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Before
stepping aboard the new Mainship 430 Trawler, I asked marketing director
Chip Shea if he would like me to remove my deck shoes. Smiling, he replied,
“No, don’t worry about it. If you need to take off your shoes,
you’re on the wrong boat!” In retrospect, I realize that simple
remark captured the essence of Mainship’s new 43-footer. Comfortable
and attractive without being fussy, she was built to be used and enjoyed,
not simply admired at dockside. And she’s loaded with features that
should make maintenance and provisioning hassle-free.
Mainship
has offered the 430 in a three-stateroom layout for some time, but dealers
were finding that a growing number of customers wanted a more spacious,
open floor plan, rather than maximum sleeping accommodations. The two-stateroom
layout I tested is Mainship’s response to that demand, offering
a versatile, open saloon that’s as comfy as a family room. One key
element here is the use of free-standing modular furniture, rather than
the customary built-in settee and dining table. Our test boat’s
saloon was furnished with a double sofa on the port side, opposite a dining
table and four matching barrel chairs to starboard. But because each piece
is modular, owners can move the dining table to port, nearer the galley,
if they prefer. Mainship can also substitute a pair of easy chairs in
place of the sofa. Regardless of the configuration you choose, all seating
surfaces are covered with luxurious but durable, easy-to-clean UltraLeather.
To maximize
the saloon’s spaciousness, Mainship put the galley forward on the
lower deck, in place of the third stateroom. But the result is more split-level
than the typical cave-like galley-down arrangement. The galley sole is
raised, so the chef can always be at eye level with folks seated in the
saloon and thus part of the conversation. Thanks to the galley-down arrangement,
there’s room for a full-size (11-cubic-foot) refrigerator/freezer
that you don’t have to stoop over to reach into. There’s also
room to mount the microwave oven at eye-level above the stove, so it doesn’t
take up precious counter space. But none of these eye-level conveniences
block the flood of natural light that streams in through the large windows
along the sides and front of the saloon.
I was
especially impressed by two of the galley’s features. The first
is a cozy counter with two stools—perfect for a quick breakfast
or a light snack—separating the galley and the saloon. Just high
enough to keep the galley’s working surfaces out of view from the
saloon, the counter is within easy reach of the galley and low enough
to keep the chef from feeling isolated.
The second feature is
more pragmatic and largely out of view, but one that will be greatly appreciated
by whoever is in charge of lugging provisions aboard and then packing
them away. Beneath hatches in the galley sole and the saloon sole just
aft of the aforementioned breakfast bar are stowage racks for a half-dozen
large removable plastic bins (yes, the bins do come standard) that can
be used to easily transport goods on and off the 430 as well as to stow
them in.
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Mainship 430 continued > Page 1, 2,
3, 4, 5
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