Tiara Open Information

[Flyboy]

Hey guys,

I'm looking at upgrading to a 29-31' Tiara Open this year. I don't know near as much as I should about these boats yet, so if you have some information, would you be willing to share? I've noticed boats for sale from 1986 till present. What are some important factors to consider when buying used? Does anyone know of any currently for sale? Any information is greatly appreciated. If you have one or know someone who does, would you be willing to post some pictures? Thanks guys.

[killerbe20]

Check my image gallery or my website/Facebook page. Lots of pics of my 29 open. Had it two seasons now and ABSOLUTELY love it. Never completely understood why Tiara owners loved their boats so much until I started running my own. It never ceases to amaze me! Any specific questions about them?

[EdB]

You can't go wrong with Tiara, best big lake boat in it's class.

The key thing with a used boat that size it to have a marine survey done on it. It will cost a few bills but it will insure the hull is sound with no rot issues. That is rare on Tiara's with the way they are built.

[Nailer]

Pound the pavement and talk with as many boat people as you can. I looked at at 31 open last year ( I was not looking to buy) that the owner wanted only 40 K for. It was a deal where the husband had died an the wife wanted to get rid of. The Tiara open is one of the best Great Lakes boats out there.

[Twill23]

checkout thehulltruth.com absolutely all the information you will ever need for boats

[fishy1]

I have a 1994 31 open that I purchased in 1998 and always wondered what the fuss was about with owning a Tiara. It is probaly one of the most overbuilt boats made and I found out the rough water handling ability on many occasions. My advice if you are looking to purchase one is buy it with the largest power plant that was offered in the time frame you are seeking and I'm not sure what year they went to the raised cockpit floor but that is only a small consideration, also one of a few boats that hold tremendous resale value. I personally wouldn't own another boat besides a Tiara.

[Flyboy]

When checking out these boats in person, what are some things you guys look for immediately?

[Building C's]

I have a 2003 31' Open. It is a great boat!!! I have a canvas top and wish I had a hard top. One thing I noticed is the point of view when you are standing at the wheel. There is a bar on the windshield that makes an average guy of around 6' tall hunch to see clearly. My dad and I just started getting serious about fishing and have to use only 1 engine and a drift sock to get slow around 2.2 to 3mph. The only real problem that lies with that is the port engine batteries charge the other batteries while running, which means you shouldn't run the starboard engine all day. You will need to switch periodically. We have thought about a longshaft kicker motor to conserve gas, but it would be hard to hold course on the autopilot due to the 3' draft of the boat. For the freshwater pump hose, we made the diameter of the hose larger on the pump to get better pressure. Whenever anyone comes on our boat, they alway brag how much room and space there is on the back. We still haven't found a great cooler location yet.

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

Tiara's are nice boats, no question. As for fishability, stability, durability, resale value, and safety, there are plenty of other makes just as good for the size/year, and not as expensive and over-rated. Such as Chris Craft, Wellcraft, Stamas, Rampage, Pursuit, and others. I know a guy that just had to have a 31' Tiara about 3 years ago, (he had a 24' Sea Ray at the time), he paid $65K for a 1988 model in 2008, a 20 year old boat that sold for about the same new. He didn't get any deal imho, and didn't even get a trailer with it for that overcharge. Dollar for Dollar, not the best buy, but still very worthy, if you want to chuck out an overage in Dollars for the name.

[Leafybug]

If you opt for a survey, make sure your there when it performed. I recently purchased a nice grady and got burned for over 400 bucks by the surveyor. He didn't bother opening anything that wasn't left open for inspection, that includes the gas tank coffin boxes! As far as tiara goes, imho, you can't hardly get a better boat. Always try to get the most power offered, that way it's there when you need it. As for initial inspection, look for stress cracks everywhere, i.e. stringers, hull, deck, and transom. If you find an abundance of them, maybe just walk away, there is something wrong with it. Good luck, im jealous if you get one!

[blrunner]

I bought a 1998 3100 open last winter, my dream boat. Tiara has great support on new and older boat. They will help you working out problems or just getting to know your boat. They even helped me with questions I had when I was looking at used Tiara's that I was interested in buying. Tiara's are great boats and the support you get matches the boat.

[nickoftime]

I built Tiara's for 8 years not a better built boat out there in all aspects.

And they hold their value well.

[captgreg87]

Biggest thing I would say is make sure you get a good survey. Purchased a 33 open last year and had a deposit on one 33 and come to find out stringers were bad, all the through haul fittings needed to be replaced, and finally the boat was actually in Salt water for a period of time, which was not in the original ad. Long story short, spent a little more time looking around and found an immaculate 33 Open up in Bay Harbor. Boat only had 200 hours on it and was totally worth the wait. Make sure you do your homework and find one that has been well taken care of, it will pay off in the long run. Oh fuel injected engines were a huge selling point for me!

[Far Beyond Driven]

Heard a horror story of one that leaked through the shaft seals, turns out the engine mounts were all messed up where they were bolted into the stringers allowing the drives to shift. Other than that, all the ones I've been on have been really great boats.

I was not too happy about the lack of freeboard and had to watch my kids all the time. My Four Winns has 35" and with a rigger board you'd have to be special to fall out of that boat.

[killerbe20]

I actually had my heart sold on a 330 Sea Ray Amberjack while I was internet boat shopping. Seeing it in person was a different story. Once I put my knees, or really shins, against the gunwales I knew i did not want to make a charter boat out of it. I was a little uncomfortable and I've been around boats for as long as I can remember. I have been very comfortable on my Tiara!