Mainship 34 Motor Yacht Used Boat Review

When Mainship launched their 47' Motoryacht, it was met by almost overwhelming demand, and they followed that success with their 37' Motoryacht which, once again, was a winner. Needing a smaller boat in this line, Mainship has now introduced a 34' version that takes many of the features of the 37' and puts them in a smaller package.

Unlike many builders who simply add height to gain living space below decks, Mainship has carefully engineered the 34 Motor Yacht so that it keeps a low profile. In other words, it doesn't look like many of the "floating condos" that sacrifice good looks for interior room.

I was impressed that the innovative design of the 34 Motor Yacht is so user friendly. Step aboard the swim platform, and there are molded stairs (not a vertical ladder) leading to the aft deck. If you're headed for the bridge, there are more stairs and, if you want to get to the bow, there's a cleverly designed walk-through directly from the bridge onto the foredeck. You don't have to be an athlete to move around on the 34 MY and you could easily walk from the swim step to the bow pulpit with both arms full of grocery bags. Why, I don't know, but it's still a good test.

The aft deck, protected by a hardtop with lighting, is designed for entertaining with a compact wet bar and ample room for chairs and table. Surrounded by oversized aluminum rails with fiberglass windscreen panels, the optional canvas package would enclose the area into an all-weather living area.

The saloon is surprisingly large, with an L-shaped settee around a cherrywood high-low table to starboard, and a pair of barrel chairs to port. But that doesn't begin to describe the clever touches that Mainship has included. One of the barrel chairs swivels to face a desk where you can either navigate or work on a laptop, and the dinette pulls out to form a double berth so you don't have to convert the table. The settee also has a huge storage bin underneath that can easily hide all the spare pillows and blankets that take up so much space. Valances, curtains, throw pillows and Berber carpeting are all standard, as are the TV, VCR and stereo.

The galley is technically "down", but it's only one step from the salon level so it's still part of this entertainment area. With hardwood flooring for easy cleaning, the galley has large Corian counters, a full-sized stand-up refrigerator (in a 34-footer!), two-burner electric cooktop, microwave and coffeemaker, and a household-sized sink. In spite of all the amenities, there's still a lot of storage space in drawers and lockers including a pull-out pantry drawer. There's also a huge "basement" under the galley for storing tools, spare parts, or all the other gear that you accumulate on a boat.

Getting two full staterooms into a 34' hull is no small feat, but Mainship has carried it off with great style. The guest cabin is forward with an angled double berth, two big cedar lined hanging lockers and a seat. The guest head, which doubles as the day head, is equally spacious and even has a stall shower so you don't have to wrestle with a wet shower curtain.

The master stateroom aft has a large berth to port with a padded headboard, huge hanging locker with double doors, and lots of drawers under the bed. Once again, the head is what you'd expect on a much larger yacht and also has a stall shower and Corian counters.

The 34 Motoryacht is equally innovative up on the bridge, which uses the same center console helm as the 37. With raised seats for three behind the helm and wrap-around seating encircling the bridge, the helmsman always has a good view and guests can move around without disturbing anyone else. Custom VDO gauges, Morse single lever controls and Teleflex hydraulic steering are all top quality, and there's ample space on the dash for electronics installations.

Power for our test boat was the standard pair of Marine Power 454 EFI V-8s putting out 340 HP each through a Borg-Warner 2.5:1 transmission, and the whole package is readily accessible under three big salon hatches. The center hatch provides access to all the usual maintenance areas, including fuel filters, batteries and generator (our test boat had the optional Kohler 6.5kw genset), while the outer hatches are for major projects. A quick look around the engine room shows that this is a very seamanlike installation, with neatly loomed wiring, good access to seacocks and other essentials, and lots of insulation that showed up later in low noise levels.

Underway, the 34 Motor Yacht is a zippy performer in spite of the luxurious accommodations that you're lugging around. We topped out at over 32 MPH with plenty of fuel and several people aboard and, cruising at 3200 RPM, you're still eating up the miles at over 20 mph. That's the kind of speed that is usable in most conditions, and yet the fuel consumption was just 30 GPH. Part of this performance is due to the fact that the swim platform is actually a hull extension, which stretches the waterline length for better speed and handling as well as eliminating slapping noises at anchor.

Best of all, the sound level in the salon at cruising speed was just 79 dB-A, making this an extremely quiet boat. A clever underwater exhaust system not only slipstreams the scent of engine exhaust far from the aft deck or bridge while running, but it's also so quiet on the bridge that you have to check the gauges to make sure both engines are running.

I was very impressed by the combination of small touches that add up to a lot of value. The walk-through flybridge makes this a safe boat for families, and the oversized welded aluminum rails (with three boarding gates) completely surround the deck. Even better, the mounting plates for the rails overlap the toe rail, making for an extremely sturdy installation.

I like the fact that Mainship includes the hardtop, because no one is going to buy a yacht like this and not get the hardtop. The same theory applies to all the other standard equipment from the electric toilets to the 110v shorepower to the radar arch to the wet bar. Rather than make a customer wade through an options list to get a properly equipped yacht, Mainship includes what you need.

See Mainship 34 Motor Yacht listings.