Folks, my wife and I have been looking for a move up boat for a while. WE really like the Santego's walkway thru the bridge, the way the helm is positioned at the back of the bridge and the 2 settes on either side.
Since these are somewhat hard to find, we've branched out and are looking at the Mariners 1998-2003(before the redesign). We've found a few of these and they seem to be a little less expensive than the Santegos.
Given this, I'd appreciate and comments on the following:

1. I see most Mariners have the 5.7L engines (either Merc or Crusader). I also notice that a lot of them have at least one engine rebuilt - Could these be underpowered for the 36ft Mariner?
2. The opening behind the Bow bench seat seems to collect water from the wind shield above it. Does anyone have issues with this kind of design?
3. If you had a choice between a boat with 2 7.4L Mercs with 250 hrs but has been sitting for 2 years vs. one with 7.4L Mercs that have 650Hrs but have been well maintained over the years - what's your preference?

Thanks in advance, it's a tough decision...