Trawler News #112/How will Mainship price its new 34?
Trawler News Desk
georgs@trawlering.com
Thu Feb 12 21:12:27 EST 2004
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T R A W L E R N E W S
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Broadcast on the Internet 02/11/04
Read this edition online with photos and
additional text at
http://members.rogers.com/waterworld/tnews_temp.html
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IN THIS ISSUE #112
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Will the new Mainship 34 succeed as well as the original?
New e-nav program to use free downloadable charts
Bahamas relaxes cruising permit fee
Catalog of Beebe designs again available
MV Passagemaker on the hard
News in brief
If you would like a free trial copy of Power Cruising
How to reach us
How to unsubscribe
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WILL THE NEW MAINSHIP 34 SUCCEED AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL?
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By Blake August
The original Mainship 34, launched in 1978, has
been one of the most popular vessels in
recreational trawlering, what with 1,200 boats
launched in three different configurations before
production ceased in 1987.
Twenty-six years later, Mainship is introducing a
new 34 based on the same premise: Build an
economical and comfortable cruiser at an
affordable price and it will sell well.
The question is, what is an affordable price? We
asked the Mainship owners group on Yahoo and here
is a sampling of what they said:
"You are correct in that pricing is what made the
old 34 such a success. As an ex-sailor, we bought
one to use as training wheels to see if we could
live with a vessel without sails. Our
prerequisite included: Nice lines, not much
bigger than our 30 sailboat, economical (single
engine and limited systems), and cheap. The
Mainship 34 hit the target. Now we are looking
for something with another stateroom to
accommodate guests and grandchildren, so the new
Mainship 340 doesn't appear to fit the bill.
However, we have been comparing prices of 32-36
foot boats to see how things stack up. We find
ourselves looking at the Mainship 34 Pilot and
the Albin 35 command bridge as possible
alternatives. Both of these boats are in the
$225K-$250K price range. The new 34 would have to
fit in the middle or below these prices to be
reasonably attractive. To achieve the success of
the older model, it would have to be well below
the $225K number and reasonably well equipped.
--Gerry Etzold
"I'd like to see a price around $175,000 . . . although that may be naive."
--Joe Weinbrecht
"A boat dealer recently complained to me,
'Everybody wants something for nothing.' Well,
he's right. The challenge for the new Mainship 34
is to do all the good things and none of the bad
things-and offer it for a competitive price.
Under $200K, nicely equipped, comes to my mind.
I don't know if that is possible, but if it is,
Mainship will do it. And be successful again.
--Russ McAden
"Two years ago at our winter rendezvous in St.
Augustine, Jim Krueger (of Mainship) gave us a
first glimpse at the new 34. He stated that they
would try to bring it in at $175K. Last year at
our winter rendezvous in Savannah, it was up to
$200K. Since I see new 34 Pilots posted for
$225K-$236K, I don't imagine that the new 34
could be less. Anywhere in the vicinity of 225K,
equipped, would probably be successful. Don't
foresee a cruise-equipped boat for much less
than $250K, however. Probably would be successful
at that price point, as it seems that all new
boats are increasing in price at an alarming
rate, maybe due to low interest rates as a come
on. I know two other cruising boats I'm
looking-the Camano 31 and the Endeavour 36
TrawlerCat-are both escalating in price
currently. It also makes a newer, used 39
Mainship to be a good value, I would think. I
image the 39 would be discontinued shortly, due
to the success of the new 40, but Mainship does
not acknowledge this yet. Since most of the Yahoo
group are dedicated Mainship 34 I, II, and III
owners, I think the price of the new 34 will make
them happy to keep updating their older 34s.
--Tom Clare
Mainship will announce the price when the new 34
is introduced at the Miami International Boat
Show this week.
The new 34 is packed with the features likely to
have wide appeal, especially among those in the
market for a semi-displacement cruiser capable of
speed in the 10-to-15-knot range in coastal and
inland waters.
Mainship engineers and designers have utilized
every available space in the new 34 to offer a
centerline queen berth in the master stateroom, a
full head with stall shower and a saloon quite
spacious for a boat 34-feet on deck. (Overall,
it's 36 feet 1 inch.) The galley includes a
two-burner stove, microwave oven, coffee maker
and dual voltage refrigerator and freezer.
Countertops are genuine Corian. The covered aft
deck includes molded steps to the bridge for safe
and easy access. The upper helm station carries
full instrumentation, and there is plenty of room
for electronics. An optional lower station is
available as well.
The proven hull design is easily driven by the
standard single diesel or by twins. A sand shoe
protects the single screw model, while twin
screws are recessed into efficient tunnels for
shallow water operation.
Preliminary specifications:
Length overall 36' 1"
Length less pulpit & platform: 34' 0"
Beam 13' 3"
Draft 3' 3"
Headroom 6' 4"
Displacement (dry) 20,000 lb
Fuel capacity 250 gal
Water capacity 70 gal
Waste capacity 14 gal
Air draft @ DWL 16' 5"
Power:
Single Yanmar or Cummins diesel rated at 200-370 hp
Twin Yanmar diesel to 240 hp each
http://www.mainship.com/whatsnew/34traw.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mainship/
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NEW E-NAV PROGRAM TO USE FREE DOWNLOADABLE CHARTS
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By Milt Baker
If you use Windows XP and like the Windows
interface, an all-new electronic navigation
program in development named Coastal Explorer may
be just what you're looking for. The good news is
that it is expected to use free S-57 vector
charts downloadable directly from NOAA, but the
bad news is that the program won't be on the
market until late spring.
The new software, first shown at the Seattle Boat
Show in last month, is being developed by Rose
Point Navigation Systems. Owner Brad Christian
tells Trawler News that he started the business,
designed the Coastal Explorer product, wrote the
code and documentation, and even runs the new
company's website: <http://rosepointnav.com>.
He's a one-man show.
Christian is a 17-year Microsoft veteran where he
wrote software and lead development teams.
Nowadays, however, when not working on Coastal
Explorer, he spends time enjoying his third boat,
a Bayliner 5788 in the Pacific Northwest.
Christian reports that he tried several
off-the-shelf plotter and navigation software
solutions but found them all wanting. After
retiring from Microsoft, he spent about two years
creating a system he calls "the prototype."
"It was a program that I could use on my boat and
had all sorts of things that ensured that it
would only be useful to me on my boat," he said.
"I showed it to a lot of other boaters, however,
and they all told me their woes about their
software. Finally, I decided to get back to work,
form Rose Point Navigation Systems, and create
navigation software that any boater could use.
The result is Coastal Explorer, which is
essentially a brand new product that has already
been through the 1.0 stage for about two years."
"The program really is a well-designed Windows
program that happens to be a chart plotter,
rather than a chart plotter that happens to run
on Windows," according to Christian. "The
distinction is important, as all other navigation
software ignores standard Windows user-interface
practices and tries to work much like a dedicated
chart plotter, while Coastal Explorer acts like a
'normal' Windows application."
"I've found that most recreational boaters don't
have the time or patience to learn how their
dedicated chart plotters work, but they spend
much of their non-boating time using and learning
how to use other Windows applications for work,
e-mail, or other things," he said.
"We are planning on continuing to allow users to
download and install 'raw' S-57 charts (from
NOAA), and will also sell a subscription service
to keep their chart portfolio up to date
automatically." Coastal Navigator is also
expected to be able to run charts from
established electronic charting vendors including
raster charts from Maptech, SoftChart and NDI and
vector charts from NDI as well as the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers' vector charts of U.S. inland
rivers. Rose Point is current working towards
being able to use British Admiralty's ARCS raster
charts of the world. The software is not
compatible with NIMA's digital electronic charts.
Price point for the new Coastal Explorer package
is expected to be about $300 when the software is
released in May or June 2004. A beta test copy
may be purchased from the company now; check the
company's website for details or contact:
<support@rosepointnav.com>.
http://rosepointnav.com
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BAHAMAS RELAXES CRUISING FEE TO ALLOW MULTIPLE ENTRIES
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In a move seen as a positive sign for
Bahamas-bound cruisers, the Bahamas government
has announced a change in its cruising permit fee
structure to allow for two entries within a
90-day period rather than only one entry,
BoatU.S. reports.
The fee scale announced in 2003, remains: $150
for boats up to 35 feet and $300 for boats over
35 feet. However, by allowing two entries for the
same fee, the rate is cut in half for those who
choose to frequent the islands more than once in
a 90-day period.
Keith Gomez, boating and fishing specialist with
the Bahamas Tourism Centre, acknowledged that
complaints from boaters and the U.S. and Bahamas
boating industries were having an impact. Further
changes could take place in June 2004 when the
government's new budget year commences.
BoatU.S. has been encouraging it's members to
contact Bahamian officials since the fee increase
was announced without warning last summer, and
continues to urge boaters to voice their concerns
by e-mailing Gomez at <kgomez@bahamas.com> or the
Bahamian Comptroller of Customs, John Rolle, at
<cofrolle@batelnet.bs>. Please copy BoatU.S.
Government Affairs at <govtaffairs@BoatUS.com>.
http://www.BoatUS.com/news/releases.asp
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CATALOG OF BEEBE DESIGNS AGAIN AVAILABLE
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Mystic Seaport Museum has published a revised
edition of Exploring the Design Principles of
Captain Robert P. Beebe's Ocean-Going
Passagemakers. The second printing of the
catalog, originally published by Steve Doherty in
1996, contains new photos as well as all material
available in the first edition.
Forty years after Passagemaker was launched,
introducing the concept of a motorboat capable of
crossing oceans, Beebe's theories on
passagemaking have stood the test of time. This
catalog of 19 designs-illustrated with sample
plans and photographs-contains Beebe's famous
Passagemaker, as well as designs developed since
the publication of Beebe's influential Voyaging
Under Power in 1975.
The cost is $13.99 plus shipping and handling.
Orders can be placed through Mystic Seaport
Museum Bookstore.
http://www.mysticseaport.org
toll-free: 800.331.2665
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MV PASSAGEMAKER ON THE HARD
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Bob Beebe first wrote about the concept of
passagemaking under power in 1946 in an article
in Rudder, a leading boating magazine of the
time. It was then that he coined the word
"passagemaker" as the term for ocean-crossing
vessels.
The original Passagemaker was built in Singapore
and launched in 1963. The 50,000 sea miles that
Beebe put under her keel over the next five years
was unheard of in a day when sailboats were the
only recreational vessels venturing out of sight
of land.
After Beebe sold the 50-foot trawler yacht,
Passagemaker went through several owners,
actively cruised the East Coast and Caribbean,
and underwent several upgrades to equipment.
Circumstances have conspired to keep the old girl
on the hard since early 2001. A non-profit
foundation to purchase and preserve Passagemaker
has been discussed by admirers. For information,
e-mail Friends of Passagemaker:
<passagemaker@trawlerworld.com>.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
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-- Construction of the new flagship of the
Nordhavn line of displacement trawler yachts is
proceeding at Ta Shing Yacht Building Company
with the launch of the 72-footer expected later
this year. Upon his return from the Taiwan
factory, Dan Streech, president of Pacific Asian
Enterprises, who is 6 feet 1 inch tall, remarked
on the size of the boat: "I was able to walk a
distance of over 20 feet-in the bilge!-with
nearly full standing headroom."
http://www.nordhavn.com
tel: 949.496.4848
--The just-released sixth edition of Claiborne
Young's Cruising Guide to Western Florida,
covering coastal waters from Cape Sable to the
Panhandle, features:
Detailing of all navigational changes, including
critical changes on both of Sarasota Bay's inlets.
A rating system for overnight transient dockage fees at marinas.
For the first time, Lat/Lon positions of all
marinas and anchorages, and URLs for all marinas
along the western Florida coastline that have web
sites.
Extensive accounts of the area's many new and
expanded marinas and reviews of recently opened
restaurants in all coastal communities
An extensive selection of local telephone numbers
including rental car agencies, taxi services and
marine supply firms
A pre-publication discount price of $30 per book
(plus shipping and handling), will be honored on
all orders received prior to March 1. The regular
price will be $34.
http://www.cruisingguide.com
toll-free: 800.803.0809
-- Trawler enthusiast and retired pediatrician
Tom Zavelson has been appointed director of
customer relations for Mirage Manufacturing of
Gainesville, Florida. Having lived in Gainesville
for 35 years, Zavelson has witnessed the growth
of Mirage, from a builder of skiffs and
sailboats, to a leader in trawler and sportfish
boat design and construction focused on the Great
Harbour line of yachts.
http://www.mirage-mfg.com
tel: 352.377.4146
-- Cruising guide authors and publishers Don
Douglass and Reanne Hemingway-Douglass have sold
their publishing business to Mark and Leslie
Bunzel who will operate it as FineEdge.com. The
Douglasses will continue to write and do research
on their Nordhavn 40, Baidarka. Authors and
publishers of the finest cruising guides for the
waters from Puget Sound to the Gulf Alaska, the
Douglasses started Fine Edge Productions
specializing in guides and maps for mountain
bikers.
http://www.fineedge.com
tel: 360.299.8500
-- Captains Rick and Karen Miles are planning a
21-day Iceberg Cruise for guests aboard
Wanderbird, a 90-foot, Dutch-built beam trawler
converted to expedition yacht. The 2005 cruise
will visit the fjords of Newfoundland and the
coast of Labrador where encounters with icebergs
and polar bears are likely. Wanderbird will also
visit the Basque Islands of St. Pierre and
Miquelon south of Newfoundland. This summer,
Wanderbird offers shorter cruises in waters
closer to her home port of Winterport, Maine.
http://www.wanderbirdcruises.com
toll-free: 866.SEA.BIRD or 866.732.2473
-- According to BoatU.S., the 10 most popular names for boats are:
1) Happy Hours
2) Carpe Diem
3) Reel Time
4) Sea Biscuit
5) Freedom
6) Summer Wind
7) Aquaholic
8) Serenity
9) No Worries
10) Mental Floss.
If you see news in the making anywhere in the
world of trawlers, please let Trawler News know
via <mailto:editorial@trawlersandtrawlering.com>.
Items are selected for publication on the basis
of the newsiness and interest to the readership.
No payment is required or accepted.
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