[TSOJOURNER]

My wife and I are still learning to sail. We bought our first boat (Hunter 240) last year and have been sailing it at the lake. I took the ASA basic keel and coastal cruising course and have many others to take. We are planning to retire in 5yrs. I''m 57 now. We will have more sailing experience by then and hopefully know what kind of boat we need for what we want to do. We mainly want to cruise along the coastal area of Florida (Keys), Bahamas, etc..with occasional offshore passages. We plan to charter some boats before we make a
decision on a purchase. We would like to liveaboard for 2-4 mths. out of the year. We have read everything we can get our hands on, researched a few boats and came up with the Morgan 41 OI as the ideal boat for us. If anyone has experiences/information they would like to share with us, please e-mail us at [email protected] Thank you...Ernie & Jo.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

You sound like a man with a dream. I live on the east coat of Florida and have sailed to the keys several times. The things that I have found most important for sailing here are draft (less than 5 feet), lots of ventilation, screens, and ziplok bags (humidity is a killes in the summer. I agree with the previous comment about having a boat that sails well. One knot may not os so may niot seem like much but it can make the difference of arriving in daylight or after dark. In the Keys daylight can be your best friend, considering the nature of the areas inside the reef. If i can help E mail me.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

<We have read everything we can get our hands on, researched a few boats and came up with the Morgan 41 OI as the ideal boat for us.>

Which features make this the ideal boat for you? A bit more information about you, your needs and expectations would help to make responses a bit more helpful.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

The OI 41 is easy to fall in love with for her space and twin cabins. My wife fell in love with the first one we were aboard. However, it''s poor windward performance is lengendary. One thing you might consider is an OI 41 classic, which had a reworked underbody for faster sailing. They may be a little harder to find and a bit more pricy, but you could have your cake and eat it too!

Randy Talley
Author: Emily''s Gold
http://www.bn.com

 

[TSOJOURNER]

I plan to use my Hunter 23.5 when I retire. I think it is the ideal boat for the Keys. To enjoy uncrowded anchorage spots look for the shallowist draft boats possible. We go where the big boys cannot with regularity. We sail more often because our boat is easy to sail and small enother to handle the sails in any weather. Feel free to contact me if you want info on what we have done to make our boat more cruiser friendly.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

I sailed a Morgan41 Classic for five years,
It was a up grade in performance over O/I I
loved the way it handled, great boat would
reccomend bow thruster if sailing short handed it tight docking with wind.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

ern-n-jo,
I know the Morgan OI 41. I am in general agreement with the others comments. I am hoping to take off in 2 years. I have been researching, searching and always looking at various models of boats for years. I have a similar purpose to you. Take a look at some of the mid to large Irwin''s. I like the 41 and 43. I bought a 43 mkIII. They are not without there problems (what boat is?). If you find one in good shape it is worth the money. They are center cockpits, very roomy, shoal draft (mine has a 4''11" wing keel) and the hulls are built well ... safe decks with high bulwarks. My 43 sails very well (7 knots with 16-18 knots apparent). It is substantial at 26,000 lb.s and has very adequate engine and tankage (66hp, 105 fuel, 180 water. I have never cared much for their smaller boats and almost let that get in the way of looking at their larger ones. The 41 is usually a ketch and a bit older, while the 43 is a sloop with a cutter option and a bit newer. Good luck - they''re all a trade off. Find what works for you!
Bob