[John1964]

I have been researching boats, used and have been moved to look at the Tiara.  In particular, the 3100 Open.  This would be my first boat as my wife and I purchased a Home in the Venice FL area and want to utilize the beautiful waterways in the area.

The 3100 Open seems to be a good size for a couple doing weekend and maybe week long traveling down the FL coast and possibly to the Bahamas.  We plan to also use it to fish, go to the beach and swim off the back.  The 3500 Open seems to be more boat that we may need especially for our first one.  Others may feel different?

We would appreciate any suggestions the members may have in searching for a boat.

Engine - Gas or Diesel, hours, tanks replaced with plastic?
Interior preference - Head with shower curtain?
Berth- Center, walkaround bed is much more comfortable?
Any other issue to consider?

Should we not look at boats older than '87 or '95 for certain reasons?

Or, is is work it to spend the money and purchase something '96 or '04 and newer for a specific reason.

Also, should we not consider shipping a boat from the Midwest or East Coast to Florida?  I heard it could cost about $10K but not sure.

I appreciate your replies.

John

[Misdirection]

Buy your first boat last! If you think you'll eventually step up into a 35 or 36 Open, just buy it now and save yourself the hassle.

I'm not sure about the 3100, but the larger boats came with the A plan or B plan. The A plan had a small U shaped galley and dinette. The B plan was much more open down below. Look at both and decide what you prefer.

If your looking at older boats, those up on the great lakes age well as we haul them out anually. But diesels dont seem as common up here.

If your planning trips to the Bahamas, you'll probably want to look at diesel's for the reliability and fuel economy.



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[alhalpern]

I bought a 2003 31 open with Cummins diesels in july, love the boat. The only thing I have issues with is engine access, its really tight to work on although even if I knew it wouldn't have changed my mind. I think all boats in this class and size are probably tite in the engine compartment. Another thought for a cummins powered boat is to make sure the recommended service has been done. This can cause a lot of expensive repair in the future. Look carefully and make sure the seller has good service records. Good luck in your search.

Al

[Matta0413]

This will be my 6th season with my 2002 3100 Open. I love the boat, Tiara sets the bar for quality in production boats. I have the 8.1 Crusaders in mine and have no complaints at all. Unless you are going to put more than 150 hours a year on the boat I really do not think having Diesel engines is a big deal. Of course if you really want them you can find 31's out there that have them. As for the year, there are plenty of older Tiara's on the river where I keep my boat and if well taken care of they last a very long time. The layout on the older Tiara's is a little different, mine seems to be more open. My wife and I travel with the boat several times during the season. When it is just the two of us the boat has plenty of room. When our 23 year old daughter comes along it gets a little tight but still doable. We do a lot of weekend trips and a full week trip once a season.

[Richard.Janek]

Hello John,
I just purchased a 1995 Tiara 4000, so I have almost zero experience with this boat. However, I can tell you that looking at boats over the past several months, I was very impressed by Tiara. I did not know much about them when I started. Buying an older boat is not a problem (I've owned several, some very old) it all depends on the condition.

I am shipping the Tiara that I just purchased from Long Beach, CA to the San Francisco Bay Area, about 400 miles. This costs $4500. I got different quotes from various companies and the price was from over $12,000 to $4500.

PM if you want to talk more. Good luck.

Best regards,
Richard

[ReelMagic]

I owned a 1997 31 Open w/twin 454 Crusaders (EFi) for 10 Years and it never let me down. Cruised extensively each summer going north up the Hudson to Lake Champlain and Canada. Also cruised east from our home port on Long Island Sound to Newport, Boston, Gloucester, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, and Montauk. We also took cruises south to the Chesapeake ending near Virginia Beach... Most of the time is was just my wife and myself as the 31 is perfect for 2. Several times we took our grandchildren but generally only for a weekend... The boat performed great at 3200 making 23.5knts and burning approx. 32gph. We now own a 38 Open w/Cummins diesels and love the boat. Significantly more space and actually runs a bit faster at cruise. 24.5 knots burning 28gph..... Both are great boats and wouldn't consider another mfg.  M2C

[neto]

How handy are you? will you be doing the work yourself? If not then I would suggest that you would get a newer boat or ensure that the boat you are buying has been maintained top to bottom! Since this is your first boat you should definitely hire experts for doing engine and hull surveys.

[John1964]

How handy are you? will you be doing the work yourself? If not then I would suggest that you would get a newer boat or ensure that the boat you are buying has been maintained top to bottom! Since this is your first boat you should definitely hire experts for doing engine and hull surveys.

Thanks.  I plan to do as much work as I can on the boat.  In my past, I have done most everything around the house (electrical, plumbing, drywall and carpentry) except for installing the HVAC.  On he car, I have installed timing belts and replaced head gaskets while.  Not afraid to dig into things as there seem to be a lot of tutorials on the internet to help with the first time doing a job.

I have friend who is a barge pilot and will help with the initial choice of boat.  He also owns an '87 53' Hatteras.  I will definitely have to boat surveyed by a professional, licensed surveyor prior to purchase.

---

I owned a 1997 31 Open w/twin 454 Crusaders (EFi) for 10 Years and it never let me down. Cruised extensively each summer going north up the Hudson to Lake Champlain and Canada. Also cruised east from our home port on Long Island Sound to Newport, Boston, Gloucester, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, and Montauk. We also took cruises south to the Chesapeake ending near Virginia Beach... Most of the time is was just my wife and myself as the 31 is perfect for 2. Several times we took our grandchildren but generally only for a weekend... The boat performed great at 3200 making 23.5knts and burning approx. 32gph. We now own a 38 Open w/Cummins diesels and love the boat. Significantly more space and actually runs a bit faster at cruise. 24.5 knots burning 28gph..... Both are great boats and wouldn't consider another mfg.  M2C

Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge.

---

This will be my 6th season with my 2002 3100 Open.  I love the boat, Tiara sets the bar for quality in production boats.  I have the 8.1 Crusaders in mine and have no complaints at all.  Unless you are going to put more than 150 hours a year on the boat I really do not think having Diesel engines is a big deal.  Of course if you really want them you can find 31's out there that have them.  As for the year, there are plenty of older Tiara's on the river where I keep my boat and if well taken care of they last a very long time.  The layout on the older Tiara's is a little different, mine seems to be more open.  My wife and I travel with the boat several times during the season.  When it is just the two of us the boat has plenty of room.  When our 23 year old daughter comes along it gets a little tight but still doable.  We do a lot of weekend trips and a full week trip once a season.

Thank you.  After looking at several layouts, it seems that the queen bed may be the best for sleeping comfort.  This may either push me up to a more recent 3100, post 2004 or to a 3500+ in length.  The more I think about it, the more I plan to use it to travel during the weekend and for weeklong trips.  With this in mind, I don't want to get a boat that is too costly to operate.  My friend with the 53' Hatteras rarely takes it out of its slip due to the high fuel burn rate.

Is there a major difference between the fuel burn rate of the 3100's compared to the 35-3700's?

---

Buy your first boat last!  If you think you'll eventually step up into a 35 or 36 Open, just buy it now and save yourself the hassle.

I'm not sure about the 3100, but the larger boats came with the A plan or B plan.  The A plan had a small U shaped galley and dinette.   The B plan was much more open down below.  Look at both and decide what you prefer.

If your looking at older boats, those up on the great lakes age well as we haul them out anually.   But diesels dont seem as common up here.

If your planning trips to the Bahamas,  you'll probably want to look at diesel's for the reliability and fuel economy.



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Thanks.  I am now considering the larger 35-3700's for the space  and amenities on longer trips.  I just don't want it to cost too much to operate (fuel burn rate) or slip/storage.   I also like the diesels that come with them and the queen bed layout seems to be a big plus.  Cost wise, the larger boat would put me into the '87-99 years.  From what I can tell, these Tiera's seem to keep their value.

[greenaub]

Get a 2006 and above 3200...it will satisfy those needs I think. Definitely go diesel.

[neto]

Tiara's are quality boats, but the older they are the more money you will put into it. If you are not handy and dont have time, then forget it... You should buy a new boat... these things will add on quickly and if you cant keep up, it wont be enyojable. For example, I purchased a 98 35 and in a year I have put over $30k and still have a lot of things to do.