Life after our GB 32 woodie

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Eastsounder

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
50
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Keeper
Vessel Make
1972 Grand Banks 32'
I would be grateful for some wisdom from the wonderful hive-mind that is TF (where I’m a longtime member and frequent lurker, but infrequent poster). My wife and I live in the San Juan Islands and have loved exploring both the SJIs and Gulf Islands for about 15 years, the last 10 of them in our Grand Banks 32 — a 1972 woodie (#304). Unfortunately, maintenance of the wood (rails and house, mainly) has gotten away from us. No matter how much time we spend sanding and refinishing/painting, it’s never enough! Come spring, we hope to sell her. In the meantime we are dreaming and scheming about what boat will better fulfill our needs for the next 10+ years.

Basic parameters are:
- A trawler-style vessel for cruising in protected waters on trips ranging from a few hours to a few weeks (possibly longer if the dream of going to SE Alaska ever materializes).
- Two cabins to give us more berthing options (either for an occasional family guest or as a “snora-bora,” as I’ve been told I’m a noisy sleeper).
- Sedan configuration. Before acquiring our GB 32, we chartered a GB 36 for a week. Great experience, but my wife has concluded that she prefers the openness of a sedan, with its easy access from the salon to a relatively roomy cockpit, plus more light/less claustrophobic feeling than aft-cabins.
- Single engine with bow thruster, for fuel economy and a less-cramped engine room for easier access to everything down there. (And, it may go without saying, direct-drive diesel — no stern drives). Does not need to be a “fast trawler” — moseying along at 6-8 kts is fine with us.
- Up galley — not isolated down in a pit.
- While I could conceivably live without a flybridge, I would much prefer to have one.
- Not a lot of exterior wood. I love wooden boats, but hope to spend more time out on the water, less dock time sanding teak rails for the umpteenth time.
- A budget of $150k. I know, the budget is low considering all our other must-haves, but we’re retirees who must live within a limited budget.

One boat we’ve been considering that checks pretty much all the boxes is the Mainship 34/350/390. We prefer the 390 “trim” because 1) the guest cabin has two twins rather than one full berth, and 2) we like the more streamlined look of the flush cabinets rather than the surface-mounted doors w/ raised panels. Problem is, the biggest selection of these boats is in Florida or elsewhere around the Loop; they’re fairly rare creatures in the PNW, but they do come up from time to time.

From what I’ve read on this forum and elsewhere, Mainship is no Grand Banks (or Kaden-Krogen or other top makers) in terms of overall build quality and reputation; but this is a compromise we might have to make (within reason) given our budget. A single-engine GB 36 Europa with stainless handrails would be lovely, but out of our price range.

Your thoughts welcome and appreciated on any of the above. Does the Mainship 390 (or 34/35, basically all the same boat, I believe, except as noted above) seem like a good fit with our requirements and use case? Are there other boats we should be looking at that check the boxes? Thanks for any input.
 
Your budget allows you to get a Bayliner 4588 similar to mine.
I came from a 36GB classic. It has what want and more.
 
Probably not what anyone wants to hear, but for the difference between what you’ll get for an old woodie and $150k, could you not hire a lot of ‘someone else doing the work’ and / or replacing the handrails and painting over the built-in teak trim?

But I realize ‘new’ is fun.
 
Probably not what anyone wants to hear, but for the difference between what you’ll get for an old woodie and $150k, could you not hire a lot of ‘someone else doing the work’ and / or replacing the handrails and painting over the built-in teak trim?

But I realize ‘new’ is fun.

I second the above thinking. You've had your GB for 10ys...like it and know its condition.
Any new boat will have its own set of problems and surprise issues, waiting to be discovered with ownership
 
OP stated that the tri-cabin configuration does not meet his needs anymore, therefore he likely has to move on. He'll enjoy having a larger boat of ~40+ feet with more room, better motion at rest and underway, an actual washer-dryer, storage space, room for a dinghy larger than 8 feet, etc.

I assume from OP's description that his boat was not boat-house kept, correct? Therefore picking up another woodie is not practical.
 
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This boat was my dock neighbor over the summer. Well kept by an older couple that had it since new. They moved away from the great lakes and were going to downsize.

No exterior wood.
 

This boat was my dock neighbor over the summer. Well kept by an older couple that had it since new. They moved away from the great lakes and were going to downsize.

No exterior wood.
what you think ,how huge the cost transport this boat to Washinton state.
 
what you think ,how huge the cost transport this boat to Washinton state.
No clue on transport cost, but often an option one has to weigh in the trawler world. In any case an opportunity for OP to look at that particular models floor plan for potential of finding one closer to his area.
 
Your budget allows you to get a Bayliner 4588 similar to mine.
I came from a 36GB classic. It has what want and more.

I think Bayliner 4588 is one of the best bargains in boating right now. The trick is to find the right one. Fortunately there are a lot to choose from.
 
Your budget allows you to get a Bayliner 4588 similar to mine.
I came from a 36GB classic. It has what want and more.
Interesting idea. For some reason I’ve never paid much attention to Bayliners, but we’ll keep our eyes open for 4588s. It’s a lot of boat for the money. I’d prefer a single engine, however, and am not familiar with Hinos. Are they comparable to Ford-Lehman, Cummins, John Deere (etc) in terms of long-term reliability, parts availability, and so forth?

Thanks for the idea!
 
Probably not what anyone wants to hear, but for the difference between what you’ll get for an old woodie and $150k, could you not hire a lot of ‘someone else doing the work’ and / or replacing the handrails and painting over the built-in teak trim?

But I realize ‘new’ is fun.
So true, we could get her in great shape for >$100k! But she’d still be a woodie (requiring ongoing wooden boat maintenance). And she’d still be a single cabin boat. As noted, a second cabin is a must-have for our next boat.
 

This boat was my dock neighbor over the summer. Well kept by an older couple that had it since new. They moved away from the great lakes and were going to downsize.

No exterior wood.
Nice! This would definitely be a contender, except for its location far from the West Coast/PNW. Some searching on this forum leads me to believe that transport would be impractical and cost $10-30k — precious budget $$ better spent on the boat.
 
Interesting idea. For some reason I’ve never paid much attention to Bayliners, but we’ll keep our eyes open for 4588s. It’s a lot of boat for the money. I’d prefer a single engine, however, and am not familiar with Hinos. Are they comparable to Ford-Lehman, Cummins, John Deere (etc) in terms of long-term reliability, parts availability, and so forth?

Thanks for the idea!

Hino is Toyota.
 
We have been shopping in the PNW with a similar budget. We looked at a lot of tri-cabin layouts and considered Europas as well. The Europas are less common and definitely sell at a premium.

When we started the search we had in mind newer boats without a lot of exterior wood. If you want to stick to that and the budget you have in mind, Bayliner and Mainship seem to be the boats you are most likely to find.

I would suggest getting on both of these and seeing what you think. Some differences we noted between the Grand Banks you are familiar with and Mainships include loose furniture in the salons vs built-in. Also, on the mainships we felt like they really wanted to be run from the flybridge even though they did have interior helms.

Before ruling out the classic layout I would suggest getting on a Grand Banks 42. While it is the "same" as a 36 it might feel different as everything is a little bigger than the 36 you were on. At your budget you'll still have wood on the exterior but a FG hull. And twins. So maybe a bad recommendation.

Here is a nice OA sedan close to your budget. It still has some wood.

Any chance of moving your current boat to covered moorage? Even if you ultimately move on it will help your mainteneance efforts stand up while you look to sell.
 
Interesting idea. For some reason I’ve never paid much attention to Bayliners, but we’ll keep our eyes open for 4588s. It’s a lot of boat for the money. I’d prefer a single engine, however, and am not familiar with Hinos. Are they comparable to Ford-Lehman, Cummins, John Deere (etc) in terms of long-term reliability, parts availability, and so forth?

Thanks for the idea!
Lehman was my first diesel and they will forever be in my mind. I was like you, Hino, what is that. Did my research and found they are just as popular and dependable. No issues here.
I was not even looking for a Bayliner until I saw one, then nothing compared, all boxes checked and kept finding new items not thought of.
There are more expensive copies, including the 4788 for a lot more money.
It will be my last boat.
 
Don't forget about the slip. As they go up in size, they get harder to find. Might be worth checking out marinas you're interested as that might drive boat size considerations.
 
Don't forget about the slip. As they go up in size, they get harder to find. Might be worth checking out marinas you're interested as that might drive boat size considerations.
Good point! Our GB 32 w/ dinghy just fits in our current slip. I plan to ask about the possibilities for something longer to open up. Might be able to sublet something until spring, but then we could be outta luck. Might have to make that 3-month Alaska run sooner than planned (haha)
 
We have been shopping in the PNW with a similar budget. We looked at a lot of tri-cabin layouts and considered Europas as well. The Europas are less common and definitely sell at a premium.

When we started the search we had in mind newer boats without a lot of exterior wood. If you want to stick to that and the budget you have in mind, Bayliner and Mainship seem to be the boats you are most likely to find.

I would suggest getting on both of these and seeing what you think. Some differences we noted between the Grand Banks you are familiar with and Mainships include loose furniture in the salons vs built-in. Also, on the mainships we felt like they really wanted to be run from the flybridge even though they did have interior helms.

Before ruling out the classic layout I would suggest getting on a Grand Banks 42. While it is the "same" as a 36 it might feel different as everything is a little bigger than the 36 you were on. At your budget you'll still have wood on the exterior but a FG hull. And twins. So maybe a bad recommendation.

Here is a nice OA sedan close to your budget. It still has some wood.

Any chance of moving your current boat to covered moorage? Even if you ultimately move on it will help your mainteneance efforts stand up while you look to sell.
Thanks for the good input. As you implied, a weakness with the Mainships (for us) is the peculiar salon layout, with no built-in banquet seating and the somewhat puzzling cabinetry arrangement on the port side. Some of the 34/350/390 listings we’ve seen not only lack a stationary table, they barely have a table at all, but rather something small and low that could be described as a coffee table nestled between two lounge chairs. Do these owners actually use the galley and eat meals and/or entertain guests in the salon? As Mainships are designed and built in Florida, it seems like the lavishly sized and appointed flybridges (which look great!) are the intended primary space not just for driving, but also for dining and hanging out when moored. We figure we could do a bit of custom salon remodeling to adapt the layout to our needs.

That OA sedan is cool—another option we should be open to, if I can get beyond my single-engine fixation.

Oh, and re: moving our 32 woodie to a covered slip: on Orcas Island, where we live and keep our boat, among all the public marinas there’s a total of one boathouse or covered slip. It’s spoken for. We do have a full boat cover (made by Chris Lohmann in BC) but have not used it as much as we probably should have—always hoping for those beautiful but elusive boating days in the winter. (A few years ago we were the lone mariners who saw orcas on Christmas Day in a place where they are rarely spotted.)
 
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I would suggest getting a full boat cover for the winter months (sunbrella) and summer covers for handrails and such. I had a wood boat for over 40 years with lots of varnish and paint. Keeping it out of sunlight and covered in freezing temperatures greatly reduces maintenance time.
 
Interesting idea. For some reason I’ve never paid much attention to Bayliners, but we’ll keep our eyes open for 4588s. It’s a lot of boat for the money. I’d prefer a single engine, however, and am not familiar with Hinos. Are they comparable to Ford-Lehman, Cummins, John Deere (etc) in terms of long-term reliability, parts availability, and so forth?

Thanks for the idea!
We had a Hino H06C-T1 in a Hitachi Ex270 excavator….it had over 20,000 hours when we sold it.
 
We had a Hino H06C-T1 in a Hitachi Ex270 excavator….it had over 20,000 hours when we sold it.
You mean you sold it when it was just getting broken in? (Like the Toyota Tacoma I sold when it hit 200k miles. Kicked myself afterwards.) Now I get it.
 
Gas engine(s) are a no go in my book . . . .
Engine Model:perkins

Engine Year:2019

Total Power:160hp other is gas my mistake. this is with perkins. https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1978-mainship-34-9474538/

also this bayliner https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1985-bayliner-4588-motoryacht-9567579/
lover price down to 60-70k max. in Croatia this old boat is for recycling not for sea. if seller receives from 0-to 20000 hi is happy. al depend is he have city marina slip 200€ year or a commercial 12-20000 year.
another secret when I buying boat I scan owner and search for boat with the owner's pass or old. and where somebody in the family is selling a boat.
 
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Update: We’ve concluded that looking for a nice Mainship 390 for sale in the Puget Sound/Salish Sea area is akin to sighting a brown pelican up here — occasionally spotted but pretty rare. But thanks to a suggestion from SteveK (seconded by tiltrider1) our eyes have been opened to the world of Bayliner xx88s. They violate one of my initial criteria (single engine fuel-sippers), but the idea of being able to go a bit faster than 6-8 knots does have its appeal, in spite of the higher fuel costs (and CO2 emissions, which I’m also sensitive to).

The Steven Sills song (if you can’t be with the one you love) Love the One You’re With keeps playing in my head. So farewell Mainship 390; we’re close to making an offer on a Bayliner 3788, which is one of about six xx88s we looked at last week, and that was at just one single brokerage. The one we have our eyes on has a pair of Cummins 330hp 6BTA 5.9s. We’re looking at a few more 3788s this coming week, so we’ll see what happens.
 
They violate one of my initial criteria (single engine fuel-sippers), but the idea of being able to go a bit faster than 6-8 knots does have its appeal, in spite of the higher fuel costs (and CO2 emissions, which I’m also sensitive to).
The Bayliners do have twins, but looking at the hull shape of them and the Mainships, assuming both are similar in size, I wouldn't expect a significant difference in fuel economy if you run both at the same speed.
 
Given your budget, you might be able to find an early model GB 42 Europa not too far off. There is one in Olympia listed at $190 that has been for sale for a number of months. It would check almost all of your boxes, except they are most always twins. Might be able to negotiate downwards depending on condition.


Have you also considered a 'glass GB 32? Older models are around $70-90k which would give you enough room to make improvements. Still some exterior varnish requirements, but you could sand/strip and let go grey to minimize upkeep. Plus the added bonus of fitting right into your existing slip.
 
Thanks for your excellent thoughts, redline! GBs will always be my first true love, but I’ve become allergic to the sight of teak rails. They make me want to run in the opposite direction. A glass 32 would be cool (especially not needing to find a new slip) but we need two cabins. A 36 GB Europa has long been my dream boat, but they’re scarce and expensive. We looked at one in La Conner , but (besides the wood) it’s above our price range. And, re: a 42, the longest slips in the marinas we’re looking at (such as Blaine) are 40’. A 42 LOA boat (which includes BL 3988s, not to mention 4588s) is too long.
 
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