OldDan1943
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2017
- Messages
- 10,599
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Kinja
- Vessel Make
- American Tug 34 #116 2008
We have seen those examples and must be prepared to avoid those idiots.
My boat, my ocean, get out of the way.
Newbie Needs Purchase Advice
- Thread starter Steveandkelly
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
We have seen those examples and must be prepared to avoid those idiots.
My boat, my ocean, get out of the way.
Steveandkelly
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2019
- Messages
- 18
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Sponaneity
- Vessel Make
- Fathom Yachts, Fast Expedition Trawler
In my mind I had already eliminated this boat. Although overall it's one of the nicest one's I've seen (on-line, not in person). I sincerely appreciate your inputs each and everyone. Every response we get makes us think about or consider something we likely have not thought of yet, so thanks folks!
Beekeepergreg
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2017
- Messages
- 150
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Mayrose
- Vessel Make
- Mainship 34 pilot
Be careful of judging a boat with pictures and descriptions.
We were fooled both ways, sometimes over honesty and bad pictures hide nice boats, and BS and 4 year old pictures didn't reveal a real piece of #@$%.
Shame on some of the brokers that wasted my time.
You can't smell, looking at a picture. Before you purchase, visit the boat on a warm day when you can smell the boat.
Greg
We were fooled both ways, sometimes over honesty and bad pictures hide nice boats, and BS and 4 year old pictures didn't reveal a real piece of #@$%.
Shame on some of the brokers that wasted my time.
You can't smell, looking at a picture. Before you purchase, visit the boat on a warm day when you can smell the boat.
Greg
ranger58sb
Guru
Just offering Steve/Kelly possible options on a boat they thought looked good...
-Chris
Bryant
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2016
- Messages
- 629
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Sakura Perdido
- Vessel Make
- Grand Banks 36 Classic
Newbie
Lots of good advice here. My advice is 1: Be brutally honest about how you are really going to use your boat. If you aren't going to be a blue water cruiser with circumnavigation in mind you don't need a boat with systems built for that purpose. 2: Be honest with yourself about your skill level in working on engines, electrical, plumbing etc. If you are going to depend on professionals then take a look around your area to see who is available to do this work. If this is going to be an issue, don't buy a project boat. 3: TAKE YOUR TIME! Don't rush into anything. Read, go to Trawler Fests, talk to people and visit a lot of boats before you buy. 4: When you find what you think you want do some research and hire a surveyor with a good reputation and references.
All my cruising is ICW, coastal and bay areas on the Gulf Coast with the Keys and Bimini and East Coast ICW and Sounds in the future. I have a Grand Banks 36 Classic, which I would highly recommend. V berth, aft stateroom, saloon and two full heads.
Lots of good advice here. My advice is 1: Be brutally honest about how you are really going to use your boat. If you aren't going to be a blue water cruiser with circumnavigation in mind you don't need a boat with systems built for that purpose. 2: Be honest with yourself about your skill level in working on engines, electrical, plumbing etc. If you are going to depend on professionals then take a look around your area to see who is available to do this work. If this is going to be an issue, don't buy a project boat. 3: TAKE YOUR TIME! Don't rush into anything. Read, go to Trawler Fests, talk to people and visit a lot of boats before you buy. 4: When you find what you think you want do some research and hire a surveyor with a good reputation and references.
All my cruising is ICW, coastal and bay areas on the Gulf Coast with the Keys and Bimini and East Coast ICW and Sounds in the future. I have a Grand Banks 36 Classic, which I would highly recommend. V berth, aft stateroom, saloon and two full heads.
CruisingTheICW
Member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2018
- Messages
- 24
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- M/V Slow Dance
- Vessel Make
- 2006 Mainship 34T
Mainship 350, 390, or 34T
Steve and Kelly... In 2016 my "Admiral" and I faced the same dilemma. After a lot of conversations with other boat owners and our buyer's agent, we decided on Mainship because of their molded staircase to the bridge, rather than a ladder, and we had decided on single screw, single head, and single stateroom. We were focused Mainship 390s until I came across a review of the Mainship 34T that entered the market in 2004. The author (a captain) loved the lines of the boat, and especially liked the fact that you entered the boat through "french doors," rather than a sliding door, and entered the engine compartment from the cockpit, rather than having to move a rug or furniture in the salon to simply check the oil. He also mentioned it lessening the chances of ever getting diesel "aromas" from the engine compartment. One weekend we left Charleston, drove to New Bern, NC to look at a 390, and then to Deltaville, VA to look at a 34T. While my "Admiral" liked the galley up of the 390 we boarded, she was perfectly happy with the galley down of the 34T because while standing in the galley she could see anyone coming through the doors and everyone sitting in the salon.
A friend told me that whatever we bought we had to have a "marriage saver," also known as a stern thruster. Before leaving the 34T in Deltaville, I asked the broker what -- besides a sternthruster -- he would add if he was buying the boat. He replied due to the number of short fingerpiers on the Chesapeake Bay, he would add "gates" in the port and starboard railings, about 12 feet or so aft of the bow. The gates would allow much easier boarding when coming bow first into slip with short finger piers.
Though we liked the Deltaville boat, we decided to return home and spend a couple more days researching available Mainship 34Ts. We found our 2006 Mainship 34T in Fort Lauderdale. The owner had installed "gates," a sternthruster, shorepower connections in the bow (also for going bow first into slips), changed every light on the boat to LEDs, and made numerous other upgrades that got our attention. Since he had already taken delivery of his new twin screw boat, he was a pleasure to deal with.
In the first two years we owned "Slow Dance," we've put nearly 500 hours on her. She "drinks 6, feeds 4, and sleeps 2 very comfortably." My advice: look at the model(s) you want as close to home as possible, board and explore every inch of them, read everything you can find online, and then zero in on the what appears to be the best available Mainship for you. I would also encourage the two of you to personally inspect the boat before paying a surveyor to do his or her inspection, and seatrialing it. And don't be afraid to walk away from the deal if things just don't seem right. Hope these words help at least a little. Who knows, if you cruise the ICW or do the "great loop," we might see you on the water!
Final piece of advice: As the old wooden boat builders say, "Measure twice and cut once."
Steve and Kelly... In 2016 my "Admiral" and I faced the same dilemma. After a lot of conversations with other boat owners and our buyer's agent, we decided on Mainship because of their molded staircase to the bridge, rather than a ladder, and we had decided on single screw, single head, and single stateroom. We were focused Mainship 390s until I came across a review of the Mainship 34T that entered the market in 2004. The author (a captain) loved the lines of the boat, and especially liked the fact that you entered the boat through "french doors," rather than a sliding door, and entered the engine compartment from the cockpit, rather than having to move a rug or furniture in the salon to simply check the oil. He also mentioned it lessening the chances of ever getting diesel "aromas" from the engine compartment. One weekend we left Charleston, drove to New Bern, NC to look at a 390, and then to Deltaville, VA to look at a 34T. While my "Admiral" liked the galley up of the 390 we boarded, she was perfectly happy with the galley down of the 34T because while standing in the galley she could see anyone coming through the doors and everyone sitting in the salon.
A friend told me that whatever we bought we had to have a "marriage saver," also known as a stern thruster. Before leaving the 34T in Deltaville, I asked the broker what -- besides a sternthruster -- he would add if he was buying the boat. He replied due to the number of short fingerpiers on the Chesapeake Bay, he would add "gates" in the port and starboard railings, about 12 feet or so aft of the bow. The gates would allow much easier boarding when coming bow first into slip with short finger piers.
Though we liked the Deltaville boat, we decided to return home and spend a couple more days researching available Mainship 34Ts. We found our 2006 Mainship 34T in Fort Lauderdale. The owner had installed "gates," a sternthruster, shorepower connections in the bow (also for going bow first into slips), changed every light on the boat to LEDs, and made numerous other upgrades that got our attention. Since he had already taken delivery of his new twin screw boat, he was a pleasure to deal with.
In the first two years we owned "Slow Dance," we've put nearly 500 hours on her. She "drinks 6, feeds 4, and sleeps 2 very comfortably." My advice: look at the model(s) you want as close to home as possible, board and explore every inch of them, read everything you can find online, and then zero in on the what appears to be the best available Mainship for you. I would also encourage the two of you to personally inspect the boat before paying a surveyor to do his or her inspection, and seatrialing it. And don't be afraid to walk away from the deal if things just don't seem right. Hope these words help at least a little. Who knows, if you cruise the ICW or do the "great loop," we might see you on the water!
Final piece of advice: As the old wooden boat builders say, "Measure twice and cut once."
Last edited:
Steve and Kelly
May I suggest you learn a bit about how to inspect a prospective purchase and start here .... Marine Survey 101
May I suggest you learn a bit about how to inspect a prospective purchase and start here .... Marine Survey 101
Steveandkelly
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2019
- Messages
- 18
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Sponaneity
- Vessel Make
- Fathom Yachts, Fast Expedition Trawler
What a difference 11 months make! We joined a year ago next month with questions about a certain brand of boat. Since then we have bought a boat. A completely different brand. Bought the boat with all of that entails, moved the boat from the Chesapeake to the gulf side of Florida and have learned just a ton. Lots more to know, but in 11 months things have changed dramatically in our boating life. Thanks for the input all.
