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Morgan thoughts.

rene_m

Rene Marin
I have a Morgan 38 ,382. She has been with us for 8 years now. I have always been amazed at how well the boat is built and how well that handle the elements.
I have consistently thought the boat was way under rated. I have an observation I would like to bounce off of all of you. Morgan 38s can be had cheep. I have NEVER found a correlation of the price tag and how great these boats are...
An very old timer once told me at a boat yard an off handed statement made while he was working. I heard it but it took a while to regester.
"Morgan's only change hands when they have to"
Once you figure that out kid ,you will come to grip with reality."

To which he turned his head and spit, then walked off.

I just stared for a while and a younger guy said, " dont pay him any mind that guy is strange.I think all the solo trips he did way back messed with his head."
I asked him a few days later." I always bring a foam chest with beer in it when I splash my boat after having work done. For the guys just to say thanks."

I asked what he meant by that statement.
"Morgan's , well, they only chage hands on two days.
When the old man can no longer sail her and when he dies and his punk kids sell them off. "

"Morgan owners most never part with them unless they were forced to...... it's like given up a leg or something .that son, is why they never fetch the price they are really worth.
Which is lucky for punks like you.. "delivered with a lot of missing tooth grin.

At the time I was 48.... this guy looks like a textbook old mariner. Grey beard with food and tobacco in it sun beaten face looks like a 3d map of the Grand Canyon.
I went back on board and handed him a bottle of Don Collins rum.

It's been a long time since anyone has called me a punk kid..lmao
 
So, I was thinking about that " sea tale". I am no expert but , I bought my 382 from the kids of the previous owner. He was unable to sail her anymore.
4 other Morgan 38s I know of suffered the same way. Either the owner could no longer use them or had passed.
That old hand may have have the key to why Morgan 38s are under priced?
We just dont let go until ," as the saying goes here in Texas, until you pry it out of my cold dead hands".


Or am I just full of......... =)
 
So, I was thinking about that " sea tale". I am no expert but , I bought my 382 from the kids of the previous owner. He was unable to sail her anymore.
4 other Morgan 38s I know of suffered the same way. Either the owner could no longer use them or had passed.
That old hand may have have the key to why Morgan 38s are under priced?
We just dont let go until ," as the saying goes here in Texas, until you pry it out of my cold dead hands".


Or am I just full of......... =)
 
I bought our 382 in 2013. The guy I bought it from had owned it for 20 years. He was crying as I sailed the boat away from his dock - as I will when the time comes for me to part with it. I love this boat!

John Kretschmer, in an offshore sailing boat discussion at the 2020 Chicago boat show, stated that the Morgan 38 is one of his favorite boats. What better recommendation can a boat hope to receive?!?!
 
I have to agree, I have not owned Sonata all that long. But, I feel she is part of me. And she came from a guy and his wife who downsized. These boats are well built, sail well, well thought out for the most part. Yet totally under-rated, until you own one. As a very young man, I recall reading and hearing of Morgans. All good. I never thought I would own one, and feel very lucky and privileged to have Sonata in my life now.
It is a similar story to "Ebony", my Moore 24. I bought her in 1982. Still have her and no thoughts of selling. Although I should realistically. I just can't do that. Probably will be the same with Sonata. Too many boats, but?
Mitchell
 
I owned Royal Tern for 20 years. I always felt that Morgan 38's were under valued. The problem was if they weren't I could not have afforded her. It was a double edge sword.
 
Gosh, Rene & ya’ll get me choked up! (Seriously) These are underrated boats, but that’s a good position to be in, eh? That is, if you want hold and enjoy them.

Really, Zia is a member of our family. We have put so much sweat and love into her. And she has given us so many great times and some surprises, but DAMN, she is a solid and serious boat.


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Rene - that statement your heard: ”Morgans only change hands when they need too” is very interesting and a tiny bit creepy. I’m going to embrace the creepy side.

Cheers! And thanks for sharing.
 
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That happend years ago but has always been in the Back of my mind. As for creepy..well , I'm ok with that as well.
 
As for the old " sea dog" a name I called him to his face when we would meet up. He lived on a small Cal 29 not to far away. My boys and I would drop in on him and he would teach them knots and rope work. They both have monkeys fist that they grab around. He was a whiskey guy and I'd drop by with a bottle now and then just to hear him tell storys.

He gone now and I wish I would have recorded those storys.

Maybe I will throw a few up here now in then.
 
Having owned our 382 now for so many years, I believe that I agree with the sentiment that they are very undervalued. Thinking back to our buying dance with the broker who sold us the boat, I remember my first reaction when he said he had a 38' Morgan to show me. All I knew of the Morgan line was the Out Islanders which left much to be desired in the realm of sailing abilities. After seeing the 382 and being told that it was a Brewer design that actually knew how to sail, we changed our attitude. I think our boats are living under the shadow of those Out Islanders. People immediately think of having to start the engine to tack the boat and associate it with all boats with the Morgan name. Now that I took the plunge and have been sailing our Boat for so many miles, I think we benefitted from that undervalue when we purchased her. Alas, we will later regret that undervalue when we go to part with her. Of course that will only happen when we are physically unable to handle the boat or when our Sons go to sell her when we're in sailors green.

Jim
 
I concur with the " living under the shadow of the "out islanders" . Personally I dont see the attraction to them.. I hear great things but I've never been shown.
 
I purchased M382-075, "Coast Starlight Ltd." at the in the water boat show in Alameda, California in February of 1978. She was launched on Labor day 1978. From the moment I walked aboard the 382 I was doomed. So, now 42 years later with my wife of 40 years we cannot imagine our lives without her. We lived aboard for 3 years and now spend our summers anchored out under the oaks of the Sacramento delta from May to November. We sail on those glorious Chamber of Commerce days in the SF bay area the rest of the year. Regrettably our top down furling A-sail does not see much daylight, but just wait!
 
Hats off to you, John, and the other "original" owners who bought their Morgans new. Who else would that be? Jim Cleary, I'm pretty sure. Who else?
 
We bought Aldebaran (382 hull 80) from Navesink Yacht Sales in Sea Bright, NJ the spring of 1979. She has spent the 41 seasons since moored at the Hingham Yacht Club in Hingham, MA. We decided on this boat because it was the best family boat on the market and it still checks all the boxes.

Frank Buck
 
Mark
Alas, we were not the original owners of Dana. She is hull #53, built in 1978. She was first owned by an MIT astrophysicist in Boston, who named her "Big Bang". We brought her 9 years later in 1987. At the time our two boys were 10 and 7 and the boat had the over and under V-berth bunks. The argument of "who's feet are on who's side" was never heard on board. I like to tell the tale of not being overly impressed with her as the salesman first showed us around on deck, then we went below with Bonnie coming down the companionway ladder last. As she turned around and viewed the interior, her eyes sparkled. I immediately ask the salesman "how much" and the deal was struck. We never regretted that decision all these years and miles later.

Jim
 
Jim - I like the name Dana better than Big Bang ;). I was kind of assuming she was named after Richard Dana Jr, of Two Years Before the Mast? Also could be a female first name, so pretty cool.

We have done some detective work & found out that our Zia was previously named 'Razzle Dazzle' and lived in San Francisco. Funny.

So we have John & Frank Buck who are original owners of new M38s. Does anyone know of anyone else?
 
Mark

As much as I enjoyed reading Two Years Before the Mast, that was not the origin of the boats name. Bonnie and I have raised two Sons, Peter and Eric. If either one would have been born female, she would have been named Dana. Once we knew we weren't going to be having any more offspring, we bought another boat and named her "Dana".

Jim
 
Thanks Jim - I was wondering about the Kilroys. I think I'll start a thread in the 'main' forum about Original Owners. There is more activity in that forum, and I might get a more complete list.
Cheers,
-Mark
 
Jim - I like the name Dana better than Big Bang ;). I was kind of assuming she was named after Richard Dana Jr, of Two Years Before the Mast? Also could be a female first name, so pretty cool.

We have done some detective work & found out that our Zia was previously named 'Razzle Dazzle' and lived in San Francisco. Funny.

So we have John & Frank Buck who are original owners of new M38s. Does anyone know of anyone else?
Rob McCabe original owner.
Cha-Wa-Kee Morgan 382 Hull # 169 Built & purchased new 1979.
Undergoing a total refit. I’ll post a few before & after pics after she’s relaunched
spring 2021.
Cheers all!
 
Surprised to see my hull number is one before John English’s, hull #74. We sailed her down from Boston where we took delivery. That was back in June 1978. We obviously love her, she has been with us all that time. She has sailed all over the New England coast, Long Island, and has been down to see the Statue of Liberty. As many of you know she has also done five of the Marion to Bermuda races. Our best finish was in 1999 when we were third in class.
 
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