“If you own one of these things, use it,” advised Richard Cabral, referring to the 2007 Mainship 34 Hardtop he and his wife Elaine purchased in May. And use it they will. The day after I met with the Cabral’s on a muggy summer morning on the Connecticut River, they were to begin a much anticipated summer cruising schedule starting with a trip out to the eastern end of Long Island.

Richard is a recently retired educator, a role he admittedly is trying to get used to, while Elaine continues to teach special education. This schedule, however, is allowing them to use their Mainship as much as they can during the summer.  “We’re on the boat more than we’re in the house during the summer,” said Elaine. Like a lot of serious boaters I know, the Cabrals have the boating bug—their driveway lights leading to their pristine colonial are red and green—so it seems strange to them to have a boat like the Mainship and not cruise as much as they can.

Their previous boat was a Mainship 34 Pilot, which is Mainship’s answer to the downeast market. “We were very satisfied with the Pilot, but we just wanted more room,” said Richard. Prior to meeting Elaine, Richard had led the bachelor life for a spell living on board an Albin 36, then a Marine Trader 44 with Elaine. After they married, they purchased the Pilot and built their dream home in Killingworth, Connecticut.

Now it also appears that they have their dream boat. Future plans call for a trip up the Hudson River, maybe into Lake Champlain, and then perhaps towards Cape Cod next summer. “This will mainly be a New England boat for now,” said Elaine.

That being the case, I also wanted to talk to the owners of the same model in southern latitudes. (The New England area really marries the climate of our Great Lakes readers.) Through Mainship, I found Paul and Neva Sayers, who had also only recently taken delivery of their 2007 Mainship 34 Hardtop in Bradenton, Florida.

“We kind of found the boat by accident,” admits Paul. “We went from a Maxum 41 to a 34 Mainship Pilot because we wanted to get something we could handle easier and liked the downeast style. Then we saw the 34 Hardtop on our dealer’s lot and really liked the additional space. Mainship’s are very sturdy boats and we felt confident that we could really cruise this boat.” The Sayers are planning extended weekend cruising, and longer trips up to four weeks at a time, including a jump over to Florida’s east coast.

One of the highlights brought up by both couples that add to this cruiseability is the spacious interior. The 14-foot, 2- inch beam offers a tremendous amount of interior volume. The Cabral’s chose the Hardtop model for bridge clearance reasons, while the Sayers liked the one level living approach. The 34 is also available as the Trawler version with a fly bridge.

A large sunroof in the hardtop allows light and breezes into the saloon area. Due to the harsher Florida sun, Neva Sayers made canvas covers for the sunroof, windshield, and side windows to keep the saloon cooler and shield the cherry interior from the harsh glare. There’s a straight settee opposite two comfortable chairs that give a living room feel to the 34’s saloon. The helm station is to starboard and is served by a pedestal helm chair that swivels to join those seated at the settee when you’re in entertainment mode. Both couples, who like me are in the under six-foot club, had a common complaint—their sole complaint—about the visibility from this lower helm. In the Sayer’s case, the electronics stand too tall at the helm. They have made adjustments and rectified the issue. While touring the Cabral’s boat, Richard pointed out the center windshield post that is bit wide and thus in his line of sight. “Hey everything is a compromise,” Richard said, with the air of a man who is completely content and learned to shrug off life’s minor inconveniences years ago.

Another theme echoed by both couples is the functional galley. “I love the galley,” said Neva. “There are plenty of drawers, Corian countertops, mircrowave, and a full fridge and freezer.” The Cabral’s proved Neva’s point as well by opening all the compartments that were packed for their summer season with enough stores to open a small restaurant.

Forward of the galley is a large head with a separate shower stall. The stateroom has an island berth, flanked by two hanging lockers, and additional storage underneath. By not trying to cram another stateroom in this layout, every area—stateroom, head, galley, saloon, and engineroom—is maximized. Both couples plan on cruising mostly with just the two of them, although the Sayers will bring along three poodles, and the Cabral’s pooch will join them as well. They plan on meeting friends along the way on their own boats, so the single stateroom layout of the 34 makes perfect sense.

Another common thread shared by everyone in separate interviews was the engineroom. “The engineroom is part of what sold me,” said Paul. “I can go all the way around the engine; everything is easy to get at. It’s probably as convenient as an engineroom as I’ve had in a small boat.”

The Cabrals and Sayers each went with the single 370 hp Yanmar option, allowing for superior engineroom space. Twin diesel packages are also available. Richard was almost giddy with anticipation to show off his engineroom. Access is through the cockpit and the saloon sole also lifts if more extensive service is required. The area is well lit, and I was easily able to get around the entire engine, service all the filters, batteries, and daily checks. The electrical system consisted of a series 24 for the generator start, an 8D for the house, an 8D for the engine, and a third 8D for the bowthruster. The 9 kW Kohler generator provides 110V service while cruising.

With the single 370 hp Yanmar, both boats are achieving a cruising speed of between 15-16 knots, while burning about 11 gallons per hour. With 250 gallons of diesel, the 34 will be able to hop off for longer legs if her owners want.

The decks are easy to navigate and the high bulwark will appeal to anybody with small children, or in the case of the Cabrals and Sayers, people with dogs. The covered aft deck provides an extension to the saloon area, weather permitting. Canvas in this area would be a worthwhile addition for boaters in cooler climates.

While I was packing up my gear on the Cabral’s Mainship, thoroughly enjoying my brief time on board, I became a tad bit jealous watching Richard and Elaine finishing last items before heading off for their summer cruise. Yes, I agree with Richard, if you have a boat that is as well set up for cruising as the Mainship 34, it would be a crime to leave her at the dock. Happy to cruising to all four of them.

Specifications
Base Price.................$221,333
LOA ................................36'1"
Beam...............................14'2"
Draft..................................3'4"
Displacement..........19,000 lbs.
Fuel.............................250 gal.
Water.............................70 gal.
Power Single Diesel from 315hp
to 380hp, Twin Yanmar Diesels up to 240hp each.