The Mariah Owners Club - Hello From Connecticut

Hello All!

Glad to know that the Mariah Club exists. I am looking for pictures and brochures for our 1989 Davanti. I found it in the back of a gas station with trees sprouting from the cockpit. It's now a beauty. However, we had to "wing it"with respect to certain particulars, since I just recently found out that it's a Mariah! Also, the windshield was accidently crushed due to an untimely snow storm and a thoughtless crew member. So we had to do some creative repairs.

I have also noticed that in the rough water our Davanti tends to pound quite a bit. Can I mitigate the pounding by putting more weight in the front somewhere? We are located near Long Island Sound and it tends to be quite rough in the afternoons. The boat is incredibly sea worthy, but takes a beating if we crank up the speed in choppy waters.

Lastly, our business is primarily renovating older vessels. We search out the best hulls from yesteryear and try to restore them to perfection. With some great old production units, it is possible to turn out vessels that are even better than original due to improved materials now, new technologies and our ability to customize certain features and rectify original production shortcuts.

The thorniest issue with this business is trying to convince the insurance companies and the banks to revalue a perfectly restored vessel to a realistic level. Currently, because of the cost of renovation and the unrealistic attitude of lenders and insurers, our products cannot be sold at a profit to normal buyers. So we are dealing with eccentrics, who love their old boats and realize that it is far less expensive and more satisfying to re-hab their great old boats than to buy new ones, Unfortunately that approach takes cash and the vast majority of boat buyers must finance their purchases. Thus the lenders and insurers dictate the rules of the game and many of the great old hulls are sprouting trees in the back of some old used car lot.

As classic boat owners, we must put pressure on these institutions and manufacturers to recognize that certain high quality fiberglass boats can be made new again. We should also join hands to recommend construction standards on all new vessels that would allow easier renovations in the future, such as the placement and installation of fuel tanks, transom & core construction, etc.

Also, there should be a way to issue new VINs with respect to certifiably renovated vessels, which is now ilegal. Perhaps it could be in the form of a suffix added to the original VIN after renovations have passed a vigorous inspection, which meets universal standards.

Old houses can be renovated endlessly without diminishing their value. That is why we have building inspectors and building codes. There is no reason why our older vessels cannot be renovated in the same manner, especially in a time of recession and financial crisis. I have checked with the U.S. Coast Guard, which issued our OEM certification. They indicate that it is impossible to re-issue a new VIN even for a completely renovated vessel. Therefore, there is no way currently in the U.S. to differentiate between an old hulk and a perfectly restored vessel. Do other countries have any provisions dealing with this issue?

Our partial solution is to add our logo to the original logo of boats, which we have re-created. I.e., Odyssey/Chris Craft or Odyssey/Whaler or Odyssey/Wellcraft, etc., which indicates that the boat has been restored by our company, (Odyssey Boatworks, LLC) . We also issue special Warranties, Bills of Sale, Surveys and Certifications on all renovated vessels. Our hope is that these renovated boats will eventually be recognized by the public and institutional lenders as completely renewed and much more valuable than just another old boat of the same vintage.

Mariah owners need to be especially concerned with these issues, as Mariahs are of the highest quality and design and have a mixed marriage of manufacturers. As time passes, we do not wish to see them diminish in value or pass into oblivion because of bureaucratic & public misconceptions. We need to initiate a new branch of the industry, which would set renovation standards and allow us to re-certify older vessels, which have been brought back to a new life. As an example, we restored an old Rolls Royce (1965 SC III), which was in complete disrepair and worthless. After restoration to better than new it was recognised for its true value by lenders, insurers and vintage car buyers alike. We need to insure that the value of our magnificent, beloved older vessels can be preserved as well.

I look forward to feedback on these issues and hope to meet some of you fellow Mariah lovers soon.

All the best,

FAO