Mainship 390 vs "bluewater capable" passagemaker

[cardude]

Trying to decide between two boats, and they are very different except for the price, which is basically the same.

The Mainship is a 2002 with a single 5.9 Cummins.. 1900 hours. Radar, chart plotter, no autopilot. Nice, clean, shiny. Wife likes these. Good price, like 20% under what I think is market price.

The other boat is a steel, 44' boat with 3000 mile range, stabilized, good electronics, new John Deere engine that gets 5-6 mpg at 7 knots. It is supposedly a "go anywhere" kind of a boat, but not shiny. In fact, kind of ugly. Like a little steel ship. And it's old. Like 1966 old. But owned by a knowledgable cruiser supposedly so constantly updated. Wife not as enthused about this boat for some reason.

We will cruise locally initially, and then to the Bahamas over the next few years during the summers with the wife and kids, but I am in Texas and would like to do an open water crossing to the keys instead of the ICW to keep the trip a little shorter, and to see if we can do it, so the Mainship is out on this. Also interested in the great loop in 5 years. My long range, crazy goal, if I feel like we can handle it, I would like try to make it through the Panama Canal-- little ship obviously for this trip.

So, do I go with the ICW only Mainship, that looks good and that wife will be excited about and want to entertain on, or do I go for the adventurous little ship that could take us to exotic places?

My experience level is not all that high. Last few years we have chartered a small trawler in Florida for a week, and we also chartered a Great Harbor n37 in the Bahamas for a week. Have sailed small boats all my life.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by cardude

The other boat is a steel, 44' boat with 3000 mile range, stabilized, good electronics, new John Deere engine that gets 5-6 mpg at 7 knots. It is supposedly a "go anywhere" kind of a boat, but not shiny. In fact, kind of ugly. Like a little steel ship. And it's old. Like 1966 old.

RUN!!!
There are many thread about steel. You will see there are mixed feeling about them. I have built a few and owned 2. In my humble and limited opinion, they have the same maintenance frequency as a wood boat of the same age and end up costing way more than F/G in the long run.

[Dulcesuenos]

Get the boat you and your wife will enjoy now. Even if a boat is built for open water it does not mean the trip is comfortable or fun if it turns nasty out. If you have a great weather window than guess what? Any boat can do it just bring fuel. Best advice for a long trip if you don't have the time is do it in stages get the boat half way there than rent a car one way leave boat at a marina till you have more time better weather etc than do it and reverse the stages coming home. Besides no way imho a 66 anything Close to an 02 in comparable size could or should be comparable in price.

[s/vPainkiller]

Remember these words, grasshopper. If momma ain't happy, nobody's happy.

Seriously, if you want your wife to be enthusiastic about cruising, you need to consider her wants and needs. I know it's compromising your manly, high adventure inclinations, but I can tell you from experience that this will make or break your cruising life. If you really don't like the Mainship, or if it has some serious shortcomings that you feel are critical, then keep looking for a boat that you both can live with.

Barring that, my advice would be to go with the Mainship. Since it is undervalued, you may be able to use it for a few years, gain some experience, then if/when you decide to go world cruising you can hopefully sell it without taking a bath.

Scott

[ebaugh]

Agree with the good advice so far. I'm admittedly a little biased as an owner, but you can find some older Defever 44 and especially 43's at probably similar price ranges. It's a compromise too, you won't probably cross an ocean in one. However, having said that, a braver soul than I am just took a new Defever 45 (it's an updated 44) across the Pacific with bladder tanks on deck.

You might be able to find a Krogen 42 as well. That's about the smallest US based trawler we've seen in the Caribbean this season. It's a great boat too and some are singles offering better fuel economy.

Do consider fuel capacity if you are planning to leave the US. We carry 900+ gallons and it makes it easier since there is not fuel around every bend.

Your going to want stabilizers offshore. Either active ones or paravanes. It's less expensive to buy a boat with these already fitted.

Bob
http://marazuladventures.wordpress.com

[cardude]

Gotta keep momma happy, so I guess I better forego my blue water dreams for now and just get a boat. Mainship me thinks.

[David M]

I wouldn't get steel for a pleasure boat unless you don't mind spending the time to fix rust bleeds, rust bleeds don't bother me or have the bucks to pay someone to fix the rust bleeds. I have fixed enough rust bleeds on commercial boats to know that I never want to have to do that again...ever.

[cardude]

Originally Posted by ebaugh

Agree with the good advice so far. I'm admittedly a little biased as an owner, but you can find some older Defever 44 and especially 43's at probably similar price ranges. It's a compromise too, you won't probably cross an ocean in one. However, having said that, a braver soul than I am just took a new Defever 45 (it's an updated 44) across the Pacific with bladder tanks on deck.

You might be able to find a Krogen 42 as well. That's about the smallest US based trawler we've seen in the Caribbean this season. It's a great boat too and some are singles offering better fuel economy.

Do consider fuel capacity if you are planning to leave the US. We carry 900+ gallons and it makes it easier since there is not fuel around every bend.

Your going to want stabilizers offshore. Either active ones or paravanes. It's less expensive to buy a boat with these already fitted.

Bob
http://marazuladventures.wordpress.com

I like the Krogens but can't afford them. Need to be under 100k, which I can do on a fairly "new" Mainship 390.