Morgan 41 classic

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

................ So either you were on a river against a current, inexperience on the part of the captain or a dig towards me for offering the sailing ability of an OI41. The HR35 and OI41 are not nimble racers which was the point I made with my first post here. If you want a cruiser, buy a cruiser.

I don't think time2go is defending any of the heavy long keeled "pig" boats. That's me with the Morgan OI and I'm not contesting the lack of performance of boats like mine with a 13'10" beam and a long keel with a 4'3" draft. I'm in full agreement with the difficulty people have with boats like mine; however, I do propose that there is a developed skill in maneuvering them. "If you want a cruiser, buy a cruiser." ...Yes! Take what you want. I've been on Morgan Out Islands for 43 years and I would not have stayed with them if I wasn't satisfied. I don't expect others to share my choices.

[Time2Go]

Gentlemen,

Hudson Force,
I should have said
"The only way I could tack the boat" and have to agree with you
That with more time and practice I might have been able to
find the sweet spot you describe .

Celestialsailor,
Absolutely no dig intended and you too are correct
I indeed was sailing in a river and it didn't occur to me
Till just this moment that I was not taking into account the
Small but present
current. I know that I am not as experienced as most here
and chime in when I can. I do this so I can learn from others
which is what happened here. Lightbulb on.
The boat that I was on was an HR 352 which was referred to as a "36"
Cheers

[Barney Post]

Hudson Force is right. The 'Classic' was simply the last version of the OI 41 from Catalina.

In case your interested, here is the 'original' Morgan 41 from the mid 60's.
MORGAN 41 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
I sailed on one many times and it was a terrific boat. I have no idea how many are still around or if they have held up. Probably not the type of hull for open ocean passages or anything like that. With the centerboard down it just flew to windward in light to moderate conditions despite it's somewhat primitive single spreader rig and general lack of go-fasts.

[skimatsu]

Thanks for all the info, this was my first post and I was pleasantly surprised by the numerous, helpful responses.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by skimatsu

Thanks for all the info, this was my first post and I was pleasantly surprised by the numerous, helpful responses.

Thanks for your first post and welcome to the community. It doesn't always happen, but it's not unusual on this forum to find people with different understandings, expectations and interpretations to communicate well. It's always rewarding to respect our differences and celebrate our joy of cruising.

[a64pilot]

Funny, Hudsons post on tacking is very similar to what I have with my IP, it's more about conservation of momentum than anything, I've not determined a min speed to be able to tack, but I can in about 6 kts of wind which gives me three to four kts boat speed, and with wind that light, my heavy sails will stay filled only in almost zero sea state.
Now I am not an experienced Sailor, nor any kind of racer, but I can tack my full keel boat, if there is enough wind for her to sail.
Which is not to say a fin keel isn't more nimble, just from watching them that is obvious

[Quickbeam]

I have raced all sorts of boats (board boats - deep fin) and sailed all sorts of full, mod-full, keel/ctb boats.

Tacking a full or modified full keel boat is done in a more relaxed manner than a fin keel boat. The turn in a tack done in a fin keel boat looks more like the corner of a "Z", while the full keel boat should look more like an "S". Some of what you loose in speed of turn will be made up in coasting to windward.
If you turn the rudder/keel too fast you loose laminar flow along the keel. It takes several chord lengths (longer keel, longer chord) to reattach the flow. During that time the boat tends to slide sideways and feel like a sponge. One of the designers might know the details, I think it is something like 6x the chord length to smooth out the flow. So an 8' long fin keel vs. a 41' keel... that's a city block to get flow going again!
Each boat has it's own feel. It takes practice.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Quickbeam

...................
................... If you turn the rudder/keel too fast you loose laminar flow along the keel. It takes several chord lengths (longer keel, longer chord) to reattach the flow. During that time the boat tends to slide sideways and feel like a sponge. One of the designers might know the details, I think it is something like 6x the chord length to smooth out the flow. So an 8' long fin keel vs. a 41' keel... that's a city block to get flow going again!
Each boat has it's own feel. It takes practice.

Good point,- I assume this is why Catalina removed the aft end of the keel and left the space in front of the rudder on the Morgan "Classic".

I should add that the Morgan Out Islands and the Island Packets are technically not "full keel" boats since they have the cut-away forefoot and not the keel full from the stem, so the "long keel" description is more appropriate that the "full keel" label used in earlier posts.

[thendersonh2]

Originally Posted by Morgan Sailor

I have one, a 1988, and I love it ( so does my wife and that's important).😄 There are some minor differences from year to year, but otherwise they are all similar.

Strong, comfortable, and sail well. I too, heard all the negative talk about its sailing performance, but it's not true. Perhaps it was true before Catalina bought and changed them.

Just to confirm what was said above, the " Classic" is indeed the newer Catalina version. They have a modified keel, and skeg hung rudder.

I have a good friend who owns a 1989, and he too loves it. We always compare pros and cons of the various differences in our boats, so I'm familiar with boats from both those years. If you have any questions, fire away, I'd be glad to answer them for you.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Morgan Sailor - I am interested in 41 classics (1988, 1989 vintage) and wonder if you've ever had issues with the aluminum tanks (fuel, water, holding), or know if this is a pervasive issue with Morgans in general? Corrosion of these is among my biggest concerns for any boat this age. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.

[Thorne]

Originally Posted by Quickbeam

I have raced all sorts of boats (board boats - deep fin) and sailed all sorts of full, mod-full, keel/ctb boats.

Tacking a full or modified full keel boat is done in a more relaxed manner than a fin keel boat. The turn in a tack done in a fin keel boat looks more like the corner of a "Z", while the full keel boat should look more like an "S". Some of what you loose in speed of turn will be made up in coasting to windward.
If you turn the rudder/keel too fast you loose laminar flow along the keel. It takes several chord lengths (longer keel, longer chord) to reattach the flow. During that time the boat tends to slide sideways and feel like a sponge. One of the designers might know the details, I think it is something like 6x the chord length to smooth out the flow. So an 8' long fin keel vs. a 41' keel... that's a city block to get flow going again!
Each boat has it's own feel. It takes practice.

That is exactly the experience I have with my 1982 Morgan 41.

Never knew why till now.

Thank you for the excellent explanation.

( by the way.... totally biased here.... I live aboard most of the time and it is a GREAT boat )