1984 Mainship 40 Motor Cruiser

By: Mike Burns

Trawlers have long been a popular yacht design and there are a variety of different styles to choose from. We recently took a look at a boat manufactured by Mainship that I would qualify as a “quasi-trawler.” This particular model was actually billed as the 40 Motor Cruiser. However, with its distinctive and attractive lines, and economical cruising capabilities, it more commonly gets referred to as a trawler.

This model was manufactured from 1980 to 1984. Only about 20 of them were built, but some always appear to be available on the market. It was first marketed as a “rich man’s yacht at an affordable price.” In fact, they retailed for about US$129,000 when they were new – which, for the time, was quite reasonable for a 40-foot yacht.

Lacking a transom door, boarding from aft can be a bit of a challenge due to the high freeboard. However, most people tend to board these models via the pilot house doors to port and starboard. The aft deck itself is compact yet large enough to set up a small table and a couple of chairs.

There is a set of steps that lead up to the upper deck, as well as a large sliding door that leads to the main cabin.

A unique feature of this model is the tremendous amount of space found throughout the main salon. Main ship achieved this by eliminating the side decks and creating a full beam cabin. When you take into account the beam of this vessel is 14 feet, you certainly feel like you’re aboard a much larger boat.

The salon features large seating areas and a unique feature is the day head located aft and to port. The galley is well appointed and features ample counter space. Originally, this model featured a small divider between the galley and salon, but it was removed on this boat at some point and, quite frankly, I prefer the open concept design that has been created.

Forward of the main salon is the pilothouse, which features a large built-in bench seat with plenty of storage beneath. There is ample room to mount electronics around the helm as well as overhead. The two pilothouse doors to port and starboard offer easy access to the foredeck and to the access ladders to the bridge.

The bridge area itself is enormous, to say the least, and is an ideal area to entertain. The helm is well laid out and offers great visibility all round, and there is even guest seating on a bench just forward of the console.

To port, a companionway leads forward to the master (and only) stateroom. There is a large berth forward with generous storage below. Much of this storage space is created due in part to the fact that the bed has to be raised quite high to compensate for the flair of the bow. Off to starboard there is a spacious ensuite head, complete with a separate shower stall.

A pair of 165-hp Perkins powered our test boat, which is the standard power for this model. As the term “trawler” implies, this vessel is designed for economical cruising. At a cruising speed of 10 knots, these engines will burn approximately 2 gph, and will offer a range of roughly 1,600 miles!

The Mainship 40 also cruised comfortably at 10.4 mph at 2000 rpm. At WOT, we reached a top speed of 18.6 mph at 2700 rpm. Although we experienced calm conditions on our test day, the stout displacement and the generous flair at the bow will certainly offer a relatively comfortable ride in rougher conditions.

Trawler manufacturers use terms such as classic, sedan, Europa, raised sundeck, and so on. All vary significantly in layout and style, but they all share the trait of economical cruising capabilities. The Mainship 40 Motor Cruiser, although not quite a true “trawler” in my opinion, is still a comfortable and economical cruising yacht.

POWER / PERFORMANCE
TEST BOAT ENGINE: Twin 502 ci
Crusaders, 370 hp, V8, gasoline
engines
CRUISING SPEED (RPM/MPH):
Slow – 2000 / 10.4 ; Moderate –
2300 / 13.5
TIME ON PLANE: 8.6 seconds
Top speed (rpm/mph): 2700 /
18.6
SOUND LEVEL AT CRUISE: Upper
helm – 87 dbA
SOUND LEVEL AT WOT: Upper
helm – 93 dbA