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Starting to look for a Morgan 38

A

Alex_V

New Member
Well, hello to the forum.

Looks like I made up my mind and have started to actively look for a Morgan 382/383/384 on the east coast. So, could you guys / gals help me out with a couple of things?

- Any good ones for sale? (I am thinking 20-45K) range. I noticed the prices vary a good bit on these. Any thoughts on pricing?

- Any tips what to look for / watch out for?

- Traveller on top deck vs by the helm? I think I would prefer the one on top. Is DIY relocation possible? I started to read a thread about it, but it got over my head with boom loads, and other stuff.

- Is Perkins 1 408 the default setup, or are there configurations to be had?

Thanks in advance,

Alex
 
Hi Alex, and welcome to the forum. I'm sure some of our very experienced members will chime in shortly.

Some thoughts on some of your points:
- Yes, there is a wide variation in prices & it's usually because some of the boats have been very well maintained & there is a huge difference in their 'value'. For example, when we bought our 384, the previous owner had deferred maintenance on *everything*. So we (not entirely rationally) spent $50k+ in upgrading almost everything (sails, radar, chartplotter, windlass, heater, refrigerator, LED lighting, canvas, dodger, bimini, running rigging, etc.). She's a serious cruising boat now & (I hope!) if we sold her soon that she would be at the upper end of the range, and I also hope the range goes up higher ... I've seen some go for $65k+.

In my opinion, it is for sure easiest & more bang for your buck if you shop around & get a well maintained boat. On the flip side, if you do all the upgrading yourself, you get to choose the equipment you want. But you'd be delirious if you thought you would get back all the money you invest.;)

- Traveller on deck vs by the helm: on 382s, it was down by the helm and with 383 & 384's it's up on deck. At the risk of igniting a religious war, I'll say I prefer to have it out of the way (up on deck) since the cockpits are not huge to begin with. However some reasonable members of this forum disagree, and I respect their opinions too. It comes down to personal preference, I guess.

- I haven't seen any numbers, but it seems to me the majority of Morgan 38s have Perkins 4-108s, then some other fairly large percentage have Yanmars. Then there are some other engines (Volvo, Beta, etc.) that people have upgraded to later. We are happy with our Perkins, but the thing leaks a lot of oil, even though we've had the best mechanics around replace head gaskets and tighten things up.

You might have heard that old advice saying buying a boat is all about "compromise" & you'll never find the perfect boat. I have to say that we are super happy with our Zia & we don't feel like we've compromised a lot on any big ticket items.

Good luck with your search!
-Mark
 
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No known history to offer, But my take on the three:
The Florida boat looks like it had an owner who cared. And the engine's been rebuilt. I see updates & improvements.
The freshwater boat better be well kept and updated (at that price). Sweetwater is valuable if its been there most/all its life.
The Maryland boat I see as a blank canvas. IF you have the time and money to invest, the difference in price might be worth it.
good luck
 
I think shes real close to prefect. Now there there the holding Tank in the keel fault . But every thing else is easy . New bedding of chain plates with new bolts . But a roll of butyl tape
You can change the ports , the sails , the traveler , The chart plotter All just real nice things at your leasure. As long as there are no leaks and no rot !
For myself the idea of the anchor locker water going into the bilge all under the salon deck is another short cut that should have never been done. Watch for rot in that V bulkhead also .
Choose a surveyor very carefully !
As Mark said , shes a great boat . She sails well. she will cost to upgrade her. But shes as Solid as Sears , used to be !!
 
Hi Alex,

I am currently in the same boat as you, looking for the right Morgan 38. I have been aboard Shadow, the third boat on your list. She has decent decks (a few soft spots, but not too bad for her age), engine looks like it has been reasonably well maintained, and overall seems a pretty solid boat for the money. The one major issue is that she has clearly been blocked incorrectly in the past (you can see the wear on the outside of the keel), so it is almost certain that the original holding tank will need to be repaired or replaced. You can find several threads in the forums here detailing the various strategies owners have used for this project.

The traveler location is standard 382, in the cockpit. I have seen several 382s on which it has been moved to the deck. In my opinion it is a project that a skilled amateur could do, though if I tried it I would at least consult with a professional rigger. The only other thing about Shadow that is different from a "stock" 382 is that an electric windlass has been added. It is located in the original chain locker tray, far enough below the deck to be enclosed with the hatch cover down. This gets it out of the way and protected from the elements, but also has some potential downsides. Plenty of threads to read up on this topic as well!

Best of luck with your search, hope we don't end up in a bidding war :) - Keefer
 
Keefer Douglas said:
Hi Alex,

I am currently in the same boat as you, looking for the right Morgan 38. I have been aboard Shadow, the third boat on your list. She has decent decks (a few soft spots, but not too bad for her age), engine looks like it has been reasonably well maintained, and overall seems a pretty solid boat for the money. The one major issue is that she has clearly been blocked incorrectly in the past (you can see the wear on the outside of the keel), so it is almost certain that the original holding tank will need to be repaired or replaced. You can find several threads in the forums here detailing the various strategies owners have used for this project.

The traveler location is standard 382, in the cockpit. I have seen several 382s on which it has been moved to the deck. In my opinion it is a project that a skilled amateur could do, though if I tried it I would at least consult with a professional rigger. The only other thing about Shadow that is different from a "stock" 382 is that an electric windlass has been added. It is located in the original chain locker tray, far enough below the deck to be enclosed with the hatch cover down. This gets it out of the way and protected from the elements, but also has some potential downsides. Plenty of threads to read up on this topic as well!

Best of luck with your search, hope we don't end up in a bidding war :) - Keefer
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I can assume that you are looking at boats from the usual places. Any other interested candidates that you had a chance to visit?
 
Could you expand on the incorrectly blocked keel? And how it would affect the internal tank. I presume the keel is lead that is incapsulated into fiberglass. The rest is above my technical knowledge.
 
Alex,
Keel - unlike almost every other sailboat, you can't just put 6x6's anywhere under a Ted Brewer designed Morgan 382/3/4.
As you can see below, the lead ballast is forward. IF anyone in the last 40 years has blocked & inadvertently put a lot of the weight of on the back half of the keel.... trouble.
See where is says "bilge" in the drawing? That horizontal line represents a casually fiberglassed cap that is the top of the holding tank. It also happens to be the floor of the bilge. IF you put blocking weight of the boat AFT, you can spring the top loose. Most every38x boat has to some extent this problem. So some boats leak and/or smell more than others. Either way you cut it, 15 gal's is a small holding tank. A week with two on board... tops. So when it's filled there can be odor. Pump early and often. Insure the HT vent isn't blocked by insects. Some owners have relocated their holding tank to Vberth/salon setee/head area. I lived with mine...and I have a wife! Draw your own conclusions as it's boat to boat. Some decide to fix theirs as they can leak in (from the bilge) as well as out. Its still a great boat either way.


upload_2018-1-18_20-12-10.png
 
Thanks Dave, good info to know. And for what I understand, due to the size/location, it is not an easy place to grind and re-glass.
 
As noted in a separate thread i discovered my HT/Bilge juncture needed repair. When i first got the boat it had been improperly blocked. I never noticed odors nor effluent coming up into the bilge but did notice this fall that bilge water was slowly draining into the HT. I was able to clean and prep the area with a fein-type multitool and acetone and lay down some layers of 1708 with epoxy tabbing. I am very pleased with what looks to be a very robust solution and it was much easier than i expected. I am fully confident the HT as repaired will be just fine. And frankly i am not a big fan of HT's in the main cabin area under berths so for me this is the preferred HT solution.
 
Keefer Douglas said:
As it happens, Helene's boat is located in the same yard (and only about 20 feet away from) this 383: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1982/Morgan-383-3125176/Rock-Hall/MD/United-States#.WmIY9a5KthE

That boat shows pretty well, but has been surveyed (and the deal fallen though) twice in the past year. Seems it needs some work on the deck and possibly topsides paint?
Click to expand...

Keefer, I was originally interested in that one. But then came across this thread. I think there are some major structural issues, or so it seems:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f118/would-you-buy-this-boat-194361.html
 
Yeah, a bit shocking to see the word "delamination" in a survey. "Elevated moisture" usually seems to be about as far as they are willing to go unless it really is pretty bad...
 
I am guessing thats the reason why the deal felt through twice in a year. Otherwise it appears to be a very attractive boat.
 
One of our past members, Steve Cundy passed away recently, and his estate is selling his '79? 382. It is located on the hard at Green Cove Springs Marina near Jacksonville, FL. She needs a lot of work, but has a newer Yanmar 30 with very low hours. Many upgrade parts available. Couldn't tell you much about condition. Rigged with inner forestay.
 
Alex & Keefer,

I am selling 1979 M382 Hull#115. She is undergoing a refit and still needs work to put the pieces back together. Based on this thread I believe you all are searching for a turn key purchase. If you are willing to entertain the thought of a project boat, then please check out my recent post on this forum... Time for me to move beyond Pilgrim - For Sale

Also check out my blog... SV Pilgrim

Thanks for your time. Please contact my via the blog and we can set up a time to talk if you are interested.

Jeff
 
Richard Noddin said:
One of our past members, Steve Cundy passed away recently, and his estate is selling his '79? 382. It is located on the hard at Green Cove Springs Marina near Jacksonville, FL. She needs a lot of work, but has a newer Yanmar 30 with very low hours. Many upgrade parts available. Couldn't tell you much about condition. Rigged with inner forestay.
Click to expand...
Do you know what happened to Steve?
 
Hi John, and others acquainted with Steve Cundy.
He was the victim of a stroke, which the doctors had mitigated at the hospital in Orange Park, FL. Unfortunately, he came down with a serious infection soon after, and apparently died of sepsis. He will be sorely missed at Green Cove Springs Marina. He was well respected for his computer skills, always willing to lend a hand, and was planning to do a lot of sailing in the Bahamas after refitting Arrrgho. It's sad that he wasn't able to realize his dream.
 
This is certainly very sad news. Please pass on our sympathy and regards to his Family. He will be missed by his Morgan Board Family.

Jim
 
Richard Noddin said:
Hi John, and others acquainted with Steve Cundy.
He was the victim of a stroke, which the doctors had mitigated at the hospital in Orange Park, FL. Unfortunately, he came down with a serious infection soon after, and apparently died of sepsis. He will be sorely missed at Green Cove Springs Marina. He was well respected for his computer skills, always willing to lend a hand, and was planning to do a lot of sailing in the Bahamas after refitting Arrrgho. It's sad that he wasn't able to realize his dream.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply. I’m sorry to lose another member of the Morgan group.
Hospitals are dangerous places. While attending a procedure for my wife I got pneumonia at our hospital this last November. I took Cipro (zpac) antibiotics for it. Being older I got tendonopathy. Very hard to walk or move arms. Hoping it passes within 6 months. All of you take good care of yourselves.
 
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