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Old 05-25-2019, 09:46 PM   #21
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Ok well then let me rephrase... based on current used prices on the same models, I’d be getting a 50% discount or better. Especially on the Mainship. Our friend is just ready to sell it and she really wants us to have it.
I’d buy the Mainship, flip it for a profit, and get a diesel boat.
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Old 05-26-2019, 12:57 AM   #22
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There are thousands of gas boats running around. Just become a perfectionist when it comes to maintaining the fuel system. Replace all rubber hoses. Replace any fittings that are seeping. Check plugs to make sure carb's are adjusted correctly. Run the blowers before starting. Enjoy!
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Old 05-26-2019, 06:02 AM   #23
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Toocoys
I see many diverse opinions here.
My $0.02
I had gassers and boated very enjoyably for 20 yrs before taking the leap to diesel. Given a choice and all things equal (which they never are) I'd pick a diesel Mainship but that's not in the mix. Explosion concerns thrown around but my take is there are a lot of gasser boats out there that run safely (likely more unexploded gassers than there are diesels).
Safety is in your hands and under your control... good maintenance and operating procedures are you friend and you can install fume detection as an aid as well.
Gas would not (and did not) stop me from boating.
You didn't mention, or I missed, eng hrs for each?
Kind of apples and oranges so you can't compare them to each other but how far are they from needing an overhaul / rebuild?
A compression check of the 454s relatively easy and informative re lurking issues... not as easy w the DDs.
My impression is you have already made your choice but are looking for confirmation or a major awakening you hadn't considered but I haven't heard that yet IMO.
If I interpreted your comments correctly the MS is a "closed" deal being offered to you? And the other is open market available to others?
If so that may say something about supply, demand and future value if/when you decide to sell.
Good luck w the selection and adventures.
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Old 05-26-2019, 08:53 AM   #24
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The engine hours on the Mainship are 640 on each engine. They were thoroughly gone through before we moved on, and they run excellently. They are EFI as well so no carb issues to deal with.

The engine hours on the Detroit’s are unknown but probably significantly higher.

As for my gas maintenance, I run my bilge blower at least twice a week, and check the engine hatches monthly. I always inspect my fuel connections at the tank and at the engine as well as inspect the lines for signs of deterioration.

The Mainship is owned by a close friend who had it on the market with a broker at $59k originally. They jacked her around, didn’t take care of it, and there were people sleeping on it at the sales dock. Which is why we decided to lease it from her. She currently offered us the Mainship at less than 50% of her original asking price.

Our slip rent would go up by $200 minimum for the Bertram - longer boat, longer slip.
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Old 05-26-2019, 09:34 AM   #25
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We have that same Mainship, same year, same model. Like it a lot. Very comfortable in lots of ways and it seems well made generally, for the money. Only two downsides in my mind, one relatively common, the other more significant. Engine access is a pain the the neck. My skinny 10 year old son is the only one who is small enough to reach the outboard fuel filter on the port engine, for example. Good previous advice on maintaining the fuel lines and other hoses too. We'll be replacing the fuel lines this year, found bad cracks.

The biggest issue for me is windage. It's a very tall, high profile boat. 26,000 lbs is not light, but that boat still gets pushed around badly, even with all the windows rolled up in the canopy. We have a 20 knot rule of thumb at our marina - if it's blowing over 20 we won't go out because it's just too difficult to get in and out. We bought the boat in Newport RI and motored it to around Albany on the Hudson, through some badly windy weather the whole trip (well over 20 knots). We managed, but it tested every boating skill I could muster.

If you buy the MS, my 10 year old is available for hire for engine work. Have to build up the college fund..
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Old 05-26-2019, 10:17 AM   #26
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The biggest issue for me is windage. It's a very tall, high profile boat. 26,000 lbs is not light, but that boat still gets pushed around badly, even with all the windows rolled up in the canopy. We have a 20 knot rule of thumb at our marina - if it's blowing over 20 we won't go out because it's just too difficult to get in and out. We bought the boat in Newport RI and motored it to around Albany on the Hudson, through some badly windy weather the whole trip (well over 20 knots). We managed, but it tested every boating skill I could muster.

If you buy the MS, my 10 year old is available for hire for engine work. Have to build up the college fund..


Oh yes... the windage. I know it very well!!!
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Old 05-26-2019, 10:35 AM   #27
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If it was me and my money, I would probably opt for the Mainship. You have been on this boat for a while now, and probably know most of its warts. The Bertram, however, is pretty much an unknown.

30K seems to be a great price for the Mainship. Make sure to have a mechanic re-survey the engines, as having to rebuild, with longblocks, could easily cost another 30K. Still might be cheaper than having to rebuild diesels on a 40 year-old Bertram!

The Mainship is likely cheaper to berth and maintain. Plus, as noted before, since its 19 years newer, will probably have less major projects to be done. I would also bet that 5 - 10 years down the road, the Mainship would be easier to sell.

Aesthetically, I prefer the lines on the Mainship 37 over Bertram 42 M/Y. I'm also not keen on boarding ladders from the swim platform, which I believe the Bertram has.

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Old 05-26-2019, 11:55 AM   #28
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All things being equal, if you can afford to maintain the larger boat, that is the way I would go. For full time live aboard I think larger is better. I would also want loose furniture as opposed to built in furniture.
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Old 05-26-2019, 01:26 PM   #29
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Ok well then let me rephrase... based on current used prices on the same models, I’d be getting a 50% discount or better. Especially on the Mainship. Our friend is just ready to sell it and she really wants us to have it.
But current used prices even are just asking prices, not selling prices. Just keep in mind always that "when a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
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Old 05-27-2019, 05:47 AM   #30
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"Run the blowers before starting. Enjoy!"


And SNIFF the blower vent before starting.
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Old 05-27-2019, 06:08 AM   #31
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"Run the blowers before starting. Enjoy!"


And SNIFF the blower vent before starting.
And hold your hand over the vent to make sure there is air flow. I have seen more than one owner satisfied he could hear the blowers but never realized the hose had either deteriorated or fell off.
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Old 05-27-2019, 08:46 AM   #32
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I'll jump in here with regard to gassers vs diesels. I've run both gassers and diesels since I was a young pup. As many here have said be anal about maintenance, materials, systems and procedures. And SNIFF. Do install fume detectors if not already installed but know that your nose is more sensitive than the gizmos. If gassers were a bomb waiting to go off then all the beer fuled ski and wakeboard boats out on a sunny Saturday would be going off like popcorn. I think your point about range is a major part of the decision. If you don't need long range then it's hard to financially justify diesels. I've had a gasser for a while now but am shopping for diesels becuase I'm moving from the occasional short trips to months long, long distance cruising.

Regarding cost of ownership, espeically for short local trips, fuel will be the least of your expenses. Buy the boat you like that will suit your needs. I'll wager that over 10 yrs the Bertram will coast a lot more than the Mainship to own and operate. But she'll have a lot more room as a liveabaord. In my opinion that's the decision, not the type of fuel burned.
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Old 05-27-2019, 08:50 AM   #33
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Another thing that may seem obvious is to actually LOOK in your bilge before starting your engine. Is there any sheen on the water down there? Take a gander at your engine and you might just recognize something different.



The boat a few down from me was being started. When the hatches were raised we spotted transmission fluid in the bilge. Further investigation found wires that had somehow gotten sucked into the housing at the rear.

It was an expensive repair, however IF the owner had not checked, it could have been far worse. I've see a sailboat that dang near sunk because wires wrapped around his shaft and started to remove same!

That was resolved by an emergency haul-out.
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Old 05-27-2019, 09:24 AM   #34
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Like my buddy John, I know nothing. However, I’d lean towards the MS. Newer boat. You are on it now and like it. Much cheaper. Being that I do know nothing, I’d have a mechanical survey done (unless I missed that it has already been done?) and ask the mechanic specifically about the fuel system. If there is any doubt about age of hoses and connections, I’d pay a professional to replace them (let them provide the skinny 10 year old).

Bilge blowers work, when they are in good repair. In my limited experience with gas boats, even I, stupid as I am, never had a problem remembering to run the blowers before starting.
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