Mariah education
 

Hello all,
I currently do not own a Mariah but am looking at two. I have certainly heard the name but know precious little about their boats
One of the boats is a 24 foot Talari, and the other is a 26 foot Barchetta. Both serve my wants and needs as far as size and features, however I really know nothing of the brand.
Understanding most people here are brand loyal by virtue of the purpose of the site in the first place, but can any and all educate me about these boats, i.e., quality etc..

Thank You in Advance
Tim McCandless aka blackwatch

Tim,

This is easy... it's the best boat in the world!!!! Honestly, Mariah's have an excellent reputation for build quality, features, and design. They were on top of the list with Sea Ray, Cobalt, etc. Some comments I have heard - "Mariah... what Sea Ray owners are upgrading to" and their motto "Equiped like no other boat in the world".

Mariah owned many patents, built numerous parts in-house (for quality control), and really gave competitors something to worry about. I remember visiting a boat show in the early 90's with my dad. We stopped at the Mariah display, the salesman showed us something that caught our attention. My dad's boat had recently needed repair to the plastic windshield support. The Mariah dealer said, watch this. He supported his entire weight on the windshield pass thru, showing us the quality, stainless steel support brackets that most manufacturers have stated using today (no one else used these back then). There were many other aspects that caught our attention, but I don't want to bore you with all of them. The "Z" package adds more equipment than you can find on ANY boat, even today!

Most people say the company went under because they put too much quality and amenities into these boats and didn't charge enough money for them. If the boats you are looking at are well cared for, I'm sure you'd be extremely happy with either.

Feel free to ask any specific questions as well... we'll try to not let the loyalty get in the way too much!

Hi Tim

As Ryan has stated the quality of those 1990's Mariah boats was exceptionally high. The only real downside to owing one is having to locate Mariah specific parts when something does eventually wear out. Fortunately there is an excellent network here to help source whatever is needed and to answer whatever questions you have.

As for why Mariah went out of business, i dont think we will ever know the real truth. There were rumours of problems with debts, unions & back room deals etc but i dont think any of that affects the appeal of a well maintained 1990's Mariah.

Tim-

Welcome to the site.

We have a '95 z240 Talari.

I've been around boats my entire life. I actually stumbled into the boat in 2002. A friend was busted, needed cash and I 'helped' him out. I wrote him a check after looking at the boat in a darkly lit storage facility; one of the best decisions of my life. :)

It's been a great boat and has required precious little maintenance. I've had to replace a hydraulic lift on the engine cover and am getting ready to replace a leaking Trim tab. (aftermarket) --- we've had the boat five years.

The amenities on the boat compare with anything I've seen - and our boat is twelve years old! Features like the docking lights, stainless drink holders, huge built-in coolers, huge ski compartment, multiple buoy holders in floor, netting in front of the Stern drive to hold a kneeboard, transom shower, air vents on windows, wiper, defroster, electrics seats, fold-down swim ladder, hydraulic engine hatch lifts, anchor locker at bow, air/water temp gauges, faria gauges, programmable computer.

As for the quality of the boat itself I can tell you that our boat looks terrible at the moment - I am embarassed - and people still complement me every time we go out - 'nice boat!.'

Others on the board know better than I do some of the cool nuances of the brand such as I have heard that the hull was designed to allow you to cut in half without sinking.... Based on the performance of the boat and the way it handles I believe it.

The only downside to the Mariah is the difficulty in getting 'factory' service or parts but I can see with this collection of interested parties that will no longer be an issue. Most of what we will have issues with comes from various OEM's such as Faria, Mercury Marine and others.

Good hunting, send us pictures when you find the boat for you!

Only suggestion I would make is see if you can find a unit equipped with the Merc Bravo III outdrive - dual-props and it handles like a dream.

Brent

Where ya at Tim? Come to central Illinois this weekend, I'll take you out on my 95 240 Talari and make a beleiver of you!

Ditto to the 2 previous replies!

Brent: CUT IT IN HALF????? Lets test out that theory with your boat. :rolling_laugh:


Doug: Have you been into the "Mariah" juice again? :yes_grin:

Tim: They are damm nice boats! :wink_thumbup:

Mikeyt - exactly! I didn't say it was practical but it certainly makes the point!

I'm not smart enough to interpret the hull patents but it was dark and he was selling real low so it sounded good.

The most humerous part of the story is I drove home the next day and when I walked into the kitchen my wife asked me 'what did you do?' I guess I am not a good poker player.

Good Morning All,
Thank you for your feedback, it's good to hear. If I can get out this weekend I'm going to look at the Barchetta. The pictures of it look very good.
I'm up here in Maine, so a test ride would be tough in IL but I'd love to. Thanks for the invite.
If all goes well.............................................. ..........................................

Thanks Again Everyone
Tim

What a great site