I bought a 33' Pilothouse Out Island Morgan about 4 years ago before I really had the time to sail it much. it is my understanding that this particular model was made for only one year. Mine was built in Dec. 1979 according to the builders certificate. I believe most of these boats were built the same. It has a straight long
keel and draws 4'. It has a
furling jib and a
furling mainsail. The main is loose-footed. The furling and control lines are routed into the main
cabin just ahead of the
wheel. It has a 4-108 49 hp
Perkins diesel engine. My
engine was supposedly overhauled shortly before I bought it and I believe it. It sit
on the hard over the
winter here in
Minnesota for 7-8 months and starts right away in the Spring.
I had a lot of trouble with the main
furler which lead to a lot of
lost sailing time. The spring before last I replaced it with a similar one from the original manufacturer. The main
furler is just a
jib furler mounted on the forward edge of the
mast between two
anchoring points.
The boat is very susceptible to cross winds because of its high freeboard. For two years I had a slip which was 90 degrees to the prevailing winds. It got so that, when I came in to
dock, several
men would come running to help me. (I sail totally alone.) I sailed it in
Lake Superior out of Duluth. The sailing that I did do confirms what has been already said. It sailed hard cross waves without the engine. I moved to southern
Minnesota and & had the boat at a marina on the
Mississippi at Lake Pepin. I could not sail the boat because of its inability to tack. I should have known that as I started sailing in Lake Pepin. I have moved the boat back to the same marina in Duluth and plan on living on the boat for lengths of time during the summer and sailing (or
motor sailing) Superior. I have 105 gal
fuel capacity and 100 gal
water so I can go a ways motor sailing or motoring. I have a
spinnaker but haven't tried it yet as you're risking your life to go forward on the side decks. I may have to invest in
rigging to be able to sail the spinnaker from the
cabin.
I should note that the ability to manage the sails from the cabin was the main reason I bought the boat as I get around on two canes from bad arthritis in my knees. I now am 71 years old and hope to have the joints replaced this
winter.
I replace the aging
head with an
electric one, hope to install an
electric capstan for the
anchor this summer. I also have the necessary
equipment for a bow thruster, but I am in a new slip next summer which faces into the prevailing
wind.
The boat is a cruiser and not by any stretch of the imagination a
racer. I have the original layout and in my opinion it is very good. The fore cabin has a huge
bed and a small chest of drawers. In the
galley I managed to get the alcohol
stove working and it has a small
refrigerator. On the port side it has an L shaped bench and a fold down table The main cabin is approximately 9+ feet wide and about 10 feet long. I think it was probably made for an entertainment boat, but the room is nice. It only has a captain's chair and a mate's chair so could use some more furnishings.
The boat is built like a tank. Very solid. Well built. This summer I need to do some painting and
wood work. The parquet floor is still good and is a great attraction. I lived on the boat the summer of 2012 after my wife and I separated and I was laid up with broken ribs from a car
accident and a cracked sternum from a fall on the boat onto a
winch when the ribs were almost healed. That was not a good summer.
There is a group of 33' Outlander Pilothouse owner's out of
Texas who could give you more info and maybe boats
for sale to compare. I haven't been on-line with them for 2-3 years and can't give you the site address, but
google it and go through the list and I'm sure you can find it. I think they had almost 40 members. I have the impress from somewhere that Morgan mad about 50 of these boats.
Good luck with your search.
Art Albertson