| A friend of mine bought a Mariah 190 last year (read the stats closely,
that's 19' LOA, not actual hull length). At the end of the season, he
had it on the trailer to wash and wax and discovered a severe
blistering problem. There were literally hundreds of blisters on the
bottom. I took a look and couldn't believe it! Obviously he took it
back to the dealer, who said he'd never seen anything like it. He
sent it back to the factory who kept it for the winter, stripped it
down and refinished the bottom (don't know all the details on that yet).
He just put it back in the water last weekend.
Mariah was started up by some people from Celebrity boats. Don't know
much about them. I've been impressed by Mariah, at least in the
showroom. Lots of bells and whistles, nice fit and finish, etc. But
based on my friends experience, now I have reservations about looking
at them seriously.
Another friend of mine absolutely loves Chapparals. Quality boat, and
the hull extends completely under the integrated platform which he
claims is an advantage over most of the others that don't. However, he
did say that that creates a problem when backing because the outdrive
doesn't extend out beyond the hull. He didn't go into anymore details
than that.
Me? I own an '87 Four Winns 190 Horizon. Except for too much teak to
care for, I love it. I've got a 4.3L Mercruiser in it. 1987 was the
last year you could get one with a Merc 'cause OMC bought them out that
year. I don't want to turn this into a Merc vs. OMC discussion but
I've heard alot of people say they don't like OMC, so if you're one of
those folks, then that's a consideration.
Good luck and let us know what you end up with.
Chris
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Just to finish up this note, we've decided to go with
the Chararrel bowrider 2330, Volvo 3.8L, 275 hp, Duo-prop.
We tried out a 2335, the cuddy, with the Mercruiser 3.7L,
255 hp, Duo-prop and were very impressed with the handling
and 53 mph speed. My previous boat being a Carver 26' might
have had a little to do with the impression ;{).
We found the Mariah's seats were uncomfortable and we wanted
a couple of options that the Mariah didn't offer in their 23'-
24' line.
Thanks for your opinions on and off line.
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