Shopping for a Mainship 30

[Larry SB]

Hello to all my fellow boaters,
I'm in the hunt for a Mainship 30 on the west coast. I've gone on sea trials with 2 and am getting confused. I have a couple of questions I hope to be helped with.
The 1999 model has a differrent hull than the 2005. I am feeling more comfortable on the 99 because of the ride. It seems to run lower down in the bow and quieter. Is this right? There is no door in the aft of the 99 and I like that too. Any reason to have a door with such a low rear profile? Also the berth designs are differrent with the 99 having a larger galley and head. What advantages are there between?
Also there was a new motor installed on the 2005 and it seems to vibrate allot.Are there things that can be done to lower the vibration?

[DavidM]

Well, if you have seen both a 1999 and a 2005 model you are way ahead of most of us here. Yes they are different in layout and the hull tunnel. Did either boat have trim tabs and were they used which could make a significant difference in running attitude.

My understanding is that the older boat came with a 4 cylinder Yanmar 4LH and the newer one came with that one and the 6 cylinder Yanmar 6LP. The latter engine would be the better one as it is a smooth 6 with more displacement than the 4. But both are very good engines.

What engine was in the repowered 2005 that you saw. Was the vibration underway or in neutral or both and at what rpms. There a any number of causes of vibration and whether it can be corrected at this point is a crap shoot. If it is serious, then take a pass on that boat.

David

[Larry SB]

Thanks for the response.
The 99 has a cummins 220 in it w/ 970 hrs. I have heard allot of good about this engine. The new Yanmar in the 05 is a 6LP and the vibration at this point is most of the time. I believe the new motor which has 81 hrs on it has rattled loose alittle and the motor mounts I saw on the Yanmar site had rubber absorbers which this one lacked. All in all the newr model is in much better condition but the 99 has a great feel to it. I've been reading about the bow riding high and solutions of a bigger trim tab to resolve this. Love the style of the boat but want to make the right d3ecision. At 30', thhe Mainship has a ton of good qualities

[Olebird]

Hi Larry,
Just bought my MS 30 Pilot II - 2003 model a few weeks back. There are significant differences and similarities - in the two designs. I have seen both. Both are well built boats, hands down better than some of the other better known production boats in the 30 ft class.(Have owned a couple of them - never go back !!)


Earlier models had more of a displacement hull, deeper draft, more of a hull speed cruiser - hence the smaller engine. 2003 and later were redesigned with a semi planning hull, and a tunnel for shallow draft.

The 315 hp Yanmar will easily put it on a plane but will be burning 6-7 gallons or more per hour above 2750 rpm - 3400 rpm = 25 knots. At hull speed she will run all day < 2 gal per hr.

I was concerned with noise. The little Yanmar seems to struggle and makes more noise than the big 6 - most of it coming from the side exhaust port - not the engine proper. At quick cruise it's no worse than any other diesel I've run.

My boat has the factory five blade prop - re-pitched to make rated rpm. I'm not seeing any resonant or sympathetic vibrations in the running gear, although there are reports out there in both designs.

The earlier boats with the round bottom do tend to roll more but answer a little better to the helm at maneuvering speed. The rudder on the later boats is a known deficiency. Several owners I've talked with have made rudder mods with varying degrees of success. In following, some what heavy seas >4ft one fellow described the handling as "evil"!! I'm looking at a "Thistle" rudder mod that is reported to tame this evil woman !!! But anything over 1500 rpm brings the rudder firmly in to play. (I fly a V tailed Bonanza - so I'm used to having no rudder).


So far I'm happy with the boat - lot of folks on here with various Mainship models in the 30 to 40 ft class. Most seem to be happy with them. Check out Marlow-Mainship thread in the Builders section - on the front page for more specific model discussions.


Welcome and good luck with your search.