1981 Mainship 34’ Windlass

We are about to purchase this boat and it doesn’t have a windlass. Any advice on what size would be helpful and if anyone has pictures that would help as well

Survey and Sea trail tomorrow. Wooohoooo

Thank you

Todd

They are sized according to your boats max weight and the type or chain or rode you have. I like Lewmar.

https://www.lewmar.com/windlasses

Welcome aboard.

Just installed a Lewmar Pro 1000 on my 82 Mainship.

Any pictures?

Deciding which windlass is the easy part, mounting it was a bit more complicated for our '78. I had to laminate multiple layers of marine plywood to get the windlass gypsy up to the correct height. We then glassed the platform to the deck while the decks were being replaced. Lot's of labor but it made for a better job.
Hopefully yours has a platform already on it!

Thanks for the pictures it really helps. The forward deck has already been restored by the PO I’ll get some pictures of my predicament today I think it’s a little more complicated hard to explain but the picture should clear that up Lol

In the excitement of the survey. I forgot to get a “good” picture but I did get this one.

Just added one over the winter to our Marine Trader 34. I did a lot of research and felt the Maxwell HRC8 was a great windlass at a great price. Couldn't be happier with it!
https://www.wmjmarine.com/shrc8.html?msclkid=065ea75514a81b99a87cfb8cc38c5280

TC9Ball said:

Thanks for the pictures it really helps. The forward deck has already been restored by the PO I’ll get some pictures of my predicament today I think it’s a little more complicated hard to explain but the picture should clear that up Lol

Click to expand...

It looks like the hard part has been done for you! Depending on which windlass you decide to use, you might or might not have to get some longer mounting studs to secure the windlass to the pulpit. I cant really see whats under/supporting the pulpit but if your windlass bolt pattern falls to where you can catch the nuts and washers on the underside of the pulpit, you'll be set! The hard part is going to be drilling a hole for the rode to drop down from the gypsy to the locker below.

We had a 1981 34 Mainship in the 80's and 90's. Great boat.

The 1981 came factory equipped with a bow pulpit. Earlier 34's did not.

It makes windless install easier. We had a Simpson Lawrance vertical windless. SL is long gone.

Make sure to epoxy any holes and bed well. The deck is balsa cored and you dont want water in there.

I can not believe your Mainship went 38 years without a windlass,

I also noticed that the "Crucifix" is still on the front of the windshield. The members of the Pacific NW Mainship Club named the mast on the fore deck that because of it's shape. Most owners took the mast off to improve visibility or relocated it to the salon roof to be used to mount a radar dome.

Two Canadian couples and my wife and I formed the club back in 1990 and had our first rendezvous at Oak Harbor Marina in 1991. At one rendezvous, we had over 20 34 Mainships and a few 40's parked bow out. If I find that picture, I'll post it.