Hi: I should be caught up with my work by thursday, if you still want to
try the Ku setup. I found the old converted feed.

Found this on the rec.boats newsgroup:

Yankee Ingenuity
Reputation can't be invented; it has to be earned. Doing something
exceptionally well just once could be a lucky accident, but a
consistent track record of success can only be achieved by deliberate
and intelligent design. Few firms would care to compete with the length
and breadth of the favorable legacy established by the Luhrs family.
German immigrant Henry Luhrs was known to be a ship supplier as well as
a ship owner in New York about 175 years ago. The Luhrs family then
operated a shipyard on the New Jersey coast, and built as many as 1200
of the legendary Luhrs Sea Skiff boats every year while maintaining
extremely rigorous quality control standards. After accepting a
lucrative buy-out offer for Sea Skiff in the mid-1960's, two of the
Luhrs brothers acquired a small builder known as Silverton. Silverton
evolved to become a highly respected name and among the volume leaders
in convertibles and motoryachts. Shortly thereafter, the Luhrs family
founded Hunter Marine, (now generally considered the largest
manufacturer of sailboats in the United States), and Mainship Trawlers.
Four trademarks, Luhrs, Silverton, Hunter, and Mainship today comprise
the Luhrs Marine Group. "Sea Trial" will examine a 2005 40-foot
Mainship Trawler. Mainship is represented by Signature Yachts, (located
on Westlake Avenue in Seattle and at Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham).

We tried out the 40 Mainship on a sunny day in late March. Rick Ryan
and Rick Shane, both of Signature Yachts, assisted our efforts. Ray
Wilston joined us as well. Ray is a potential buyer for a Mainship 40,
and he traveled to Seattle from Oregon for a closer inspection. Ray
probably didn't expect to appear in a magazine article, but he proved
to be a good sport about the surprising turn of events as well as a
pleasant companion during our short cruise.


Exterior observations:

As we approached the Mainship 40 Trawler and began noting external
design elements and characteristics, among our first conclusions was,
"This boat was obviously designed by somebody who actually goes
boating!" A number of advantages were apparent even before we stepped
aboard. The Mainship 40 is a "wash and wear" boat. There is no
exterior wood. Darn it to heck, anyway: those warm summer days formerly
spent at the dock sanding and varnishing will just have to be enjoyed
underway with a Mainship 40.

Covered side decks and cockpits are welcome features in our oft wet
climate, and the Mainship 40 is configured as a flybridge sedan trawler
with an extended "europa" style upper deck.

Any boater who has gone forward in any sort of seaway while tiptoeing
along a three-inch side deck and praying for the integrity of the
handrail fasteners will appreciate the generously proportioned side
decks of the Mainship 40. The decks are laid with a grippy non-skid,
and protected by high bulwarks and a 316L stainless rail. We spotted a
Samson post on the foredeck, (very salty touch), as well as dual anchor
rollers on the pulpit. The chain rode is hauled by a self-tailing
Lewmar windlass, cleverly located with the gypsy mounted under a
removable cover. That cover might well prevent the mashing and smashing
of a few careless fingers.

Flybridge access is up a flight of lighted, molded steps with a sturdy
handrail, rather than via a nearly vertical ladder. We thought we might
have found an oversight as we were about to go aboard, as the step from
a high level dock across the bulwark and into the cockpit looked like
it might be somewhat awkward. Not to fear, Mainship thoughtfully
included a short section of handrail under the overhanging boat deck as
well as a fold up boarding step inside the cockpit. The features turned
what could have been an uncertain and clumsy boarding into an
instinctively natural and comfortable movement. There is, of course, a
transom door for easy boarding from the swim platform.

The flybridge is large by almost any standard. There is comfortable
seating for about ten people, with a two leaf, fold up table attached
to a safety rail between the port and starboard flybridge lounges.
Immediately aft of the flybridge seating on our test boat was
Mainship's "summer galley", a system that includes a sink and a
gas fired barbecue under a hinged cover with an icemaker and two locker
doors below. Radar masts are standard on the Mainship trawlers, hinged
at the base to facilitate covered moorage.


Interior observations:

The easiest access to the cabin is though the polished aluminum doors
in the aft bulkhead.
The sectional door can be opened either one or two sections at a time
to allow both quick convenient access and enough space to haul in large
objects. A retractable bug screen can be pulled across the opened door
on those summer evenings when a boating family wants to exclude the
local mosquito swarm from any general invitation to dine.

Cherry solids and veneers are used very effectively throughout the
interior of the Mainship 40 Trawler. Mainship's American craftspeople
aspire to a high level of fit and finish. Corners are routinely
rounded, solid stock doors feature arched tops, and the joinery most
assuredly enhances, rather than merely completes the interior. All
cabinet doors and drawer faces are genuine, solid cherry and even the
drawer backs and bottoms are made of actual wood. High quality Hafele
cabinet hardware, imported from Germany, is specified in all
compartments.

The main cabin is configured with the galley along the starboard side.
Immediately inside the sliding door is an upper and lower, dual door,
refrigerator/freezer. The fact that the more frequently used
refrigerator is mounted above and more conveniently reached than the
less frequently used freezer reinforces the initial impression that
somebody with boating experience played an important role in the
creation of the Mainship 40 Trawler.
The vessel's main entertainment system, (consisting of a plasma video
screen, DVD player, and Bose stereo with AM/FM CD player) mounts in a
designated recess immediately above the refrigerator freezer. The AC
and DC distribution panels are mounted on the forward side of the
refrigerator/freezer cabinet.

A three-burner Princess propane stove and oven is set into a Corian
(tm) countertop just forward of the refrigerator and entertainment
center. A microwave oven is mounted above the Princess, with a built in
coffee maker immediately along side. A large, double, stainless sink
and several additional feet of Corian countertop under large, bright,
safety glass windows (safety glass is standard on Mainship Trawlers)
completes the long leg of the galley. Just aft of the starboard helm,
the galley returns toward the vessel's centerline and features a
glass-fronted drawer with specialized, separated crockery stowage.

Mainship includes a designer convertible sofa for the port side of the
salon. Just forward of the sofa is a dining area with comfortable
seating for four with two stylish individual stools on one side of an
impressive, solid cherry table and an upholstered settee on the other.

The lower helm, featuring a six-spoke teak wheel is in the starboard
forequarter of the salon.

An Everlast (tm) laminate teak and holly sole treatment prevails
throughout the main cabin. The engine room can be accessed through
hatches in the salon, and a thorough inspection does Mainship
particular credit. Four bright lights illuminate the engine room, and
molded floorboards level the bilge to provide sure footing on either
side of the 370HP Yanmar engine. Wires are properly connected, routed,
and bundled. Beefy stringers support large engine mounts, secured by
heavy-duty bolts. Mainship fully encapsulates all stringers and frames
to prevent water incursion, and even makes a point to gelcoat or seal
the limber holes. The engine room may be out of sight, most of the
time, for most boaters but it is apparently never out of the minds of
Mainship's design team.

The staterooms and head are two steps down and forward of the main
cabin. The master stateroom is most forward. An "island" queen bed
with a genuine inner spring mattress is set on centerline and against
the forward bulkhead. The two cedar lined hanging lockers smell like a
spring breeze through a warm forest when the doors are opened. (Very
nice).
Mainship included connections for TV or broadband cable service in the
stateroom, as well as a telephone jack. The master stateroom won't
win a trophy for the most enormous stateroom on a 40-foot trawler, but
it is more than adequately proportioned, extremely comfortable and
effectively organized with plenty of stowage. While some builders
strive to bring a little bit of Hotel Las Vegas to every master
stateroom, the Mainship 40 provides a compartment that is elegant by
virtue of its simplicity and where nothing is loudly overstated.

Mainship introduces a lot of light into the all of the forward
compartments through amply proportioned overhead hatches and stainless
steel portlights. The hatches have dual screen capability, with both
privacy shades and bug screens recoiled at opposite edges of the
framing and available to be instantly deployed.

A guest stateroom is immediately aft of the master, and to port.
Parallel single, high-density foam mattress bunks can be bridged by an
insert to form a king size bed. A hanging locker, as well as a wall to
wall hanging rod and a series of upper locker doors would allow this
compartment to serve as a spectacular stowage area for a couple on a
long cruise or living aboard.

The 40 Trawler's head is to starboard, opposite the guest stateroom.
It can be accessed through a private door from the master stateroom, or
via a door from the companionway.
The head is molded fiberglass for ease of cleaning, and features a
stainless hand basin in a Corian (tm) countertop, a VacuFlush marine
toilet, and a medium size "sitting" tub with shower.

Mainship includes tank monitors as standard items on the Trawler line,
with the potable water tank gauge located in the galley and the holding
tank monitor mounted rather logically in the head.


Observations underway:

Our test boat was equipped with the standard, single 370HP engine and a
bow thruster.
Twin engines are available, but we certainly didn't need a second
engine for maneuverability as Rick Shane used the large rudder and the
bow thruster to get off the dock and down a narrow fairway (in a
moderate crosswind) while maintaining total control. A 5kW diesel
generator is located in the lazarette.

We motored out to Lake Washington, inspecting and discussing the merits
of the Mainship 40 Trawler. We asked Ray Wilston about his boating
experiences and what he found most appealing about the Mainship.

"I used to own a 36-foot Grand Banks," said Ray. "I moored my
Grand Banks down in Portland next door to the dock where they sold
45-foot boats built by another major manufacturer. I liked the amount
of room in those 45-footers and I thought I just had to have one. I
sold the Grand Banks and moved up to the 45-footer, but I do most of my
boating by myself and that 45 has proven to be too big to handle
easily. I get tired of waiting for somebody to show up to help me dock,
and I want a boat I can operate single handed. I considered the 34
Mainship trawler and was impressed by what I saw, but I thought it was
just a little too small. This 40 Mainship looks promising, and should
be easier to single hand."

Our party moved to the flybridge when we passed Webster Point and the
speed restriction buoys. Electronics at the upper helm included
Raymarine Tridata ST60 digital speed log and depth sounder, Raymarine
RL70C Pathfinder GPS/plotter/radar display, Raymarine autopilot and
Raymarine VHF with DSC We made upwind and downwind speed runs. Upwind,
we logged 6.6 kts at 1500 rpm. Advancing the throttle to 2000 rpm
increased our upwind speed up 8kt, and we made 9 kts at 2400. At 2800
rpm we reached 10 knots, upwind. Wide open throttle (3400 rpm) gave us
14 kt, so backed down a little to a more sustainable cruising rpm the
Mainship 40 Trawler with the 370 Yanmar should prove capable of a
steady, reliable, and acceptably economical 11 to12-kt.

Our downwind speeds were 14.6 at 3400, 10.6 at 2800, 9.5 at 2400. We
had picked up about half a knot running down wind, so our upwind speeds
would have been about
..25 kt faster on a calm day.


Mainship's efficient hull design was apparent in the lack of any
substantial wake, particularly at speeds below 10-knots. Even at 12
knots, the Mainship 40 produced no more wake than a typical "Taiwan
trawler" creates at closer to 8. (At 14 kt, we did generate a
moderate wake.

As we encountered waves, wakes and other "bumps" during our speed
trials, the Mainship 40 took them all in stride with little or no
drama. No creaking, groaning, stressing or banging involved. It was
easy to speculate that the Mainship 40 Trawler would cruise through
typical Pacific NW chop in a very civilized fashion. The large rudder
associated with a single screw configuration responded quickly to the
wheel.

We thought about using the trim tabs to see what difference the tabs
might make to the Mainship 40's performance, but ultimately ran the
entire sea trial without the use of any trim tabs at all. The boat ran
very nicely on its own lines, at all speeds, and any improvement that
the trim tabs could have contributed would have been extremely slight.

We visited the main cabin during one of the speed runs to evaluate the
interior noise level. The Mainship 40 Trawler sounds like a powerboat,
but the engine noise was well within a range that most people would
consider acceptable, even at the higher speeds.

Conclusion:

Mainship's 40 Trawler should be well received in the Pacific
Northwest. Boaters will be attracted to the seaworthy and practical
design, pleasing interior decor, and a concept that reflects the way
that real people really use real boats. The vessel's ability to run
at economical and traditional trawler speeds as well as scoot smartly
back to shelter in the face of an approaching storm allows the Mainship
40 to respond to a wide spectrum of regional cruising conditions. A
vacation cruise on a Mainship 40 would be a lot of fun.

As we headed back to the Signature Yachts dock, we asked prospective
buyer Ray Wilston for his impressions of the boat. Ray responded, "I
like it quite a lot! I need to sell my 45-footer, of course, but this
has been very impressive."

One of the most notable aspects of the Mainship 40 Trawler is the
pricing. Our very well equipped test boat is offered at $349,000
through Signature Yachts, a remarkable figure when realizing that this
American-made vessel is available for less than many Asian-import
competitors. Chalk up another plus for Yankee ingenuity.

Oops, I meant to send this to someone else.....