Honest opinions on Morgan Out Island 36

[ben2go]

I'm looking at 32-37 foot boats. Closer to 37. Tayana 37 cutter is my dream gurl. I'm in talks with several people to buy their boat. The OI that was offered to me is to far gone to reasonably save even DIYing everything. The deal breaker was no mast and rigging and a seized engine. the boat filled up with rain water on the hard several times of the past 20 years. She was also gutted of anything useful. It may be a good boat for someone in love with the idea of building a boat from a bare hull but not me. I was planning to build a boat from scratch until C-19 prevented me from getting the supplies I needed.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by ben2go

I'm looking at 32-37 foot boats. Closer to 37. Tayana 37 cutter is my dream gurl. I'm in talks with several people to buy their boat. The OI that was offered to me is to far gone to reasonably save even DIYing everything. The deal breaker was no mast and rigging and a seized engine. the boat filled up with rain water on the hard several times of the past 20 years. She was also gutted of anything useful. It may be a good boat for someone in love with the idea of building a boat from a bare hull but not me. I was planning to build a boat from scratch until C-19 prevented me from getting the supplies I needed.

Aha! I had the sneaky suspicion that this was too good to be true. You didn't mention it was totally derelict in your original post. If it's that bad you're probably better off to walk than mess with it. In reasonable condition, I still think the model would be fine for Caribbean style cruising - for world cruising, the Tayana is a much better choice as they're found all over the planet, I'm assuming they got there on their own bottom.

[Chawes]

Don’t be fooled with opinions of those who have never owned a Morgan. I have owned a Morgan 36 and now own a Morgan Catalina Classic 41.6. Great boats if you put them and keep them in great shape. I would take a Morgan anywhere. But I will choose my weather window. I don’t want to be out in a storm in any boat. I keep up with most boats. In the Caribbean I’m often reefed. And the best sailboats are motor sailing into the wind because they too want to be at anchor by 4 in the afternoon. A good boat in good shape will take you far.

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

Aha! I had the sneaky suspicion that this was too good to be true. You didn't mention it was totally derelict in your original post. If it's that bad you're probably better off to walk than mess with it. In reasonable condition, I still think the model would be fine for Caribbean style cruising - for world cruising, the Tayana is a much better choice as they're found all over the planet, I'm assuming they got there on their own bottom.

I didn't have all the info when I made the first post.

[Mazu]

I actually own a 1973 OI Ketch that I wouldn't have any problem going anywhere with. There is also a guy who brought one to one of the south pacific islands where he sails it today. I just completed a 3 year refit on mine, retired last week and will be sailing out of Connecticut right after Labor Day ...north first to Cape cod then Bahamas and back to my home in SW Florida . Next year will be Mexico and Central America. I brought the boat up from Puerto Rico in 2015 and was getting 50mph gusts off the Bahamas. I was quite a bit nervous (scared to death) but the boat did fantastic. My experience to date has been that most around the world plans never materialize so get what your realistically going to use. A Morgan 36 is a great choice. To correct the previous person the 36 draws 3.8'. I bring her from 16k to roughly 20k after gear and provisioning and she sits about 3" lower

[skipmac]

I learned to sail on an OI36 and put a couple thousand miles on it, including a nasty winter crossing of the Caribbean. Most of the trip we had a double or triple reefed main and our smallest jib. Winds 30-35 kts with gusts to 40+. Seas 10-12 with occasional breaking waves.

The boat handled the conditions just fine and based on my experience is built for a lot more than day sailing and coastal cruising.

The biggest downside is the boat doesn't point, at all. Draft is actually 3'9" so makes huge leeway. Off the wind the boat was pretty fast and we often got it surfing.

But considering the condition of the one you found I guess this is all moot.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Draft is actually 3'9" so makes huge leeway.

I'm looking at different draft specs and this is one of my concerns with a shoal draft.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by DarwinHolmstrom

I'm looking at different draft specs and this is one of my concerns with a shoal draft.

I know there was an updated version of the OI41 with a modified fin keel, deeper draft and much better upwind performance but am not aware of a different version of the OI36.

I have seen different specs, some as low as 3'4" but I know it's deeper than 3'6" but definitely less than 4'.

So what spec are you seeing?

Regardless, the difference and effect on upwind performance will be minimal. Depending on the conditions I saw well over 100 degrees course made good from tack to tack. It's been 45 years but I do believe it was 110-115 in choppy conditions. After a couple of upwind beats I decided motor sailing was the way to go. Hoist the main, sheet it in really tight, run the engine at about 1/2 throttle and you can motorsail within 20-25 degrees of the wind at 6 kts, depending on the wind strength and waves. Also only burned 1/2 gallon per hour or less doing this.

Best thing about the draft, I could go places where even small boats couldn't fit. I could pull into a crowded harbor and find a spot right up front to anchor. I could take short cuts and save hours or even days on a passage.

[DarwinHolmstrom]

Originally Posted by skipmac

So what spec are you seeing?

I apologize--I meant that I'm looking at a variety of boats, each with different keel configurations and drafts, everything from shoal keels to full keels to deep-draft fins to swing keels. I'm trying to learn as much as I can before buying. I'm in the market for a sloop or cutter in the 36-40 ft range.

[Joe Okros]

I know this is a necro thread but I live in New Zealand and my OI36 got here on her own bottom.

[nolakennedys]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

Having spent 13 years living aboard and cruising a OI 33' and 32 years living aboard and cruising a 41' OI, I'm familiar with the boat's advantages and disadvantages. Before owning my Morgan OIs I had a Sparkman and Stephens fin keel which definitely out sailed my Morgans; however, my choice was for my wife and children to be comfortable with me while coastal cruising and gunkholing. Sure, I had great sailing with 15 or 20 knots off the quarter, but I was never disappointed with all points of sail. It's true that, when I had a destination, I would often motorsail if I wasn't making 5 kts. under sail alone.
I could cruise my Morgan on the Bayside of the Florida Keys, into Bahamian hurricane holes and far up many rivers not available to others my size with my 4'3" draft. I think the Morgan OI 36' has a 3'11" draft. The walk-over center cockpit meant we could send our children to bed in their aft cabins and have some privacy, as well as giving be a huge engine room.
I found my Morgans tough enough for offshore cruising, but not fast enough to secure timing with bad weather and definitely disappointing with comfort with the shoal draft.
Therefore, I agree with all those saying the Morgan OI are not suitable as a long distance offshore cruiser, but they excel in the role applied to my use.

Spot on assessment sir! We just got our Morgan OI 41 as well, 1972 Ketch model. It's a walkover and the thing is built like a tank. I will see how well it does off shore once it's done with the yard work. This fall planning on taking it to Bahamas and back to Jacksonville, FL area. Great beamy boat and shallow draft. Mine is 4'2" draft, full keel. Will it be a brick in the water? Probably. I am ok with it. The safety I feel inside that boat over the others we looked at definitely was consoling when thinking of my family (wife and three little girls) out at sea in it. There is an article out there about a guy who took his morgan OI 41 around the world and all over the pacific with no issues. My 41 has 9K ballast weight in the keel. I am sure it will handle fine at sea. Roll-y? Yes I am sure it will be. Key is swell approach. If I have to motor, I will. Upgrading my tanks to make it more of a motorsailer as well since it's going to be in the yard and the "soft patch" in the cockpit needs repair anyway... may as well put two custom alum tanks in and give it 300 gallons of diesel.

[nolakennedys]

Originally Posted by Joe Okros

I know this is a necro thread but I live in New Zealand and my OI36 got here on her own bottom.

That's awesome! Did you sail her there? From where if so?

[dwedeking2]

I sailed from Jacksonville to the Keys in Nov 2018 in light winds. It was a challenge where the Gulf Stream comes in close near West Palm Beach (as you can see on the track here it took me a couple of days to get the wind right to make that pinch point - Sailing: Jacksonville to the Florida Keys – The Sailing Vessel Pomaika'i ). Sometimes I've had to jibe to make a tack in light winds but I've had not problem getting to my destination if not on a schedule. And I can get there with all my toys and enough supplies to stay awhile.