Mainship 350/390 Trawler

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jclays

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Messages
487
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Freebird
Vessel Make
1997 Mainship 350
Are these really the same boat? They have caught my eye since I'm looking for a Trawler of that size.
What are the differences between the 350 vs the 390. I know the 350 is the first introduction of this line and was renamed the 390 in latter production runs.

I like twin engines. Im glad they offer twins.
Should I avoid the 350 over the 390?
Ive heard of swim step issues on the 350.
Do they perform the same?
 
There is a comparison chart in the Library under "miscellaneous"
 
Boats are the same with some mods and upgrades. The older twin version were 170hp volvos. Newer were 230hp yanmars. Cabinetry a bit nicer in the newer boat. Have my 2000 390 for 8 years,
 
Hello new member and new to boating, just purchased 2003 Mainship 390 having issue with the steering it’s sticking / very hard to steer. I was told the steering cable might need to be lubricated , I would like to know the location of it in the boat and how to apply it and what type of lubricant thank you
 
Hello new member and new to boating, just purchased 2003 Mainship 390 having issue with the steering it’s sticking / very hard to steer. I was told the steering cable might need to be lubricated , I would like to know the location of it in the boat and how to apply it and what type of lubricant thank you

I'd be surprised if you had cable steering. Most likely hydraulic. Look above the wheel and see if there is a cap that covers the fluid reservoir.
 
Hello new member and new to boating, just purchased 2003 Mainship 390 having issue with the steering it’s sticking / very hard to steer. I was told the steering cable might need to be lubricated , I would like to know the location of it in the boat and how to apply it and what type of lubricant thank you
I agree that MS used hydraulic steering.
If you look for the rudder post you should find the hydraulic cylinder. If you can disconnect the linkage temporarily you can see how stiff the rudder is and you can operate the steering to see if it now free or still stiff. That should help identify where the problem is. Then you'll need a little more diagnosis to arrive at a fix.
 
Thanks but that was a comparison between the 400 vs the 350/390.
I want to compare the 350 against the 390.
 
Same boat, different years, as was said above.
 
We raft regularly with a friend with a 390. They are identical, cleat for cleat and stanchion for stanchion. There are only some slight differences:

The 390 has twin berths, the 350 has a double in the guest cabin.

There are line hawses with inboard cleats at the stern on the 390, the 350 has stern cleats mounted on the transom.

The galley of the 390 has plate and bowl storage on the port side dash that isn't present on the 350.

There is a small 'desk' in the solon Stb solon of the 350 that was turned into a shelf on the 390.

There are bolsters/backs on the aft end of the bench seats in the upper helm of the 390 which aren't present on the 350.

The 390 came with a sampson post which isn't present on the 350.

The galley cabinets are flush mount and flat panel on the 390 and surface mounted recessed panel on the 350.

The 390 came with SS rails the 350 are aluminum.
 
My 2000 390 has aluminum rails and no sampson post. I guess the factory used what they had!
 
I think at least the aluminum vs stainless rails thing was year dependent, not model dependent on Mainships. No idea about the post though.
 
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