[gearhead1956]

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

[rayzorback]

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.

[Boatcrazy]

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.

[Boatcrazy]

Watch at 8:22

[Oregondunes]

Originally Posted by Boatcrazy

Watch at 8:22

why didnt mine come with the 525ci motor ?

[csterner]

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

[gearhead1956]

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

[csterner]

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!

[z275st]

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.
But you can't put a price on memories!!!

[gearhead1956]

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