First time boat owner
 

Good afternoon everyone!
I just agreed to purchase a 1998 Mariah Z260. I have been looking around to find reviews on it; its reputation, etc. In addition, there are several things that I will need including the owner's manual, supplies (boat lines, bumpers, etc) and would overall, just want good resources.

Thanks.

Re: First time boat owner
 

Welcome. :)
You came to the right place. Check the most viewed for lots of info. Search is also a good place along with FAQ.
If you want more exact info on your new boat that is available to contributing members and well worth it in my opinion.
Here are the links if you're interested.

http://www.mariahownersclub.com/foru...nation_manuals


http://www.mariahownersclub.com/forum/payments.php

Once again , welcome and congrats on your new Mariah!

Larry

Re: First time boat owner
 

Thanks Larry - looking forward to hours, and seasons of enjoyment!

Jeff

Re: First time boat owner
 

Hi everyone -
Well, I just returned from having my 98 Z260 surveyed....I wish I could state that it went well and I was going to be a first time proud boat owner, but that would be a lie. Pretty much anything and everything that a boat would need to have addressed does. Starting with the outdrive having corrosion throughout, most of the electrical things would not work (i.e. horn, VHF, windlass), gauges on the dash (speed, oil, compass), no thermostat on the engine and only read up to 104 degrees. Fluids topped off that should not have been (possibly hiding something), others, not enough. 2 drilled holes from the engine compartment leading to the spare room area (sorry, forgot the proper term). Appeared that aporx 6' from the stern underneath, may have a leak into the hull. Both bilge pumps were not working. The engines fire system had not been checked in a while and the list goes on and on. Very sad and disappointed. Was given quite a wake up call and learning experience. Will continue to look for my first vessel, but I may need to be patient and wait it out. :(

You may be asking what did go well - the radio worked, and the bimini top is only a couple of years old and looked terrific. Sorry, nothing else to get excited over.

Re: First time boat owner
 

Just goes to show the value of having a marine survey done on any prospective purchase before you lay down your hard earned $$$.

Re: First time boat owner
 

Sorry to hear that Jeff. Sounds like it wasn't taken care of at all.
Keep looking there are a lot of good deals on Mariahs if you are patient.
It took me 2 yrs to find the one I got.
But worth the wait in my opinion.

Larry

Re: First time boat owner
 

Thanks gentlemen! I do agree that having a professional surveyor made a world of difference!! Worth every penny! I grew up with my dad having a boat and remember all the fond memories - I am trying to continue that with my 2 boys. I know patience is a virtue, so I just need to keep that in the back of my mind.

P.S. The broker called me back this evening and indicated that they spoke to the owner who was willing to read through my surveyors report and take care of the items...does anybody really think that, starting with replacing the Bravo 2 Outdrive, that they would would to lay out thousands for a boat that they were originally selling for just under $12K (which, by the way, was not the price I would have ended up paying)?

People close to me are telling me that there is plenty of pre-owned inventory, just not sure it is in my price range, or at a reasonable location or without having over 400 hours on it....what a dilemma...

Re: First time boat owner
 

Forgot to ask...at full throttle, she was doing 26 knots...she has the 7.5 301 HP...does that seem a little on the slow end of the scale? Also, when we were at about 3500-4000 RPMs, she took time to plane...is that an overall issue with Mariah or just another strike against the one I tested?

Re: First time boat owner
 

Its just issues with the one you tested. I would steer clear of that boat at this point cuz as Sept rolls around people will consider selling their boats rather than store them over the winter.

Re: First time boat owner
 

Final thought on this Z260...after receiving the official report from my boat surveyor and forwarding it to the broker, I was able to have my deposit refunded back. The broker (as one would suspect) tried everything to convince me that they were not hiding anything and that my surveyor would do anything to just get paid and was not truly looking out for my best interest. I told the broker that I appreciated his insight but was passing on this boat and was just looking to have my deposit refunded. So, I will continue to look and hopefully will see some of you on the water next season.