[WolfProperties]

Hey guys, I am a new member and new to boating. I am looking at a 1999 Z250 Shabah, but dont know the first thing about it. It seems to be a good boat for what my wife and I want. Maybe some of you can tell me what to look for? I have some photos if I can figure out how to upload them.

Also, I made a mistake on my username, it added @gmail.com for some reason at the end. Who would I talk to to fix this?

Alex

[mikeyt]

Originally Posted by [email protected]

Hey guys, I am a new member and new to boating. I am looking at a 1999 Z250 Shabah, but dont know the first thing about it. It seems to be a good boat for what my wife and I want. Maybe some of you can tell me what to look for? I have some photos if I can figure out how to upload them.

Also, I made a mistake on my username, it added @gmail.com for some reason at the end. Who would I talk to to fix this?

Alex

Hi Alex

Best person to answer questions about that particular boat is our Admin guy Chris (handle is Shabah Z250) cuz, as per his name, he has one.

Either Chris, our other admin guy Mariah Man (Ryan) or our Super Moderator 'Wet Willy' can fix your username problem once they see this post.

[MariahMan]

Originally Posted by WolfProperties

Also, I made a mistake on my username, it added @gmail.com for some reason at the end. Who would I talk to to fix this?

All fixed. To upload photos, when you post a message find the button below that says "manage attachments" where you can upload images to your posted messages.

For uploading to the gallery, see this

[WolfProperties]

Here is the text from the ad, I plan to see it sometime early this week:

1999 Mariah Z250 Shabah. It is a 25'-2" offshore style hull with only 185 Hours on it. Has full cuddy cabin with microwave, sink, storage cooler, and all trimed out in leather. It has a 502 Mag engine with 415 hp factory, a Bravo one outdrive w/stainless three blade prop. Has been well maintained and cared for always stored with cover never left open in rain or snow. This boat has always been trailered to the lake never left in slip. Trailer is tandam axle with hyd breaks. Interior is all leather has drop down bolster front seats and a four person bench across the back. It has through hulls so everyone knows you got a big block chevy under the deck.

Interested! I have extra pictures I can email as well.

Asking $22,000.00 or best offer Blue book is about $31,500.00 w/trailer

Additional features:

Live well in transom
Kenwood cd player
Swim platform w/stainless ladder
Tube hook on back
Depth sounder
Dock lights in hull
Anchor hatch in the nose of the bow
Dual batteries with cut off switch
Portapotty in cuddy
Shore power built in
Power inverter built in
Cockpit cover
Bimi top
90 Gal fuel tank

A few things seem odd to me. This seems to be a HUGE engine, and I cant find any others for sale with it. Also, 90 gallon gas tank?

[WetWilly]

Hi WolfProperties,

I couldn't find a Z250 Shabah in the 99 brochure but I did find a Z258 with the same LOA and a 85gal tank and yes, a large tank is necessary if you plan to go long distances or travel fast. Just like cars, big motors eat lots of gas but they move like crazy too. Other than that, it sounds like you found a beauty and with low hours at that!

As for the motor, yes it’s big, I believe it's the biggest from Mercruiser but then again, you've got a lot of boat too. The dry weight was 4200lbs and I believe that without motor. The brochure indicates the a 454mag as the largest motor but then again, maximum Prop HP was rated to 415 for this hull. It's possible the original owner wanted to make sure it got around quickly enough.

If you can provide the serial number from the starboard rear of the boat, we can confirm the year and some pictures would be helpful as well.

WetWilly

[WolfProperties]

[Z 202]

Originally Posted by WolfProperties

This seems to be a HUGE engine, and I cant find any others for sale with it. Also, 90 gallon gas tank?

It'll pull a skier... or 4.

Though they may all go deaf riding behind the open exaust...

My Shabah w/ 5.7L (350c.i.) comes with a 40 gal. tank. I wouldn't want it any smaller.

Nice looking boat.

[indykoch]

Definitely a nice boat!!! But I'd have to question a few things.

The exhaust is aftermarket... Mariah used rectangular tips. Makes me wonder if the engine is actually "original" to the boat. No big deal if maintained properly.

The ad says "all trimmed in leather". The cabin pics clearly show fabric. Besides, most boats use vinyl, not real leather (could you imagine what the sun, water, etc. would do to real leather over time?).

Is it missing the flame arrestor/air cleaner? Looks like the rubber boot is the last thing on the intake.

Was the ignition key always located to the right on this model? What did they do before fuel injection? How would you control the throttle and turn the key? Seems a bit akward.

No matter what... looks like a very nice boat that should scoot! Great condition and price. Go for it!!!

WetWilly - I've always understood boat weights to include the "base" engine if it's an I/O or inboard. Outboards are the only wieghts that don't include the engine.

[ShabahZ280]

Sorry for my delayed response here, was out of town this past weekend.

It looks to be in great shape, and it doesn't sound like a bad deal, especially for a low hour 502 model. However let me make you aware of a few things.

The fuel tank is 65 gallons, not 90. So that is either an aftermarket tank, or there's an error and somebody's been misinformed along the way. And i'm not disqualifying myself from that!

The boat looks to be fairly well equipped, however i'm not sure if it's truly a Z model, if you have more pics, I can clarify this for you. A couple giveaways are the blower vents on the back, and the fuel fill on the side. The vents were chrome on the Z's, and the fuel filler was an "indy style" pop-open chrome model. Also, there should be a transom mounted outdrive control. If it is a Z, it's a custom ordered one that didn't have all the Z features.

It seems to be missing the top panel that covers the engine, or maybe it was removed for the pictures. This helps keep engine noise down a little more.

Next, the thru hull exhaust is not factory. You can tell this by the tips on the back. Mariah made their own tips that look much nicer. The factory installed system was also selectable, with the ability to switch it between above water, and below water exhaust. This makes it nice for those quiet times, and the ability to growl when you want to. From the looks of those pics, that might be a constant thru-hull exhaust, as in "it's always on". There doesn't appear to be a lower diverter pipe off the back of the riser that would indicate a selectable system.

From a performance standpoint, my 7.4L will run about 52mph at full throttle. I'd expect you'd be seeing high 50's to low 60's easily. One thing to make sure and keep track of is your oil level. The 502's tend to drink a bit of oil. Always keep a few quarts on board just to top it off.

However, I don't think this boat would disappoint you at all, and it seems to be well priced, especially with the low hours and the 502. On a personal note, if you're buying it for your wife and you to enjoy some quality time on the water, it's perfect. This size has enough room to move around comfortably. With the filler cushions in the cabin, it's completely comfortable to sleep onboard, and I've done so on many occasions. plus it has the ability to carry and entertain at least 4 passengers in comfort in addition to yourselves. Above 6 people, it tends to get a little tight.

I say if it's within your budget, and it's everything you want, go for it!

[WolfProperties]

Chris,


Thanks for the notes. Since this is our first real boat (used to have a 2001 Yamaha dual jet boat) I want to make sure I am getting something decent. Are there any changes you would make to this? Would I be better off waiting for a true Z with the selectible exhaust?

Alex