[skibum196]

I am interested in a 2000 182 shabah and have been boat shopping for about a month now. It looks like it's in great shape minus a few vinyl tears. I found out it has only 80 hours and it has a 4.3L 190hp merc and also comes with a trailor with surge breaks. I was wondering what to expect from buying a boat that is no longer backed by any sort of existing company. What are the major differences between new mariahs and originals? Will an 18' boat be sturdy enough for St. Lawrence river boating? I live on a smaller lake but will most likely make one or two trips to the 1000 islands each summer. Any feedback or tips would be great! Also if I am totally missing something that I should be concerned about, please let me know. Thanks

Steve

[Z 202]

Hey Steve. There's really very little to worry about. The older Mariahs were of exceptional build quality, and many of the parts can be sourced from existing suppliers. There are some Mariah specific stuff (like OE decals etc.) that can be difficult or impossible to find. Power shouldn't be an issue, as Merc. should have you covered there, and any good upholstery shop should be able to fix any vinyl/cover issues. From the factory, these boats were equipped with a lifetime warranty on the hull. May not mean much now that the original company has gone, but certainly speaks well of their confidence in the product.

I have had my 202 on Lake Ontario, Georgian Bay and Lake Huron, and believe me these boats handle rough water well... My test ride on Lake Ontario was in 3' swells... Not exactly the test ride some people would have planned, but I was actually interested to see how well the boat performed when things got rough. Given the right conditions I wouldn't hesitate to drop in the St. Lawrence and go for a nice day cruise.

The usual checklist of stuff on any used boat would be all that you really need to worry about. If you have any other questions, post 'em up. Good Luck with it. I really doubt you'll be disappointed.

[mikeyt]

Hi Steve

I go along with what Z202 said. The original Mariah's are very sturdy boats and should be able to handle anything the 1000 islands would throw at it. I've used mine on Lake Erie & Lake Ontario as well as my regular boating area in Georgian Bay without any problems to date.

As for the differences between the original and new Mariahs, i would suggest that the originals were built slightly better with more 'options' & were definitely an 'upscale' boat but the new ones are styled nicely and look good with the same engine / driveline options so you wont go wrong with either version. As for parts, only the Mariah specific stuff (certain trim pieces, decals, shields & windshield glass) can be hard to locate but our club is constantly expanding our resources and should be able to help out with most items. As Z202 said, the engine & driveline stuff is standard Mercruiser and parts can be purchased at any marine supply shop.

[Mark]

Hi Steve
I had a 20` boat and I will not say it was a bayliner but it was. Then I seen my 1999 182 and feel in love with it so I down sized to a smaller boat and never looked back. Good luck

[mikeyt]

oh jeez.....'another' Bayliner man....

[RodneyWest]

I bought my 2000 182 Shabah 5 years ago and My family and I absolutley love the boat. I get comments from many of my friends that my Mariah is the best looking, best outfitted and best performing boat of this size and its now 7 years old. Getting MARIAH branded spares (guages, stickers, etc.) is challenging, but luckily standard sizes widely available work well. The mercruiser engine is as reliable as they come and mine has needed nothing more than a seasonal tuneup oil change in the 5 years we've owned it.

[skibum196]

Thanks for the advice everybody! Due to a sketchy "used car salesman" and dealership, this deal fell through. Hiring a marine surveyor saved me from making a horrible purchase. Luckily I am still in the Mariah family as I have just purchased a 2003 Mariah SX18 today! I know this is the new one which you "old-timers" feel are not as good. But I am in the family nonetheless. Thanks for all your input everybody! Happy boating!

[mikeyt]

You will be perfectly happy with it. New or old they are still very good boats.

[dudders]

Congratulations on your fantastic purchase Steve, cant wait for you to put some pics into the Gallery.
As for the features on the New ones compared to the old ones - well I can only go by pics because unfortunately there are no old ones in Oz at all.
But compared to other boats out there, you have one great looking and excellently equipped boats. My Mariah has everything I could want, to get a boat with all the features I would have had to pay at least another $10,000.
You will find the ride to be quiet, comfortable even with 7 adults and incredibly stable in all conditions.
I dont know if any of the "old timers" (as you so eloquently described them) have taken any new ones for a spin, but I think they would all be suitably impressed with its ride.
Have fun.