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Hoping to join the Morgan 38 club

Keefer Douglas

Keefer Douglas

Member
Hi all,

My wife and I are currently in the market for a new old boat that can can fit our two kids for a longer cruise. We currently sail weekends on our O'Day 34 on the Chesapeake out of Deale, MD. We want something with a little more space and offshore capability for a more extended cruise in several years' time. And as you will no doubt understand, we have become quite smitten with the Morgan 38s :). There are a couple for sale in the area, so fingers crossed we'll be more active members of this site before too long. And if

Keefer and Liza Douglas
 
You obviously have excellent taste in boats. My advice: Find one that has been substantially upgraded and cared for. Sailing beats working on boats. Pay a little extra for the luxury if you can. They are great boats for your intended purpose!
 
Thanks, agreed - we will go for the best boat the budget will sustain. Was also trying to add that if anyone knows of a good one for sale that might not be listed in the usual places, please let me know!
 
Good Luck, hope you find what you are looking for, I looked for several years learning more at each boat I visited. 4 years in now and loving it but I agree with Dave's comment about finding one with the work done.
 
Keefer
My wife and I have a very well maintained and equipped 1978 382 that we have owned for 30 years now. We have been discussing the thought of letting her go. The boat is located on Long Island NY. Presently on the hard. If we do part with her it would have to be to someone who could and would take care of her. If interested, call me at 516-459-3008.

Jim Cleary
 
I was fortunate to get a tour of Jim and Bonnie's boat when they visited this summer. To say Dana is well maintained and equipped is an understatement. If you think of an improvement you could make to one of these boats Jim has done it. From wiring to comfort systems to machine and mechanical systems - the list goes on and on. His boat showed me what the possibilities are for one of these good old boats. Jim, if you took an even trade count me in LOL!
 
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I purchased my 384 last July. My advise would be (if you have decided on a Morgan 38) to look at as many Morgans as you can find. I did a little traveling to view as many boats as I could. I found that I learned something from each and every boat. As I walked the docks, I met other Morgan owners (boats not for sale) that helped educate me on what to look for. The good news: you have a large selection to look at.and hopefully you will find the right boat for you. Good luck!
 
Tommy & Pete
Thanks for your comments. Bonnie and I have been discussing this now for a few weeks. We have been sailing boats for 45 years now and feel like we need to go in another direction. Dana has been wonderful to us all these years and she is still ready to go. The best part of our sailing adventures have been the people we have met and sailed with. Including all the Morgan owners we've met. Now we need to investigate the means of marketing her and hoping we can find good owners for her.

Jim & Bonnie
 
jimcleary said:
Tommy & Pete
Thanks for your comments. Bonnie and I have been discussing this now for a few weeks. We have been sailing boats for 45 years now and feel like we need to go in another direction. Dana has been wonderful to us all these years and she is still ready to go. The best part of our sailing adventures have been the people we have met and sailed with. Including all the Morgan owners we've met. Now we need to investigate the means of marketing her and hoping we can find good owners for her.

Jim & Bonnie
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Are getting another boat of any kind?
 
John
If Dana is sold, I don't think another boat is in the cards. For all these 45 years Bonnie has lamented that we never experienced an April or May. I was always buried in the boatyard working on the boat. We want to expand our travel plans and spring is a beautiful time to see this country. I'm thinking that if the sailing withdrawal is too bad, I'd get a daysailer like a Sea Sprite 23.

Jim
 
I understand...have had some heart issues these last few weeks. Didn’t get in as much sailing as we had wanted to. We know every time we turn back to look at our Wild Oats it might be the last sail. We cherish every sail we have been able to make these last ten years.
We all have to make thesedecisions and adjustments. A small sailboat would be just fine as long as you can still sail. We have really appreciated all your valuable help and input on the Morgan forum.
 
John

Don't write us off yet. Selling a boat in todays market isn't going to be easy. One of the reasons for making this decision is all about pumps. I worry that one of the boats pumps will fail when we are out cruising. Bonnie worries that the pump in my chest will fail while we are out cruising.

Jim
 
jimcleary said:
John

Don't write us off yet. Selling a boat in todays market isn't going to be easy. One of the reasons for making this decision is all about pumps. I worry that one of the boats pumps will fail when we are out cruising. Bonnie worries that the pump in my chest will fail while we are out cruising.

Jim
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Yes...know what you mean. You might be surprised about selling a well maintained Morgan 38. It’s all about proximity to the buyer. I’m sure if they saw our boat or yours it’s a no brainer. Our Morgan’s are well established and still a popular boat. The boats we have seen still for sale frankly are either not in good shape or not priced reasonably. Some sellers try to get back what they put into their boats. We paid near $65K for ours ten years ago. We put at least that into it. A good going price right now is around $40-45K. There are some firesale deals but as I’m sure you are aware sometimes those boats were not always maintained. Good luck...I don’t think you will need it though.
 
Jim, My apologies for the delayed response. I have not logged in for some time and we have been looking at (many) boats in the interim. We have basically narrowed the search down to a 383 that needs some work, and a Tartan 37 that needs less. We are leaning towards a Morgan for many reasons, but I am not convinced we've yet found the right one. So perhaps we might be the buyer for Dana? I promise we are serious sailors who know what it takes to keep an old boat in good shape! I'll give you a call after the holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks to all for the replies to this thread!
 
you are looking at the right boat. i bought a 384 in august 2016 on the hard at solomons. currently we are across the bay in rock hall. the 'problems ' i had with the boat were all discussed on this site and honestly discussed by the members. but the boat has good bones and is worth the time and effort to find one that has been cared for. big isssues are the internal holding tank (which i replaced on the advice of members) and moisture in areas of the deck and ports. but the boat is well designed and handles well. on my wish list is air conditioning. on my must list is relocating the shore power breaker which is hidden under the stern seat. good luck.
 
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