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Welcome to this website/forum for people interested in the Morgan 38 Sailboat. Many of our members are 'owners' of Morgan 38s, but you don't need to be an owner to Register/Join.
I have owned a 1980 Heritage West Indies 38 for a year. It is the seventh cruising sailboat I have owned in 33 years of sailing. It is a solid, basic comfortable and seaworthy vessel, and constructed to the same standard as one would expect from almost any other vessel that came out of the Morgan yard. My particular vessel had been in a very poor state of repair, and a major overhaul was already well underway when I purchased it. My efforts over the past year has been almost exclusively focused on rebuilding about 70% of the interior, with the remaining 30% already having been done by the previous owner. The exterior was largely re-done as well by the previous owner.
By all means send me any specific questions that you have, and I will try and answer them.
Hello Ray, (and any other West Indies 38)
I hope your sailing and upgrades are going well.
If I might, I would like to ask you a couple of questions about the West Indies 38:
I read there are steel I beams as part of the keelson. Is this true? Are they visible? How are they holding up? Need upgrading?
Is the keel external and bolted or internal? Are there keel bolts?
What does the mast step onto?
Thanks in advance.
David
Thanks Jim,
Thank you for the contact info. He and I have emailed and he was quite helpful.
Summary regarding the West Indies 38 questions:
Yes, there is a steel beam. He said it had only minor superficial rust and not an issue on his boat. He has knowledge of another which apparently had maintenance issues requiring the beam to be replaced. It was doable.
The ballast is external, the keel bolts are visible and accessible and apparently adjacent to the beam.
The mast steps onto the keelson forward of the beam.
I continue to wonder how easy it would be to single hand a 38 footer such as this and if it would become too much as I grow older.
Thanks again.
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