New to the fourm looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari'
 

Hello all, I am new to the forum and am currently looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari' I have not been able to find out much about these boats. This boat has been on the market for the past 4 months and the consignment shop has recently lowered the price by 1K. The rear seats will have to be recovered as well as the entire cubby (mold) I don't know any of the boats history but based on the condition of the fabrics it has been out in the sun for most of it's life. I am looking for a boat that will be primarily used on a fresh water lake to pull my kids on skis and tubes while occasionally hitting the river and some close in reefs in the Florida keys.

I am wondering why the cubby floor would be wet from sitting. I will have wet kids getting in and out of the boat for days at a time and would hate to think that all that water is going to end up in the cubby.

Can anyone tell me of any specific problems I should be looking for in this boat. I am considering an offer of 5K due to the condition of the upholstery and cracks along the driver side top rail, as well as the trailer not having brakes. Also all of the screws holding the fuel tank cover are stripped out I was able to pull the cover off very easily, in fact this worries me quite a bit.

MARIAH CUDDY 21' 5.7L


Greg.

Re: New to the fourm looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari'
 

It's not a bad looking boat. How bad are the seats? Tears? Seams splitting or just dirty. Is the cabin musty or just have mildew spots? I'm not a talari owner but someone will come along shortly and chime in I'm sure. MikeyT will surely have something to say about it 😁. The price seem fairly reasonable. However... How many hours are on it? Mariah builds a really good boat. It's pretty amazing they hold up so well even with being neglected. A lot of times all it takes is some tlc, elbow grease and a bit of investment to get them back to awesome. I bought a $5000 Mariah 202 as our family's first boat and I know I made a good choice. Others should have more detailed info for you.

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Re: New to the fourm looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari'
 

The boat looks much better in the pictures than in person. I was pretty disappointed when I looked at it yesterday. The seats are cracked and very brittle, they were breaking when touched. The consignor did not have any info as far as hours or maintenance. I tend to expect the worst and price accordingly. I have never owned a cuddy but can see how standing water in the cuddy and the hot Florida sun could produce a very bad environment and could explain the mold and mildew on the upholstery.

I am a very handy person and would enjoy bringing her back to life but would like to know of any pitfalls beforehand. We have only owned one boat before, purchased it new. It still looked new 8 years later when we sold it. I don't understand how people let there property get to such a state.

Re: New to the fourm looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari'
 

Me either. The outside can be brought back. The vinyl can be replaced bit probably in the $2000 range I would suspect to do the whole thing. I can give you vinyl names and a place to call to get vinyl very close to the original stuff. If the interior is that bad they may be a bit high. Just wondering about the water in the cabin how high is the nose sitting? Also I am sure someone will chime in I think there is a drain tube that connects the front part of the bow to the bilge and it can get clogged.

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Re: New to the fourm looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari'
 

As far as the water in the cuddy, the sun hatch seal is probably leaking. You can have someone who installs sunroofs take it out and put a new seal in it. Or just to fix it for the time being, you can put some clear silicone around it.

Re: New to the fourm looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari'
 

You need to get this boat onto the water and see how (or if) it performs. It doesn't sound like it was particularly well maintained and if there are a number of visible areas that need significant attention there are very likely a number of non-visible areas that need work too. Check to make sure all of the electrics & gauges work. Things like replacing the trim/tilt sensors is a pita job because you have to remove the outdrive so you want to make sure it works. Check the outdrive fluid levels. If low it might indicate the seals need attention. Check the color of the engine oil & see if the vendor has any service records. Make sure that plexi/plastic sliding door to the cuddy works properly too because it is very difficult to find parts for it. You also need to get rid of that ridiculous fin on the outdrive and install a pair of Smart Tabs. Fins only belong on Bayliners and tin can runabouts.

And in a pinch, if you send the hull ID# to ShabahZ280 he can likely tell you where the boat was sold from etc which might give you a little idea of its history.

Re: New to the fourm looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari'
 

We all knew that was coming LOL!!

All good info Mikey!!

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Re: New to the fourm looking at a 1997 Mariah 211 'Talari'
 

Thank you for the tips. I will definitely take it for a sea trial. I don't mind fixing things as long as they are priced into the deal. I am a bit nervous about purchasing a used boat but it's the only way I am going to get one this time out.

BTW I owned a Bayliner for 8 years and never had the least bit of trouble out of it. Payed 12k for it new sold it 8 years later for 8k. So other than normal maintenance it only cost me 500 per year to own. To me that is pretty awesome. Especially considering that I carried it from FL to PA every other year and spent quite a bit of time with it off shore as well as in the local lakes and rivers.