WOW this is unbelievable
 

100 people have looked at my thread and not one response, unbelievable!
I have had many boats but have never been in or around a Mariah. I thought this group here would be happy to educate a potential Mariah owner.:(


Need opinion on a Z275 mid cabin. Have owned offshore boats for years now looking to slow down, getting to old to be tossed around!
Looking at a 2001 Z275, 496 HO,brovo 1
All boats have good and bad
. How well are they constructed? How much wood is used in them? has anyone had rot issues? How well does the seating/vinyl hold up!!! How well do things stay together? Did the use an innerliner? What should I look for on this model.
Have not seen the boat yet, its 550 miles away, Just trying to get info before I see it.
So whats the GOOD the BAD and the UGLY.

Thanks
SPLASHINDASH

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

I am on my second Mariah boat. The first was a 1996 Shabah 180 (18'). My current one is a 1997 Shabah 210LE (21'). So I'm not qualified to comment on those larger boats, but being that you are considering an Mariah, I Love them.

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Let me see if I can help since I have a similar boat.


Need opinion on a Z275 mid cabin.
Me: I love my Z302 as I feel it does everything a boat should with the creature comforts of a cabin and the versatility of a bowrider and still have sleek lines and rough water handling of a nice performance boat.

Have owned offshore boats for years now looking to slow down, getting to old to be tossed around!
Me: I agree with you there and so does my wife and kids. Enough said.

Looking at a 2001 Z275, 496 HO,bravo 1
Me: Boat has a newer performance motor then was available in 2001 that should have better performance than the standard 502 mpi and the ability to add horsepower quite easily if you so desire. My Z302 when it had the stock 502 installed ran close to 60mph with my family aboard.

All boats have good and bad
Me: No longer in production so parts will not be available for a good portion of the items. Good part is that you will not see them at every corner of the lake or river and in my opinion was one of the better equipped boats of that time and will stand out no matter who your moored next to. Since you have a newer motor and drive any mechanic can work on your boat.

How well are they constructed?
Me: As I have taken apart most of my boat I am very happy with the construction minus a few rough fiberglass areas that I wish they would of cleaned up and made as nice as the rest of the boat. Mine has an inner liner and am pretty sure the 275 does as well as very easily to clean and looks great because you can buff it to a nice finish. Electrical wiring was top notch and documentation is pretty close to what was actually done at the factory.

How much wood is used in them?
Me: Mine only had wood under the upholstery but now since I have redone my interior most of it is pvc board. No wood in the construction of the structural part of the boat.

Has anyone had rot issues?
Me: Older Mariah boats where stringers, transom and floor were wood would you see any rot issues

How well does the seating/vinyl hold up!!!
Me: If your boat was covered and out of the elements it should be just fine as Mariah used top notch vinyl in their boats. Mine however was not and every piece was redone at a pretty penny.


How well do things stay together?
Me: Very well as they used backing plates were there should be and all stainless hardware and overall a very nicely constructed boat back in the original Mariah days.

Did the use an innerliner?
Me: I think so. Mine has them in the cabin, the bow and the cockpit

What should I look for on this model.
Me: Maintenance on the engine and drive. Overall condition tells you how well the boat was taken care of. How many owners? Price is important as alot can be fixed or corrected if the price is right.

Good luck and if you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Watch at 8:22

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

why didnt mine come with the 525ci motor ?

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

I actually own a 2001 z275 st limited and we love it. We bought it last year and the original owner did not take really good care of it so mine is not perfect. But getting down inside of it to fix stuff has made me very aware of how well the boat is made. The only wood I have found was 3 small pieces that are not structural(and yes they are pressure treated). Everything is solid! Last weekend i was trying to run speaker wires for 2 new subs I installed and couldn't find holes anywhere between the cabin compartments and even behind the microwave the whole inner hull was covered in carpet! The inner liner you can see from inside the cabinet in the cabin and under the mirror(where the fuse panel is).

I have owned a 27' Wellcraft Martinique aft cabin cruiser before and this boat is so much more fun! It handles very well in the water and it jumps right out of the hole for skiing and just general goofing off. :) The original vinyl seemed to hold up very well if taken care of. In the case of my boat, the original owner did not and replaced the vinyl with automotive vinyl...uuggggh.

We love our 275 and always get compliments on her. To me she is the best of a cruiser and a go fast and a bowrider all rolled into one beautiful boat with great lines. If you have any other questions about it, please let me know. I am not a gear head, but I use Google! Lol

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Thanks BOATCRAZY and CSTERNER for your responce.

so far I am liking what I am hearing and seeing about the older Mariah's
The midcabin is what got me looking at them, best of both worlds.
I boat on a very rough lake in GA. and my current boat will not plane till 40mph
I think with the weight of this boat and the 496 HO it should ride good and run near 60.and stay on plane about 25??
The boat is a 01 with low hr. and tripple trailer asking 27,000

Now if I can just get the owner to get back to me with the pic's

Thanks
SPLASHNDASH

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

I forgot to mention the handling. We have had ours out in the Gulf of Mexico in some very rough seas and she handled very nice. As far as price, I think that is a tad over book value even with the triple axle trailer but if it is in perfect condition, you won't find another boat like that! Also, they had upgraded the engine so I am not sure what that 496 is worth, but I would love to have it!

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Hi gearhead1956,
I have the exact Mariah setup you are looking at and am very pleased with it.
It is a great family boat. I went 1600mi to get mine in 2006 and glad I did. Mine has a 1.65gear ratio due to the fact it was ordered for CO. With a rev4 ss prop I did 52.3MPH GPS last weekend with full tank(125gal) loaded with gear and 8ft bimini up with lots of air drag. I have no trouble pulling large tubes with 4-6 riders on them. But I will say one thing, she sure gets thirsty on those heavy pulling days. It will cost $350-$450 to fill from empty.:shakehead:
But you can't put a price on memories!!!

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Well looks like a done deal! should be leaving Fri. to pick-up my Z275st.
With a little luck we will have it in the water Sun.
I will report back after water test.

Thanks
splashndash

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

happy trails

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Thanks, Was looking for a Z302 with a 496 ho, Not many around. Or none in good shape for sale.

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

DAMN, 1100 miles round trip and still no Mariah in my driveway!!! from Ga. to Ill. and back.
We loved this boat it drove and handled like a smaller boat and the z275 was just what we were looking for. My wife was in tears as we left without the boat!!!!!!
But this boat had to many issues. for only 275 hr.?????
Gimble ring wore slap out, $ 2,000 for parts. ring,pin,bellows and hoses+ labor
hatch actuator broken $350
both sides of boat beat up, would have to paint, $2,000
engine poping back though intake at wot??? bad gas????fuel pump??
oil presure 10 lb at idle? sending unit? gauge? engine?
volts read 10.5 bad alt/batt???? gauge?
trailer brakes/ electric not working????
alarm going off over idle??
and a lot of other small issues.top of drive white, from being over heated. no drive shower!!
I was so upset I could not hardly talk to the owner! Its not a bad boat,just enjoyed and not very well taken care of. owner did come off the 27,000 to 24,500, but thats just to much with all that needs to be done. Now we really want to find a Z275st. anyone have one for sale????

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Wow! Sorry to hear that. It looks awesome in the pics I saw...that really does suck going that far. There are not too many Z275's around and even fewer 302's! But just keep looking and I am sure something will pop up.

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Yes the pic's did look great and except for the fading on the back, it looks good at 20 foot. But up close it had nicks and dings all over just below the rub rail.

I know boats pretty well. This one made me question the 275 hrs, look more like a 600-700 hr boat.:shakehead:

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Sorry to hear about that!!! Maybe the following listings will cheer you up.....

2001 Mariah Shabah Z 302 mid Cabin

1995 Mariah 272

1996 Mariah 272 Bowrider

1996 Mariah 272 Bowrider

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Thanks

Mark43 I will check it out

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

My Mariah is 1995 and people are amazed at the quality of the interior. They think the boat is only a few years old, when I tell them it's 17 years old they are in shock. I've been told it's the smoothest ride they've ever had too, like a cadillac. And after 17 years it's still a beautiful boat to look at, it's got great lines and sits pretty in the water. It also has so many so many features and great storage space, such great attention to detail was spent on the building and design of this boat. I can't speak for your model, but I love my 1995 Davanti Z225.

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Think I'm with you on that! This is the only Mariah I have ever been in and we loved it. Too bad it was not taken care of.

Thanks
SPLASHNDASH:wink_thumbup:

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

i have a original 1990 xlc 2150 that was sunk twice and left for dead out in the open for 2 years. despite all this the boat was not in that bad of shape. the hull is nice and sound the construction of the boat was as solid as it gets. since my is 22 years old there was alot of wood that of course rotted to death. gutting my boat to the hull was more work then gutting a bathroom. however the boat itself drives awesome. its a nice smooth ride and was able to handle a very busy ohio river great. if this boat were taken care of it definitely would still look showroom new cause it was built to last. once i bring her back to her former glory in 10 years she will look better then a boat that was made this year.

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

still looking:yes_grin:

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

I just bought a 272 in Lake of the Ozarks and looked at the ones that were listed a few posts up. They are both from Heartland marine. Stay away,,,,, far away. no trailers either.

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Well, doesn't look like we will be a Mariah owner, just can't fine the right one.
We bought a 2006 Four Winns 260 open bow on Sunday. It does not have the mid cabin we wanted, But I could not pass the deal up. They are selling for $ 39,000- $42,000 here. This one was a repo with 85 Hrs on it, no trailer. I offered the bank $23,000 and they took it. Found a 05 trailer for $2,100. So I amy in it right.
Thanks to every one for all your help!

SPLASHNDASH

Oh yes, I now have my 26' 1997 Checkmate for sale. I bought it new. It has allways been kept in the garage, hull is ( no **** ) like show room. 454 mag mpi 385 Hp. bravo 1. $57,000 when new.

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Damn, This 26' Four Winns rides as bad as my go fast:(

Wife thinks it rides good, when we are going 30 mph. shoot any boat rides good at 30.

Way well be looking one more time.:yes_grin:

SPLASHNDASH

Re: WOW this is unbelievable
 

Well just an update. I have got used to the slow boat, 50 mph. 30 years of boating never had one this slow! But now at 56, I like it! Never new cruising at 35 MPH could be so relaxing, Guess I have gotten old lol, wife says no I have finally grown up :rolleyes: