Looking for knowledgeable Mainship owners in our area

This may be a silly question or maybe not even allowed but, I’ll try it and see...

We've had our 1999 Mainship 350, single Cat 3116 engine for a year now. Our first boat. We are learning the systems and would like to meet other Mainship owners to compare notes and ask “What is this? What is it for? How does it work?” questions. Basically I'd like to hire a Mainship tutor. There is so much we don’t know that manuals don’t seem to answer without some basic knowledge. Is there anyone open to tutoring in Brunswick GA?

Lots of info in the Marlow-Mainship section if you search and or scan the threads. The Sticks at the top includes part info for many MS, Luhrs & Hunter parts. You need to scan through the thumbnails and open those of interest for more detail and the source MS used.
My Bacchus website has many projects / improvements I've completed on our '08 34HT.
https://dkloeber.wixsite.com/bacchus
Many of your questions might get meaningful responses here with good photos andvevific questions. There are many very knowledgable current & past MS owners here on TF that are willing to share.
I'm not intimately familiar with your year / model but do pass through Brunswick Ga usually in Feb and April and stop for a few days with motorhome while snowbirding. Willing to meet & share what I know.
Let me know if interested as 2021 approaches.

Thank you for responding, pointing me in a direction and offering your website information. I’m checking it out as soon as I finish typing this. This will help and absolutely do contact me as you’re coming through.

Delouis

During your research here and elsewhere be sure to just throw out your questions here. We all love to help, even when we really don't have a clue.

We have a 2003 390 with a single Yanmar. 350 and 390 are the same boat. Feel free to ask away. I'll do my best to help.
John

Okay, so we'd noticed a pretty good leak in the packing gland/stuffing box after buying the boat last June. We tightened and added more flax to its limit which got us from Fl. to GA. last August. Two weeks ago, we discovered a broken bolt on the very corroded shaft. So replacing the stuffing box was the next step. After the replacement last week the boat was launched and while doing our 1 hour post repair test run we realized our shaft was wobbling and is bent which could lead to cutlass bearing problems if not fixed immediately. Our propeller may be damaged as well. Waiting for results from the machine shop. Have any of you had to deal with this? Honestly for this first year we've had more repairs, head scratching and frustrations ...(”what's that noise? Do you think it’s okay or is it broken, grinding, running too long?”) than fun. Any suggestions on what else we should be checking/doing while she’s hauled out (for the 2nd time not including survey)? We’re getting an estimate on bottom paint. If anyone has had their bottom painted, what paint did you use? Are you happy with the results? I’ll search the Forum but any current information is appreciated. So many questions. Let’s buy a boat I said. It’ll be fun and relaxing on the water I said.... Thanks for any advice you can offer.

If you have a bow thruster, now is the time to change its oil. Check manual, but it's likely 90 wt gear oil you buy in about 1-liter plastic bottles with the pointy spout. The reservoir is in the forward cabin right over the thruster.

With a bent shaft to repair (any idea how that happened?). Your engine to shaft alignment should be checked as a part of the repair plus new cutless bearings. Another thing to check would be the packing for the rudder post. Be sure to open the lover stainers of through hulls to ensure any shell growth in there is removed.

As others have indicated, ask your questions on this forum and usually (after wading through a bit of chaf) you will get some good advice. All of your problems/questions so far are non Mainship related, so ask away.

Also almost everything on any boat is made from readily available marine parts, fiberglass layups or stainless steel railing that can be rebuilt by any good boat yard, ie there is virutually nothing specific to Mainships.

But do use Gore GFO packing in your new stuffing box and you will never have to touch it again as it lasts forever.

David

Dvid

David

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m making a list. Yes we do have an idea how it happened. The prev. owner told us a “funny“ story of allowing a prospective buyer to take the helm who couldn’t control the boat and hit bottom kind of hard from what he described. We thought nothing of it till now. I don’t think the p.o. realized there was damage. Survey didn’t catch it either. You get what you get sometimes. I’m sure I’ll scrub the bottom at some point myself. Just hope the ground is soft and the damage is minimal.

I agree on the GFO packing. As to which bottom paint to use, it depends on your location. Ask other boat owners near you and see what people are using in your area. Too bad about the shaft. Sometimes they can be straightened by a good machine shop. Again ask around about who is good in your area. Good luck.

Unfortunately, many enter into boating with the only parallel they are familiar with......cars. There is more regulary maintenance of boats. Frequently on used boats there is a lot of deferred maintenance. Costs are a lot higher as well, hence the old euphamism B.O.A. T (Break Out Another Thousand).

We figure it takes at least 3 years to get all the systems on a 20 yer old used boat up to par.

Have the boat hauled and the shaft and prop checked for balance.

Best way to meet other Mainship owners is to dinghy up to another Mainship at an anchorage, or while dinghy exploring, walking marinas, etc. and say to the owner aboard "Second best looking boat in the harbor".
He/she will immediately know you own a Mainship and that will start a conversation rolling.

rgano said:

During your research here and elsewhere be sure to just throw out your questions here. We all love to help, even when we really don't have a clue.

Click to expand...

Rich is too modest, he has more clues than a lot of us.

That’ll be fun. I’m in.