Mainship History

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Bacchus

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Bacchus
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MS 34 HT Trawler
Anyone with Mainship History files / info feel free to add them here.
I'm moving a couple files from the MS Yahoo site here to start things off.
 

Attachments

  • Mainship History 34 Sedan Trawler & Others.pdf
    294.7 KB · Views: 363
  • Mainship Mfg 2007.pdf
    765.3 KB · Views: 240
the Mainship 34 I II III, 36 and 40 Nantuckets and the 390 were designed by John Cherubini. There is a little more info on Cherubiniyachts.com
Cherubini is now owned by John's nephew Dave. There are several Cherubinis that work at Riverside Marina in NJ next door to the Cherubini factory.
John
 
Anyone with Mainship History files / info feel free to add them here.
I'm moving a couple files from the MS Yahoo site here to start things off.


How about uploading them to the Library section of this forum. Click on the upper right icon on each page to get there.



David
 
David
I tried that and got an upload limit error message.
I think it's a user limit vs a file size as the files are fairly small <800kB.
I have PM admin trying to get the limit raised and will try again if/when successful.
I was able to load the smaller of the 2 as it was really small.

Actually I was hoping that the thread would attract others with more MS info to share.
 
Mainship Advertisements - late 70's, early 80's

Here are some brochures I have - late 70's, early 80's vintage.

Gotta love the clothes, and the hats!
 

Attachments

  • Mainship-Brochure a.pdf
    2.8 MB · Views: 434
  • Mainship34-Cruiser.pdf
    432 KB · Views: 114
  • Mainship-Booklet.pdf
    889 KB · Views: 212
If you look that post was from 2019 and was the end of Yahoo forums.
They had been going down hill prior but that was when they finally pulled everything that was online as an "archived" file.
Fortunately TF had recognized the need / opportunity and created the TF Library function which made a perfect place to post & search for worthwhile " reference material" files.
In the case of Mainship owners, Marlow Yachts provided no notice when they pulled down a treasure trove of legacy MS files that included searchable BOMs, electrical schematics, part pictures with part #s & source info. When contacted (multiple times) to see if they could be retrieved and taken over by someone and posted on another server, they ignored the contact and wouldn't even respond.

It was only through the help of a diligent MS owner that had download the MS, Luhrs, Hunter part pic files, that I was able to post them here and on my Bacchus website. If Marlow had cooperated we could still have had that wealth of info available to the many MS owners.
The only conclusion I could come up with is Marlow had no, none, zero, interest in helping MS owners in any way. They bought (likely stole) the MS name and thatvwas their sole interest. I dont know if they used any of the MS molds?
 
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I owned a 1978 Mainship 1 for 14 years and was one of the yahoo forum moderators.
I saved some files but not sure what I still have. A lot of it was on cd and I may have tossed those as I don’t have a cd drive in my laptop.
Over the next month or 2 I’ll go thru everything I still have that seems pertinent and make it available if it’s not already in the library here.
I’ll work thru Baccus as he seems to be the focal person now and I believe he’s also a moderator that can post to the library.
 
Anyone can post to the TF Library.
At times, it requires a mod to approve a post but that's not an issue... if it's helpful we will approve postings.
 
Does anyone know how many 43' pilots were made? I have a 2007 Pilot 430 and was told it was hull #2 of the pilots and the first one built with the pre-fab interior. #1 interior was built in place.
 
I owned a 1978 Mainship 1 for 14 years and was one of the yahoo forum moderators.
I saved some files but not sure what I still have. A lot of it was on cd and I may have tossed those as I don’t have a cd drive in my laptop.
Over the next month or 2 I’ll go thru everything I still have that seems pertinent and make it available if it’s not already in the library here.
I’ll work thru Baccus as he seems to be the focal person now and I believe he’s also a moderator that can post to the library.
Perhaps you can help me. I am trying to get a Coastwise endorsement on my USCG Certificate of Documentation. The coast guard is requiring Evidence of Build, which is just a form stating where the vessel was built. The plaque on my MS 390 says it was built in St. Augustine FL. Both Mainship and Marlow are out of business, so I am seeking a solution. Do you know of any former Mainship employees. USCG has stated to me any former employee can fill in the form.
 
Wayne
I'm posting here so others with similar question might find some answers in the future - I'll also answer your Conversation.

I was not a MS employee and don't have any contacts so can't help there. I can provide some info / documentation that might satisfy USCG request.

  1. I would think a photo of your Mfg plate listing St Augustine would help document the origin/

  2. I have paperwork from the previous / first owner of my MS 34HT that includes a pre-delivery record from Mainship that shows their location as 255 Diesel Road, St Augustine, FL 32086. The boat was purchased from Bayside Yacht Sales, 1000 1st Ave W. Ste A, Bradenton FL 34205. I have no idea if they are still around and could confirm MS factory location in St Augustine.

  3. I know Gioia Sales in NJ was a supplier of Mainship. I believe Don Gioia is still there and running it and might be able to provide the confirmation as he supplied them when they were in NJ and believe he opened a southern branch when they moved to At Augustine in 1992.

  4. Here is a link to an industry article that corroborates the history

  5. I will attach a PDF that covers MS Manuf. that confirms the St Augustine location.

  6. A search on MS history turns up other references such as Wikipedia

  7. If Gioia doesn't help if you access the part pics (info in a sticky post in the Marlow-MS section) Clicking on the part pics brings up source info that might still be in business and be able to confirm Mfg location they sold to.

  8. I believe Marlow is still in business (last I knew) but they have not been very cooperative / helpful to MS owners. I tried 2 emails that went unanswered and I gave up.
Hope something from the above helps out - I would think the strongest confirmation is the Mfg Plate on YOUR boat.
 

Attachments

  • Mainship Mfg 2007.pdf
    765.3 KB · Views: 30
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Wayne
I'm posting here so others with similar question might find some answers in the future - I'll also answer your Conversation.

I was not a MS employee and don't have any contacts so can't help there. I can provide some info / documentation that might satisfy USCG request.

  1. I would think a photo of your Mfg plate listing St Augustine would help document the origin/

  2. I have paperwork from the previous / first owner of my MS 34HT that includes a pre-delivery record from Mainship that shows their location as 255 Diesel Road, St Augustine, FL 32086. The boat was purchased from Bayside Yacht Sales, 1000 1st Ave W. Ste A, Bradenton FL 34205. I have no idea if they are still around and could confirm MS factory location in St Augustine.

  3. I know Gioia Sales in NJ was a supplier of Mainship. I believe Don Gioia is still there and running it and might be able to provide the confirmation as he supplied them when they were in NJ and believe he opened a southern branch when they moved to At Augustine in 1992.

  4. Here is a link to an industry article that corroborates the history

  5. I will attach a PDF that covers MS Manuf. that confirms the St Augustine location.

  6. A search on MS history turns up other references such as Wikipedia

  7. If Gioia doesn't help if you access the part pics (info in a sticky post in the Marlow-MS section) Clicking on the part pics brings up source info that might still be in business and be able to confirm Mfg location they sold to.

  8. I believe Marlow is still in business (last I knew) but they have not been very cooperative / helpful to MS owners. I tried 2 emails that went unanswered and I gave up.
Hope something from the above helps out - I would think the strongest confirmation is the Mfg Plate on YOUR boat.
Thank you. The USCG documentation agent I spoke said they won't accept a photo of the manufacturing plaque but will accept a form signed by any former Mainship employee.
 
Perhaps you can help me. I am trying to get a Coastwise endorsement on my USCG Certificate of Documentation. The coast guard is requiring Evidence of Build, which is just a form stating where the vessel was built. The plaque on my MS 390 says it was built in St. Augustine FL. Both Mainship and Marlow are out of business, so I am seeking a solution. Do you know of any former Mainship employees. USCG has stated to me any former employee can fill in the form.
Jim Krueger was a VP at Mainship before it closed and according to this article he has started a photography business in retirement. His email is in the article, he may be able to help you if that email is still valid. https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/manu...etires-after-46-years-in-the-boating-industry
 
Thank you. I just sent an email to Jim to see if he can help.
 
Here is a link to an industry article that corroborates the history

Interesting article. Too bad that was written just before the bankruptcy, and eventual sale to Marlow.

There's a bit of gloss-over the earliest Mainship models... starting in I think '73 and built by Silverton in Marlboro, NJ... prior to creation of the Mainship subsidiary.

Ours was a '78, built by Silverton in Marlboro. Good boat.

-Chris
 
Boy, I like our boat so much that it's hard to understand how or why Mainship -- and all those models and all that history -- went away. Not unusual in boat companies I know, happens all the time, builders and names and models and production locations come and go every five minutes. Carver, Mainship, Maxum, Silverton, they appear, they vanish, they reappear. The longer we own our boat, the more we like it, but Mainship still went away (and then reappeared with zero interest in preserving its prior history...). Boat production is so unstable.

When I was a teenager I sailed a Blue Jay on the CT River. Blue Jays were huge in the Northeast back then, not much anymore -- but there was a boat builder and designer named Robert McKean who built Blue Jays in Mamaronek, NY in the 1940's and 50's. The charity seller Boat Angels had one for sale on eBay some months ago, a classic, a woodie, made by McKean. Prompted by that sales listing I fell down an internet rabbit hole and learned his tragic story. He tried valiantly to make his boat production work but it always struggled. He was a big deal in Blue Jay sailing and boat design for a while, a national leader -- but he ultimately took his own life in the loft of his boat shop the day before creditors were going to auction everything off. That story is a little dramatic I know for a thread like this, but it just amazes me how so much boat talent and history and determination and design just kind of vanishes. 400 boats in our marina and I'll bet most of them were made by companies that no longer exist (or exist only as reborn nameplates).
 
I too wonder why the essential disappearance of Maniship when is was popular. Many other brands went through sales/ buy outs / take overs but new owners retained the names and coontinued to supply a market segment.. Marlow seems to have little or no interest in preserving / continuing the loyal MS base. They have completely ignored prior owners.
I can only guess they obtained the MS name for so little $ that they are happy with a small notoriety obtained my tagging on the MS name. Marlow seels to be pointed towards a very different market/ segment than MS was... kind of like BMW "buying" out Chevrolet only to call their products BMW-Chevys?
 
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