thinking about a 250 cuddy?
 

would like to know the difference between a 250 cuddy the one twospeed has on here to be exact and a shabah. Also hows the quality of the last made real mariah boats? thanks for your help

Re: thinking about a 250 cuddy?
 

I dont think 'twospeed' is the current owner of that boat. I believe "michelleandbilly" had it up for sale back in the summer & they bought it from 'twospeed'. There really isn't much difference between a 250/Z250 cuddy and a 252/Z252 bowrider other than the obvious. Both are 25' 2" long & 102" wide, both weigh approx 4300lbs, both have 56 gal fuel tanks, both perform about equal and both have the same passenger capacity. The biggest accessory differences will be seen between the standard version, the Z version and even the "LE" version.

I'm not absolutely positive who (Mariah or Sea Fox) in fact finished building that boat. It was most likely built in 2001 and then finished/released as a 2002 after the Mariah factory closed its doors. I think that our Admin (ShabahZ250) was looking into that for 'twospeed' when he first became a member here. You can check out that thread here.

As for the quality of the last couple of production years, ShabahZ250 has a 2000 "LE" version and i dont think he's complaining..... ;)

Re: thinking about a 250 cuddy?
 

There are a few differences between the 250 Cuddy and the Shabah models of previous years, (besides the name!)

Twospeed's 250 has the "new style" seating arrangement in the back. My 2000 Z250 LE has a large sunpad in the back versus the "new style" U-shaped seating with entry points on the port & starboard side of the stern. This allows for more room in the cabin, with the new "tilt back hood" for the engine. Mine has a huge heavy bench seat that folds forward and takes up a lot of space. Another interior difference-the dashboard gauge clusters. I wish I had that style in mine, I've had trouble with that damn curved molded plastic gauge cluster since I got mine.

As far as physical differences, the 250 has to be a new mold and not the old Shabah mold. The deadrise is much higher, (at least 24 degrees) which means it has more of a V cut to the hull, and the outdrive is mounted lower. This will allow for a smoother ride at speed. I always thought that boat looked much taller than mine, the gunwale seems much larger to integrate those molded vents on the back-which could be nice if it the height extends up into the cuddy, it might allow for more headroom, which I will say is definitely one feature I'd surely appreciate.

As for the quality of the last models, I have never seen a 2002 personally, so I can't speak for that. However the 2001's I've seen have been good. The one thing you may find is that some of the screws need to be tightened. Over time, they can loosen up a little bit. They can be anything from small trim pieces to fiberglass panels to even larger things. I usually tighten all of mine up every two years; of course I boat in some rough waters too, so you might not have those problems.

I know that boat, (or one exactly identical, which is listed in Lebanon TN) is currently for sale at a ridiculously low price. If this is the one you're considering, I'd urge you to have it looked over my a certified mechanic, and/or a surveyor, at whatever the cost. A boat in this great of shape with that low of hours shouldn't be priced that low...

If you're not in a huge hurry and you really like the older 250/Z250 Shabah, keep your eyes open. They show up online fairly often, and i may know someone who might be considering selling one. The 2002 models are extremely rare, and I've only seen maybe 5 of them for sale in the 5 years I've been looking at Mariahs. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Re: thinking about a 250 cuddy?
 

I ran across these two ads in the Dallas area.

2001 250 performance for $22,831 boat dealer

2000 250 with unbelievably low hours for $13,500 last price I saw craigslist

Hope it helps. :)

Re: thinking about a 250 cuddy?
 

hey Chris

Did you ever figure out who finished building these 2002 boats and whether the '250 cuddy' was a planned model change or just a name given to an unfinished product at the time of the plant closure?

Re: thinking about a 250 cuddy?
 

Thanks for all the info, Ive been looking at this boat for a couple of months thats what scares me. Ive talked to twospeeds wife and the reason they sold it was boating wasnt for her. Is there anyway to find michelleandbilly for any other info. Went to look at it last saturday couldnt stay long on the way to knoxvlle. Seems like it needs a good cleaning and some upholstry work. didnt start it or anything. Maybe people just dont know Mariah boats? Thanks for all the help and hope to maybe a mariah boat owner. chip

Re: thinking about a 250 cuddy?
 

<-- ...biting tongue, biting tongue...

Re: thinking about a 250 cuddy?
 

Here is the link to their 'for sale' thread.