[emerlad]

I have a massive dilema.
Go half with a family member on a 19 ft Sea ray with 92 hours.
Or buy a 1998 Mariah shabba with 125 hours ( I own outright)
Both have 4.3 merc putting out 190hp.
Sea Ray is from the dealer in great shape, now under contract by said family member for 8200.
Shabbah is 5000
Shabbah in somewhat rough shape.
The owner did not put a cover on the boat and there are 5 sections of vinyl that have spider cracks the size of you palm, mostly on the seats/sundeck.

Outdrive covered in what looks like almost calcium like mineral deposit, looks very white and owner states no salt water use. I tend to beleive him as salt water is a few hours away.
But what is this white mineral deposit, do boats get this if they are not taken care of?
River is right up the street.
Prop on shabbah and skeg look normal.

Boat is very faded and needs a major cleaning. dash is bubbling from the exposure.
He replaced the bilge pump but it is no longer an automatic bilge.
Windshield is fine and trailer is original to the 1998 year.
He said he replaced 1 tire on trailer.
Will test drive in 3 days.
Engine looks normal and he said he got about 1/2 Ft of water in the compartment when bilge stopped working.
Said water never touched engine??
No signs of oil leak in said engine and no apparent leaking fliud.
It appears he did have dealer winterize and it looked properly wrapped.
Newer walmart battery.
Hull looked good with some small nicks in the "V", no apparent paint over as scratches were seen.
Boat may have sat a season or 2 uncovered outside
Here are my questions for the Mariah gurus.

If I clean the boat up what is private sale price, can I get 7000 with fixing the cracks getting boat tuned up and a good bath?? What's the lowest price you have seen on a shabbah 180 with low hours late 1990's. (I'm in the northeast)

Why Mariah over searay?

What do i look for at sea trial?

Should I get boat surveyed?

Thanks for any input, want to buy the mariah just triing to limit the "lemon" factor..
Dan

[Paul Z]

As much as I would like to say buy the Mariah and have your own boat rather than share with relatives, my opinion is, the Mariah in the shape it's in, is too much of a risk. The obvious things that you mentioned would be just the tip of the iceberg. With the way the economy is now, you should be able to pick something up in better shape for the same or less $$. Mariah, SeaRay, 4Winns,
Larson, and others. Just my opinion.

[mikeyt]

$5k for a '98 Mariah Shabah (you dont say what size it is so i will assume its a 18') with a 4.3L engine is really low so someone is trying to unload a boat for a reason. Fixing the cracks in the seats is not an inexpensive job unless they are minor and then there's a company called Fibrenew that can likely do the job. An outdrive caked in white mineral deposits suggest salt water use and possibly no zincs left on the outdrive. There were a lot of stories about boats being brought up from the Louisianna area after Katrina to be unloaded on unsuspecting northerners. I would suggest you hire your own boat surveyor (not one recommended by the seller) if you are serious about this boat cuz it sounds like it needs a lot of work and you will want to know exactly what you're getting yourself into.

[z275st]

I think sharing a boat is not a good idea. I have seen it done and one is usually jealous that the other is getting more time than the other on the boat or both of you will want to use it at the same time. Paul Z is right it may cost much more in the long run to fix up this boat! There are many nice Mariahs out there that you can make your own! Good luck!

[WetWilly]

Hi Dan,

Believe Paul Z and z275st, DO NOT CO-OWN! If this is a boat that's going to see a lot of action, get your own, trust me on this one!

When I decided to get my first boat (used 64 StarCraft), I happen to mention it during dinner at my first wife's parent's house, immediately, her father wanted in on the deal. Not wanting to create any friction in the family, I agreed. What a nightmare for the next year! I rebuilt everything and got no help from my in-laws or the wife's two brothers. I fronted all the money and never got reimbursed from the dad! OK, either I was a really nice guy or a total moron...

In the year I co-owned it, I had only 2 problems, the frist was my fault, I ran out of gas and second, the alternator went out, that's it and I went out practically every other weekend during the summer. On the other hand, every time the father went out (he took the brothers and I was never invited) the boat came back broken and it was "never their fault", right.... Over and over it went. One year later, I told the family, take the boat, pay me my half of the original purchase price (not including any of the repairs or restoration), I getting my own and went out and bought a new 83 Sea Ray, to hell with what the family though, I'd had enough! I still never received any money!

So there you go... just buy your own boat or share my past delema!

As for the Mariah, do what Mikeyt said and if it seems to be in good condition, with a little elbow grease and some fixing here and there, you could have a great looking Mariah, otherwise, keep looking, you'll find the right one!

Good luck,
WetWilly

[Z275]

If the white stuff you are talking about is just a translucent smooth coating and comes off when you rub it with your thumb it's no big deal and is normal in even fresh water use. Now if the white stuff is rough or crystal like I would bet the boat has had salt water use.
At a minimum I would pull off the risers and take a look inside the manifolds. The inner part is the exhaust and should be a smooth coating of carbon. You should not see rusty spots, pits, or other build up in there. The outer openings are for the raw water cooling and you will probably see some surface rust and deposit build up but the walls between the two parts should be solid. If you see rust flaking off and white scale all over then it was definately a salt water boat. Pass on it because if the rest of the boat was not maintained you can be sure the owner never flushed the engine after every use. You'd be in over $1k in just risers, manifolds, and gaskets.

[bpfirrman]

If you bring it up to overall good shape and the interior was fixed you could probably get between 8-10k for it. I would recommend having a surveyor come out with you when you take the test run, it will not be that costly and give you concrete answers on the condition of the boat. They should be able to tell you if the fading is able to be fixed with elbow grease or if it will need professional attention. The bubbling dash worries me a bit, not sure how they fix that or if they can. You probably will not find a replacement.

[Brian]

Hi
Patience, patience, patience. No co-ownership of anything. Look around. I'm in Bethlehem, PA. The marina where i got mine has another Mariah there. Plenty to choose from out there that dont need a plethora of work and cash. Spend your money on the gas and time enjoying the boat.

Brian

[mikeyt]

Emerlad reported elsewhere that he went with the Sea Ray......