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Old 01-21-2019, 09:11 AM   #11
Mrwesson
Senior Member
 
City: tallahassee
Vessel Model: 1979 Mainship 34
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 415
Quote:
Originally Posted by parrot head View Post
Hi Guys well as some may know we just walked away from a Nova 38 Trawler due to to much rot, so looking again. Due to where we live & our limited budget we can't afford a GB or similar & there are not many Trawlers for sale down here "New Zealand", but we have found a 1977 Mainship 34, may we ask for your help on any problems with this model befor we go & have a look, this way we will know where to look to identify problems

thankyou all in advance

I'll compare it to the Nova/Golden star 38 since you have knowledge of that boat.

No side door vs nova. The side door really helps when docking alone.

Single vs Twin. You can find faults either way. I personally don't need twins and back my mainship 34 in every time without a bow thruster. Not gracefully but get the job done. Bow thruster is a huge add on.

Much smaller interior. The 38 has a aft cabin and 4 more feet. You'll really feel the difference. Nova is much more "livable". I take my mainship out all the time but see many boats the size of the nova 38 sit at the dock. Could be the weight/size difference or the fact that I don't live on my boat so it's more cruise ready.

V-berth vs AFt cabin. Most people don't like a v-berth cabin because the waves slap against the hull. Add to the fact that the MK1 Mainship V-berth is pretty tall it's not easy to get in and out of. Nova wins hands down here.

Mainship has a full keel/protected prop. I really love this feature and i'll even fish in 4'-5' of water and I run aground often(soft bottom) without worrying about it. Mainship is also the lighter boat.

The mainship responds well to more hp. With 200+hp you can run up to 15 knots but still run at 7 @ 1.5gph. Twins can't match that. I've ridden on a MK1 with 315hp that would cruise at 15knots and top out at 20 knots and remain efficient.

I like my mainship but after looking at the 38 I really like that boat too. @ the same price I would buy the Nova 38 but I have under 30k in my Mk1.

Soft decks are so common on the Mainship i'd almost expect it but the hull is solid fiberglass. I recored mine little by little and it wasn't that bad but if you pay a yard to do it big$$.

Engine access sucks on the Mainship but it's a tradeoff only having 1 to service. You can get to anything and the biggest complaint I had about mine was a dirty bilge. I want a completely dry bilge in the future because the engine is basically down there. The Nova doesn't look that much better though because you'll struggle for access to the outer sides of each engine.

I wouldn't live on a Mk1 but could easily live on the Nova 38.
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