Ayuh from Maine!

[roshambowe]

Hello everyone! I'm a future Mainship 34 owner. Looking around the Seacoast and Downeast areas of Maine and New Hampshire for the right Mainship.

Found one in Nova Scotia that I might take an 8 hour drive to go see. The guy who owns it put over $60,000 into a 1982 Mainship 34 II trawler.. and I mean everything! Bow to stern, took off flybridge, all rails, recorked and re-balsa'ed the core, everything. New windlass, rebuilt engine with new turbo, new 5.8kw gen, repainted, reworked all the wood, new floors, new bathroom, windows. Not a single soft spot on her now. He finished the project only to find out that his wife doesn't want to be on the boat anymore and wants a motor home to be mobile on land instead of sea.

He's selling it for a decent price and I'm looking into logistics to cruise her back to Maine from Yarmouth, NS. Just wanted to check in with you experts to see if I'd be crazy to buy an '82 mainship for $40-$45k if it's in as good of condition as he says it is. I will definitely be doing a survey in any case however. Another one I'm looking at is in rough shape cosmetically (1979 Mainship 34), but solid mechanically and electrically for $21k.

Would love to get your input on it!

 

[David Hughes]

Seems very reasonable to me. Anyone willing to dump that much into an '82 is likely to keep the rest well maintained .

And cosmetically ugly is the inverse of that.

 

[CaptTom]

Sounds like a good deal, if it's as you describe.

On the logistics side, back to Maine from Yarmouth shouldn't be a big deal. It's 100 NM to Northeast Harbor or Southwest Harbor on Mt. Desert. 75 NM to Roque Island (my preference) or Lubec, if that's too far. You could also stop at Tiverton off Digby Neck, and/or Grand Manan on the way, and cut it down to stay below an easy 40-50 miles per day. Just don't plan on Grand Manan this summer until they've finished all the dredging and pier renovation.

 

[O C Diver]

Welcome to the forum! It would be crazy not to go look at it.

Ted

 

[roshambowe]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[roshambowe]

@CaptTom: Yarmouth to MDI sounds like the route I'd intend to take her. Thanks again! Great knowledge here-- Have you done this route before?

 

[CaptTom]

@CaptTom: Yarmouth to MDI sounds like the route I'd intend to take her. Thanks again! Great knowledge here-- Have you done this route before?

Yes, once. On a flat calm, clear day and in a 28-knot boat. Took 4 hours, only because we stopped to watch a pod of humpbacks for a half hour.

I never expect to be able to do that again!

I've also taken the ferry between Portland and Yarmouth a couple of times. Both were pretty rough crossings, but it was early in the season.

One tip, let Fundy Traffic Control know as you get underway. They'll see you anyway, and even though recreational boats aren't required to check in, you might as well save them the trouble of calling you.