If you were like me, you probably did a near retch the first time you saw an Out Island 41. In the early 1970s, this design from Charley Morgan's group was the answer to a lot of charter companies' dreams. But, it was ugly. Well, today we have far uglier boats and the old 41 doesn't look so bad anymore.

The Morgan 41.

The Morgan 41.



Furthermore, this design is almost singlehandedly responsible for the trend toward center cockpit boats. After making snide comments about the 41 for a couple of years, I finally went below the decks of one at a boat show, looked around at the interior layout and said to http://features.boats.com/boat-content/wp-admin/post.php?post=905&action=editmyself, "Oh, I get it now." The layout worked well and we have seen few improvements, if any, in center cockpit boats since.

The Out Island 41 was produced specifically for the charter business and became an immediate success. It was slow and unresponsive, but it did get you there in comfort and privacy. Comfortable enough to sell 1,000 of these 41-footers. Catalina took over production of this model five years ago and the boat still sells.

To keep production of the 41 vital, Frank Butler and Gerry Douglas of Catalina undertook several design modifications to the hull. If you have ever spent any time at all in or near the boat building business, you know how expensive mold changes to the hull can be. Addressing the problem of speed and handling, Gerry redesigned the keel of the 41, changing from a full keel configuration to a long fin with skeg hung rudder, and paring away the gar board area to increase the effective keel span. The changes have given the old 41 a totally new personality under sail. You don't need to fire up the engine to tack anymore. The bow area of the 41 was also redesigned to fine up the entry and get away from that maxi-radius look of the early models. The D/L ratio of this design is 261.

The interior of the 41 features an engine room amidships and good accommodations for two couples with double berths at each end. The aft stateroom has a head with a shower stall. The saloon has a large dinette with reading chairs opposite.

Nobody is going to tell you that the 41 is a rocket. Look at the rig. The chain plates are outboard and the jibs are sheeted to the toe rail. It's not important. The main thing is that all the elements of the design are in concert with the general concept.

The Morgan 41 remains the standard for shoal draft charter boats.

Boat Specifications

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LOA41'3"
LWL34'
Beam13'10"
Draft4'10"
Ballast8500 lbs.
Displacement23000 lbs.
Sail Area780.5 sq. ft.
SA/D ratio15.44
D/L ratio261
AuxiliaryYanmar 4 JHE
Fuel85 gals.
Water215 gals.

 

SAILINGlogo-115This story originally appeared in Sailing Magazine, and is republished here by permission. Subscribe to Sailing.