Re: Glastron or Mariah?
The Glastrons are a very good hull design and plane at very low speeds. The 3.0 ain't gonna win a lotta races, but probably will get that hull up and running without a lotta trouble. However, I'd also prefer the 4.3, I have the TKS 4.3 (non-mpi version) at about 190HP if I remember right on my GT205 and it'll hit 50mph with four adults in it (GPS @ 49 on smooth water) poorly propped at that. I think with two adults and the proper prop I could easy just skim over 50mph. So put the same engine on the 18' and she'd be a mighty fast little boat. Handling is superb, although mine doesn't handle very rough water too well, the modified V hull kinda slaps the waves a bit and requires a steady throttle and trim control for a smooth ride in those conditions. The upside, is that when anchored the hull has very little roll in the waves. We were in 1-2' rollers anchored watching the air show here in Toronto last year, and all occupants were comfortable and able to move around the boat without much trouble.
We bought ours last year, it was the last '08 on the lot, with a Canadian MSRP of ~$42,000.00 (with included options) and we rolled outta the dealership at $28,000.00 including trailer and taxes, and safety gear. So shop around. Took us 4 months to find her...and we love every minute on her!
Ian
