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I'm second owner of a 1993 Catalina/Morgan 38. The salon table is designed to be removed and stored in the bow cabin, leaving two holes in the floor where the support posts were. Does anybody know what the original floor plugs were like, i.e. teak & holly or some other material, and where I could replace them?
 
Dennis --

We recently purchased our Catalina/Morgan 38, a 1994, hull 37, from its original owner. She came with the floor plugs you reference. They are teak and holly, and when screwed into the floor they exactly match the the strips of teak and holly wood on the floor. As a result, probably the only hope of an exact replacement would be through Catalina, and probably even then the wood coloring would be a little off. (Good luck contacting Catalina -- they certainly don't answer my emails.)

-- Dale
 
I've had very good luck contacting Catalina by phone - 813-544-6681. SeaTreat is a 1984 Morgan 384 and they've even helped me with parts. Ask to speak with Warren, that's who's helped me in the past.
 
Just checking to see if our password works, but while I'm at it - really love the new site - thanks for all your hard work, Alan. Sailing is great in Corpus Christi this season - if anyone is ever near here, please contact us - we always love to see other Morgans & their 'caretakers'.
 
Note that the area code to reach Warren at Catalina/Morgan has changed -- They are reach-able at 818-884-7700.
 
Oops. I just posted Catalina's main number. The number for Warren at Catalina/Morgan is 727-544-6681.
 
Head Room I am anticipating at looking at a Morgan 384. I am getting conflicting information from brokers about the cabin height the heights are ranging from 6'6" to 6'1-3/4". What do you owners say it is. I am 6'3" and would prefer to be able to stand up if possible. Anything else you can tell me about the 384 would be helpful. Hope to see all of you on the water.

Thanks Bill Fields
 
Bill. The 382,3,4 series does not have 6'6" of head room. 6' 1-3/4" is more like it. The Charlie Morgan 38 may have 6'6" though.

Jay
 
WINCH Need parts for Lewmar 43A 2-speed, non-self-tailors on my 1978 M382...two clips which secure the spindle within the housing are bent and won't seat into their groove. Anyone out there have a source for old parts?
 
Does anyone have a good source for Perkins or Westerbeke parts? I can't believe that nobody discounts parts, or would like to for the board!

Bill Buebel
 
Does anyone have the lines to the morgan 382 ? I will be having a half model built and of course need the lines to form the hull.
 
Give Ted Brewer a call. I'm sure for a small fee he will send you a copy of the design profile you need. But, before you call Ted, ask the person doing the model if they have it. It could be in their file. You also need to know exactly what design is needed. There might be more than one, in order to get the 3D shape.
 
Hi Don, Vaughan on Windwalker: I have a "factory" M382 half hull that is about 30 inches long on teak board about 39 inches long. Feel free to take any measurements you want from it. I am at:
kd4lvu@msn.com or 561-283-9572
 
1982 Morgan 383 for sale. Please email me if you are interested. I will forward full spec's. This a gorgeous one owner boat located in CT.
 
Anyone out there know of any marinas in the Destin, FL area. Buddy & I are moving from Corpus Christi back to Atlanta & we want to put Rhapsody in FL. Thanks, The Edwards
 
I have acquired an Espar heating system for my Morgan 382 and am looking for advice on installing it.In particular I would like to know if any of you have installed this type of unit exactly where you placed the heater and how you routed the 4" duct forward through the boat? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
 
Al,

I also have the Espar heating unit. I believe I have the install directions and brochure from Espar onboard if you need them. Did you also get the thermostat? My first mate loves the heat. Allows us to stay on board early spring and late fall. Any way to answer your questions.

My heater is located at the aft end of the engine compartment. Attached to the back wall that separates the aft cockpit from the aft locker and the cockpit deck.. The on off for the diesel is located at the top of the fuel tank next to the original shut off. The thermostat is located on the starboard side just aft of the
nav table, before the starboard storage area.

I have three ducks(I believe, maybe four) the ducks are all located on the port side. They run from the engine compartment to the hull, cabin-top joint, then run forward. Pretty much follows the CNG line, once to the stove area runs down and follows the open storage under the stove then under the galley. The first duck is located under the galley and exits from the side wall of the galley. The duck then follows the water line aft. The second duck is run through the top edge of the storage compartment and exits out of the storage compartment by the dinette settee. The duck continues to run through the port side storage compartment and exits just behind the stool in the head. Keeps the seat warm and allows for a warm shower area. Now this is where my memory is weak, My first mate say that is all we have, I thought we might have one in the V berth, she says no. She is usually correct. She claims if we wanted more heat all we need do is open the door that connects the V with the head. We've never had to do this and we've stayed on board with temps in the low 30's. Since I never give up I will check next time I visit the boat. Never had the heat set to high for more that a few min. to take initial chill off.
Hope my word pictures help. Many on this list are great at painting a work picture, I unfortunately am not. If you don't understand I could take some digital pictures and send to you.

Good Luck and keep warm


Charter S/V Better than Popcorn @vipyachts.com
St. Thomas Virgin Islands
Call for details: 1-248-655-4290
 
Hi.
I'm shopping for a 35'-40' sailboat.
I just looked at a 1969 Morgan 38. Not being very familiar with Morgans I would love to hear any comments anyone might have about that particular year...good or bad. She looked very well kept for a '69 but I'd like to know if there is anything in particular I should look for. Thanks.
 
Rudder and propeller shaft removal.
I would like to remove the propeller shaft when I take my 382 out of the water. What must I do to drop the rudder for shaft removal? How hard is it to remove and replace the rudder? What tools do I need to do this? How high up must I block the boat to be able to drop the rudder?
Thank you.
 
Andy,

There are number of previous posts on this subject. They will help. You might want to look them up.

Basicly the process is relative simple, pain in the butt but simple. You remove the quadrant and clear the top of the rudder post so it will slip freely out once the gudions are free on the rudder below.

Hopefully, your marina will let you dig a hole under the rudder once the boat is blocked. If my memeory servers, that is about 2 feet with an average bocking. I then span the hole with a pieces of wood an block up the rudder or you can run a line under the rudder up to the sheet winchers an secure them. Then remove the gudgons. Mine were heavely bedded in 5200 or some bedding compound. You will need a big blade flat screwdriver. I used one chucked in a brace (old fashioned bace and bit type). That gave me better leverage and a way to us my body weight to assist in keeping the screwdriver bit in the slot.

Once the gudgions are removed just remove the blocking and lower the rudder into the hole.

One more point if you are going to the trouble to remove the rudder you might consider replacing the cuttlass bearing. There is good guidance on that job already posted.

Fairwinds and Rum Drinks,

Vic
 
Andy

You might find it easier to jack up the engine, remove the prop and slide the prop shaft out under the raised engine. Given that removing the shaft will require the realignment of the coupling anyway moving the engine is no big deal. If you have trouble removing the coupling half from the shaft, remove the coupling bolts and the allen set screw holding the key in place, spread the coupling halves apart and insert a 5/8th " nut on the shaft and using the coupling bolts attempt to draw the coupling halves together this will force the shaft from the coupling and as the shaft moves additional nuts will have to be inserted and the bolts retightened until shaft is free of the coupling. Before dismantling the coupling halves the first time, using a punch or some marking device, mark both halves so that they are always put back together the same way.
Hope this helps
 
Has anyone successfully grounded their 382 for protection against lightning. I am planning to ground the mast to the ballast by drilling a 3/4" hole down into the lead and threading in a bolt. My insurance company is requiring this upgrade along with some others that will bring the boat closer to ABS standards.
 
Edgar;
Bonding the mast to the lead ballast in your boat will not provide suitable ground for lightening protection as the lead ballast in Morgan 382/3/4s is encapsulated in the fiberglass of the hull/keel. Fiberglass is a very poor conductor of electricity. The better approach would be to bolt an external copper or bronze plate to the hull in the area of the bilge that is accessible between the galley sink cabinet and the hanging locker and fastening the bonding wire to the bolts holding the plate on.
 
Plaque on Yacht: "Morgan Marine"

The brass (?) plaque on my Morgan 384 (1985)is badly corroded.

Does anyone know where I can get a new one?

Thanks!
 
I need to replace my cutless bearing. Brought the boat down from Annapolis last fall and have her on the hard in Stuart, Fla. for the summer. The trip required a great deal of engine time and when we pulled her we found that to be the major problem. The issue is do we need to pull the rudder or can we replace from inside the boat? The yard wants to drop the rudder but I also read in the archives that it can be done from inside. The yard is estimating big bucks for this work. I live in Philadelphia and the boat is in Stuart, Fla. so I'm kind of at their mercy. Any comments concering this would be greatly appreciated.
 
I'm about to go through the same thing at a yard iin Fort Lauderdale. Apparently, you can decouple the shaft and move it around a few inches to take off the prop and replace a cutlass bearing.

If you do have to drop the rudder, it is a good time to think about repacking it. There's a lot of useful information on the details of all this iin the archives.
 
Strange PVC pipes and wires in Bilge?!!

I have four pipes in the bilge that I would love to understand the use for. The first in the part of bilge of my Morgan 384 (1985) has a six sided PVC fitting with two wires coming out.

The second is a small vent type hose (same as used for fresh water system - grey) that leads aft. This one is capped about two feet from where it leaves the bilge.

Then there are two more vertical PVC pipes with caps that stand about 13 inches off the bilge floor. One is about one inch ID, and the other is perhaps 3/4 ID.

Can anyone please tell me what these pipes and vent type hose are for? I kind of ignored them until two mechanics working on the boat asked me what they are for. I wanted to give them some plausable answer, but could not. Can you help? Thanks!

Bill
 
Bill, the Morgan 38x was designed with a holding tank molded into the aft 1/3 of the keel. The fittings you describe are the electical 3/4 full sensor, vent, tank-in and tank-out. It sounds like they're all capped off, so you've either got some other holding tank set up, or you're discharging directly (illegally?) overboard. Since the aft of the keel is really hollow, make sure that your yard takes care when blocking the boat for storage on the hard. The weight of the boat resting on a block over that hollow area is not a good thing.

Larry
Sail-La-Vie

 
I may be out of line here, but I am looking for some info on a 1980 Morgan Out Island 33 Pilot House MS. I am considering making an offer on one that has a Perkins 4-108 diesel engin with 1285 hours. This seems a bit low for the age of the boat, but I am wondering if anyone has had experience with this engine and if it is a reliable one.

Also, would any one know if there is an organization for Morgan 33 owners?

Thanks,
Dick Latour
 
Dick,

First the engine is very reliable.

Second, go to Sailnet.com and go to the email list sign up under Morgan. There is a ton of information and I am sure someone hangs out that has a boat similar to yours.

Good Luck,

John _/) _/) _/)
 
John,

In the Practical Sailor Boat Buying Guide in their article on the Morgan 38, they describe the engine as "the magnificent 50-horsepower Perkins 4-108."
 
For Sale Morgan 385 1992 CC
Great boat for the cruising. Sleeps 6,A/C,ref/elect windless,tv,stereo, aft stateroom w/private bath and shower/wet locker, two burner LPG stove w/oven, hot and cold pressure water, etc...will send list of all equiptment upon request. Great condition, professionally maintained. Pulled every year.
Located Deltaville, Va
Terry Quinn
 
I was downsized out of a position while having two daughters and a wife in college. Someone offered me cash, (in front of my wife,) and I sold. Now I'm looking for another. It was the perfect boat for me as it only had a four foot draft with the board up which allowed me to get out of my canal. It's also a great weekend sailor in the Great South Bay of southern Long Island, NY and yet big enough to allow me to race to Bermuda.

If you hear of one for sale, please let me know.

Thanks,
Roger Daisley
 
Hi,

I'm looking into buying a Morgan 384 and I was wondering if anyone out there would be intersting in taking me for a test sail so I can get a feel for how the boat sails. Or if anyone knows of a place to rent one for a day.

Thanks

John DeFoe

410 309 2700 w
301 362 4039 h
jcdefoe52@yahoo.com
 
John,

Where do you live? I am in Michigan and a few weeks before splashing, have
to at least wait until the ice melts.. You are more than welcome to join us for a ealy sail in April (we have heat) I know of one 383 and another 384 in the area we could probably get you to see them if you were in town for more than one day.

John _/) _/) _/)
 
Jay,

When I read the home page I only found this:

"In 1982, Morgan made some changes to the rig and rudder, calling the modified boat the M-383. The M-384, with further enhancements, followed a year later."

I was wondering if anyone could explain (or send me to a place/person/site) exactly what those 'modifications & enhancements' are?

The price differences between the 382, 3 & 4 are significant.

john
 
John (S),

Thanks for the generous offer. I live in Maryland (I'm originally from Mich). I may well take you up.....hummm April?, as I remember Michigan can be pretty darn cold then. I'd like to get on one sooner.

Which model do you have?

john (d)

 
John,

I have a 1983 384. If you go to the Gallery on this site and look at the different models you'll get a taste of what some of the changes were. I am not exactly sure but I believe from the 383 to my 384 we had a taller mast(confirmed 4 ft added), larger boom, dorade boxes, Traveler on the coach roof might have taken place on 383 models, Again not sure when the change occurred 383 or 384 but the rudder is larger. Mine has a Perkins 4108 (50hp). Below deck I am not sure how much if anything were changed in the layout. I think they moved some things around, holding tank, water tanks etc.

Guess what I just found. I have a page from the 384 brochure listing the differences of the 384. I don't have a scanner but if you give me a fax number I will get it to you.

besides what I had listed above, they added teak to the seats, added a bell shape helmsman seat, removabled teak dish and flatware rack concealed in the center support column of the table, Privacy door from forward stateroom, two large opening ports over the galley and nav. table. Varnished teak and holy sole.

That is about all I can see from reading the sheet.

All I can tell you is we love our 384, she's beautiful, responsive, sails well in all conditions and is comfortable below. After sailing a S2 7.9 performance boat for 15 years I was afraid of how she would handle. She does not dissapoint. Yes she will not go fast in light air, but at about 8 knots she starts to move. I don't think you can go wrong with the 384.


John _/) _/) _/)
 
John:
I think if you do the research, you will find the bulk of the differences you mentioned, ie. taller mast, mid-boom sheeting to cabin top, larger rudder, are between the 382 and 383 models. The 383 to 384 changes are entirely cosmetic, teak, dorades, etc. M-383 Affiah
 
John,

Thanks, my fax # here at work is 410 309 2701, please put my name on it, thanks a lot.

A review said that the 382-3 didn't track well off the wind. And if the they went to the trouble of redesigning the rudder seems like something must have be amiss, no?

Does anyone have measurements of the mast height on any (or all) of the models? Either real life measurements or from spec sheets. I'd really be interested in the real life measurements.

One of my concern is light air performance. Once again Morgan found it important enough that it chose to modify the latest (or later depending on who you talk to) model.

I realize I'm not buying a J105, but I still want to be able to sail as much as possible.

 
When Morgan raised the height of the mast, they also shortened and raised the boom. They also added over the cabin sheeting, which depends on your thinking, is good or bad! In short, it is a slightly higher aspect rig. Bottom line is that the boat still weighs the same. It depends on the owner as to how much stuff you add, sail inventory, and that relates to overall speed. All said, any of the 38's sail very well in either light or heavy air, but not like a J105.
Jim
 
Hullo Group;

I found a '78 Morgan online at Yachtworld. It doesn't specify wether it's a 382 or not, reckon it is based on year. She's a fresh water Laker on the hard now. After speakin to the agent, he has disclosed some water damge/rot in the cabin around both port/stbd window openings. He stated that this is comestic and can be "somewhat" easily replaced since it's comsetic vice structural. Boats been on the hard for for some time and she needs TLC. Standing rig and sails are good, running needs replaced.
I would greatly appriciate your comments and feed back

Todd
Tmstein13@netscape.net
tstein@staholland.uscg.mil
 
Water damage of indicates lack of care, generally. That is a danger sign, but not a fatal flaw. The surveyor should be on guard to look closely for other problems. And don't buy it until you know that the engine runs, which is pretty hard to figure out when she is out of water. If they let the interior go, for all you know they ran the engine without oil.
 
Hello Group;
I am the new owner of a 382 and found the holding tank in the aft section of the keel. It is a long way to the head and requires a long hose.
does this ever give problems? What are the pit falls? What are others doing?

Thanks!
Jim
 
Most of our boats have rigid pvc from the head under the port settee, which then turns into hose to get down to the bilge holding tank. I know of no problems reported in that connection. There does seems to be a consistent problem of the holding tank not being sufficiently sealed, so that, if it gets overfilled, it leaks into the bilge itself. That is unpleasant. Some have been able to seal it with epoxy.
 
Thank you Terry
This is a first for me and I am glad there are people with experience to talk to. Does anyone know how large the holding tank is? How do you know when it is full?
The interrior teek is real dark and I wanted to get it back to a lighter color. What do you use to clean it and what do you put on it to bring back the color?
Jim
 
Tank is supposed to be 15 gallons. It might vary some by boat. There should be an indicator light in the head that says "holding tank 3/4 full." I have one. But, of course, it does not work and I have not bothered to fix it. I have a lectra san so I am not so dependent on the holding tank. There are several teak cleaning products, but they are quite caustic and would surely be hard to use down below. and they literally take wood off, so they are probably not good for veneer. Most of the darkness is dirt, I would guess. First try Simple Green and a scrubby. You may be able to find something else at West Marine. I hated the dark wood, so I painted the interior cabin sides and the primary bulkheads white and varnished the doors and teak trim. that is the traditional yacht interior look from the North East. I like it much better--but that too is a hard job. Good luck.

 
James
Is your interior woodwork varnished or oiled? Many of us have the oiled wood which will be easier to clean. The simple green that Terry mentions should work fine. If the wood is varnished you may be facing the task of chemically removing the build-up of old varnish. Ours is oiled. My wife Bonnie washes it down each spring with a bleach and hot water solution and then coats it with two coats of Old English Oil. It look fresh and clean all season.

Jim
 
Try Wedco teak oil. Wedco makes other oils for different woods as well. Most hardware stores carry it in the paint/treatment section. I've found it is the the best treatment for interior use. It does not darken as other oils do.
 
1979 Morgan 382 for sale. Great boat. Must sell. Offered at $49,000 previously, I must sell this boat and will take $36,000 firm. If you are serious about buying a Morgan, this is the best deal out there. Boat located in Ft. Lauderdale.
Call Steven @ 305 804 3126
 
Can anyone tell me which seacock supplies the galley foot pump with raw water?
Thanks,
Ken Kurlychek
 
Ken
There should be a hose from the head intake thru hull, run past the port water tank, to the foot pump under the galley.

Jim
 
I have just purchased a 1984 Morgan 384 (hull #62);my wife and I are having a great time. I would like to thank the many individuals who have posted to this board; I have benifited from the posting / discussions even in the short amount of time that I have been logging on to it.

Thanks

tfrankum
 
1979 Morgan 38 #101 For Sale. Located in Massachusetts. In beautiful condition. Main and dodger are two years old. All varnished teak inside and out. Allgrip topsides. Bottom stripped and barrier coated. Has "new style" 384 rudder. Custom bow platform with two anchor rollers. New mast in 1991. This boat has always been well maintained. Have spec sheet and photos. Contact me at ebruenjes@hotmail.com
Asking $56,000.
 
The mast/rigging/railings of my newly purchased Morgan 383 were taken by Hurricane Ivan in Sep 04. I'm repairing and asking for advice as to whether I should have a new mast fabricated with new rigging or find a used mast. Old mast was 56' and I want a 48' (Intercoastally challenged). Any recommendations? I will probably go to JSI for the work. Thanks. Email is katefolsom@cox.net.
 
This is none of my business, but here it is: You need to consider that the sailing characteristics of the boat are going to be significantly impaired if you put in an undersized mast. It is impossible to tell the results, but loss of speed, weatherliness, and balance are likely results. The boats are not over-canvassed now and are a little touchy about balance already. I urge you not to do this. If I can persuade you to stay with the same height mast, then the question I would pose is this: can you buy a tapered spar, rather than the telephone pole the boats came with. Only an naval architect and expert mast constructor could tell you if the shroud and stay angles can support a tapered spar in place of the old solid extrusion. If they can, that might be a good investment. It would reduce weight aloft and probably increase stability and righting angle. But don't invest the thousands involved without consulting with experts you can trust. You might start with Ted Brewer, on design aspects, but you could also find a local naval architect and a mast builder for more detailed analysis.
 
Don't they open bridges on the intercoastal? If insurance is paying the tab, go for a tapered, full length mast.
 
Katy,
Terry is right. Don't mess with the design of the boat. Boat design is very complex. You can turn a very good boat into a lump in the water. My advise, for what it is worth, is let the insurance company pay to restore the boat to its original design. If you go to a tapered spar you will probably need additional rigging to strengthen the tapered section. If you go with carbon fiber you will have a mast the weights less, but is very strong. Your boat will be stiffer, and will be able to carry more sail then it currently does in the same breeze. But, you won't be able to just screw what ever you want to the mast. One tiny screw hole in the wrong place could weaken the entire mast. The easy way is buy new and restore to original design. That way you know exactly what you are going to have when you are finished.
Larry
 
Although I've yet to make the trip, I've read that the fixed bridges on the ICW are supposed to have a height of 65 feet above mean low water. I will be very disappointed if that isn't true.
 
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