• 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.

Mast length

rover4679

Adam Scarbrough
Does anyone know what the "standard" mast height is on a 1980 382? The previous owner told me my boat was purchased with a tall rig. The mast head on my boat is 52' from the deck.

Thanks,
Adam
 
Adam,

Last summer I measured my mast at 52 feet from the deck to the top, 53' to the top of the windex wind indicator. However "Wanderlust" was dismasted at some point before I purchased it and I don't know if the owner replaced it with a mast of the same size. She is hull #101 and I believe she was built in 1978.

John
 
curious: my 1979 382 is just over 50 feet FROM THE WATER LINE. 383s and 384s had higher masts. I do not believe any of the 382s came with a "tall rig."
 
Guy's: The factory spec is 50 ft 6 inch on the 38-2 waterline to masthead. Am not sure i trust this however. The factory spec on beam is 12 ft, mine measures 12 ft 5 inch, factory spec on draft is 5 ft mine measured 5 ft 4 inch and US sailing says it's 5 ft 3.92 inch so if you realy want to know go measure.

Dick
 
Mine was advertised at 52 feet. was having it measured this weekend.
Hey Adam, how is she coming along?
Larry
 
Every water line will differ depending how you have your boat loaded. That will determine "mast height". Even then, if you have an antenna on the top, that would have to be measured as well for determining bridge clearance needed.

I climbed the mast, dropped tape measure to the deck and then added measured distance from waterline to top of the deck. Not an easy task, but accurate.

Jim
 
Here is how I did mine. Put a clear plastic tube on the head thru hull fitting (i.e., when it is closed). Tape it to the mast and run it up the mast about two or three feet. Open the thru-hull valve. The water in the tube will rise to the water line of the boat. Mark the water line on the mast. Now measure the distance from the mark on the mast to the top of the coach roof and the coach roof to the top of the mast. Add these two figures.

If you make this a perminant fixture, you will always be able to determine both your draft and your mast height above the waterline

Jay
 
Adam:

Looking at the mainmast specs. on my 383, the measurment is 56'6 1/4".
Does any of you have experience installing a Webasco heater, and if so, where it should be installed?
 
Adam:

56'6 1/4" acording to the specs. on my 383.
Does any of you have a Webasco heater installed and if so, where is it installed?
 
Well, I dont think that the mast on my boat has ever been changed out. I had to repair it and found a 13' piece mast section that was left over from Morgan. My mast is out of the boat so its pretty easy to measure. Its 57' total length. I measured from the deck to the mast step....5', leaving 52' above the deck. I do need to make a correction, it is a 1979 model 382. Has anyone else had trouble with the bolts pulling out of the "blob" under the mast step? Mine had just the head of the bolt seated in the glass. I have no idea how this held for as long as it did. I love this boat but it will really make you scratch your head.
 
The bolts serve little function except to keep the mast from moving slightly and have very little stress placed on them. The major stresses are on your standing rigging.
 
Hi Adam:

I'm sure you've already searched the archives for key words like Mast Step Bolts. There's a lot posted on the subject including several I wrote about our experiences. Preparing the boat for transport after buying in on the Chesapeake, the yard tried to lift the mast but it was stuck to the mast base. Crud had blocked the weep holes and water accumulated in the mast base. The bolts securing the base gave way - they were not strong enough to lifty the boat with.
Later, I cleaned up the base, painted it to slow corrosion and re-set the bolts glassing them into place using fiberglass tape covering larger washers to provide better surface.
Jim is right - the bolta mainly keep the mast but from moving but once the rig is tight, it is unlikely to move at all.
ORC regulations require the base of the mast to be secured to the mast step so that in the event of a roll-over, with broken or loose shouds and stays, the mask won't come out of the boat and cause more damage. I have not thought of a good way to accomplish this yet - Bolting the mast to the base is not secure enough. I'm not sure putting a large bolt thru the walls of the mast bucket and the mast base would be sufficient even if there was a way to slide it into place.

Good luck with your project.
-Alan
 
Alan,
I think I have figured this out. (I think I have had this boat just about as far apart as you can possibly have it). Anyway, I made 2, 1.5" wide by 6" tall aluminum plates that I have welded to the mast step. I have 2, 1/2" holes in them that will align with holes in the mast. I also drilled down into the "blob" (who came up with this idea?) about 4" so that I could glass in 2 new bolts for the mast step. This will still allow me to move the step forward and backward if needed, and should not pull out. Once the mast is in place on the step I will put 2, 1/2" bolts into the little welded pieces I made. Before all of this takes place.......Does anyone have any reason that this may not work?
 
Well--here is a question related to that which has me a bit more interested. At New Jersey's Cape May Canal, the normal bridge clearance is 55'. Has anyone ventured through in a 382? I've been through the canal many times in other boats, but other times I had to go outside--which is pretty interesting by the way. Any ideas on experiences with that or other bridges that claimed to be less than 65'??? Thanks
 
Well--here is a question related to that which has me a bit more interested. At New Jersey's Cape May Canal, the normal bridge clearance is 55'. Has anyone ventured through in a 382? I've been through the canal many times in other boats, but other times I had to go outside--which is pretty interesting by the way. Any ideas on experiences with that or other bridges that claimed to be less than 65'??? Thanks
I have been under the Cape May canal bridges 4 times in my Morgan 383, which has a taller mast tnan the 382. Three going north and once south. I think I may have pinged the antenna once by leaving a little eary, with a north wind. There is a 6 ft tide in Cape May which gives more wingle room. You realy want to leave Cape May at low tide, not so much for the bridge clearance, but to catch the flood current in the Delaware. It makes a huge difference. I purchased my boat in Somers Pt NJ. Brocker told me nobody goes under bridge at high tide. Leave at low and run the current. We sailed from Cape May to Cheasapeake City in 9 hours (motored thru the C&D canal) and continued to carry the current to Worton Ceeek. One of the best sails I have had.
 
Note to anyone interested.... I have a piece of 9" x 6" original extrusion that I used to make a sleeve to repair my mast a few years ago. It is about 5' long and free if anyone wants it. You'll have to pick it up or pay for shipping.

And BTW......my 382 mast is 57' from tip to toe.
 
Yes, I cut it and welded it to fit inside. Some people use airplane fasteners but my break was right above the deck so I used a series of holes and welded the whole thing back together. I’m in Denham Springs La.
 
No breaks, but the butt end is somewhat corroded, and I had contemplated using about 6 " of your mast section to reinforce it. Probably unnecessary, but it would relieve some concerns. I would be happy to buy 6" from you if you could cut it and send it to me. Is at a possibility?
 
Our mast is 52'-6" including the antenna. We have been thru the Cape May Canal many times even at high water without a problem. We are 382 hull # 53. The abandoned railroad bridge scares me more. It always appears to be narrower then 12' but it never is.

Jim
 
I am so pleased to hear from others that the 382 and the later versions will clear at Cape May. I have made the trip dozens of times since 1977 in a variety of power and sail boats going both directions. I've gone outside as well and headed both up and down the coast and offshore to and from Long Island and New England. Frankly..I don't care if I never traverse Delaware Bay again by boat--BUT coincidentally I visit Somers Point often (just came back!) as my significant other who lives there is always wondering "Why don't you sail Non Sea Quitter to here?" and well...I guess because there are more diners on the way by car--and even with traffic it is a LOT faster!. SO--speaking of Somers Point--Bert on Royal Tern--which boat did you buy there and when? I did talk to a fellow who had a pretty nice looking 382 but it was at a tiny and rather run-down marina across from Harbour Cove, just off the road to the Longport Bridge. Was that you I spoke with--or did you buy that boat recently?
 
pmf44, I bought named Great Scott in 1994. She is a 383 morgan built in 1982. I renamed her various reasons, and she never seem to mind that I did. I sold her in 2014, after sailing for many years out of Rock Hall, a trip to Key west and back, and two trips to southern Massachusetts and back. I don't remember the marina she was in when I bought her. The previous owner bought her new and had a summer place in Ocean City. Maybe more than you wanted to know.
 
Back
Top