Hi all, my name is Tom and although we live in Nebraska, we have a condo in Naples, Fl, which we spend a considerable amount of time at, especially durning the winter months. I am currently in the market for an older (1980-2000) Trawler in the 32' - 34' range due to my current slip limitations. I like a couple different vessels, including the Grand Banks 32, Island Gypsy 32 Europa and the Mainship 34 MK III. Does anyone have any information regarding these vessels, or any other vessels for that matter, that might be useful in our decision making process. We mostly costal cruise with overnights from anywhere around Marco Island to Siesta Key, and occasional trips to Key West and over to the Bahamas. Any information would be greatly appreciated! Happy Easter, Tom
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Comodave
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Welcome aboard. Have fun during your search.
RT Firefly
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Greetings,
Welcome aboard and Happy Easter. Try: https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/boat-search-101-a-14905.html
If you scroll way down on the home page you will see: Trawler Builders Forums where you may find answers specific to some brands you may be interested in.
Enjoy the chase...
Welcome aboard and Happy Easter. Try: https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/boat-search-101-a-14905.html
If you scroll way down on the home page you will see: Trawler Builders Forums where you may find answers specific to some brands you may be interested in.
Enjoy the chase...
READY
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Welcome to the forum. There are many great boats but the challenge is finding the ones most suitable for you. I would start with a list of the most critical items and follow that with the nice to have list. Then you can narrow down your options. Top of the list might be length,price, sleeping requirements, condition, engine(s), heads and speed/range. But each one of us has our own set of priorities. Almost certainly you will end up making some compromises but it helps to make a list of the non-negotiable items. Example: lower helm, flybridge, true pilothouse. For me I value a pilothouse over a flybridge. Others totally opposite. That is why they make so many different models. Good luck with your search.
Welcome to the forum. There are many great boats but the challenge is finding the ones most suitable for you. I would start with a list of the most critical items and follow that with the nice to have list. Then you can narrow down your options. Top of the list might be length,price, sleeping requirements, condition, engine(s), heads and speed/range. But each one of us has our own set of priorities. Almost certainly you will end up making some compromises but it helps to make a list of the non-negotiable items. Example: lower helm, flybridge, true pilothouse. For me I value a pilothouse over a flybridge. Others totally opposite. That is why they make so many different models. Good luck with your search.
firehoser75
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Hi Tom,
Welcome to the forum, and I like your name
Ready hit the nail squarely on the head!
My advice is to take your time. Think carefully about how you will use the boat. For example: guests often or almost never; short duration trips or months at a time; protected waters or open water crossings, etc.
From there, write down (critical IMHO) 3 lists (wife and you write separate lists is best) based on how you plan to use the boat. Lists: Must haves; Nice to have; Do not want. For example, for myself, my do not want list included: screwed down teak decks (will eventually leak if not already and very expensive or time consuming repair); exterior woodwork (don't want the extra maintenance); twin engines (I do most of my own maintenance, and with twins in smaller boats, ER space can be really cramped), etc.
Then compare the lists, talk it out, and compromise. You probably will not find the "perfect" boat, and will have to accept some things not being exactly what you want.
If you are really inexperienced with boats and boating, then go to boat shows, take some courses, talk to other boaters, walk the docks and ask questions, etc. to help you understand boat features, and what ones might be important to you! Past maintenance is also critical, especially in "older" boats. Written maintenance records would be a definite plus.
In my opinion, short cutting this process, especially if you have not owned similar boats before, could easily lead to you making a mistake in your initial boat selection resulting in either a resale, or putting up with a boat that does not really meet your needs as well as it could. Both, in a way, costly.
Enjoy the process, and it is a process,
Regards,
Tom
Welcome to the forum, and I like your name
Ready hit the nail squarely on the head!
My advice is to take your time. Think carefully about how you will use the boat. For example: guests often or almost never; short duration trips or months at a time; protected waters or open water crossings, etc.
From there, write down (critical IMHO) 3 lists (wife and you write separate lists is best) based on how you plan to use the boat. Lists: Must haves; Nice to have; Do not want. For example, for myself, my do not want list included: screwed down teak decks (will eventually leak if not already and very expensive or time consuming repair); exterior woodwork (don't want the extra maintenance); twin engines (I do most of my own maintenance, and with twins in smaller boats, ER space can be really cramped), etc.
Then compare the lists, talk it out, and compromise. You probably will not find the "perfect" boat, and will have to accept some things not being exactly what you want.
If you are really inexperienced with boats and boating, then go to boat shows, take some courses, talk to other boaters, walk the docks and ask questions, etc. to help you understand boat features, and what ones might be important to you! Past maintenance is also critical, especially in "older" boats. Written maintenance records would be a definite plus.
In my opinion, short cutting this process, especially if you have not owned similar boats before, could easily lead to you making a mistake in your initial boat selection resulting in either a resale, or putting up with a boat that does not really meet your needs as well as it could. Both, in a way, costly.
Enjoy the process, and it is a process,
Regards,
Tom
Pete Meisinger
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Boy, Tom, it would be great if you could squeeze a couple more feet into your slip. The difference between a boat suitable for a night aboard and a boat which is comfortable for a week or longer passage is often the difference between a 32 footer and a 36 footer.
Stretch that slip a bit, even if you have to get a fold up swim platform and eliminate the bowsprit .
Good Luck shopping, it can be half the fun
pete
Stretch that slip a bit, even if you have to get a fold up swim platform and eliminate the bowsprit .
Good Luck shopping, it can be half the fun
pete
Codger2
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Great boat as is the IG 32 Europa. (A TF member in Maine has one and maybe he'll chime in here.) I did a lot of research before I bought mine and the very best article (un biased) I ever read was in the 1995 June edition of Power Boats. (I looked for my copy of the article but "no cigar.")
https://boatbrochure.com/products/i...2-powerboat-reports-magazine-reprint-brochure
Here's 2 photos of dwhatty's boat in Maine.
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healhustler
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Tom: You didn’t mention your budget. How much of your money can we dream of spending?
Codger2
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Like I said, I couldn't find my copy and if you want to have one that lists the differences between the 2 boats you will have to by a copy of the magazine for June 1995. Now, if you're really serious about those two boats $20 is a really inexpensive price for some damn good information!
Welcome aboard TF
I recently noticed a MS 34HT in zpunta Gorda like ours listed on YachrWorld. It was an early/mid 2000s but dont recall exactly. If it's anything that is of Interest I can supply info on suitability as we are familiar with ours and aware of +/-.
Enjoy the search and subsequent adventures.
I recently noticed a MS 34HT in zpunta Gorda like ours listed on YachrWorld. It was an early/mid 2000s but dont recall exactly. If it's anything that is of Interest I can supply info on suitability as we are familiar with ours and aware of +/-.
Enjoy the search and subsequent adventures.
ranger58sb
Guru
Our first big boat was an '87 Mainship Mk III. Great boat, for our use, and I'd have one again if it fit our current situation.
OTOH, I'd also look ate the 350s and 390s, the 400s, something called a 34T I think... because Mainship usually introduced improvements over the year based on customer feedback/focus groups, etc. from previous models. The 350/390, for example, is wider than the 34/MkII/MkIII, has a side dower at the lower helm, has stairs to the bridge instead of a ladder, etc.
Many of the design improvements they made were the kind of things I'd think about while having a beverage on our Mk III bridge. ("Stairs would give our big dogs a way to get up here on the bridge with us.")
Or while docking. ("Wish this boat had a side door.")
Or while inside lounging. ("Wish this boat was wider.")
Et cetera.
-Chris
