Mariah Boats
 

Does anyone know anything good or bad about Mariah boats?

Here is what little I picked up when looking at boats a couple of years ago..... the older Mariah, back when the first came out were good boats, however I was told by several sources that as the years went on the quality went south some..... what I could never get a good indication on was when the quality went south and how south it went.....

That aside any boat you by you are taking chance.... I myself this year ran into a blister problem on a Four Winns I bought. I know plenty of people who own four Winns and no one has had a problem like I have had. But it there and now I am dealing with it. But as I looked in to this problem one thing a began to realize was that no matter whos boat you buy, nothing is ever certain, I found and talked with people that owned Donzis that had the same problem. Its much like buying a car look around limit your risks and hope for the best.

MARIAH BOATS INC. vs. MARIAH BOAT CO.
 

I must say I agree w/ LIforrelaxin post. When Mariah boats first came from 1990-2001, they built a much better designed boat. I have a 2000 Mariah Jubilee 244 Runabout and what got me about it was the design/quality and capacity. A link is here http://www.boats.com/sites/theboatse...&srh_next=true to a pic of mine is identical, but a different color.

Then MARIAH BOATS INC. (1990-2001) was sold to Sea Fox and the division MARIAH BOAT CO. (2003-present) came about. They changed the designs and I do not think they compare to the older models, but remember that is just my opinon.

Thanks for the feedback
 

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't know that they had been sold to Sea Fox.

I found the boats at Parker to be a bit stripped down. The pricing was good but they don't include anything, even a cockpit or mooring cover. They were priced low to entice but in the end I think there are better values and better boats on the market.

We looked to buy a Mariah. They are very pretty boats with good pricing. However, we talked to someone who worked with them at one time that said they had hull problems. I don't know if they still do. But it was enough to scare us away. I think it had quite a long warranty though, so it would protect you if that did happen.

Sunset Bob -- many years ago (before the original design was sold) we too looked at Mariah's. In the end we chose Crownline and are currently in our second. At the time we found Mariah to be and an extremely attractive boat (personal preference) and very well constructed and appointed. However, the value ($$$) of Crownline won us over without sacrificing the detail in construction or the amenities included.

There are many name brands of boats out there to chose from - each suit a particular budget or consumer preference. A boat is an extremely "personal choice" based on your likes, your planned usaged, how they handle and of course your budget.

New or used, take a look at Crownlines and many others before you make a final decision. The beauty of Winni is that you are afforded the opportunity to "test drive" many of your choices before you commit. A tremendous benefit for you'd be amazed at how differently boats handle -- "out of the hole" power, turning, handling chop/waves, planing, etc.

Best of Luck with your decision.

Funny how you choose those two brands...

"Michael Phillips started in the boating industry 25 years ago when he joined Celebrity Boats in Benton, Illinois. He helped Celebrity raise its sales from US$9 million to US$70 million in six years, and went on to help startup company Mariah Boats become a US name brand. Later, Phillips founded Crownline Boats, which has become one of the largest sportboat and runabout manufacturers in the US."

Mr. Phillips is presently moving on to Challenger Boats.

That is funny because we also own a crownline. They must have some kind of similarities that appeal to certain people. We are very happy with it.

Take a look at the JD Power rankings - I've found that they are pretty fair and objective.

Try taking a ride in a Searay, great boat that holds its value and depending on the model has a lot of standard equipment that on other brands would be an option.

LIForrelaxin,
Could you PM me when you get a chance. I've got the same problem on my 2000 230H.

Blue Thunder

Mariah
 

We have a 1999 Z272 Bowrider and have had a great time with it. No major problems with it except those that occur with age. I will say we bought it when Sheps had the dealership. They gave it up several years later. The company (as noted above) had changed hands and the guys at Sheps said they were no longer happy with the quality. In fact we were told "you got the last great line of boats they made". I really can't say how the newer ones are but you do some around the lake

Good luck