buying first boat

[sailor582002]

I''m not a yacht designer only a cruiser, isn''t 10K displacement pretty light for a 35'' crusing boat? The rest of it sounds great though. My experience with light displacement is pounding, bouncing, tender, sea sickness! I own a Morgan 382 which displaces 17K. By my experience and according to all the books a moderate displacement boat will provide a better comfort level in a seaway.
Someone mentioned that the Morgan 382/383 series was lacking in cabin appointments and finish. Agreed, there are more nicely appointed interiors and there are much worse. I searched the $50K-60K range for 3 years for a cruising boat, must have looked at 100''s, finally setteled on the Morgan 382 1979 which I purchased in ''95 for $42K in pretty good shape. I sailed a 23ft Jeanneau Tonic for 10 years then jumped to this 38'' boat which only took me about 4 hours to become totally comfortable as it''s so easy to sail. I single hand it all over Chesapeake Bay and coastal. It''s not the perfect boat, but it''s an outstanding value and serves my purpose and plan. The Morgan 382 is no dog, not exactly a light air boat, but at 12kts it will sail 5 knots close hauled and 6 on a reach with 130% Genny. I would certainly buy another one.
Good luck in your search.

[Jeff_H]

By modern standards (last 20 years or so) 10,000 lbs is moderately heavy for a 35 footer. For example my 1983 38 footer has a design weight of 10,600 lbs. Weight really has very little to do with "pounding, bouncing, tender, sea sickness!" Those have more to do with weight distribution, hull shape, waterline beam and length of waterline. Because most of us experience light weight boats in the form of early light weight boats which were very dependent on form stability and generally had poor weight distribution, it is easy to come away with your impression of light weight boats.

The 382/383/384''s are nice all around boats. They do sail well with enough wind that are reasonably well built and offer a lot of boat for the money. As you say they are not a dog but to put their speed into perspective, at 7 knots of air, a more modern 38 foot design using a 110% jib will do over 7 knots upwind and will reach above a beam reach at close to 8 knots. In 12 knots of wind a more modern 38 footer (still using a 110% jib)will do close to 8 knots upwind and will reach above a beam reach at close to 9 knots and past a beam reach at closer to 8 knots.

Still we all go out there for our own reasons and if speed and light air performance is not important, the Morgan 382-384 are very nice boats.

Jeff