Seaworthiness of Mainship 40?

Hey gang, new to the forum and looking for advice from those with first hand knowledge of offshore performance in a Mainship 40. I'm not looking to do a transatlantic here (esp with 300 gallon tank ), but I want to be able to get from NC to the Bahamas direct open ocean (don't have the time right now to cruise down the ICW and cross from palm beach). And of course isalnd hop without worrying about vessel integrity*once I'm there.

So I'm looking for an affordable boat with enough ammenities to keep the wife happy and* enough seaworthiness to be safe. Does a Mainship 40 fit the bill? I've read a few blanket statements out there to the effect that* Mainships are best as 'coastal cruisers', but I can't afford the likes of a Nordhaven or a Krogen unless I go 20+ yrs old. I was trying to stay with something built in last 5-10 years to reduce breakage.

Thanks in advance for you feedback

300 gallons don't give you very long legs. If you get one with a single then you will get better economy of course. The reviews say they are seaworthy but all boats run into problems. Carrying a good spares kit on any boat is essential for long sailing and knowing how to handle breakdows is also prudent. Having the right tools is also imperative. Make a good plan before you leave and do the research. Having a good crew is very important to me when sailing offshore. Know all of these and more before tossing the lines.*

you will* be pushing against the gulf stream for* quite a long time,

Thanks for the replies. Let's put range aside. How does a Mainship 40 handle in 8-10ft seas? My goal is to avoid these but they are inevitable if you do enough cruising, especially if it is a couple day passage.

The Mainship 40 was never designed for that kind of offshore voyaging.* Yes, you could possibly do it, but it will take careful planning and luck to pull it off.* You may want to think abot shorter offshore hops to avoid the slower sections of the ICW.* For instance you could do offshore from Morehead to Charleston.* then maybe Charleston or Savannah River to Fernandina Beach at the St. Marys River.* Then you could hop to Ft. Pierce where it is an easy hop to the Little Bahama Bank.

8-10' seas are considered fairly normal in the stream far offshore.* I have been out there when the 8-10s turned in to 19s.* You don't want to be there.* Take the safer route or maybe charter if there is not much time.* You will also find that you can spend many days waiting for offshore runs.* Sometimes is faster in the ICW>

Have you thought about moving the boat to Florida and leaving it there to get over to the Bahamas.* I do that.

thanks. will start looking for more sea worthy* boats

Chumbucket and David,

That partiular incident happened back in the 70's when I was a fishing fool (litteraly).* We were fishing the Big Rock Tournament out of Morehead City.* The local Trojan boat dealer was on board my Uniflite that day.* He said he didn't have a boat in the yard that would have held together that day.* That Uniflite was bullet proof.* One tough boat.

Even if you want to go out there, if a wife is involved, she probably won't.* I will tell sometime how I cracked 4 teeth (one capped) and split my lower lip around Cape Lookout.* Yep, really foolish!

Have actually been looking at the Krogen 39 and the Diesel Duck line. Both seem like they are built to withstand the elements.

Never had a trawler, no experience with how they hold up in bad weather. Have crossed the stream in 40-50' sailboats with 10-15'seas. Much more pleasant in heavy dispalcement boat than a lightweight coastal cruiser. Both will get it done, but the crew suffers more in the latter scenario

I understand few trawlers are built for 19' seas and don't plan on getting caught in them, but of course these things happen if you are on the water enough. I was more interested in how a Mainship 40 would handle in moderate seas (<10') that one would hope for on most crossings.*Might be better off saving more money and going for an older Krogen compered to a cheaper and newer Mainship just in case... Will have to discuss with the admiral.

Thanks for the feedback everyone

Here is the deal That boat will take way more then you can especially with your wife hitting you up side your head with a paddle

motion30 said:

Here is the deal That boat will take way more then you can especially with your wife hitting you up side your head with a paddle

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LOL VERY TRUE

The trick with any boat that is not a pretty rugged, built for sea, blue water (whatever that is) cruiser...is to get a weather window you need.

Whether that is 12 hrs or 12 days.

Running from NC to the Bahamas is not a realistic voyage path for a slow coastal cruiser. One or two stops/duck ins may be necessary in anything less than a blue water boat...and even then, getting beat up is kinda outside the norm just to make that run.

I've found that the frequency and steepness of waves/swells are as important as their height.

Yep. Mark.....steepness is the key......

Heading south into the Gulf Stream with a northely component wind will rival just about any seas I have seen in the western hemisphere.

We have a 390 Mainship and would not do that trip outside heading south against the Gulf Stream in a 400. The boat would be great for running around in the Bahama's, but I would make the crossing much further south
John

If you have time constraints, can that trip. People have sailed across oceans in 25 ft boats, the boats can take more of a beating than you can. Take your time and enjoy the trip. A miserable trip will not be a fun trip!

I would not go from NC to the Bahamas in a direct line offshore in a Mainship 400T. Bucking the current + the boat will be very uncomfortable in any kind of significant seas w/o stabilizers. Plenty of ways to get to the Bahamas via the ICW or even a series of offshore hops.

The ultimate factor is seaworthiness is probably the operator more than the boat. Experienced and skilled operators have made long voyages in vessels not suited to it and inexperienced operators have sunk or abandonned very seaworthy vessels.That boat was not designed to be taken far off shore. From NC to the Bahamas is 450. nautical miles. But you will be fighting and crossing the Gulf Stream. This will in effect add about 100 miles to your 2-3 day voyage. With a 300 gallon tank, and leaving 50 gallons as a reserve, you will not have enough fuel. On the direct route your track would take you 150 miles from shore and you will be east of the stream. This leaves you no way to duck in if conditions get rough. As others have said, it would be best to move the boat to FL along the ICW. Bump out from time to time as the weather window permits.

I live in Morehead City NC and own a 2007 Mainship 400. Just returned from a five month trip to Bahamas including Berrys, Nassau, Exumas, Eleuthera, and Abacos. No way I would attempt the trip direct from NC. Take the time to navigate the ICW and perhaps go outside for short hops between safe inlets as suggested. Weather was my biggest obstacle in crossing from Florida. We waited nearly 3 weeks for a comfortable crossing window. Have been in 6-7' seas with the 400 and it was not fun. Even a Krogen 39 will be very uncomfortable in those seas. You may want to consider a planing hull as opposed to a displacement hull.
Just my 2 cents as a Mainship owner.

chumbucket said:

Does a Mainship 40 fit the bill? I've read a few blanket statements out there to the effect that* Mainships are best as 'coastal cruisers', but I can't afford the likes of a Nordhaven or a Krogen unless I go 20+ yrs old. I was trying to stay with something built in last 5-10 years to reduce breakage.

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You might clarify whether you mean a 40 from the late '80s or a 400 from the early 2000s (or any other 40' model they may have made that I've forgotten about)....

-Chris

ranger42c said:

You might clarify whether you mean a 40 from the late '80s or a 400 from the early 2000s (or any other 40' model they may have made that I've forgotten about)....

-Chris

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This thread is 5 years old. Think the OP has probably already made his decision.

Ted

O C Diver said:

This thread is 5 years old. Think the OP has probably already made his decision.

Ted

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....usua.ly catch that...but not this time...thanks!

O C Diver said:

This thread is 5 years old. Think the OP has probably already made his decision.

Ted

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So what's that got to do w the discussion?
Seaworthy wise is the Mainship below average?

O C Diver said:

This thread is 5 years old. Think the OP has probably already made his decision.

Ted

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Ah. Caught me. Thanks for heads-up.

-Chris

I don't think the 2000's era Mainship 400 is the best sea boat out there, but I wouldn't say it is below average. Our 400 is far, far more stable than our old Gulfstar 36, and I'd venture it's more stable than the older Marine Traders etc. of that class as well. I've fished on a few Sportfish (most notably a 40 Ocean) in sloppy weather and at trolling speeds they roll about the same as our boat.

Big following seas require some athletic steering in a 400, it doesn't love that point of sail.

An advantage of the twin engine is that you can bump up to 3000 RPM and bang through seas in the 3 to 5 range rather than slogging and rolling through them at 8 knots for twice the time. That's the main reason we bought this boat.

I think the build quality of the 2000's era mainships is decent, they used good mechanicals (engines, heads, AC's etc.) and improved a lot of things over the earlier 390s. There are better built boats out there, but at a higher price tag.

I would never go straight from NC to the Bahamas in a 400 though. I wouldn't do that in any boat short of a 55 foot plus boat with enough range and power to do it at 15 to 20 knots (fighting the stream) to shorten the window. Frankly, doing the trip that way would be kind of dumb, and not all that much faster than working your way down to FL and crossing over.

10 foot seas in the Stream would be miserable in most boats discussed on this forum. Any skipper with an ounce of sense would avoid that situation.

That's why the term "seaworthy" ranks right up there with "pretty" .....boat.....in my book.

I always thought the term needed to be linked with the captain.

Ultimately it is the combo that determines a boat's survivability at sea....actually....any place on the water.

Guess the thread is gaining some life without the OP....

If you go offshore in a 40 mainship in 8' seas you'll only do it once!

Try a used hatteras.

A very experienced professional seaman once told my dad, "never go outside when you can go inside".