Mako 184 - anybody have info?

[wdm]

Anyone have any experience/knowledge on the Mako 184?

Length 18' 4''
Beam 8' 2''
Hull Weight (approx.) 1800 Lbs.
Deadrise 18 degrees

I know it ain't an old classic Mako, but how good/bad are the new Makos??

http://www.mako-boats.com/boat/index.cfm?boat=2705

[gf2020]

Here are a few other 18' boats that I would consider before settling on that Mako...

McKee Craft 184
Parker 1801
Key West 186
Sea Hunt 186

[riptide]

I havea buddy with the 192 and he loves it. It ride BIG for it's size. Nice CC for the money.

[Dbaker]

I would guess you checked out classicmako.com.
They are loaded with info on both the new and classic boats.

I don't know if I would go for a new Mako. I would do lots of homework on many of the fine boats in that class.. I think there are better values out there.

Owner of 1985 254.... I think the best riding Mako ever.

[Dbaker]

That's an unbelievable post. Pushed his finger through the hull while cleaning road tar from the hull on a 2005 model purchased 18 months ago. Said the glass was 1/16" thick!! How can that be? Makes me wonder if they have a Meth problem in Forest City NC! How can you build a boat that has glass that thin? I checked out an Angler Boat Corp. 173 a couple of years ago, and the hull is over an 1" thick in the rear. Mako Marine...what the heck is going on? No pics on the post. I'm going to keep checking in on this one. Interested to see how much of the hull is 1/16" thick. Man am I glad I didn't buy a new 17.

http://outdoorsbest.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=701262

[CaptSuperfly]

As mentioned in that thread, the issue on that boat was probably an air void behind the gelcoat. No way the boat was actually built with 1/16" glass.

Voids in the chine or the strakes or anywhere else the hull makes a sharp turn in the mold are common. It's tough to get the glass in there. The way Parker tries to avoid them is by filling the lifting strakes with an epoxy putty before laying the glass.

that said, the decline in Mako quality over the years seems to be pretty well documented ( though often second hand) and I haven't been really impressed with them at the shows. Still, the specs on the boat in the OP look good. Still, I'd look a the 18 Jones or Parker.

[chiefbestboy]

If you want the good, bad, and the truth go check out classicmako.com!!!!

[wdm]

Thanks for the input(s).

I have looked at the Jones and the Parker.

Three friends have told me disturbing stories of the ride of the "work" Parkers they have been on. Now I think these are the "classic" 25 ft Sport Cabin, but they thought I was nuts to look at a Parker .... their experience was that they got pounded to death! One person from the west coast of Florida and two people from this area.

Is this phenomena related to the bigger boats only? Everyone on this site raves about them ... I can only assume the bad ride my friends are talking about relates to the larger and/or older boats??

Does this make sense to anyone?

I was looking at the Mako for the obvious reason ... price. Paying 30K for an 18'er is hard for me to swallow.

I spoke with the Jones Bro. factory and I must say they were great. Offered to take me out if I wanted to come down. Super guy I spoke to who gave me a ton of information.

Still kicking the tires...........

[Greenponded]

The 18 Parker is a great riding boat. I hope to own another one some day. I hear great things about the Jones Brothers, seen a lot of them around Ryders Cove. I expect they are similar. I would not consider a new Mako, heard too much about the declining quality. You might also want to look at the 18' Maritime Skiff, Seahunt and Key West in this range. I don't think you can do bad with any of these.

[CaptSuperfly]

I fished an 18 parker for 6 seasons. I loved a lot of things about the boat. It was tough and rock steady in a rip When it came to fishing a rip or in any rough conditions, there would be no better 18 footer.

This was the 1800 model, not the newer 1801.

Getting from point A to B in the slop was another question. The ride was rough. Tabs helped a bunch. If you got the bow down, you could cleave the waves and soften the ride, but it got very wet. It has 14 degrees of deadrise, so that will usually be the compromise.

That said, overall, I've never felt safer in a small boat.

I've also fished on the Parker 21 and the JB 1910 and the 1910 rides better. There are a couple for sale on this site.

Build quality on both is fantastic.

More than deadrise is responsible for the ride on a boat. Beam plays a big factor, as does a sharp entry.

My current boat only has 16 degrees of deadrise at the transom, but a sharp entry and lots of flare to keep me dry. The driest place on the boat is the front cooler seat. With the sharp entry, if I tab down a bit the ride is MUCH softer than my 18 parker.

It is also more narrow than my Parker was, which helps the ride. It does roll more in the rip. not horrible, but I've never been on an 18 that was as stable as that Parker.

Also, I was SHOCKED at how amazing the resale on my Parker was when I sold it.

I guess the lesson is take a ride in the boat on a sloppy day before you right the check and really consider the compromises.