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niel12 · 20-07-2011, 06:34

Has anyone experience of Morgan sail boats i havea 41 on view but i am uncertain?

Bash · 20-07-2011, 06:59

Are you talking about the Morgan Out Island 41? They made a zillion of them, going back to the early 70s. Maybe 40% of them went into the charter trade, and were beat to hell.

While it's a structurally sound hull, the sailing performance of this boat has always been poor.

You can pick these boats up for nearly nothing, but make certain you know the boat's history. If it spent its first decade in charter, and then was picked up by an owner who couldn't afford to renovate it, you may be purchasing a liability.

cal40john · 20-07-2011, 07:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by niel12

Has anyone experience of Morgan sail boats i havea 41 on view but i am uncertain?

Is it an OutIsland? It makes a huge difference. I don't know if Morgan made more than one 41, but his OutIsland series was heavily compromised for huge living space and shallow draft. Many of his other boats were good sailboats. I have cruised a little on a friend's OutIsland 41 sloop version. It's sail area to displacement is 13, which some people consider in the motorsailor range. My Cal 40 has the same sail area and displaces 11,000 lbs less. The draft is 4 feet, I've read it was designed for the Bahamas where you need less than 5 feet draft to go everywhere. I used to make a point of watching the wake, it angled obviously to windward when sailing closehauled, the boat just slid sideways in the water when going to windward.

On the liveability side, it is 3 feet wider than my boat, center cockpit with full sized bed in the aft owners cabin with tons of storage space, two heads. I thought the narrow little ports made the cabin too dark though. Big engine room, lots of tankage. Didn't like the inaccessible through hulls behind the tankage on the far side of the engine. Though you could access them through the cockpit locker if you found someone that weighed maybe 70 lbs.

John

steve_hendry · 20-07-2011, 07:24

There was also a Morgan 41 aft cockpit keel/centerboard boat:
Triton Yachts | Yacht Broker | Yacht Hauling | Oriental NC

forsailbyowner · 20-07-2011, 08:57

Great liveaboard. Build quality mid range.average sailing speed around 5 kts. mine is 33'. Ive had no major issues aside from fixing rotten interior plywood. For my purposes (mobile canvas shop) its the perfect boat. Tough design and durability of form are big plusses. The protected prop and bulletproof rudder design are tops. Hydraulic steering is nearly maintenance free and the zero feedback steering is easy on the helmsman once you get used to it. Not fast but what is failed to be mentioned is the ease of sailing this boat. Tracks like its on rails rudder movement and associated autopilot wear is minimal. Boat is made to be sailed upright to keep keel down and minimise leeway.

Blue Stocking · 20-07-2011, 11:17

Am I missing something here? OP hasn't come back to confirm OI 41 or not. Morgan also did a nice 41 with a reverse transom---nice looking boat. I sailed on one in the 60s.

sailorboy1 · 20-07-2011, 12:38

There's also the Morgan Classic 41'. Inside a lot like the Out Island but with a more modern underbody. Built by Catalina.

**GordMay** · 20-07-2011, 14:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4141

The Morgan Classic is Catalina's redesign of the 41.They separated the keel and rudder.Hung the rudder on a skeg as opposed to the original long run of the keel .Increased the draft by 6 inches or so. They tweaked the interior and cockpit a wee bit.It sails a tad better .They eliminated the aft companionwat to make an enclosed shower below. Pretty nice changes if you aren't wed to the full keel.I am and love our old OI 41.

From ➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-oi-13521.html

Busted flush · 20-07-2011, 20:26

I just bought a 41' O/I '72 this week. Sits on Mobile Bay! West Marine stock should soon go up. Yes, the interior has several rotten wall panels. I plan to rewire the entire boat so I will know what goes to what. The deck has soft spots but that's not a great concern at this time. The ports leak so they will need to be replaced or resealed. Both heads are illegal. We redid the bottom about 10 yrs ago so that is a high priority. Most all is cosmetic and "my wants" other than that, this is a strong and sturdy boat. We've made several trips on it and yes, it takes wind! But a very comfortable sail. Lots of motor sailing. One good thing about redoing such a boat is you're forced to learn everything about it. If it were a newer boat without issues I would not take the time to know the boat, only use it. I have plenty of questions and concerns so advise and experience is welcomed!

**Hudson Force** · 21-07-2011, 10:33

We've lived aboard and actively cruised Morgan OI's since 1973. This time has led us through numerous refits and updates, but the boat has given us well over 50,000 comfortable and reliable miles. There are advantages and disadvantages to the design and construction that are reflected by it's market value. We find there is very little expectation that one Morgan OI can represent the "fleet". There were many different layouts and many have been left to show their age.

Blue Stocking · 21-07-2011, 10:46

They are probably one of the most successful designs ever, possessing all the features required to meet their true cruising purpose.

niel12 · 21-07-2011, 12:20

There is a Morgan 41 for about 12K lying in Trinidat and i thought it might be a good buy as the mooring cost 300 US monthly.

I could not establish details on the boat and i have learnt that cheap could become expensive.