Morris

[aquestforfun]

My wife and I had the pleasure of sailing a Morris M36 recently and loved the experience. This boat is a true single handed vessel with a self tacking jib and push button sail control. We currently sail a Catalina 42 which is a great boat but as we get older less work and fewer crew would be nice. I have a hard time spending $400,000 for the Morris M36. They only sell about 6 a year so even the used ones hold their value. Does anyone know of any similar designed sailboats that might be at a lower price point? thanks

[WDS123]

there are a number of fine day sailors out there. The M36 is a bit of a pig in light airs, but a fine looking vessel. Here are the main day sailors

Schock Harbor 14,20, 25, and 30
Alerion Express 20, 28, and 33

The Schocks tend to be faster upwind and drier than their Alerion counterparts. The Alerions have a fair amount of wood trim on the exterior which appeals to people. Prices are that the Alerions tend to be 25-40% more expensive than a similarly equipped Schock.

Alerions are built in RI by Pearson Marine Group which has experienced some serious financial difficulties as a result of some serious quality issues and rework they had to perform on some Naval Academy training sailboats.

Dunn and Bradstreet recently rated Pearson Marine Group 1 on a scale of 1-100 for financial stability. 100 being strongest and 1 being weakest.

Schocks are built in Southern California by the WD Schock company founded in 1946. Full Disclosure - I work for WD Schock, but everything stated here is factual.

[junkrig]

For ease of sailing nothing matches the modern junk rig. No jib = no jib sheets. Reef all or part in under 10 seconds. Flying gybe can't break anything, the mast is free standing. You never have to go out on the foredeck except to anchor, and presumably that won't be in the teeth of a howling gale.
To tack, put the helm over. To tack again put it over the other way.
With all lines properly led to the helm you never have to move.
Unfortunately, factory junk-rigged vessels are rare; one often has to go with custom builds or conversions. That said, very good junk-rigged boats in the 35 to 40 foot range can be bought way below $400,000.00. Like say 75k to 125k range.
If you get a junk you definitely want modern cambered sails. Old style flat sails are weak to windward.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by aquestforfun

My wife and I had the pleasure of sailing a Morris M36 recently and loved the experience. This boat is a true single handed vessel with a self tacking jib and push button sail control. We currently sail a Catalina 42 which is a great boat but as we get older less work and fewer crew would be nice. I have a hard time spending $400,000 for the Morris M36. They only sell about 6 a year so even the used ones hold their value. Does anyone know of any similar designed sailboats that might be at a lower price point? thanks

Go visit the Catalina factory and watch them build a boat then go to see Cuyler and the boys up in Trenton and then tell me that the price is too much... You can't compare the construction quality of a Morris to much outside of its price class. There are no cut corners on a Morris and attention to detail is about as good as it gets. Some models of Morris Yachts today sell for more money that they originally sold for. Can't say that about to many boats...

I have had the opportunity to visit many boat builders and Morris really sets themselves apart. To truly understand a Morris and their price you need to see how they are built...

[puddinlegs]

Originally Posted by aquestforfun

Does anyone know of any similar designed sailboats that might be at a lower price point? thanks

The Morris 29... Sorry about that.

[aquestforfun]

Thanks for the comments. I will check out the 2 boats mentioned above. I took a tour of the boats with Cuyler Morris and someone from the sail staff. I don't disagree that these are extra fine boats and probably better build boats than most so I am not questioning the price they are selling them for. When I asked them what the warrantee was they salesman just stuck out his hand and said this is it. Don't be concerned we will treat you like family long after your purchase. I believe them. Although for legal reasons they do have a spelled out warrantee. I just don't want to pay it if I can get a decent single handed sailer for much less. My wife was more than ready to sign on the dotted line but I never buy things on emotion even though they made it tempting. As far as the 29 my we are not interested as the head is in a place that is anything but private. BTW they are having their annual boat show at the end of July for 3 days which we are going to attend. If anyone is close enough to Bass Harbor Main its more than worth the visit. Thanks

[BarryL]

Hello,

What about the Sabre Spirit
Sailboat Hand Crafted in Maine; Sabre Spirit Sailing Yacht

or the J boat J 100
J/100 Weekender-Daysailer: The Ultimate in Day Sailing Freedom- The Ultimate 33 ft Sailboat For Sailors Who Love Day-sailing.

Barry

[KindOfBlue]

You can check out the e 33

[blt2ski]

Assuming you are looking for ease of sailing, Tartan, Hanse and IIRC some Newer Jeanneau's have a self tacking jib option. As do some of the more recent added boat brands etc. Granted the ones I mentioned do not have the M36 or equal looks, Then again, the J100 does not have that look either. BUT, they are daysailor/weekend boats.

Marty

[WDS123]

Morris spends some 25-45% of it's revenue on Marketing, that is money not going into your boat.

Aside from some nice glued on wood trim and clever castings, Morris build quality is similar to other build to order sailboats.

Morris warranty issues are fairly similar to other build to order boats ( at least on their boats in the West Coast )

The most significant downside of the Morris daysailor line is that they are simply sluggish in the water.