[ShabahZ280]

I looked at a Captiva 232 as well, and they are nice boats. Rinker doesn't make an awful product. I do feel like for some reason they get a bad reputation as being relatively cheap, but I've never seen anything that would be enough to sway me away. My friend had a Fiesta Vee 342, and it was a very well built boat. Their cruiser line offers a lot of boat and options for the money. And who could complain about a company that integrates a built-in blender on their cruisers?

I'd be a little leary of a boat that hasn't been reasonably maintained. DIY boat maintenance is fine, but if he's using a blue tarp to cover it, hasn't *properly* winterized the engine in 4-5 years, or changed the impeller, i'm pretty sure not a lot of attention has been given to taking good care of it. I may want to get a second opinion from a Mercruiser mechanic, or surveyor before signing on any paperwork.

The trick here is Nick, you can't be in a rush. If you want to get what you want, you need to be patient. Don't buy something only to settle. You're talking a pretty serious amount of money and a financial commitment. Get what you want, not just what's available, otherwise you'll regret it in the long term. If you want a nice Mariah, be patient. We're just getting started in the season, so you're not going to find an awful lot of them right now. Give it time.

[nglauer]

I thought I would start a new thread, as my wife and I have decided not to pursue the 99 Rinker Captiva 232. The owner of the 95 Mariah Davanti 215 has sent me a fair amount of photos, which I wanted to share and get opinions. I think the boat will clean up, and the oxidizing on the hull looks minor (probably from being stored outside the last couple of years).

Here is what I know about the boat per the owner. Won't be able to go see it till later in the week (possibly Thursday).

1995 Davanti 215 Wine on White
1 owner - all original minus dealer installed captains call exhaust and motor.

The Good -

Original interior that is scuff, tear, and stain free
Newer Jasper Marine 350 vortec with thunderbolt ignition etc. (installed by Mercruiser mechanic at local marina)
Cuddy is very clean inside, overhead console works
Trailer is solid for an all original 95, and the brakes and bearings were replaced in 2012
No noticeable scratches or gouges in the hull - beyond worn decals from docking.
All original glass in good shape, with working windshield wiper
solid floors
1 owner with all original paperwork and some maintenance records
All safety gear - vests, skis, tube (all purchased in the last 2-3 years) included
3 props - 1 stainless 3 blade, 1 aluminum 3 blade, 1 aluminum 4 blade (new)


The Bad -

Trailer tires are original, but have minimal dry rot
Minor oxidization on the hull
Convertible top needs some stitching fixed
No cover
Interior needs cleaned up after being in storage the last 2 years
depth gauge doesn't work (unknown reason)
Captains Call Exhaust does not work, currently stuck on the silent side
Owner maintained/winterized since new motor was put in - could be good - could be bad. He claims he stopped taking it to the local marina because they supposedly improperly winterized it, leading to him replacing the motor.



Boat is currently sitting in a storage yard (for the last 2 years), supposedly it was kept in a garage/barn prior to that and never left in the water over night. He claims that it has always been tarped fairly well since it was moved to outside storage. No hour meter, but he said he rarely used it, and that it wasn't even brought out of storage for 4-5 seasons. He estimates the engine to have 20 hours on it - if that (again no meter.. just his word)


Owner was asking $7500.00, but said he would sell for $6000.00. Any thoughts are appreciated. I like the design of the boat and layout, and I believe it'll fit in my garage without much issue. I have attached pictures below... which show the boat as it currently sits. It has the usual black grime from sitting, and what the owner explained as a tarp that fell apart.

Thanks,
Nick

[nglauer]

Here are some additional pictures....

[nglauer]

and a few more for good measure... just want as many opinions as possible before traveling 3 hours to look at it....

[Motoxxx43]

The list of the bad things does not sound too bad considering the boat is almost 20 years old. Did they mention if it was a salt or fresh water boat?

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[nglauer]

All fresh water. Lake boat in Ohio.

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[nglauer]

Originally Posted by Motoxxx43

The list of the bad things does not sound too bad considering the boat is almost 20 years old. Did they mention if it was a salt or fresh water boat?

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I don't believe the boat was used much. The owner told me he purchased it new at a boat show in 1996. For the first few years him and his wife took it out.. then they divorced and it was put in his barn for years without seeing the water. He met his current wife around 2000... they pulled it out of the barn and he discovered that it wasn't winterized properly before being stored. Thus he had to replace the motor. He opted to go with a Jasper Marine 350 and a Holly 4 barrel carb. He said the motor is a vortec model so he had to buy a bunch of new stuff to retrofit it in place of the original 305. He ran it for a few seasons off and on after that, but it hasn't been in the water for the last two years. He said he would show it running etc. before accepting any money. He claims that the depth gauge and captains call being stuck in silent mode are the only problems...

Will I be able to tell if the exhaust bellows and stuff are good without taking it on the water? I plan on replacing the impeller and working on the exhaust first thing, but can add Bellows to the list if they are to old.

Thanks again for the advise and opinions!

Nick

[nglauer]

Started the search again (who am i kidding... havent really stopped... still silently stalking the interwebs for a decent deal) after deciding not to pull the trigger on the above Mariah. Perhaps as the weather starts to warm in Ohio I will see some new boats pop up for sale.