U S E D B o a t r e v ie w Critic’s Corner Morgan 30

Steve Cocklin’s restored Morgan 30 enjoys a Chesapeake Bay Marvelous reach. His restoration is at www.myholeinthewater.com.

Morgan 30 article and features well in Morgan’s early custom designs. a shallow, nearly full Ultimately, Morgan’s racer-cruiser with a swinging archetype was a boat with V-sections centerboard that re- forward, conservative beam, long over- duces draft to 3-feet, hangs at the bow and stern (to extend 6-inches, permitting the sailing waterline beyond the mea- access to some prime sured length when heeled), internal gunkholing waters ballast, a swing keel, and a relatively on the Gulf and At- low-aspect sailplan featuring a big, lantic coasts. overlapping genoa. On the water, the Morgan 30 is a fine DESIGN boat to look at, with springy sheer and The Morgan 30 was an attractive stern. Although the boat introduced in 1967, has a full 6-foot, 2-inch headroom, the when Charley Mor- freeboard is low. This graceful form gan and Morgan predates World War II and can be Yachts were still rid- found in late CCA-era boats from Al ing the wave of suc- Mason, Phillip Rhodes, and Ted Hood, cess following Paper designers who also excelled at maxi- Tiger and Sabre, the mizing performance under the rule legendary Southern and maintaining an aesthetic appeal. Ocean Racing Con- Charley’s classic offers an affordable ference (SORC) rac- Construction ers of the early 1960s The Morgan 30 shared many of the entry into shoalwater cruising. that helped launched construction details of the 34, its pre- Morgan’s career as a decessor, which is reviewed in depth f you’re looking for an inexpensive production boatbuilder. in our “Practical Boat Buying Guide” I30-footer from the 1970s with pretty At that time, racing was an essential ($39, www.practical-sailor.com/ lines that can double nicely as either part of the equation at Morgan Yachts— products/books/). The Morgan 34 re- the family escape pod or a Wednes- based in Largo, Fla.—so the rig and un- view can also be purchased online at day-night racer, the list of choices is derbody were guided by the dominant www.practical-sailor.com. long. In the February 2008 issue of rating rule. After the 1970 launch of More than 300 Morgan 30s were Practical Sailor, we looked at nine 30- the Morgan Out Island 41, the builder built, and the construction methods footers from the ’70s: the C&C 30, Cal became more closely identified with evolved over the years, so what follows 2-30, Hunter 30, Irwin Competition the roomy Out Island series, the pure is a general description. 30, Newport 30, 0’Day 30, Pearson 30, cruising line that played a key role in the The hull was hand-laid woven roven Tartan 30, and the . Three emerging Caribbean charter trade. and mat cloth with polyester resin. The climbed to the top of Practical Sailor’s Two driving forces lie behind the layup schedule was on par with produc- short list: The Pearson 30 was noted for design of the Morgan 30. The first, tion models of that era—lighter than its performance; the Tartan 30 for its and most influential, is the Cruising some, heavier than others. Blisters have Sparkman & Stephens pedigree; and Club of America (CCA) rating system, been documented in many Morgan hulls, the Catalina for its avid fan base. which, because it made allowances but the earlier models seem less prone. All of the classics featured in that ar- for livability, generated some pretty, These reportedly also have thicker layup ticle were fixed fin-keel boats that drew sea-kindly boats that easily made the schedules. The deck was through-bolted just under 5 feet of water, although a few, transition from SORC racer to long- to an inward-turning flange on the hull, like the Hunter and the Catalina, offered distance cruiser. with a bedding compound used to seal versions with less than 4.5-feet draft. Morgan proved very adept at work- the joint. This is a common source of The advantages and compromises ing within this rule. While none of leaks on older boats. of a shoal-draft race-cruiser bring Morgan’s production racer-cruisers Early boats were stick built, with us to this month’s featured boat, the like the 30 pushed the CCA envelope floors and furnishings bonded in place Morgan 30. The design predates most to a great degree, they incorporated individually, but later boats incorpo- of the boats highlighted in our 2008 several signature features that worked rated molded fiberglass pan-liners in

 august 2009 Critic’s Corner Morgan 30

Pros PRO: Boom-end PRO: Keel- sheeting • Wide sidedecks allow easy passage fore stepped mast and aft. • Clear view from the helm. • End-boom mainsheet keeps load where it belongs. • Keel-stepped mast reinforces rig. CON: Low sill • Double lifelines (optional) add security. PRO: cons Wide sidedecks

• Low sill exposes companionway to downflooding. • Big masthead genoa not well-suited for quick tacks. • Roller-furling boom more trouble than it is worth. • Molded foredeck hatch not as water- tight as a gasketed aluminum-frame, Most of the shortcomings of the Morgan 30 are typical of boats of its era and can acrylic or Lexan hatch. be remedied by retrofitting with new hardware and some modifications. .

CON: Stern lazarette CON: Molded forehatch hard to access.

CON: Dated stemhead fitting

the bow and main cabin to expedite to cheap self-steering (see “Tillerpilot plated bronze hardware on earlier production. Some owner-finished kit Sea Trials,” June 2009) and its respon- Morgan 30s has withstood the test of boats, sold as bare hulls, are likely to siveness. Although the tiller consumes time. One metal component that of- be floating around as well. cockpit space, the area is roomy enough ten raises the concerns of riggers is the The deck was cored with plywood for four adults to sail comfortably. cast- aluminum stemhead fitting at the on some boats, balsa on others, and Low coamings surround the cock- bow, but we’ve heard of no widespread sometimes both cores were used to suit pit, helping to keep it dry. The cockpit reports of cracking or failures. the location and loads. Encapsulated drains, however, are small, and any- Virtually every bit of sailing hard- ballast is used in the keel. About 500 one serious about taking this boat off- ware was optional, so you’ll see a wide pounds extra was added after the first shore should increase their diameter range of gear. In the typical running few hulls. to 2 inches. Only a low sill protects the rigging layout, the mainsheet leads The jacknife centerboard is fiberglass companionway; a raised bridgedeck is through a multi-purchase block on and neatly seats into the keel without preferred for offshore work. Cockpit the boom end, where the load belongs. intruding into the cabin space. (Mor- stowage is limited to a lazarette. Some The traveler stretches behind the til- gan based his design on one he admired ambitious Morgan owners add a bench- ler. The jib sheets lead through blocks in Wirth Munroe’s famous Comanche, seat locker in lieu of one of the quarter on rail-mounted tracks. Primary and now owned by Wirth’s son, Charles.) berths below. secondary winches are mounted on The volatile metal prices of the Viet- the coamings. Tiller steering gener- DECK DETAILS AND SYSTEMS nam War era forced Morgan and most ally places the helmsman out of easy The standard Morgan 30 is tiller-steered, builders of that period to cut back on reach of the mainsheet. Wheel steering an arrangement PS generally prefers in premium metals like bronze and mo- brings all the sail control lines closer boats of this size for its adaptability nel. Nevertheless, some of the chrome- at hand. practical sailor August 2009  INTERIOR NOTES Morgan 30

The fore-and aft-galley (above) is fine at anchor, but a challenge at sea. The anchor locker (top left) is accessed through a hatch in the V-berth. Engine access (left) is beneath the lift-up stairs.

The mast is a slightly tapered, deck- a Universal Atomic Four. In either case, good idea until it gets wet, swells and stepped, single spreader rig. The boom the buyer should assume that an origi- jams, something that is likely since it is is a heavy extrusion that was designed nal engine is probably due for replace- located beneath the mast partners. The to spin on bearings in a forgettable iter- ment, a significant investment. V-berth and quarterberths are snug, ation of roller-reefing. Morgan strongly The standard tankage called for a 58- and the drop-down dinette berth is a suggests going back to good old slab gallon water tank and a 14-gallon fuel bit tight for tall folks. reefing and a lazy-jack or Dutchman tank, adequate for most coastal cruis- There is no navigation station, so if system (“Taming the Main,” PS Febru- ing needs. Pumps for the sinks in the you like electronics, plan to improvise. ary 2008.) galley and were manual. Several owners have done fine with The sidedecks are wide for a boat swing-out plotter-sounders (see “Pe- of this beam. Grab rails on the cabin INTERIOR tite Plotter Sounders,” October 2008) top and a low teak toe-rail provide a The CCA-era overhangs yield an inte- that can be viewed from below, where measure of security going forward. The rior space that is markedly smaller than the galley countertop serves as a chart shrouds lead outboard, so there is no 30-footers of today. On paper the boat table, or from the cockpit. tight squeeze impeding quick move- sleeps seven, but four is about the limit For short family cruises, coastal sail- ment fore and aft. for those who hope to remain on speak- ing, and Wednesday night racing, the The foredeck, as that of most racer- ing terms. interior is perfectly functional, though cruisers, is relatively clear of trip haz- The standard layout, featuring a gal- less than ideal. ards, but also short on ground tackle ley running fore and aft on the starboard arrangements. Due to the cast - side and a dinette to port, works fine at PERFORMANCE head, adding a bow roller or even roller the dock, but at sea on a reach either the In terms of performance, Morgan 30 furling may require a little ingenuity. cook or the diners will be on the wind- owners are in unanimous agreement on The chain and rode lead below decks ward side cursing their misfortune as a few points. It is not the fastest boat through a hawse pipe, typical of boats they try to stay in one place. On modern around the cans, nor the most maneu- of this period. boats, a U-shaped galley and settees on verable under power, but it’s extremely Systems are extremely basic on the each side add civility to mealtime un- well balanced and presents an easy mo- Morgan 30, which came standard with derway. tion in a seaway. one battery and a simple 12-volt DC The forwardV -berth, head (to port), “This boat is great on a reach!” panel for navigation lights and seven and hanging locker (to starboard) are summed up one owner who responded interior lights. Propulsion was gasoline, separated from the main cabin by a to our survey. either a Palmer M60 on older boats, or pocket door. The door seems like a For a benchmark rating for the

10 august 2009 INTERIOR NOTES Morgan 30 U S E D B o a t R E V IE W

The Morgan 30’s low-aspect sailplan (left) relies on a big genoa to provide horsepower. The scimitar , designed not to ventilate, was a feature that didn’t carry into later designs. The nearly full keel provides excellent tracking, but restricts maneuvering under power. Long overhangs make for a fairly tight layout compared to modern designs. There is no naviga- tion station. Compared to later boats, the Morgan 30’s hefty ballast and displacement numbers signal a more seakindly ride (below).

MOrgan 30 In Context Morgan 30 pearson 30 Tartan 30 catalina 30

LOA 29’ 11 29’ 9’ 29’ 11” 29’ 11” Performance Handicap Racing Fleet length would (PHRF) we turned to the 2008 North make for a LWL 24’ 2” 25’ 24’ 3” 25’ Carolina PHRF fleet, which gave the wet cockpit Beam 9’ 3” 9’ 6” 10’ 10’ 10” Morgan 30 a 195 handicap, slightly be- in rough go- hind ratings for the Catalina 30 (186), ing. All in Draft/Shoal 7’ 3”/3’ 6” 5’ 4’ 11” 4’ 4” or 5’ 3” and well behind the numbers for the all, the boat Displacement 10,000 lbs 8,320 lbs. 8,750 lbs. 10,200 lbs. Tartan 30 (174) and Pearson 30 (177), d e l i ve r s a all more modern, lighter boats with less very reward- Ballast 4,500 lbs. 3,560 lbs. 3,700 lbs. 4,200 lbs. wetted surface. ing ride. Nei- Sail area (100% Our sea trials aboard reader Ray ther sluggish, Foretriangle) 466 sq. ft. 444 sq. ft. 449 sq. ft. 446 sq. ft. Mummery’s Morgan 30 Wavedancer nor sprightly, in South Florida’s Biscayne Bay, offered her behavior Engine 18 hp. 30 hp. 30 hp. 40 hp. proof of the boat’s impeccable balance. could best be Water 58 gal. 23 gal. 30 gal. 40 gal. In 12 knots of breeze, with a 130-per- described as cent genoa, Wavedancer easily steered confident. Fuel 14 gal. 20 gal. 17 gal. 18 gal. herself to windward, even holding a SA/D ratio 16 17.3 16.9 15.2 course as deep as 120-degrees relative CONCLUSION wind angle, with no attention to the A Morgan 30 D/L ratio 316 238 274 291 helm. In modest gusts, the boat didn’t that has been Price* $12,000 $12,000 $12,000 $15,000 miss a beat, picking up a half-knot with repowered * Median price of online search; actual purchase prices can vary greatly. little or no weather helm. The ability to and is in good tweak the centerboard added one more condition can tool for balancing the helm. be found for about $15,000. A new pro- prepare for a long haul. Compared to modern 30-footers duction 30-footer runs about $100,000. Blisters, broken centerboards, leaky with canoe underbodies and fin , While the Morgan might seem like a ports, and corroding mast steps are just the boat is far from nimble. Backing bargain, this is a very old boat, prone to some of the problems Steve Cocklin the boat under power requires due dili- problems that could easily set you back faced during the ongoing restoration gence and the boat is not quick to accel- $30,000 or more and a big chapter of of his Morgan 30 documented online erate under sail. What the boat lacks in your life. If a qualified professional sur- at www.myholeinthewater.com. thrills, she makes up for with a seakindly veyor finds your prospective Morgan ride. Wavedancer maintained headway 30 free of serious problems, and it has in a chop with little complaint, punch- some, if not all of our recommended up- resources ing though some steep wake generated grades, then it is worth a look, It will be charley morgan by passing yacht traffic. The boat’s V- particularly appealing for sailors who www.charleymorgan.com section shouldered aside the biggest enjoy a “character” boat that can squeak Morgan 30 Restoration waves, although it was obvious that into shallow water. On the other hand, www.myholeinthewater.com the low freeboard and short waterline if it has been sitting neglected for years,

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