Mainship 34 for Sale, Sorting the Classic 34, the 34 Pilot and the 34 Trawler

Three boats share the Mainship 34 name

Search for a Mainship 34 for sale and you will find listings that look nothing alike. That is not a mistake. Mainship used the 34-foot size for three distinct designs over roughly three decades, and they appeal to different buyers at very different prices. Before comparing asking prices, work out which boat each listing actually is.

The first is the original Mainship 34, a sedan trawler with a single diesel that launched the brand in the late 1970s and sold in large numbers through the 1980s in several marks. The second is the Mainship 34 Pilot, a downeast-styled express cruiser with a single diesel that became one of the company's most recognizable boats from the late 1990s. The third, and the boat this page is named for, is the Mainship 34 Trawler, a 2000s sedan trawler with a flybridge, a single engine and an interior laid out for a couple.

All three share Mainship's core idea: a simple, single-engine, semi-displacement hull with the propeller protected by a keel, sold at a price far below imported Asian trawlers. That formula made the Mainship 34 one of the most common entry-level cruising boats on the US East Coast and a staple of the Great Loop fleet.

• Classic Mainship 34 (late 1970s to 1980s): sedan trawler, single diesel, cheapest entry point
• Mainship 34 Pilot (late 1990s onward): downeast express, single diesel, faster cruising
• Mainship 34 Trawler (2000s): flybridge sedan trawler, single diesel, most liveaboard friendly

The 2000s Mainship 34 Trawler in detail

The Mainship 34 Trawler was built during the period when Mainship, based in Midway, Georgia, was part of the Luhrs Marine Group alongside Luhrs, Silverton and Hunter. It is a sedan trawler with a single-level saloon and galley, a stateroom forward with a double berth, one head with a shower, and a flybridge with a second helm reached from the cockpit.

For a couple, the layout works well. The galley is up in the saloon so the cook is part of the conversation, the lower helm gives a protected place to drive on cold or wet days, and the cockpit is large enough for line handling, a grill and a couple of chairs. Guests sleep on the convertible saloon settee, which is fine for a weekend but not for a season.

Power & Motoryacht's January 2005 test lists the 34 Trawler at 38 feet 10 inches overall, with a 14 foot 3 inch beam, a 3 foot 4 inch draft, 250 gallons of fuel in a single welded aluminum tank and 70 gallons of water. Standard power was a single 240 hp Yanmar 4LHAM-STP, with larger single diesels and twin installations from Yanmar and Cummins on the option list; the test boat carried a 370 hp Yanmar 6LYAM-STP and was priced at $270,287 as tested. Displacement was not published, so that field stays blank, and you should still check the engine plate rather than relying on a listing.

Single engine, semi-displacement and the two speeds that matter

A Mainship 34 has two useful speeds. At 7 to 8 knots, the hull runs at displacement speed and a single diesel in the few-hundred horsepower class sips fuel, usually somewhere around 2 to 3 gallons per hour depending on the boat. That is the speed most Loopers and ICW cruisers use, and it delivers range of several hundred nautical miles from typical tankage for a boat this size.

Push the throttle and the semi-displacement hull will climb to the low to mid teens on the more powerful versions, with fuel burn rising to several times the displacement-speed figure. The 34 Pilot, with its downeast hull, is the faster of the family and is often cruised in the mid to high teens.

Between those speeds the hull plows, burns fuel and goes nowhere quickly. Owners quickly learn to choose one or the other.

Why the Mainship 34 is a classic budget Great Loop boat

America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association rendezvous always include Mainships, and the 34 is one of the most common. It hits the Loop sweet spot: short enough for cheap transient slips and easy lock handling, shallow enough for the rivers and the ICW, cheap enough that buyers can spend on electronics and repairs rather than on purchase price, and simple enough that most owners can do their own routine maintenance.

Air draft is the main check. The Chicago route has a fixed bridge near Lemont, Illinois at about 19 feet 1 inch, and the western Erie Canal is about 15 feet 6 inches. A 34 Trawler with a flybridge, hardtop and radar arch must be measured carefully. Many boats need antennas lowered or the radar arch hinged. The 34 Pilot, with no flybridge, typically has an easier time.

Single-engine docking in lock chambers is the other learning curve. A bow thruster, which many 34s have added, makes a huge difference.

The Luhrs era and what it means for parts

Mainship was one of the Luhrs family's brands, sharing ownership with Luhrs and Silverton, while Mainship boats were built in Midway, Georgia. Mainship boats are no longer in production, so parts specific to the model, such as window frames, hatches and some molded components, come from the owner network, used parts suppliers and fabrication. Engines, transmissions, pumps and electronics are mainstream marine items and easy to source.

Mainship owners are an active community with forums and Loop connections. If you buy one, join early: other owners will have solved most of the problems you will meet.

Cheap to run by trawler standards

Expect roughly $12,000 to $26,000 a year in running costs excluding depreciation, depending on slip location and how much work you do yourself. One engine means one set of services, one shaft, one cutless bearing and one propeller. Insurance is modest for a boat in this price bracket, though older boats may need a recent survey to get coverage.

The big costs on older 34s are deferred maintenance items: engine mounts, exhaust elbows, fuel tank replacement on boats with original tanks, deck core repairs, window leaks and tired wiring. A cheap boat with a pile of deferred work can easily cost more than a well-maintained one at a higher asking price.

Which Mainship 34 should you buy

If you want a liveaboard trawler for a couple, a protected lower helm and a flybridge for good weather, look for the 2000s 34 Trawler. If you value speed and day cruising and do not need a flybridge, the 34 Pilot is the sportier boat, and good ones still sell quickly. If budget is the main driver and you are handy, a classic 34 can be a rewarding project, but survey it hard.

Whichever version you choose, buy the best documented boat you can afford, and set aside 10 to 15 percent of the purchase price for the first year of repairs and upgrades. On a $100,000 boat, that budget covers a bow thruster, new batteries, updated electronics or a set of engine mounts, and it is the difference between a cruising season and a season in the yard.