Heritage Morgan 37 (1977)

[Joalem]

....looking for an older blue-water boat, with lots of integrity - is anyone familiar with the 1977 Heritage Morgans?

[PM]

Real big drawback with these boats is the cast iron floor framework/mast step. I saw one that had such severe corrosion that the cast iron could be easuly crumpled with your bare hand. If youe partial to fat boats, go with the Morgan Out Island.

[Euro Cruiser]

...was designed off the early IOR rule and isn't a great example of design WRT a cruising boat. (See an interesting thread on this topic at http://www.sailnet.com/messageboards...=3&Topic=10777)

That aside, Webb Chiles departed from Boston several years ago on what I believe is a Heritage One Ton (RESURGANCE), has made a series of lengthy passages since then, and has written several articles for SAIL magazine that include some comments about the boat. More recently, Sheridan House published a new book by Chiles, _Single Wave_, that in part chronicles his offshore passages on RESURGANCE.

Despite the boat having neither a cockpit nor a layout that seems especially suitable for living aboard and/or cruising, it was home for he and his new wife and appears rather comfortable in the pics. It goes to show that one can adapt many an odd boat if thoughtful and creative. OTOH I recall that his wife is no longer with him. To what extent that's due to the boat's accommodations and its ride at sea, I really don't have a clue. I'd recommend you Google these articles if you can; you'd find some interesting comments from Chiles.

Jack

[John Drake]

Webb Chiles is a personal hero of mine and I enjoy his books and articles tremendously. If you have not read, "A Single Wave", you should. It is invaluable.

It does illustrate some of the mistakes that Webb made in boat choice and his style of sailing...which I think would be a challenge for anyone else. Webb writes that his goal in sailing has been to push himself to the limits of his physical and psycological limits (which he accomplished). This is instructive to keep in mind.

We could talk about his other boat choices but I will just focus on the heritage right now. First and foremost, Webb had NO money when he looked for this boat. He bought her for 20k. Thus, budget was the chief factor in the decision. Second, while his wife began the journey with him, she bailed to head back to Boston on their crossing the Atlantic. I don't know the boat well enough to comment on her livability but one attribute stands out in my mind. The cockpit has virtually no protection from the elements and no backrests for the cockpit seats. She is really a pure racer. Now...if you are Webb Chiles and enjoy sailing an open boat for several thousand miles...this is no big deal. So, you need to ask yourself....how much out in the elements do you really want to be. Exposure can be very debilitating offshore and cause sailors to make mistakes, even give up.

As to the early IOR hullform....there was a very good discussion recently in another forum regarding this issue. Many sailors enjoy many of the attributes pure IOR boats, despite the IOR rule. Some of those attributes may contribute positively to "IOR ERA" boats...which...as we now know...should really not be considered "IOR rule" boats.

True IOR race rule boats, like the Heritage, have some drawbacks when it comes to offshore cruising. I am not expert enough to comment so can only draw your attention to this.

IOR era boats, or boats designed in the late 70's and through the 80's, IMHO, have some very positive attributes ....but these should not be confused with the IOR rule or IOR race boats.

So....bottom line. I by no means wish to disuade you from the Heritage 37 one ton. Merely to point out that...she is what she is ...and if you are into that...she is great for you. I think your decision would be based on 1) budget, 2) amount of comfort desired and 3) intended use.

If you are looking for a low budget cruising boat, there may be other choices, though the Heritage could remain on the list. If you are looking for a fun boat to blast around in and spend some weekends aboard, at a good price, she could be very good.

Hope this helps

Best

John
s/v Invictus
Hood 38

[Euro Cruiser]

John, your comments reminded me of an episode I watched unfold in the next slip while we prepped WHOOSH for Europe. A self-assured, well toned & buffed fellow purchased a custom-built late 70's era racing boat, definitely influenced by the IOR rule and similar in looks and size to a Heritage One-Ton. He hired a local fellow to oversee the 'conversion' of the boat into a cruiser, his logic being the boat was inexpensive and fast, so now all he had to do was add comfort & safety. (His level of experience, knowledge of cruising, and the depth of his pocketbook all were becoming more and more transparent...).

Up went the wind gen pole, anchored onto the after deck, at which point the rot was discovered. A little spin over to the boatyard crane for some rig work was shortly followed by the engine mechanic arriving...and returning, and returning yet again. Pretty soon the canvas arrived, the custom dodger was built, and the insides began getting filled up with electronics, amenities like a working galley, and so on. Each time the new owner arrived to 'check on things' (his courage and/or naivte' had him living in Ft. Lauderdale while the boat was over in St. Pete, on the other coast), his rants woud grow louder and the worry lines would deepen. The certainty of his choice, only a few months prior, was waning...

At about the time we were ready to depart St. Pete and perhaps 4 months after the project next door began, the boat was absent from its slip one morning. No one knew nuttin'. The owner soon reported it stolen and things got real quiet for a while (tho' the Harbormaster's office revealed that the owner was also definicient in his slip payments). Best guess? The more it became apparent the sow's ear wasn't going to become a silk purse, and the greater the value of the hardware that could be easily removed and fenced, the more tempting it was to walk away from the whole affair and claim the insurance.

Whatever actually happened, it was pretty sobering to watch a wide-eyed, aspiring cruiser try to make a boat something it wasn't.

Jack

[PM]

Sorry, I thought you were asking about the Heritage West Indies, built by morgan. A 38 ft. boat though.