Florida’s West Coast and beyond.
Some factors that determine destinations include accommodation availability for the fleet and, sometimes, the impact of the previous hurricane season. The aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton deterred the group from heading to Florida’s West Coast this year, which makes the Bahamas its only big trip for 2025.
LEARNING TOGETHER
The Grady Bunch club’s burgee flies proudly in the Green Turtle Club, a beloved destination in the Bahamas. BRIAN CUNNINGHAM
As a member of many clubs, Jim Stanley, a Grady Bunch captain, attests to the expertise and quality of care the Vero Marine Center provides as a full-service marina. But it’s the public engagement that sets it apart. “The biggest distinction I see is that the Grady Bunch is active boaters,” Stanley said.
One of Vero Marine Center’s many slogans states, “We take your boating fun seriously.”
Cunningham began working at the marina in 1987, where he partnered with the late Bruce McIntyre and his wife, Jackie. Their son, Bruce “Boo” McIntyre, is now a co-owner with Cunningham and runs the service department.
“What we do here is provide a fun lifestyle and the Grady Bunch just accentuates that,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham offers a multitude of learning experiences to help members gain confidence in Florida’s diverse waterways. A tour through the intracoastal exposes members to the lock systems that connect the East and West coasts of Florida. His shallow river cruise teaches members how to navigate the shallows of the Indian River Lagoon.
“Everybody becomes a better boater by doing it. Experience is a great teacher,” Cunningham said.
Between advancements in the boating industry and an overall increased interest in boating, the group, the boats, and the trips have all expanded over time. Some members who began in the group with a 20-foot Grady-White now operate models as large as 45 feet.
“Today’s engines are more reliable, safer, and more economical. It has expanded our scope of travel. We have greater range and safety now than we did 20 years ago,” Cunningham said.
Standard equipment, like air conditioning, hot water, microwaves, and generators, offer a more comfortable experience and make longer boating trips more enjoyable.
“There’s been some great, kind of revolutionary things that have happened in the boating industry in the last 10 or 20 years that have made all of us safer on the water,” Cunningham said.
The Grady Bunch gathers on a dock at Faro Blanco Marina in Marathon on one of many trips to the Florida Keys. JOHN CHIANIS
LIFELONG MEMORIES
Not only do members feel safer with the better technology, but traveling in a pack provides the opportunity for boating veterans and novices to learn from each other — while enjoying good company.
“Sixty-two years of boating and every time I’m with the Grady Bunch I learn something new,” Stanley said.
Although the group started as a learning experience and a way to encourage boat usage, the fellowship and memories that transpire along the way create connections that transcend generations. Long-term bonds between families that began at the Grady Bunch are pervasive throughout the entire group.
Grady Bunch trips have seen proposals, anniversaries, and Cunningham and his wife Karen’s daughter was married on a Bahamas trip. On one occasion, two different couples realized they attended the same college together years before reuniting on a Grady Bunch trip.
“The camaraderie is a big part of it. There have been great friendships involved because of the size of the group and the longevity of the group,” Cunningham said.
On a Bahamas expedition, travelers of the Grady Bunch cool off in the striking blue water in Little Harbour, Abaco Islands. BRIAN CUNNINGHAM
