Guten Morgan Morgan 38

The success of the Morgan 45, and inquiries from potential buyers, showed Catalina Yachts that there was a market for an under-40-foot center-cockpit boat that combined cruising comfort and sailing performance. Scoring high in both areas is their new Morgan 38, which is big enough to live aboard while dispelling the myth that center-cockpit boats (particularly in the smaller sizes) are slow and ungainly.

In-house designer Gerry Douglas obviously looked hard at the Catalina 37s used for match racing, because the new 38 is fine forward and quite full aft, giving a surprising amount of interior volume as well as producing a shape that is both easily driven and has good form stability.

The cockpit is the heart of any boat, and this one carries a crew of six plus the helmsman without crowding. The coamings are high enough for back support without becoming hurdles to easy deck access and, since all sail controls (including a double-ended mainsheet) lead underdeck to the cockpit, there's little reason to leave this sanctuary.

Belowdecks, however, is where the 38 really shines, and the first impressions are of space and light. The skylighted salon has a curved convertible settee to port with hideaway table, facing a pair of seats and a game table to starboard. An entertainment console is aft over the navigation area, and a nifty ottoman to prop your feet up makes this a true living room.

The galley is aft to port, with top-opening reefer, 2-burner stove with oven, microwave, and plenty of Corian counter and storage space. The aft cabin is equally spacious, with a large berth crowned by a picture window hatch through the transom. The walk-through master head to starboard is all molded fiberglass with a stall shower which can double as a wet-locker. Forward, another head is to port and the guest cabin has a V-berth.

The hull and deck are balsa-cored for strength and insulation, and a fiberglass grid absorbs the rigging loads, while a solid mast support eliminates deck stresses.

An on-deck bow locker holds the anchor as well as a Maxwell electric anchor windlass. Aft, steps curve down each quarter to a stern platform equipped with a pressure shower and fold-down swim ladder big enough for swim fins. Lockers for propane and deck gear are under the aft deck.

The deck-stepped rig is lofty (50 feet, 6 inches), and our test boat was equipped with a Z-Spar roller-furling mast as well as the standard Schaefer 3000 jib furler. With the chainplates inboard, the deck is wide and unobstructed. Main and genoa are standard, and the fin keel can be replaced with a shoal-draft winged version.

We had a perfect sail on the Gulf Stream in 15-18 knots of breeze, and the 38 showed impeccable manners, balancing in lumpy seas for long periods of hands-off steering. In 15 knots of apparent wind at 50°, the 38 slipped along at an easy 7 knots.

A surprisingly long list of standard equipment includes main and roller-furling headsail, Yanmar 34-horsepower diesel, pressurized hot water, shore power, self-tailing Lewmar winches, Edson pedestal steering, Adler-Barbour reefer, Maxwell windlass, propane stove, microwave, and battery charger. Even more surprising is the low base price of $96,750.

Considering the high level of quality in both construction and finish as well as the long list of standard equipment, the Morgan 38 is sure to be a hit with both the cruising and the live-aboard sailor.

Boat Specifications
LOA	38' 5"
LWL	34' 10"
Beam	12' 4"
Draft	Fin 6' 6"
	Wing 5' 2"
Displacement	17,500 lbs.
Ballast	6,800 lbs.
Sail Area	700 sq. ft.