Maristar 200

[akossanyi]

Does anybody know much about the late 90's Maristar 200, What is the wake like for skiing and wakeboarding. What's it handle like. I want to compare it to my 86 SN 2001. I also spent a lot of time driving a 97 SSN which is a nice boat but handles like a school bus.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Maristar 200

No experience with a Maristar. A Super Sport drives like a school bus? I assume you mean in comparison to your 2001. And still I would disagree.
You should drive some other V-drives of that era. I think my 99 handles like an M3.

[akossanyi]

I didn't mean to offend anyone with regards to the school bus comment but yes compared with to my 2001 where I can put it into a power slide with one hand. The 97 I drove for 3 days required 2 hands for most turns. Looking for something a little more nimble but still hold 8 or more. I am also considering a 98 SNOB.

[sstexan]

If you think a super sport handles like a bus, then you are in for a rude awakening with the Maristar. That will handle like a barge. The super sport is the best handling v-drive period. I owned one for several years, and now I own a 236. Night and day difference. I suggest you ski behind your Nauti and tube and drink beer behind the Mastercraft.....

[M3Fan]

Is the Maristar 200 the outboard version? MC made an open bow O/B for a couple years that was an absolute flop. Very lousy boat.

[WakeSlayer]

no offense, just surprised. Direct drives and Vdrives are different animals. That said, if I choose to slide my SAN, it is still a one handed, hold on tight, job. A SNOB is really just a 196 with a small open bow, and I think the cockpit is moved back to accomodate that.

[WakeSlayer]

I drove like a 97 Tige V drive when it was new. I swear the thing had a foundation block for a rudder. The gu sold it the next year.

[skiswm]

If you don't like the drive of a 97 Super Sport you will not be hapopy with the Maristar, it will be worse. When I purchased my 97 we looked at some Maristars and came very close to making the choice to go that route (glad I didn't). Anyway, the Maristar at least at that time didn't come with tracking fins, so for it to hold in line would be really hard. If you liked your power slide in a 2001 I doubt you'd be able to get that with a Maristar.

[gride300]

i was under the impression the o/b was made mostly for countries w/ different rules? get a nautique anyways.

[NCH2oSki]

One of our lake friends has a 96 maristar. One thing I hate about it is the integrated platform, otherwise its a nice family boat. It has a nice high freeboard, and a deep open bow. The boat suits his family of 4 well.

It is a step up from an I/O, but its not a true ski boat. The ski wake is not bad, but it does have a little more trough/depresion then I like. The wake is pretty soft so it is ski able. The hole shot is not great with the 275hp engine, even with a newer cnc 4 blade prop. His did not come with tracking fins, and it feels sort of "loosey goosey" pulling a skier (needs lots of driver input, compaired to a dd).

I'll ski and drive my Sport Nautique all day long over his, but if we our out and he offers a pull I wont turn it down.

[lffish133]

I'm sorry but a Maristar is absolute crap, no handling whatsoever and it struggles to get on plane. I couldn't stand it compared to my Super Sport.

[bkhallpass]

M3, Maristar is not an outboard. If I recall, the MC outboards were called prostar 200s, and later Powerstar 200s. Maristar's are all V Drives.

Akossanyi, something was wrong with the 97 SS you were driving. No way that boat should handle that poorly. While it will never be as nimble as a DD, closed bow, the 95-2006 SS hull is amongst the best driving v-drives made.

The Maristars are deeper V boats, and, as someone mentioned they did not have tracking fins. Tracking fins would be somewhat useless however, as they don't have
a tracking issue. Rather, the issue is they turn more like an i/o, rolling from side to side in a turn. If you're used to a DD, the maristar is a real pig to drive.

BKH

[gride300]

didnt they make maristars for more "beach" type boating

[madcityskier]

Not all maristars are v-drives. Maristars are the "family" version of the line, for general use as well as skiing. They don't handle like a flatter bottomed prostar as they are more of a v-hull for cutting chop on rougher/larger bodies of public water. They are generally 10/12 person boats or larger. If you want to compare to a supersport this isn't your boat. Nothing in the MasterCraft line is quite the same as that. The x-star is more wakeboard specific, and the porstar line is more ski specific. Crossover boats is not one of the strengths of the MasterCraft line. If you want a ski/board crossover v-drive try anything in the Nautique crossover line, Moomba LSV or a Supra SSV. All are well mannered near the docks, ride nicely on the water. None are exactly what you'll want for short-line slalom, but will do nicely for most folks for most applications. That said, no v-drive will handle like a direct drive, much like no station wagon can corner like a Corvette. Test whatever you look at on the water, with a few people in it.