Seeking Knowledge
 

I'm seeking information. I've been searching for my first boat and reviewing different body styles and manufacturers and I seem to gravitate back to the original Mariah's. I'm currently in process of purchasing a 1999 272 BR with a 7.4L and Bravo III drive. Can anyone in this forum give me the goods/bads etc . Education on Mariah's; what's the difference in Shabah, Talari, etc - things to look for, avoid etc, etc, etc.....

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

David

Hi David. Welcome to our website! I'll start things off for you & since i'm not sure how much you know about Mariah, i'll start from the beginning. If you're looking at a '99 version then it's an original Mariah. Mariah closed it's doors & sold everything in 2002. SeaFox bought the name & some of the smaller size molds and Challenger bought the larger molds. Seafox versions are completely different boats however and parts are not directly interchangable and Seafox did not buy any of the original Mariah spare parts. (We're not really sure what happened to them). It is difficult to find original Mariah specific parts. By that i mean graphics, emblems, seats, glass, trim pieces etc. Mariah did a large amount of their mfr in-house so there were very few 3rd party suppliers out there. You can still get new switches, lights, gauges, accessories & engine / drive parts though.
The original Mariahs are very solidly built and well appointed boats but like any other boat, look for one that has been taken care of, isn't missing parts and take it for a test run. You could go one better & have a survey done on it. Some owners have complained about 'porpoising' but that's an easy fix with a set of Smart Tabs.
My understanding of the differences between Shabah, Talari & Barchetta is that the Shabah is more of a family / cruiser type boat, the Talari has a lower profile so is slightly more 'sporty' looking and the Barchetta was the sporty version with a lower profile, lower windshield line etc. Within those styles there were 2 different versions. A 'standard' boat and a "Z" model. The "Z" models had a number of upgrades including power operated rear decks / seats / antenna and a number of other goodies. Shabahs & Talaris were by far the more popular of the three styles though.

I'll let someone else fill you in on the 272 and the 7.4 / Bravo 3 as i dont have any experience with them.

Thanks
 

Thanks for the help. So I assume there are still lots of the original Mariah's in operation? How do you like yours?

Well I can't speak for Mike, but I wouldn't trade my Mariah for all the tea in China. It's a fabulous boat. Anyone who's ever ridded in it has made a point of complimenting me on it.

The early Mariah's are among the best built boats on the water.

Mine has been an excellent boat. I've installed the Smart Tabs on mine (about $150 and 1 hr labour on a do-it-yourself basis) and that fixed the minor handing issues i had. Also, one of the nice things about doing any sort of electrical work on the original Mariahs is that all of the wiring is labelled and neatly hidden away yet it is relatively easy to get at. Makes it easy to source out any problems or add accessories etc. Performance is very good. I've got the 4.3LX in mine and will just hit 50mph. I had an 18' Stingray before this one and the Mariah ride / comfort is far superior for the same size boat.

MikeyT to the rescue! :wink_thumbup:

I love my Mariah. It's a 2000, the only annoyance I have, and many others have experienced with their boats is that some of the screws tend to work themselves loose over the season, and cause a rattle or two. None of them have ever fallen out or broken anything, they just loosen to about "finger tight". At the beginning of this season, I removed all the trim and tightened everything down with a screwdriver. All in all, about an hour of work once a season. No big deal at all! And once you get behind the wheel of a Mariah, you'll WANT to take care of it. They just don't build boats like these anymore.

You'll be very happy with your decision if you decide to buy it. The 7.4L & Bravo 3 would be a good combo. It's not going to run 90mph, but i'll push you probably in the high 40s/low 50's at full plane. And for a boat that size, that's pretty fast. My Z250 will do 52, and it's scary.

I would recommend a full survey though, just to be on the safe side. Post the results here and we can all help you decide if it's a keeper!

Seeking MORE Knowledge
 

Man, what a great site!:) So give me your throughts about a 27 foot boat. I have 4 children, ranging from 6 to 15. We want to ski, tube and wakeboard - all the fun stuff. I'm concerned that a 27' boat is too big. I recognize everyones opinion is different but you guys seem to be VERY helpful and I'd appreciate your thoughts. So, from you experienced boaters, would I be better to search for a 24' Mariah??? :confused:

Thanks again!!

In my eyes, a 27' is just a little too big for wakeboarding / tubing etc. At that length you're getting more into a weekend cruising /overnighting etc. type boat.

A 23 - 25' is a good size for what you are looking for. It will easily handle a family of 6 - 8 (kids like to bring friends along), will likely handle slightly better than the larger boat and will likely be slightly easier on the fuel (less weight to push around). And ...you wont have to buy a Kenworth or Mack truck to pull the damm thing around. :yes_grin: A 23-25' can likely be stored in your driveway if necessary. The larger boat may have to be stored in the water or at a marina. There's no question the 27' will be more comfortable and provide a greater amt of space but for your needs the slightly smaller boat might be a better choice.

Just my thoughts.... ;)

A 27' is a bit big for watersports and such. The wake from a boat that big makes it tough to do any type of wave-related stuff. But, if the boat is equipped with Trim Tabs, you can use them to your advantage and control the wake and the boat maneuverability better. My 25' doesn't have tabs, and it's not the best for tubing or skiing. That's why I'm planning on adding the over the winter. Our other admin, MariahMan has a 25' that he uses for wakeboarding. Maybe he'll chime in with his experiences.

There's no doubt the 27' would be much more comfy for the family. You'll have the room to keep everyone happy. And always remember, you'll always want bigger. So get what you want first! But just remember, with the size comes with added expense of harbor fees, plus a tow vehicle if you plan to travel with it.

Is the boat you're looking at on ebay by any chance? If not, there's a Mariah 27' bowrider listed on there currently. Also, is this your first boat?

about mariah 27 footer
 

I would agree with mikey t about 27 is a little big but it depends on what you want and what you will be comfortable with. I have a mariah z212 and i kneeboard,wakeboard,ski and tube on it my boat has the fuel injected 350 mag and i pull wakeboards out of the water with ease and have a big enough wake to do any kind of jump you would like to do. with about 4 people, skis,kneeboard,and wakeboard my boat will do 60mph completely trimed out at full throttle. and all day of fun i only use a little more than a quarter of a tank of fuel and i wouldnt trade my boat for any other kind of boat. i hope you find what you are looking for keep us posted with what you find.:wink_thumbup:

Lotsa Help
 

All great points you've made - I think I'll start looking for a 24' Mariah. Anyone here that knows of a good one for sale, let me know!!:D

I dont know of any but i am sure you will find what you are looking for .I also think you will be extremely happy with the mariah boats. Happy hunting :wink_thumbup:

I've pulled an adult on a tube with 3 other adults and four kids (8-17) in the boat.

Gotta like the V8 power. :yes_grin:

I'd have to agree though. 27' is a bit big if it's a primarily watersports boat.

Sorry for th late response. I didn't get a chance to read this thread until today.

I guess to echo the sentiment of everyone else, you really have to decide on a boat size based upon YOUR intended uses. A 27' boat for wake boarding i'd say is probably pushing the max size. I honestly don't know enough to say "no, that boat will be terrible for wakeboarding" or "yes, it'll work just fine." If it were me and i was looking for a boat to do wakeboarding and water sports, i'd keep the size 25' and under. If you look at the competition boats for wakeboarding and water skiiing, you'll find that most are 22'-23' and only the large versions are 25'.

My family has a 252 Shabah that we use on Lake Chelan, Washington, and various other lakes around. The boat is rated for 12 people and we usually have at least 6 people, if not more, out on the boat at any time. We do a lot of wakeboarding and inner tubing and we've yet to say "i wish we wad a bigger boat to do this" because the 252 is very spacious.

If you are serious about wakeboarding and want to do things like clearing the wake and learn tricks, then a crisp wake is absolutely necessary. I see a lot of guys going down the lakes with towers stuck on their bayliners, trying to pull wakeboarders. Needless to say, the wake is nearly non existent and the wakeboarder is simply cruising around. The boats are almost always going way to fast for wakeboarding as well.

We've found that the Mariah hull design puts out about a 2' wake (at least) that is very crisp and has a nice roll to it. It does take some finessing of the trim and throttle and moving weight (people) around to get it to this point, but once you get it there you'll find that not even a competition boat can match it enless they are running a couple hundred pounds of fat sacks. You will be trimming up at least half way and the front end of you're boat will be very high as you plow through the water at about 18-21 mph.

I hope that information helps in your decision. I wish i could offer you more solid information on the 27' but i have never been in one nor seen the wake to really know if you'll be happy with it for wakeboarding.

Oh, you are going to need a tower as well if you are serious about wakeboarding. I suggest doing some runs off the rear tie point and then get a tower installed and you'll notice a huge difference. It's pretty amazing how much better and enjoyable the tower makes wakeboarding. It'll launch you right out of the water :wink_thumbup: Also adds storage for wakeboards as well.

Keeps us posted on what you end up deciding on. Feel free to post any other questions you got!