The Mainship 43 Pilot is a sturdy coastal cruiser whose wide 15’6″ beam gives her the cabin accommodations of a larger boat. Seductive simple styling is one of the 43 Pilot’s most appealing features—she’s arguably one of the more distinctive boats of her size on the water.

Built on a semi-displacement hull with a solid fibreglass bottom, the Pilot’s spacious two-stateroom interior is dominated by a well-appointed pilothouse/saloon with cherry woodwork and a teak-and-holly sole. A serving counter with two bar stools overlooks the step-down galley, and visibility from the helm is extraordinary thanks to the large cabin windows.

The pilothouse deck door is a plus, and two electrically operated skylights—plus an opening centre windshield—provide plenty of cabin ventilation.

Below, the master stateroom is huge and includes a sofa and walk-in closet. The private guest stateroom is to starboard with a full bed and private head. A hardtop overhang partially shades the windshield and cockpit, and a bow locker stows the windlass, anchor and chain.

Yanmar 440hp diesels cruise at 16–17 knots. Excellent range—close to 1,000 miles at 8 knots.