oi41 stability is sound
having grown up on a morgan 41 ("bluebonnet" hull #11, 7th one off the line) i speak from experience in foul weather. my dad was stationed to hawaii, the boat performed fine the entire 4 years there, we sailed it back to st pete via the canal, off acapulco we spent 4 days in hurricane delores. while it was never comfortable "bluebonnet" handled it fine other than ripped sails, a flooded engine, and the typical disaster of stowed items thrown about. because we were the first one through a hurricane at sea, charlie morgan had the boat pulled and inspected by the factory reps. a crack in the hull below the starboard settee was the only structural damage. (the later morgans were reinforced both sides at this point) later, while stationed in south georgia, "bluebonnet" went through 2 more hurricanes. we took her out away from the dock and let her ride them out at anchor awy from the other boats. She did great.
mixed amongst these incidences were many cruises in the chesapeake, up and down the east coast, and along the florida coast. she performed admirably. even surviving the young helmsman hitting the docks, channel markers, and backing over the dinghy.
down side to the morgan is slow response in light winds. many people have called her a pig to sail, and a slow cruiser. set the facts straight. she wasn't designed for light winds. while in hawaii, we were running third in the molokai channel race until her steering block broke loose in the engine room. we were able to maintain control steering with the mizzen while my dad fixed the block (unfortunately is was control going back the wrong way).
since those days, i have had the good fortune to have owned a 24' islander, a columbia 8.7, a cal 25, and quite a few assorted small boats. I got my oupv license, have operated as a boat builder and ran a marine salvage company. today, i am once again looking for a oi 41 ketch rig.
sum it up - if you are sailing in sheltered waters, find a lighter boat. if you are planning offshore or sailing in tradewinds, then (in my opinion) you cant beat the oi-41.
granted, the interior, cosmetics, and toys that came with the morgans are outdated, inferior, and sometimes even tacky - but most people will eventually upgrade with what they want.
chuck