Morgan 34

[Tallswede]

I'm looking at a Morgan 34 for sale nearby and wondered if any of you have any experience with these boats. The one I'm looking at is a '78 model with a Perkins 160 with 3000 hours. Any comments about how these boats hold up, their handling, and experience with Perkins diesels I'd love to hear from you. Thanks in advance.

Kevin

[Tripod]

What model Morgan?

[Tallswede]

Oops, made a mistake, it's a Morgan 36' West Indian Sedan trawler.

Kev

[Mardav]

If this is the same as the Heritage 36 series, they are built in the US and were good quality, I think Chris Craft purchased the hull molds from Charley Morgan and made some too. I can't really recall this boat, but if you Google up Chuck Neville, this may be one the boats he designed, I am not sure. Chuck may still be partnered up with Steve Seaton, so you might want to Google him too. Chuck is a great guy a probably your best resource if he is still active, which I am pretty sure he is.
Nice boat I believe in summary.

Edit: Found Chuck for you: http://www.nevilleboats.com/index.htm

give him a call. He's the real deal!

[Tallswede]

Thanks very much! I'll be checking into this. I really like the looks of this boat.

Kevin

[jsschieff]

I think those West Indies 36 sedan trawlers were nice looking, good running boats, with comfortable accommodations. I may have a copy of an old Boat Test on the West Indian floating around from my days as an Associate Editor of Boating back in the stone age (mid 1970's.) Charley Morgan designed them as far as I know. Chris Craft did purchase the molds from Morgan and made the boat for a year or two.

Just be aware the boat you are considering is from 1978 and there can be all kinds of things going wrong with it -- gummy fuel tanks, ancient iffy wiring. leaks around windows, hatches and stanchions, pumps, hoses, plumbing problems and more. I think Perkins diesels are decent motors but getting parts for an off-brand engine from the 1970's could be an issue.

That said, they are great boats. A fellow from the Florida Keys had one that was repowered with a Yanmar and he took it all around the Great Loop at least once, maybe twice. He has a well-written blog of his adventures. There is a West Indies 36 for sale on the pilothouse Online web site that looks to be in OK condition.

[Tallswede]

Years ago, I bought a 27' '64 Chris Craft Constellation that needed "some work". After a few years working on her she was in decent shape and someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse, so I sold her. I like the older school lines of this trawler and I do know something about fixing up older boats. I'm just not sure I want another project right now. If I was closer to retirement I probably wouldn't hesitate but I'll look cautiously and make up my mind soon. I would prefer a sail boat but the wife is not into the whole " boat leaning over thing" LOL. Thanks for all the input guys.

Kevin

[u4ea32]

I've never been on one, so take this with lots of grains of salt...

It has a very inappropriate hull design for anything but staying in a marina or cruising very slowly in protected waters. The very high wetted surface provides lots of drag. The immersed transom more than doubles the drag over a more sailboat shaped stern. The very hard chines will result in snap rolls in a seaway.

And, as Schieff noted above, its old: even 10 years is a long time for electrical systems in marine environments. 34 years? Figure on removing and replacing everything. I'm rewiring my 11 year old boat, much of it (all the engine related wiring) for the second time.

[Tallswede]

I agree compared to a proper sailboat these trawlers have lots of windage and drag a lot of water behind them. This boat as well as any sailboat I would buy at this time would be for bays, bayous, and rivers. Shallow draft, ease of use, fuel economy, and comfort are high on the priority list for my next boat. I'm not talking liveaboard comfort. I'm talking about basic accomodations for a week on the water for a couple used to camping. This Morgan would be like a condo to us. LOL

Kevin