[xr6st]

im hoping in purcashing an sx18 2006 model
is there anything i should be looking out for
as im a first time owner for a mariah

[mikeyt]

Check the boat over closely for missing trim and / or gell coat blistering, confirm the engine hours and service history (copies of invoices etc would be great), make sure all the gauges & switches work (particularly trim/tilt). If you can speak with the original owner (assuming it's not a private sale) ask how the boat performed and then get it out on the water yourself. Is there any warranty left on the boat? I understand that the newer SeaFox versions have improved their quality control since 2002 and as a result the boats are now reasonably reliable. Trim pieces etc can be bought thru Sea Fox so that is a plus over the original Mariah boats. Not sure what engine is in the boat you are looking at and there is some debate over whether that 3.0L is strong enough. If it has the 4.3L version then it will have plenty of grunt. They are generally good performers though and should make a good first boat assuming it fits your needs. You can also check out their new & improved website at www.mariah-boats.com

A couple of the other members ('Dudders' for one) here have the same model & year i think so they would be good sources of specific information on that particular boat.

[xr6st]

thanks for that info
it is a 3ltr mericruiser and it not a private sale, and it in very good condition overall i was just concern about the motor more then anything

[mikeyt]

Send a PM to "Dudders" (Tony in Perth, Australia) and tell him i sent ya. He has the same model / year but i'm not sure which engine he has. He will be more than glad to offer you his thoughts on the boat. He has some pics in our "Gallery" section (look under 2006) and he also did a review on the boat which i've reprinted here (without his permission of course.. )

2006 Sx 18
This being my first ever boat, I really dont have anything to compare it to.
However after being at the latest boat show and having a real good look at other manufacturers boats,
I can say the amount of items the Mariahs offer over almost all others is better,
the finish on the new ones could be more professional and better quality though.
The glove box lid fell off on our second trip after going over a wake, I have since
changed it from pop rivets to nuts and bolts.
The engine cover didnt come up very high so I changed the placement of the lifting arms.
This worked well and now has heaps of room to check fluids etc. The original spots
for the lifting arms were also starting to pull out of the fibreglass as well so I secured the new mounting area with very strong solid brass fittings.
The wiring to the forward nav lights was just hanging in the anchor well,
which could easily snag whenever I pulled the anchor out, so I simply secured it with small wire clamps to the inside of the upper deck.
Its now out of the way and can no way be snagged up.
The fire extinquisher needs a good place to be housed, this is little bit of a dilema.
Do I put it at the back out of the way, but potentially close to where the fire will be (god forbid there is one).
Or put it close the the front which would be a bit out of the way and a little hard to release?
Apart from the little things, this boat is fantastic. Looks great sitting on the water even in a decent 3 - 4 swell,
it gets on to plane really fast and tows nicely on the trailer behind a family car. Remembering to put the bung in, taking the keys, leaving the cut out lanyard in position is the hard part.