What's comparable to a Mainship 400?

I'm looking for a coastal cruiser. I have no offshore intentions, other than dreams of the Bahamas, or short inlet-to-inlet hops while transiting the ICW. One and two-night stays on the boat, either at a marina or anchor, would be my typical usage at this stage in my (work) life.

Here are my basic criteria:

-Budget is $250K all in, including upgrades after purchase
-Covered cockpit/Sedan design. No aft cabins
-Flybridge
-Single engine preferred
-Two separate staterooms
-Walk-around side decks
-Lower helm with door to side deck
-Swim platform
-Minimal exterior teak
-Displacement speed is okay

After lots of looking, I keep coming back to the Mainship 400. It checks all of my boxes with good, though not spectacular, build quality, and there are lots of them on the market.

Suggestions?

Beneteau Swift Trawler?

The Mainship 400 will fit those specs very well. If you want to see more about the boat from a very knowledgeable owner, check out Steve Cyr's website for Stella Blue, his Mainship 400: Steven Cyr's Stella Blue Site

David

djmarchand said:

The Mainship 400 will fit those specs very well. If you want to see more about the boat from a very knowledgeable owner, check out Steve Cyr's website for Stella Blue, his Mainship 400: Steven Cyr's Stella Blue Site

David

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Thanks. That's a great site- everything you need to know about the 400.

This Willard 40 caught my eye-

1988 Willard 40 Trawler Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

I like the twin staterooms and heads on a boat this size, though the tradeoff is a smaller saloon. Also, the Willard lacks a swim platform and a door at the lower helm.

We have a 390 Mainship. cannot really speak with any authority on other brands but the Mainship quality is pretty good. When you hear about soft decks on some Mainships that will be on the earlier 34's from the late 70's and early 80's. The newer boats are all pretty good. We have had ours for 9 years and have never had any issues.
The Willard you listed looks like a really nice boat and would probably draw a crowd at any marina you would visit but it misses your criteria in several areas.
John
2003 MS390

I've got seven out of your ten. Got no covered cockpit, no fly(ing) bridge, and no two bedrooms. We sleep two (if the three berths in the saloon are overlooked), dine six, and entertain ten or so.

If you want a boat that is less than 10 years old in your price range, the mainship 400 is the one. If you are willing to look at older boats, like the Willard, my vote would be a Krogen 42.

Our 2007 Mariner 40 seems to fit the bill pretty close.

2007 Mariner Europa Sedan Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

Wmiii said:

Our 2007 Mariner 40 seems to fit the bill pretty close.

2007 Mariner Europa Sedan Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

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Thats a very pretty boat; is this from the same boat builder:


2004 Mariner Orient 34 Mariner Europa Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

I'm not familiar with Mariner, have you got any links to the manufactures?

ABfish said:

Also, the Willard lacks a swim platform and a door at the lower helm.

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Swim platforms can be added.

Our boat is a sister brand to Mainship, and build quality is pretty good. Chevy. Would expect contemporary Mainships to be equal quality.

Even the early Mainship 34s (had one) were pretty good, comparatively speaking... using techniques of the era.

-Chris

Wmiii said:

Our 2007 Mariner 40 seems to fit the bill pretty close.

2007 Mariner Europa Sedan Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

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Your Mariner does fit the bill. I like the more traditional interior and the layout of the guest stateroom. I also like the steps/ladder combo for access to the flybridge, and the fact that the ladder access can be closed off with a hatch.

Rustybarge said:

I'm not familiar with Mariner, have you got any links to the manufactures?

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They are now called Helmsman Yachts.

Main Ship!!!

Donsan said:

They are now called Helmsman Yachts.

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Thanks.

We really like the lay-out as well. The galley is separated from the salon which gives us a comfortable indoor entertaining area in addition to a nice covered aft deck and massive fly bridge deck.

We've reached the same conclusion as the OP, and in the last month have inspected an MS34, 40, and 43. All of them have the same "sterile" feel... which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, Wmii's Mariner has also caught my eye. One of the big deals for me is to have the space to setup my PC and 2 monitors. I'm a tech writer by trade, and if I have internet, I can work anywhere (I currently work from my dirt house). Meeting that criteria means more time on the boat for me.

We like the MS34 cockpit access to the ER. Unfortunately, the MS34 we visited had twins, and the ER access drops you right on one of the mains's tunnels. This made for cramped access for me (YMMV). I'm not as flexible as I once was. I'm sure an MS34 with a single would be easier.

We visited the same MS40 twice, and like the boat. The Admiral seems to think it won't take much to make it hers... and we all know how big a deal that is. The only negative comment I have is the saloon sole access to the ER, thus possibly requiring you to move stuff around in a hurry to get down there. Having to do this in a busy or rough seaway is a concern... though not a deal killer. I was freakin' amazed how quiet the main and gennie were on this boat. The gennie so quiet that you would be hard pressed to know if it stalled.

Departing a bit from ABfish's criteria, an aft cabin is not necessarily out of play for us, keeping the MS43 in play. An aft master berth means no annoying bow slap when sleeping. Though the MS43s will tend to be older, from what we've seen they're also less expensive. The downside to the aft cabin MS43 is the wasted space over the cabin. The owner's of the MS43 we looked at reinforced the top of the aft cabin, and mounted the tender on it. Like the OP, we like our outdoor space, so the MS43 is not at the top of the list.

As much as I hate to admit it, another model/mfg. has caught our eye: the Meridian 408/411/459. I know, they're not trawlers... and yes, they do look something like a floating bleach bottle. But, they don't draw much water (nice for anchoring in the ICW), can be safely and economically run at trawler speeds (with power to burn if/when you need it), and Meridian did tremendous things with space management. Their D.O.C is interesting, too.

Sorry for the wall of text... just my 2¢.

KMAl

I was thinking the same regarding Meridian. I'd go a step further, if one is thinking Mainship 400 then SeaRay and Carver are comps as well.

I'll assume you were joking. Sea Ray and Carver never crossed our minds. Not once. And no, the Meridian is not a comp to the Mainship. It's just something that caught my eye and made me go "Hmmmm". TBH, I think the Meridian 459 is one of the least attractive boats I have ever seen. But, one man's queen is another man's sweathog.

What we will do, as part of our search, is visit a Meridian 408/411, if for no other reason that to cross it off the list. I can visit these without traveling to the gulf coast (or out of state) to do it.

Sticking to the thread topic, if one were to answer truthfully, there aren't many comps to the Mainship in terms of price/age. You either have to increase the age (older boats), or up the price... in some cases significantly.

Here is what I asked myself before we began:

• How far is one willing to travel, and how much $$ is one willing to spend in the search?
• How old a boat is one willing to buy?
• How much time/$$ is one willing to spend in repairs/upgrades?
• Do I want to spend all my time looking, or do I want to get back on the water?

We wish ABfish luck in his search, and hope he'll keep us posted here.

sunchaser said:

KMAl

I was thinking the same regarding Meridian. I'd go a step further, if one is thinking Mainship 400 then SeaRay and Carver are comps as well.

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sunchaser said:

KMAl

I was thinking the same regarding Meridian. I'd go a step further, if one is thinking Mainship 400 then SeaRay and Carver are comps as well.

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I agree and was thinking of posting that.

What is not comparable to a Mainship is the Willard and Krogen mentioned.

Well KMA, if I read the OP's list properly many models of SeaRay, Carver and Meridian are good comps for the M400. Build quality is about the same but preference for single is the major departure.

Not noted by OP is trawler aura, which Mainship Peddled well. For example as Eric noted, some on this thread comparing Mainship to Willard and KK.

I like the MS40 except for the size of the stateroom on the port side. Great for kids but the bunk length and deck overhang over the outer berth does not make for a comfortable nights sleep if you're an average size adult. We have a friend who has one and I end up sleeping up on the fly bridge or the sofa in the saloon.

I guess I'm a sucker for the "trawler aura", whatever that is, though I agree that the MS 400 is a bit sterile. The bleach bottle look doesn't do it for me, though I recognize that there is great utility in these boats. I suppose that's why they sell Sea Rays and Carvers by the thousands.

Perhaps the Mainship is just a Sea Ray in more traditional packaging. Or maybe it's a houseboat with a bigger bow and better shearline. I'd love to have a more traditional looking boat, such as a Grand Banks 42, but I don't want the exterior wood. The GB Europa 36 is too small, and Europa 42s with single engines are not to be found.

KMA and I are on the same page- the Mainship 430 is a lot of boat for the money, and the space and quiet in the aft cabin are alluring, but....a covered cockpit is too important for me. I rented a Willard 36 this summer, and the covered "back porch" on the Willard is the best feature of the boat. We spent many hours there, both at the dock and at anchor. When it was raining, or the sun was blazing, the covered cockpit was the favorite hangout.

The Willard 36 is what got me looking at the Willard 40. The Willard 40 is the answer to most of the things I don't like about the 36. But there are few Willards on the market and they're all older boats. And my wife does not like old boat smell.

As for the Meridian 411, I never would have considered that one, but it does check off a lot of my boxes, and the looks are not bad for that type of boat. But, it has twins and no interior helm.

Re the "trawler arua" and your likeing the GB leads to the Nordic Tug. Also almost no exterior wood.
I don't see either the GB or the NT as comparable to a Mainship though. Seems like the same person wouldn't be interested in both types of boats.

If you liked the M43 then several DeFever models may be worth a look. As well Tollycraft especially the 44.

Ten years ago when I saw retirement on the horizon we started out with considering Mainship's line including the 43. Next up were Tolly 48s and DFs

The Mainship 34 and 400 have a huge Flybridge, which really increases the living space of the boat. IMHO its the best feature of the boat. In the 400 they also added a "Summer Kitchen" which we tend to use more than our galley. The only other boats I have been on that have a similar large flybridge in the 40 foot range are Europa style boats, like the Mariner mentioned previously. I can't picture a Carver or SeaRay that has that type of flybridge.

sunchaser said:

If you liked the M43 then several DeFever models may be worth a look. As well Tollycraft especially the 44.

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Totally Agree! The DeFever 44 is a very nice boat when compared to the Mainship 43

I asked my dear wife who also has a big say in buying our next boat to have a look on boatsale on the net for a cruiser/trawler that she thought would fit the question whats comparable to to a Mainship?

Answer : We have already spent months comparing boats and every time we end up saying nothing compares to a Mainship so stop stuffing around and just get on .

She is always right

KMA said:

Departing a bit from ABfish's criteria, an aft cabin is not necessarily out of play for us, keeping the MS43 in play. ... Like the OP, we like our outdoor space, so the MS43 is not at the top of the list.

As much as I hate to admit it, another model/mfg. has caught our eye: the Meridian 408/411/459. I know, they're not trawlers... and yes, they do look something like a floating bleach bottle.

Click to expand...

sunchaser said:

KMAl
I was thinking the same regarding Meridian. I'd go a step further, if one is thinking Mainship 400 then SeaRay and Carver are comps as well.

Click to expand...

KMA said:

I'll assume you were joking. Sea Ray and Carver never crossed our minds. Not once. And no, the Meridian is not a comp to the Mainship.

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ABfish said:

KMA and I are on the same page- the Mainship 430 is a lot of boat for the money, and the space and quiet in the aft cabin are alluring, but....a covered cockpit is too important for me. I rented a Willard 36 this summer, and the covered "back porch" on the Willard is the best feature of the boat. We spent many hours there, both at the dock and at anchor. When it was raining, or the sun was blazing, the covered cockpit was the favorite hangout.

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I get the "semi-equivalency" idea about the Meridian/Sea Ray/Carver/etc. That should also open the door to Silverton, Cruisers, etc... Not at all the same style of boat, but... can be functional, can be driven slowly, etc.

A common difference when comparing something like the Mainship 430 and our boat (and those others) is... the Mainship has better side decks, and our saloon interior is wider. Both were on our shortlist of three (MS400 was the third) and wifey chose beamier interior. I'd have chosen the 430, for the lower station and the side doors, but then all I do is drive, she deals with inside stuff.

Anyway, if you're considering those particular Meridians, you might also have a look at the Silverton 372/392MY (same boats), the 43MY, and the 410 and 430 Sport Bridge models. Although the former have covered aft decks and no cockpit, you might benefit from the comparison of inner spaces. The latter, OTOH, have extended bridges and cockpits.

FWIW, we have a cockpit... and use it only very occasionally. OTOH, we spend 95% of our outdoor time on the flying bridge... and that could very well be the case with a 430, a 400, a 34T, a Sea Ray, a Meridian, a Carver, etc... I like having the cockpit, wouldn't be without one, but... it's mostly just the pathway to the saloon. The flybridge, OTOH, is the centerpiece of the boat: great visibility, easy access (stairs, not a ladder), plenty o' space, load-bearing hardtop, etc.

Back to the MS430, 400, 34T... I'd wager a cup o' joe that you wouldn't use the cockpit as often as the bridge.

-Chris

We have need of the following, for various reasons:

• Walk around deck(s); at least one, making an asymetric build ok
• A (small) cockpit with transom door
• A swim step
• A flybridge or upper helm with opening windows. After all, we're in Florida.

So, every boat we consider must have these, or it's no go from the start.

The Admiral has ok'd a short area where she has to use an overhead grab rail for a step or 2 before having a full side deck, which kept the Meridian in the mix. Our last boat had a full beam saloon, and she doesn't want that now. Since she'll be doing most of the line handling, it's her call.

We're trying to keep "steep" ladders/stairs to a minimum. It's an age thing. We checked out the 53' DeFever that Tucker Fallon (yachtbrokerguy) has listed. An awesome boat that shows exactly as his photos indicate. 10 years ago, we would have been all over it. Today, the steep stairwells to below decks are a broken hip (or neck) waiting to happen. It was more than our initial budget, but we would have sold the house and lived aboard. The full standup ER almost made up for the steep stairs... but not quite

Back to the MS430, 400, 34T... I'd wager a cup o' joe that you wouldn't use the cockpit as often as the bridge.

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Chris, I won't take that bet, because you'd win. Our last boat had a nice cockpit, but we seldom used it... though our kids did. We had a small covered "California Deck" that we used a lot, as well as a great flybridge/boat deck for summer days at Catalina.

So, we'll keep looking... and sooner or later "The One" will pop up on the radar. This could be it! Anybody know approximately what it costs to add a new(er) 5kw generator?

Of course,that beauty begs a Florida newbie ICW question: How much does a 4'-5" draft limit me to ICW cruising in terms of anchoring? We have no desire to spend every night in a marina. I guess that's a question that should be posted in a different thread/forum.

Look at the Dutch boats like Lissen. That spelling is pretty close.