[otisroy]

Our family has outgrown the 182 Shabah so I've been looking at picking up a wake boat this winter but I always keep an eye out for a Mariah. I came across a 1996 27' open bow that I can only guess is a Z272. I called the owner and I'm gonna go take a look as soon as he's back in town. The Bravo III outdrive was replaced last year. Are there any gotchas to keep an eye out for on the Z272?

-Chris

[mikeyt]

I dont believe there is anything specific with the 272/Z272 that you need to look for other than the usual stuff such as cleanliness/maintenance records/water test etc. If you do a site search for "Z272" you will find a number of threads discussing some issues found by our members....but i didn't see anything serious there.

Best of luck & let us know what you find?

[otisroy]

Thanks Mikey! I looked around too and didn't see anything that jumped out. I'm going up tomorrow to look it over and if I like what I see, drop it off for a leakdown test. The motor has about 600 hours, but if it's been taken care of it should go another few hundred hours before I need to repower. I'm a little concerned because it spent it's time in a slip and not on a trailer. That's rare out here. As long as the anode system was working right, it should be okay. The owner says the lower unit was replaced last year so a season setting in fresh water shouldn't be too bad.

I talked to one of the service guys at the lake who's seen it firsthand and he said the interior wasn't very clean. The owner claims there's no rips, tears, or fading so that's just detailing. If it's not that clean, then that's definitely a negotiating point too.

It has thru-hull, but no Captain's Call so that'll be a project because the first-mate isn't too fond of big blocks at 7:00 AM. Since it's already plumbed for the thru-hull, it should just be a matter of putting the diverters in-line and connecting them to the Bravo III's "elk horns". I've put it out there that it may take a few $$$ to get the boat back into shape, but I think she's happy I'm not looking at wake boats that are twice the cost.

-Chris

[ShabahZ280]

I heard from some old factory workers that the Z272 was the strongest toughest boat Mariah ever built. They say you could drop it off a 4 story building, pick it up, put it in the water, and spend all weekend on it with no troubles at all. Granted, I don't recommend trying it, but when the factory employees say that, I'd believe them.

Cleaning isn't a big deal. We've all found tricks and good products to use, just search the forum. If there's no rips, tears, or fading in the upholstery, that's great! Replacing vinyl with the OEM material can get a little pricy. Integrating the Captain's Call switchable exhaust system to the existing exhaust shouldn't be an issue either.

600 hours isn't awful. You'll probably need to start looking for a rebuild/replacement around 1000 hours. That seems to the going trend, at least.

Make sure anodes are good, and if you're planning on trailering it, try and have the boat pulled so you can get a good look at the bottom. This will give you a chance to check for any blisters. If the previous owner hasn't ever had the bottom barrier coated with anti-fouling paint, that could make one hell of a nightmare to clean up.

One thing to think about is having it professionally surveyed before signing on the deal. I'd recommend it. Paying a few hundred dollars for a professional to look over the boat with a fine-tooth comb will make it much more worth it in the long run, especially knowing you won't get any catastrophic surprises like engine failure or a structural collapse in the middle of boating season.

If you have any pics of the boat, please post, we all like looking at pics, and we can always help you spot things that need to be addressed.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!

[garyg]

Oatisroy We have a 2000 Z 272 Shabah open bow with a 7.4 MPI bravo 111 and we love this boat.I have owned many boats and this is the best one we have owned.We have plenty of room and storage.WE have a Tri-Axel trailer which is great for this boat.If you look in the gallery you will see pictures of our boat and a video also under summer fun at Paris Landing you see how much room is in the Z 272 and how looks towing kids on tubes. Gary G

[otisroy]

It was a bust, the boat was filthy. That can be remedied, but the fiberglass around the fuel port was cracked and missing, there were cracks all around the stern, and the trailer was a rusty mess. I ended up looking at a clean Crownline 266BR with 200 hours that I might pick up if the price is right. Somebody tried to tell me that Crownlines are better built than Mariahs anyway. I don't think so, if the Z272 had been given the TLC that the Crownline has, it'd be a jewel.

-Chris

[garyg]

Ostisroy Go on line and type in Mariah Z 272 for sale and you will find some for sale. Gary G

[ShabahZ280]

Originally Posted by otisroy

Somebody tried to tell me that Crownlines are better built than Mariahs anyway.

uh, nope.... Crownline's are definitely not better built than Mariahs. They just say that because they were rivals. Fred Claxton and Jimmy Fulks both left Celebrity Boats around the same time to start their own companies. Mariah designed and built their first boat in 1989, while it took Claxton and his crew until 1991 to release their first. Both factories were located about 10 miles from each other. Yes, crownline is still in business, but one of the main reasons Mariah went out of business was because so much money was invested in manufacturing technology and creating the strongest, most well equipped luxury boat. However, because of this, they came with a larger price tag. The early 2000's brought about a downward sales trend that forced many boat builders to cease production or close their doors permanently. The reason Crownline lasted through this phase was because their boats were priced lower, where they could continue sales. Ever heard that expression "You get what you pay for?" Another thing worth noting, Jimmy Fulks sued Crownline boats for patent infringement because they were using the design for the integrated hull stringer system Mariah developed.

While I can honestly say Crownline makes an OK boat, I just can't see myself ever buying one. They do make some ok boats, but there's always a minimum of at least two things I don't like on every boat in their line, and that list gets way higher when I look at their cruiser line. Perhaps because I've just been spoiled by my Mariah. But, to each their own!

[otisroy]

My preference is definitely the Mariah, but finding a Z242 or up out here in New Mexico is a challenge. People are waiting until closer to spring to list their boats so pickin's are kinda slim. I'm pretty picky and my idea of clean and the next guys idea of clean may be two different things so to travel 1000 miles or more to decide that a boat isn't for me can get expensive and old. I've found some listings with outrageous prices, over $10K over book.

I've made contact with a few folks with boats for sale, the closest being in central Texas. I found a 252 in Phoenix with a 5.7 alpha one setup that won't work for me. I'm sitting at just over 4500 feet and the rule of thumb is that you lose about 3% efficiency for every 1000 feet of altitude. That puts me down almost 15% and a 5.7 pushing a heavy hull won't work when I want to wakeboard.

The Crownline is attractive because it looks like it's been well cared for. The same shop has been turning a wrench on it since it was new. The deal is starting to getting old though. It's being sold on consignment because the owner wants a new boat. It was pure chance that I came across it. I stopped in to let them know I wasn't going to need the leakdown test on the 272 so after BS'ing for a while, the owner asked if I'd be interested in a clean Crownline. He called the boat owner and asked the guy what he wanted for the boat and it sounded like he didn't really know and was hemming and hawing about what the book value is. The marina owner and I settled on an offer $500 over average retail book value, then he calls me yesterday and said the boat owner wants another $1500....damnit, if that was the case why didn't he set a price. I told home I'd rather have a Mariah and if he doesn't like my offer, I'll keep looking.

[Minnox]

I was talking to a vendor that supplied Mariah and he told me one of the reasons Mariah had a hard time making it when things got bad is that some of Jimmys dealers were good friends and when the dealers had some problems jimmy bought back thier inventory and it was just to much for him to handle.