Best add ons to my Mariah
 

Even though Mariah was considered the best equipped boat in the world, I though I would share a list of that I added to my '95 Talari 180 over the years to make my boating life better:

1: Docking cleats at the midships: It was surprising that the only cleats on the boat were at the transom and bow. There was no place to hang a front fender! Purchased perfect matches from Overtons.

2: Depth finder: I placed one in the center of the dash. Measure 50 times, cut a hole once!!

3. Transom tilt switch. This is a very simple install and saved me a lot of climbing and hitting the skeg on the ground.

4. Enlarged the holes for holding the convertible top. I placed rubber moulding around the edges. Made getting the top out a little easier.

5. Added rear speakers on the panels on both sides of the rear couch. Just remove the panels, take them to an audio shop to mount the speakers, and hook them up to the wiring that is already installed. There are also speaker wires installed for bow speakers, but I haven't done that yet.

6. Smart Tabs. Easy install, incredible results.

Any one else want to share?

Looks like Mariah heard from their customer's responses like this, back in the day...

My '99 came with mid cleats, came with depth finder, came with transom tilt switch, convertible top fit without trouble, and came with rear speakers. It's nice knowing when a company will listen to their customer's desires and do something about it. You're perfect proof of items people want.

I also added Smart Tabs and couldn't agree more. I added a fiberglass swim platform (that I couldn't live without now), upgraded the stereo including a sub.

I assume "add ons" don't include normal maintenance... but things like gimbal bearing, shift cables, etc. are eating into the budget for anything else!!

I'm curious to hear what everyone has "upgraded" or added to their boats, but yeah, like indykoch, my 98 z202 came with all that stuff already on it.

After reading all the rave reviews on them, I am considering adding smart tabs, but I will wait until next summer after I have used it more to decide if I should go for it or not.

I bet you "Z" guys have to struggle to find something to add on.....:yes_grin:

haha. Yeah, And I was born with a silver spoon in my backside too :rolling_laugh:

Yes, there's a reason I bought a Mariah Z package boat... cuz they're saaweeeet :wink_thumbup:

Can you share any more information on the smart tabs?

My Z model came with lots of things, but it was special ordered without some of the options that would have made it "really nice", and for what reason the previous owner opted of of some things, I don't know, but I still love it.

One of the first things I added on my boat was a Carbon Monoxide Detector inside the cabin. It's a peace of mind thing. And yes, it has gone off once or twice. Then I just open the hatch and turn the fan on, to clear it out. I recommend everyone with a cabin install one. Mariah installed them in their larger cruisers (z260, z280, z308, etc)

Then I had a new cockpit cover made. The original one was starting to deteriorate, and really took away from the look of the boat. It was the buckskin color, and showed dirt really bad. And I actually had to buy a special tool to stretch the top every time I put it on. I had a new sunbrella cockpit cover made in black, and it really adds to the look of the boat.

Next is the VHF radio. This is a pretty essential communication device that's come in handy many times. On larger waters, like the great lakes, it provides me with small craft advisories, USCG "Securitae" messages, weather forecasts, docking instructions, and a way to hail and communicate with other boats. It also has DSC, which interfaces with the GPS to broadcast my Lat/Long coordinates in a distress situation. One click of the distress button, and my coordinates are broadcast to the USCG, and all surrounding boaters. I think everyone should have a VHF radio, even if it's just a handheld. Mariah offered a flush mounted version that fit in the dashboard. Mine's mounted on the starboard side down by my knee.

GPS. I just upgraded this past week to a chartplotter (which I'll be adding in spring!). I used a basic old handheld GPS previously, and it did the job, but there have been many improvement in GPS technology since that unit was made. This new chartplotter has all the navigational charts and markers loaded into it, and is accurate to 9ft. Once again, if you navigate large lakes or open seas, it's a great thing to have. Once again, Mariah offered GPS as an option, which flush mounted into the dash.

Subwoofer & Sirius Satellite Radio. Just having a little extra kick in the stereo is nice. It's not obnoxious, and it really can't be heard outside of the boat, but I like it, especially when I can just flick the switch and turn it off if need be! The Sirius is really nice because it never loses signal, has tons of options as far as music goes. Alternative Rock, Classic Rock, Reggae, Jimmy Buffett, you name it! Perfect for any occasion on the water!

LED lights. Mariah did a great job installing lights everywhere, however replacing the bulbs with brighter LED's and red colored ones for the cockpit really improved the night time look of the boat.

Here's the list of stuff I added on my 1996 Talari 209.

1. Full canvas covers (mine didn't have them)
2. Rear speakers even with the rear seats
3. Front speakers for the bow seats.
4. Fender hangers aft and amidship.
5. Bimini added at purchase time and rear support poles added this year.
6. Shark Fin on outdrive (faster planing time and lowered planing speed).
7. Replaced stereo with Clarion CMD4 (awesome unit. CMD5 looks like a good one too)
8. iPod mount
9. pneumatic adjustable pedestal for driver'
10. Secondary battery

Things I would like to add:

1. Mid cleats
2. Cold weather enclosure for cockpit (canvas and clear vinyl)
3. Pneumatic adjustable pedestal for passenger
4. Wakeboard Tower. (The monster tower actually looks good on a Talari)
5. 4 step boarding ladder (to replace the current 2 step)
6. boarding/grab handle/step above the ladder to ease re-boarding


I also need to totally redo the interior but that's a different story.

John,

Search Smart Tabs on the internet or go to
http://boards.trailerboats.com/cgi-b...ultimatebb.cgi

You'll find out everything you ever wanted to know about what smart tabs will do for your boat and then some.

You'll even find some of my posts there.

I forgot one thing:

I added the filler bow cushions. They were great when the kids were smaller.

I'm hoping to add more topless women to my boat... :rolling_laugh:

Mid cleats a mount for my gps and bow speakers would be the next items on my list. I've already added the rear seat speakers and upgraded the stereo.

Oh ya, That's something I'd like to add as well. I was thinking of taking it one step further and even adding a back rest in the center as well but I don't know how feasible that would be. At a minimum I would like a center filler cushion on the bow.

I forgot something also... Thanks to Chris - I added the LED lights (except I used blue). They're very bright and make the boat glow at night - one of my favorite additions!

Hi John

Paul would send you to the Trailer Boats forum for the information but there's plenty of info here on our forum regarding the Smart Tabs. Just use the Search function......or go to their website at www.nauticusinc.com

I've swapped over to the LED lights (red ones for the interior so as not to screw up the night vision), i've added Attwood LED docking lights to the bow (great cuz they surface mount & only require a small hole for the wire to pass thru), i installed cup holders with drains & ran drain lines down to the bilge, i installed the SS mid cleats, i've upgraded the cockpit cover to a camper style with the integrated bimini roof at the same time i replaced all of the canvas on the boat, i've upgraded the stereo & speaker system and added a Shakespeare on-glass antenna that gives excellent FM reception, i installed a thru hull depth sounder and i've swapped out the fold down drivers seat for a proper Mariah bucket seat. I tried to use an air ride pedestal but found it had me sitting too high. :(

I couldn't agree more! However, I did find some stuff to add. I put a small flat panel TV and a 12v plug in the cabin (great for charging the cell phone). I am planning a second battery and moving the battery switch to a more accessible location.

Over the years,my big add ons were a full camping encloser,for the cockpit. Then I bought an 8 foot long 4 foot wide,Sand Piper dinghy.I mounted it across the stern , using Weaver Dinghy Davits. I have towed Z276mcc , down to Florida 5 years in a row. My wife and I stayed on the boat at differant marinas,and the boat was pretty comfortable,though things were a little tight. I tow it with a 3/4 ton suburban,and have two bicycles mounted on the frount of the tri-axle trailer.The tow is over 1300 miles one way,as far away as Key Largo-Coral Reef State Park,that also has a marina. We met a lot of other boaters , while living aboard,as we are called-live aboards.

:wink_thumbup:

Add-ons
 

I'm actually amazed that you guys are adding cleats. When I was sailing I don't know if I ever saw a power boater even use them. It must mean that Mariah owners are real boaters!! Nauticus has smart tabs on sale now-check out their website. I just bought some as an early Christmas present.

When you say "more" does this mean you already have some now?!?! :)

Please let me know when and where you will be boating in the spring of 2009!:D

Im tring to get the stripper pole figured out, the wife thought it would be a nice add on:wink_thumbup:

Believe it or not, there's a boat at my friend's harbor that has a stripper pole permanently installed! It's a 32' Wellcraft cruiser, and the pole's mounted to the radar arch, directly behind the console!

I've also seen portable ones. Check out this one on the boat Bada Bing V. They passed out flyers to all the boats advertising the Wet T-Shirt and Stripper Dancing Contests throughout the weekend. Unfortunately I had to leave the island due to a medical emergency back home. :shakehead:

The way gas prices were going I was trying to figure out a way to mount a mast and a center board so that I could convert mine to a sailboat. I guess that COULD also double as a stripper pole 2 :) Kill 2 birds ya know :wink_thumbup::worry_to_laugh:

Where do guys you get the LED lights to replace the Interior lights, and do they plug into the same fixture?

http://superbrightleds.com

And yes they do. Just make sure you note which type of bulb you have.

where did you get your swim platform? How did it mount? I've looked at adding one on to my 96 shabah but when the engine is trimed up all the way like on the trailer i think the hydrofoil would hit the bottom of the deck. did you have this problem?

Don't know where he got his but I just happened to come across this site. Here's a link to some pics of a Shabah 210.

http://swimplatforms.contentpros.net...4/Default.aspx

And here's the site that sells them:

http://www.swimplatforms.com/

I believe indykoch ordered his from a Mariah dealer in Ohio, he measured his boat and found out the measurements were exactly the same as the SX21 model. Sea Fox Mariah uses swimplatforms.com to make theirs (as do many manufacturers), so anyone could technically just skip the middle man (unless their price is better!), and order directly from them. I believe he paid between $1500-2000 for the swim platform. He posted his findings on here a while ago, just do a search for swim platform!

As far as your hydrofoil hitting the bottom of the deck, just remove it. If you do a search here, you'll find that most people dislike hydrofoils with their boats, and have much better results with Smart Tabs by Nauticus. Lots of info on those here too!

I decided to get the swimplatforms.com one. I had looked at the Sea Fox Mariah platform as ShabahZ250 said, but I ended up not liking the overall design as much.

The platform mounted with a few bolts, screws, brackets, and supports. It wasn't easy reaching all the way back to the transom from the engine compartment, and it wasn't fun drilling the holes in the boat, but it's on and I couldn't be happier. I really suggest everyone contemplating it to get one! It definitely gets used, and it's an added safety factor with the kids. I believe it was about $1800-$1900 in the end (kinda pricey), the directions weren't great, and the hardware wasn't correct (quantities and types/sizes of screws) or even labeled in any way, but the quality is quite nice.

I think it would interfere with a hydrofoil, and yes, I'm one with the Smart Tabs and one that loves them!

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...Picture006.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...Picture010.jpg

Sweet!!! :wink_thumbup:

it looks awesome im really into wakeboarding and its near impossible to put my bindings on without one! Ill check into it. thanks for your help

Great looking boat Indy!

This is a friend in my kind of stripper pole.

Alex
180 Talari 1995 with stripper pole... I mean Wakeboard tower....

Now you know Alex, we're going to need more pics once boating season starts. :eek_animated: :yes_grin:

"...once boating season starts"?!?!? I'd like to see more pics NOW!!!:yes_grin:

Here's a picture of our resident stripper pole. This guy has the floor of the pontoon boat reinforced and mounted directly in the middle. It's quite an attraction at the lake most weekends!!!:eek_animated:

OMG, you guys are incorrigible...next thing you know you'll be asking for the video.... :rolling_laugh: :rolling_laugh: :rolling_laugh:












P.S. if anyone gets one, could you make a copy and send it to me covered in plain brown wrapping paper? :super_cool:

I have to admit that is a very nice "add-on" and it would look great on my boat. But I don't think the wife will let me get one, plus I don't think I could afford it!;)

"Afford"?

It will only cost you half of what you own :p