Morgan 28 Out Island-- good for blue water

[graphicsgeezer]

I have a chance to buy a Morgan 28 Out Islander, about 50 years old. I'm prepared to spend money over the next year or so on rigging and other repairs to make sure it's in good shape but I'm wondering if that boat is suitable for blue water cruising. I don't want to cross the Atlantic, but I would like to visit Sable Island, about 160 km from Nova Scotia. Does anybody have experience with things like that? I've had several boats but I'm not an experienced sailor. I'll take lessons and may even recruit and experienced sailor to travel with, but I'm wondering if that kind of boat can do that kind of passage.


Memories and tales from old salts with experience in that kind of boat are most welcome.

[tkeithlu]

Welcome to the forum, graphicsgeezer.

One answer is that seaworthiness is more dependent on the sailor than on the boat. That said, and having no experience farther north than the English Channel, I'd be inclined to go a bit bigger. By the time you get to the mid 30s in length, there are lots of bluewater boats.

[psk125]

With your goals, spending money on a better boat in the first place will end up saving you money (and maybe more) in the long run.
We had nice weather on a Marblehead-Halifax Race once, roaring down 15' swells at better than 12 knots on a 42' sloop. More breeze or a different tide might have made them breaking waves. Not something you'd want to deal with in a 28' boat 100 miles off shore en route to Sable Island. Figuring a generous hull speed of 6.5 knots for a Morgan 28, it would take about 15 hours to sail the 100+ miles from New Harbor to Sable Island. Perhaps possible if you could stay on a broad reach all the way, and the wind didn't die, change direction, or mood. Any of those things happening could ruin your adventure, turning it harrowing, worrisome, or dangerous, depending on the weather and your skills. As tkeith suggests, seaworthiness depends a lot on the sailor knowing what his or her boat can handle, and how to handle it. A bigger, better boat would make knowing how to handle such a trip easier. If I made such a trip on my boat, my liferaft would be on board.

[carlosproa]

The out island 28 is at best a coastal sailboat. It does not point well as it is a shallow draft boat. Great for Bahamas but not sure you want to be out there in a gale

[Dogscout]

While I am sure that there will be plenty of folks who will chime in that a Morgan OutIsland is a fine blue water boat, I will say this. Its a 50 year old boat that I would not take offshore without knowledge of many of its systems beforehand. Who maintained it and how well? are the seacocks and thru-hull fittings in good shape and when was the last replacement. Rigging? engine? many many other parts.

[tkeithlu]

You're gonna need a bigger boat. -Roy Scheider in "Jaws."

[SV Hydra]

Totally Disagree. Morgan OI 28' might be shallow keel but well ballast, and has an under 2 ( 1.8,1.9 C Ratio ) She wont pitch or roll unless you don't know how to sail her correctly. Mine went from Hilton Head to Bimini to Azores to Med and then Canaries with trades to Bahamas twice in 10 years. She's surfed many a 15 footer and while not for the weak at heart, she's a Tank. Gusher bow plows upwind and when fully provisioned with extra weight below it takes 40knots to knock her down under a full main. So many people crossing Atlantic in 26-28's these days. Know your weather , know your vessel and Fear Nothing but ignorance.