Mainship 34T or 35/39

Hi
It is time to start the new boat search.
Is it true that the 34T 2004-2008 has no engine access except thru the space under the exterior stairs.
What about engine work, how much room to access the top of the engine?
Valve adjustments ect?
Thanks,
Cody

I owned a 2006 34T for several years. Yes the engine access is only through the stairway but that is good, not bad. There is plenty of room to work on the single Yanmar. You can sit on a bucket and work on both sides. The front is easily accessible and so is the rear. Even the twin would be ok as it is a very wide hull and there are no tanks on the sides. The lack of a main cabin engine hatch makes it quieter.

But the 34T is mostly a couples boat. If you get the foldout couch then you can sleep another couple in the main salon in a pinch, but it won't be the same as the separate cabin of the 350/390.

But for a couple with the wide main cabin and fly bridge it is a very nice boat.

David

David

34T vs 35/39

Cody,

We've had our 34HT T for 2 seaons now and agree with everything David said.
Engine access is great especially with the single... I really like the aft deck access as you don't have to move any salon furniture, rugs etc and it is very quiet without hatches in the salon.

We are not bridge people so really like the Hardtop version but absolutely agree it is a great 2 person boat.

I can send a few photos and point you to others online if you haven't looked at one first hand.

Thanks,
I do most of my own work so engine access is a major consideration.
I have looked at several and like the HT but missed a local one for sale.
We are looking for a couples boat with easy access from the dock and dingy!
The pictures would be great.
Thanks,
Cody

Cody:

Since you do your own engine maintenance as do I, perhaps I can describe what it is like working on the Yanmar 370 hp single on the 34T and contrast it with the Pilot 34. Actually the access to the single engine on a Pilot 34 with its tilt up engine hatch should be similar to working on the twin Yanmar 240 hp engines on the 34T. The lack of side tanks and the wide beam makes the outside clearance about the same. You just have to place the batteries someplace else with the twins as they are located on the far outside on the single 34T.

The oil filter is a piece of cake. It is right in front of you when you come down the stairway access. The Racor fuel filter is just behind it.

On my boat there was a big aluminum plate behind the Racor that the oil change pump was mounted to. This takes up a lot of room which makes it awkward to climb over but it is easy to remove the plate and move the pump towards the center and mount it to the bulkhead where it is out of the way. I suspect any boat with a generator (mine didn't have one) mounted the pump there anyway.

To change oil, just bring 4-5 empty jugs and about 4-5 gallons of new oil down below and climb aft of the engine behind where the new oil change pump is and pump the oil out to the empties and in from the full ones. A generator will make this more difficult because that is where it sits. But without it, access is great.

You get to the port side of the engine (the stairway access comes down on the stbd side) by going around the front of the engine. I can do that with the engine running which it is not recommended but it does give you some idea of the forward clearance to the bulkhead- plenty. Oh remove the aluminum belt cover and throw it away.

The raw water pump is forward and portside and after going around the front can be worked on with the bucket as a seat and your head tilted down just a bit. On my Pilot that is one of the toughest jobs because my body is contorted in there.

The air cooler is on the starboard and it is easily worked on from a bucket. Remove it for cleaning every five years or so. The on engine oil filter is forward to starboard and can be worked on the same way.

Oh, when you are up forward, remove the screws that mount the emergency (high water level) bilge pump to the bulkhead and mount it lower. By the time the water gets high enough to trigger the switch (integral with the pump) the water level is too high. The only part that is tough to access is the primary bilge pump. It is between the two fuel tanks and is mounted a long arm's reach forward of the main bulkhead. Mainship could have easily mounted it further aft.

So, hopefully that will give you a word picture of what engine access is like. I wish I had saved engine room pics for you, but I deleted them all when I sold the boat.

David