Mainship 31 Sedan Bridge Used Boat Review

Mainship has pushed the envelope with their 31 Sedan Bridge and, although speed wasn't the barrier, I'm sure that their designers were just as nervous as test pilots about the results. The envelope that Mainship pushed was one of size: just how much livable interior can you put into a 31' by 11' package?

One quick tour of the 31 Sedan Bridge and you don't have to be Chuck Yeager to see that Mainship has broken the space barrier.

Of course, Mainship's designers were probably equally concerned about the appearance of the finished product, because they wouldn't want to produce one of those topheavy "floating condos" that sacrifice clean lines and seaworthiness for an extra bunk or two.

The good news is that they pulled it off: the 31 Sedan Bridge is a stylish boat. True, this is a tall boat and you'll want to count to three before pulling the ripcord if you're planning to jump from the deck to a normal dock, but there are enough swoops in the profile to keep this boat from looking like a fireplug. It's like a good French trompe l'oeil painting: I know that the 31 is higher than she looks.

But step aboard, and you can't help but be impressed. The wide transom platform (with pull-out swim ladder) makes boarding easy, and you pass through a gate into the spacious cockpit which has twin padded lounge seats on both sides. A patio-style sliding door leads to the salon, which is impressively large. To starboard is a curved settee that can seat eight for entertaining and then converts to a full-sized double. The Corian-topped cocktail table features a liquor cabinet as well as storage drawers, and can be moved aside when the berth is being used. The standard color TV/VCR is opposite for easy viewing.

To port is a full length galley area with a two-burner electric range, Panasonic microwave, Norcold AC/DC refrigerator/freezer, and drawers or lockers above and below the Corian countertop. Headroom in the salon is 6'5" which, combined with the white bulkheads and opening windows, creates a spacious and airy "living room".

Down one step forward are the staterooms, with a guest cabin to port with upper and lower berths and a hanging locker. A cleverly hidden 12v fluorescent panel acts as an overhead skylight and, along with the opening port and window, keeps the area from being crowded.

Forward is the master stateroom with what Mainship calls a queen-sized berth, a hanging locker, and drawer storage under the berth. The berth is six-sided, which will pose an interesting linen problem, but it is definitely large and the high-density foam mattress is quite comfy.

To starboard of the guest cabin is the molded fiberglass head with shower, Par electric toilet, Corian vanity and twin doors to allow private access to the forward cabin as well as the salon.

Power for our test boat was provided by the standard EFI 350 Marine Power gas V-8s that produce 270 HP each with black-box controlled fuel injection, driving through Hurth V-drives that create a very compact power package since the shaft logs are located directly under the engines. Once the heavy cockpit sole hatch is propped up (we'd add electric lifts immediately!), there's a surprising amount of space in the engine room. A wide walkway separates the two engines and, while you'll have to change the outboard sparkplugs by feel, there's good access to all the systems. Our test boat had the optional 6.5 kw Kohler generator, which is mounted in a silencing box aft of the starboard engine.

As far as the plumbing and electricals, Mainship has done a good job of neatly routing all the systems, and you have good access to the get coated bilge, prop shafts, and rudder posts. A variety of power options include larger Marine Power gas engines (up to a pair of 454 cubic inch 370 HP V-8s), but I suspect many buyers may choose Marine Power's new 275 HP diesels that are economically priced far below other diesel manufacturers.

Construction, by the way, is the typically high quality of the Mainship-Luhrs-Silverton family of boat builders. The hull is solid fiberglass, with the interior liner fitted out separately and then dropped into place, where it is held by fiberglass tabs.

You'll be running the 31 from the bridge, since there's no inside helm, but the flybridge is a good example of Mainship's creative design work. From the cockpit, you ascend a curved staircase (rather than the usual steep ladder) to a bridge far larger than you'd expect on a 31-footer. A pair of L-shaped guest seats are to starboard and port, while the helm is on a raised platform to port.

A full complement of Faria white-faced gauges match the fat white Euro steering wheel (with SeaStar hydraulic steering), and there's ample room for electronics installations. The bench seat for the helmsman easily holds three people and, with other guests forward, the driver doesn't have to turn his head to be part of the conversation. Perhaps the neatest trick on the 31 is the fold-down panel at the front of the bridge which allows you to walk directly from the bridge to the foredeck and greatly simplifies docking and anchoring.

Once on the foredeck, there's a sturdy welded aluminum pulpit and rail that extends back to mid-cabin and which is fat enough for a good grip. Non slip covers all the deck areas where you might step, and the short bow platform incorporates the usual anchor roller for stowing a lightweight or plow anchor. The anchor locker is large enough for hiding a windlass and, in fact, is pre-wired for just such an installation.

D.W. Kitchen of H&S Yacht Sales in San Diego took us for our test run to get the radar speeds and, also on his first outing aboard the 31, we were both pleasantly surprised. Top speed with nearly 0-hour engines was 30 mph and I would expect that to creep up a bit as the engines loosen up. Put the throttles down and the Mainship 31 comes smoothly onto a plane without undue bow rise and, once above 3000 rpm, drops smoothly onto a plane without requiring assistance from the standard trim tabs.

At all speeds, I was surprised by the low noise level, which you'll see on the performance charts. I suspect these EFI (electronic fuel injection) engines eliminate some of the noise that finds it's way through carbs on conventional engines and, of course, Mainship had carefully layered the engineroom overhead with sound-deadening foam.

The steering was slightly mysterious, mostly because it took six turns to go from lock to lock. This gave the sensation of steering on ice and, as you cranked into a turn, you just kept winding the wheel more and more. On the positive side, the steering was very light and the 31 banked comfortably into hard turns with no cavitation or hesitation. We didn't have a chance to try out any offshore seas, but I have no doubt the modified V-bottom is dry and comfortable in most conditions.

Mainship advertising suggests that they've fitted a 40' interior into a 31' hull, and I have to admit that they nearly achieved that goal. Where you'll discover the differences are in areas like the hanging lockers (which are barely wide enough for a coat hanger and tapered at the bottoms so that your shirts and jackets will crumple up) and in the amount of storage space in the cabins and galley.

Considering the second home allowance available from the Infernal Revenue Service for just such a weekend pied a terre as the Mainship 31 Sedan Bridge, I suspect there will be a lot of these floating getaways on order.

See Mainship 31 Sedan Bridge listings.

Boat Specifications

LOA	33'3"
LOA w/o bow platform	31'3"
Beam	11'10"
Draft	2'10"
Bridge Clearance	14'4"
Displacement	16,000 lb.
Fuel	200 gal.
Water	50 gal.
Std. Power	Twin EFI 350ci. 270 hp.