Mainship 390 experience/advice
I'm currently in the market for a 1997-2005 model year Mainship 390. I want a single engine. Looking at Yanmars 300-380 hp. Any experience or advise would be appreciated before I pull the trigger..
A few thoughts after (1) spending two years researching and looking at seven different MS390's beginning in 2012, (2) owning, cruising and maintaining our 2003 MS390 since 2014.
- Buy the newest model-year 390 you can find and afford. The list of improvements and design fixes made over the years is very long. Beginnning in model year 2003 (production beginning in late 2002), all of the fixes and upgrades were incorporated. The 2003 upgrade from aluminum to stainless steel hardware (rails, portlights, etc.) is one of many. The new swim-platform/bustle design is also important. If you have a broker-friend who will run a 'sold boats' report for you on Yachtworld, you will see that the 2003 and newer years are fetching substantially higher prices than 2002 and older. When I last had the report run, the difference was 15-20%.
- Make sure you find a surveyor who has surveyed many of the 350/390 models. In Florida that shouldn't be hard.
- Be very careful in understanding any previous repairs that have been done. Be especially wary of quickie 'make-it-ready-for-sale' repairs. A careful owner will have excellent knowledge of repairs that were done, and I am >>not<< talking about reciepts, but rather detailed descriptions of the repairs with before and after photos and methods used.
- Especially if you are looking at pre-2003 models, learn about all of the various 350/390 issues including the exhaust system, swim-platform, mast base and Caterpillar 3116/3126 history.
- A really nice thing about the 350/390 design is the relative scarcity of screw holes drilled into horizontal (cored) deck surfaces, there are VERY few. As a result...compared to other Mainship models (and most boats in general) the occurance of soft deck problems in 350/390s is quite rare. One look at how they screwed the flybridge railings into the fiberglass (using high-and-dry 'saddle' design) tells that story. This was an expensive design choice, but well worth it, there is simply NO way for water to stand on those screw holes and soak in there. That said...if previous owners have screwed anything into the decks anywhere on the boat, make sure it was well sealed and that your surveyor scrutinizes it carefully.
- Closely examine the cabin sole under the refrigerator, especially in carpeted boats. Mainship made a very poor choice to 'toenail' screw the port/aft cabinet to the sole pretty much right under the refrigerator, creating an unsealed entry point into the plywood in >>exactly<< the place that moldy refrigerator/freezer condensate water would drain following a refrigerator failure or power outage. If you can't pull up the carpet, carefully inspect the sole from underneath (you will need to move the foil-over-foam acoustic insulation located above the port fuel tank). I have seen this on several 350/390's.
- Remove the two small drain-covers from the scuppers at the aft of the flybridge and make sure the edges of the 2.5" thick plywood coring there are well sealed. Make sure the sealant extends all the way down into the stanchion tube (which serves as the scupper drain). One of mine was not sealed, but since I am always paranoid about anything screwed or cut into a horizontal deck surface, I sealed it right after buying the boat.
- Note: Final assembly of the MS350/390's was performed by the DEALER, not by Mainship! This included installing the upper "half' of the flybridge, the table, the mast and all the hardware on the flybridge including the bimini. Most of the leaks I have seen on MS350/390s (including ours) were the result of poor workmanship by the delivery dealer, not by Mainship.
- Our Yanmar 6LYA-STP (370hp) has been fantastic. The Cummins 6BTA would be my second choice. I saw comments about the 6LY2, and while I can appreciate Ski's objections, I am not aware that any MS390's were ever made with that engine, at least none I ever encountered.
Hope this helps.
