79 Mainship Mark 1 thoughts

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That's encouraging - the 3208 Cat in the naturally-aspirated version is a good engine. If laid up with any sort of reasonable care, it should come back to life with a happy rumble.
 
Whatever you think the materials will cost will be way low. It will always cost substantially more. In the end will it be worth it, who knows. Do you like the boat and do you really really want to do the work, then go for it. I love working on my boats, on #24 now, but I am gradually wearing down due to older age.

The 3208 are good engines when not turboed and aftercooled. But you may spend a small fortune getting it back in shape after that long of a layup.

The older 34’ Mainships are a neat boat, almost bought one a couple of different times but other boats popped up and made me go a different direction. Good luck and have fun if you get it.
 
I can understand why you are continuing to give this consideration, I would also be thinking of going for it.

Can't say I haven't driven through boatyards wondering how much I could buy that boat for that has obviously been shrink wrapped for a few years.
 
Well I have seen it for at least 4 years under cover while I was working on my dads boat but my dad sold his boat and we heard that they are considering selling. I don't think it's a total money pit but will require some significant work.
 
Doodie99 said:
Well I have seen it for at least 4 years under cover while I was working on my dads boat but my dad sold his boat and we heard that they are considering selling. I don't think it's a total money pit but will require some significant work.
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I have seen these types of posts on various boating sites for well over 20 years now. They have so much in common that they appear to be all the same after a while. You are getting very good advice here and it would be best if you could build a list of 'all' the items you would want to attend to with the most accurate numbers for costs and time which you can attain - best to get quotes or at least copy down parts/vendor sources with numbers and details.
If your thoughts are that you can defray the costs of a boat by adding in sweat equity please make the list comprehensive.
If your thoughts are that you can picture yourself boating within a year please reconsider your goals.
If your thoughts are that you will not be missing large amounts of time seperated from family and friends while working on this project revisit your list and your skill sets.
We have likely done most all of the tasks on your future lists and can attest to the fact that they take much longer than you think and cost much more than you have currently budgeted.
Good luck
 
Well my short list is clean all the diesel fuel systems. Cap thru engine. All belts, oil and filters, coolant. Pumps, both raw and closed system. Heat exchanger and thermostat. Check manifolds. Risers, check exhaust, check stuffing box, new batterys. The Onan full gasket and seals. Pump oil etc. The boat water system looks clean but needs checking. The electric system looks in tact and likely works. The bridge may need some new gauges. As for electronics... will need updates. The decks do not have any soft spots I have found so maybe it is dry. There is alot of cleaning and polishing needed but the gel coat looks really pretty good.
 
Doodie99 said:
Well my short list is clean all the diesel fuel systems. Cap thru engine. All belts, oil and filters, coolant. Pumps, both raw and closed system. Heat exchanger and thermostat. Check manifolds. Risers, check exhaust, check stuffing box, new batterys. The Onan full gasket and seals. Pump oil etc. The boat water system looks clean but needs checking. The electric system looks in tact and likely works. The bridge may need some new gauges. As for electronics... will need updates. The decks do not have any soft spots I have found so maybe it is dry. There is alot of cleaning and polishing needed but the gel coat looks really pretty good.
Click to expand...

My sincere best guess is that if you begin to track your invested time now you will be over 10 hours when you get to the point that you have a reasonably complete list of items and reasonable costs. There will be some parts/tasks you will miss and there may be some that you put on the list that will not be required but when you do the best you can you will end up in the right ballpark at least. When you get a full list and have put in enough research to have reasonable pricing you can add it up and see where you are at.
Without too much thought at all I can say you might want to include things like: fuel condition, fuel tank(s) condition, bottom job, canvas, a full enough set of electronics for safety, a couple of dozen items for the main , similar couple of dozen for genset, trans list, cutlass, shafting , prop, head and waste system, all thru hulls, tabs, etc.
Making the list itself will help to indicate the total time, skills, and funds that will be required over the project.
Please do not purchase it and then afterwards try and figure out how & when you are going to research and fix these things.
 
Example only - here is one of our old lists for inspecting main engines that ran (no CAT engines) as one example only - if the engine needs work on any of these items we would post in to an excell list and add $$ and time to the section 'main engine'.



Fill in engine serial number, in each section below ask what is new/serviced

Harmonic balancer
 integrity
 leaks

Raw water pump
 leaks
 hoses

water separators
 on engine
 on Racors if equipped

Oil cap and cover
 inspection inside w/mirror
 wipe underside of valve cover w/finger

Coolant cap & tank
 leaks
 overflow bottle sediment
 wipe X-changer bundle through cap, check for mud

Oil pan
 corrosion
 where the oil change tube goes

Manicooler
 original
 leaks
 condition of paint where the runners meet the head

Glow plug circuit
 Full cycle time
 no signs of corrosion

Wiring
 integrity
 all gages/alarms work

Bolts fasteners
 note which have been removed
 injectors
 heads
 manicooler
 other

Injection pump
 Any crimp caps compromised
 leaks
 corrosion

Intercoolers
 inspection port residue
 leaks
 hoses
 Air side hoses and leaks

Turbo
 inspection of radial play
 oil leak behind compressor wheel
 Boost if available
 How much paint is on at manicooler/turbo interface
 leak near coolant return line (hard line top)
 Leak near oil return (bottom)

Exhaust elbow
 Cast Iron/ other
 If cast, one piece or two (one is better and newer version)
 check at packing hose tube outlet
 Check drain fitting

Transmission
 write down number and ratio
 pull stick and wipe on pure white paper towel
 pull filter and look on inside for particles
 note age condition of coolers
 note if coolers are zinc equipped

Engine mounts
 condition of all 4 static
 angle of 4
 condition of motor mount brackets and affixing to stringers
 check mounts again under way (use caution)

 shafts/packing
 type
 condition
 alignment under way (take a short motion pic if possible)
 is salt spray being ingested
 any signs of scoring on shafts


Try and take good digital pictures of any and all the items you are interested in because even if you are not sure of something you may be able to post them later in and someone will hopefully be able to help. We would also take pictures of the engine gages on cold engine, running engine, and warm engine at idle for future reference since it was faster and clearer then writing it down.
 
I must say that the help i am getting here is spectacular.
I did see many good points on the checklist that really makes sense.
 
I have an update... I spent 2 hours today going over the boat in a bit more detail.
Because it was sitting so long i wanted to make sure the engine did is not frozen up or have any major mechanical issues. I connected a battery and it turned over without any issues or strange sounds. I didn't want it to start. I also noted that the risers are stainless as well as the drive shaft. Other than some light surface rust on the motor it actually looks very new looking. I do expect many seals and hoses will need replacement.
As for the interior of the boat it is in very good condition. The hull shows no signs of water infiltration and i am not a light weight guy and no where did i find a soft spots.
As much as i would like to buy a turn key boat i do enjoy restoration. And truth be known i don't have the funds to buy it outright.
I made an offer and we now have a verbal agreement on the boat.
 
What?!!? You went to the boat & didn't come back with any pictures? Shame on you!
Congratulations! It sounds like you know what you're looking at and it also sounds like might've stumbled onto a good deal!
 
Doodie99 said:
I have an update... I spent 2 hours today going over the boat in a bit more detail.
Because it was sitting so long i wanted to make sure the engine did is not frozen up or have any major mechanical issues. I connected a battery and it turned over without any issues or strange sounds. I didn't want it to start. I also noted that the risers are stainless as well as the drive shaft. Other than some light surface rust on the motor it actually looks very new looking. I do expect many seals and hoses will need replacement.
As for the interior of the boat it is in very good condition. The hull shows no signs of water infiltration and i am not a light weight guy and no where did i find a soft spots.
As much as i would like to buy a turn key boat i do enjoy restoration. And truth be known i don't have the funds to buy it outright.
I made an offer and we now have a verbal agreement on the boat.
Click to expand...

As I mentioned previously, just bought a Mainship 34 Mk I. Good luck to you. Hopefully, we’ll be interacting in the future!
 
I will be coming here to give updates as well as looking for input.
Thanks for the encouragement.
 
Doodie,


Good for you on the offer, but hope it was considering that this one could be a TON of work....


I could make a STRONG argument to just not by any boat that has been sitting for 10 years, or even a few years, especially that old. And I could make a strong argument for not buying any boat much earlier than 20 years old unless the current owner has already done all the fix up work, and expect to pay a bit more.


Old boats are OLD, period. In some cases, the only thing of value is the hull and the engines, so you rework all the electrical, fuel cells, plumbing, toilets, galley, radios, etc., etc. and you'll probably spend WAY more than it's worth. And often the value of these old boats is the price it takes to haul them to the junk yard. Don't get me wrong, but this certainly sounds like a candidate.



Unless you just like to work and value your time at zero, I'd bet you could do MUCH better spending 5 to 10 times as much and get a reasonably good boat, that will be ready to go with minor work.



Friend of mine recently sold a Grand Banks look a like for $30K. Overhauled engine, two new fuel tanks, stern thruster, in running condition. That make a hell of a better deal!



Food for thought.
 
Seevee said:
Doodie,


Good for you on the offer, but hope it was considering that this one could be a TON of work....


I could make a STRONG argument to just not by any boat that has been sitting for 10 years, or even a few years, especially that old. And I could make a strong argument for not buying any boat much earlier than 20 years old unless the current owner has already done all the fix up work, and expect to pay a bit more.


Old boats are OLD, period. In some cases, the only thing of value is the hull and the engines, so you rework all the electrical, fuel cells, plumbing, toilets, galley, radios, etc., etc. and you'll probably spend WAY more than it's worth. And often the value of these old boats is the price it takes to haul them to the junk yard. Don't get me wrong, but this certainly sounds like a candidate.



Unless you just like to work and value your time at zero, I'd bet you could do MUCH better spending 5 to 10 times as much and get a reasonably good boat, that will be ready to go with minor work.



Friend of mine recently sold a Grand Banks look a like for $30K. Overhauled engine, two new fuel tanks, stern thruster, in running condition. That make a hell of a better deal!



Food for thought.
Click to expand...

I understand you're trying to help but from his posts, he seems to know what he could be in for and he said this was within his budget. Be happy for him!
There wasn't a boat floating that needed more work than ours when we bought it years back. Now we have a solid, dependable boat, still an old boat but a nice old boat, that we can easily afford and we love it. Here's the funny part... you can pick any boat out there. Any one. New ,old, big or small, and the owners aren't having one speck more fun on it than we have on ours, so the age is really irrelevant. It's the fun folks are seeking.
I think he'll have fun with it.
 
Seevee said:
Doodie,


Good for you on the offer, but hope it was considering that this one could be a TON of work....


I could make a STRONG argument to just not by any boat that has been sitting for 10 years, or even a few years, especially that old. And I could make a strong argument for not buying any boat much earlier than 20 years old unless the current owner has already done all the fix up work, and expect to pay a bit more.


Old boats are OLD, period. In some cases, the only thing of value is the hull and the engines, so you rework all the electrical, fuel cells, plumbing, toilets, galley, radios, etc., etc. and you'll probably spend WAY more than it's worth. And often the value of these old boats is the price it takes to haul them to the junk yard. Don't get me wrong, but this certainly sounds like a candidate.



Unless you just like to work and value your time at zero, I'd bet you could do MUCH better spending 5 to 10 times as much and get a reasonably good boat, that will be ready to go with minor work.



Friend of mine recently sold a Grand Banks look a like for $30K. Overhauled engine, two new fuel tanks, stern thruster, in running condition. That make a hell of a better deal!



Food for thought.
Click to expand...

I do value all input and its not my first boat to restore. It is the first that is this big and first diesel and i do understand there are many items unknown but i see it as a challenge. I do value my time but when complete i will know everything about the boat.
 
Congrats on your new boat, hopefully the deal closes. Have fun doing all the restoration and we will need some photos.
 
Congrats, and stick around. As I'm sure you've seen there's a good community here with knowledge of the boat and systems. Sounds like you'll have a great boat. The Cat is a big upgrade over the OEM Perkins.

Good luck!
 
Doodie99 said:
I do value all input and its not my first boat to restore. It is the first that is this big and first diesel and i do understand there are many items unknown but i see it as a challenge. I do value my time but when complete i will know everything about the boat.
Click to expand...


Doodie,


Glad you mentioned your experience. There's nothing wrong with buying an older boat and refurbishing it to ones own specs. We just see so many that underestimate the work and cost and end up with a project that never ends.
I do see a few that have been refurbished very well and when those sell I see a lot of value and often the owners labor goes for zero.


I realize that you understand this so I wish you the best and would love to hear about your progress. Best to you, keep us posted.
 
boomerang said:
I understand you're trying to help but from his posts, he seems to know what he could be in for and he said this was within his budget. Be happy for him!
There wasn't a boat floating that needed more work than ours when we bought it years back. Now we have a solid, dependable boat, still an old boat but a nice old boat, that we can easily afford and we love it. Here's the funny part... you can pick any boat out there. Any one. New ,old, big or small, and the owners aren't having one speck more fun on it than we have on ours, so the age is really irrelevant. It's the fun folks are seeking.
I think he'll have fun with it.
Click to expand...

Very few folks have the time, skill, &/or funds to complete a project like the one your described. Over time we have seen and heard of many stories like these and a majority of the time it is a mistake. On most of the ones we have seen the project becomes part of the persons life in a nagative way and affects all aspects of their personal life - not pretty.
Disclosure - over time we have taken on two larger boats that were on the hard and not running. We also have 'thousands' of posts on another forum on the mechanical/techical aspects of remediating certain boats. We have hundreds of posts from past and current owners all around the world and most would not have welcomed the larger project they ended up buying.
Most were really just regular folks that had a dream to go boating with family and loved ones.
YMMV

"We bought the materials to rebuild our decks and flybridge floor in 2016,'17 & '18. The 3/4" marine ply, the 5 gallon buckets of resin & Corebond epoxy glue ,the fiberglass & paint was closer to 10k and that was before the price went sky-high. Maintenance cost of the 40 year old Perkins (turbo, riser, exhaust manifold, starter, alternator & water pumps has been $5-6K and thats not counting the work we're having done now replacing the engine seals & other items.
All of this and it was a running ,functioning boat when we bought it. I'm not even factoring in the stuff like electronics and complete rewiring of the electrical systems, portlights etc etc.
I'm not trying to scare the OP but don't be surprised to see 20K disappear in a few years of proper rehab if you want to make it a decent vessel that you can rely on and enjoy.
__________________
-Shawn-"
 
Way to go !! Best of luck on the purchase. Remember ALL boats cost money. Your jumping in with both eyes wide open. Welcome to the club !!
 
boomerang said:
What?!!? You went to the boat & didn't come back with any pictures? Shame on you!
Congratulations! It sounds like you know what you're looking at and it also sounds like might've stumbled onto a good deal!
Click to expand...

I did post some pictures in an album..
I'm not sure how to post here.
 
I just looked at your pictures & I believe you have found yourself a nice Mainship! :thumb:
 
Blissboat said:
You'll have work to do, no doubt, but everything looks amazingly good for ten years in layup.
Click to expand...

Looks great! Ten years under wrap looks like it saved the boat.Here’s hoping there was lots of air flow. Congratulations!
 
Nice find, that is the kind of deal I'd like to come across, we are looking for a budget trawler to learn (handling, maintenance, systems) on for a first bigger boat.

Look forward to your updates.
 
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