Catalina Morgan 43 Buyer's Guide
The Catalina Morgan 43 on the brokerage market is a mid-1980s centre-cockpit cruiser born from Catalina’s purchase of Morgan Yachts, designed by Nelson/Marek and built from 1985 into the late 1980s. She is a 43-foot fibreglass monohull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, a Perkins diesel, and a layout built around a genuine aft owner’s cabin. For a shopper, she represents a conservative, couple-friendly passagemaker rather than a performance boat, and the age of the design sets the agenda for any survey.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every boat you will meet is a single-keel, masthead-sloop, centre-cockpit layout with only minor interior trim differences between hulls. The centre cockpit allows a proper aft cabin with a large island berth and a private head with separate shower on many boats. The walkthrough to that cabin runs past the engine space, giving the buyer a clear look at the Perkins 4-108 and its surroundings. Forward, the saloon carries a U-shaped dinette and a straight settee with a navigation station, while the galley sits along the walkthrough or in an L-shape near the companionway. A forward V-berth cabin with its own head rounds out the accommodation for guests. The deep, protected centre cockpit with high coamings and wide side decks is a safety plus, though the high freeboard means a taller step up from a dinghy.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, boats commonly carry a watermaker, air conditioning, solar, lithium batteries, inverter, dinghy davits, radar, autopilot, chartplotter, EPIRB, bimini, dodger, and cockpit shower as standard cruising kit. For buyer consequence, the power and energy cluster — solar, lithium batteries, inverter, and watermaker — tells you whether the boat is set up for independent living aboard or still running on aged original systems. Canvas and sail-handling items such as bimini, dodger, and autopilot matter for short-handed couple cruising, while radar and chartplotter cover navigation. Less commonly, you will find electric winches, hot water, a swim platform, teak decks, or a life raft as owner upgrades rather than factory fitments.
What to Inspect
A survey should focus on the weak points of the design. Deck core moisture shows up around chainplates, stanchion bases, winches and the mast step, and chainplates themselves need inspection for crevice corrosion where they pass through the deck. Original aluminium-framed portlights and cabin windows often leak, leaving stains or delamination at the frames. Keel bolts and bilge floors should be checked for corrosion or grounding cracks, and the rudder and skeg need attention for bearing play, water ingress, or hull joint cracking. The Perkins 4-108 is robust but commonly due for overhaul or repower, and any original mild-steel fuel tanks are prime replacement candidates. Electrical systems are frequently a mix of old and added wiring, and deck hardware may be original and tired.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in Grenada. For a buyer, the takeaway is straightforward: confirm the deck core and chainplate integrity, budget for portlight and rigging renewal, verify the engine and tank condition, and judge the electrical system by its tidiness. A well-kept example with updated sailhandling and energy systems is a realistic couple-run ocean cruiser; a tired one will absorb refit capital quickly.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Catalina Morgan 43. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $55,000 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $55,000 | 0.0% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $55,000 | 0.0% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $40,000 | -27.3% |
Where they're listed
Catalina Morgan 43 listings appear across 2 countries. Grenada has the most listings with 4 (66.7%), followed by United States.
Country view
6 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grenada | $55,000 | 4 | 2 | 66.7% |
| United States | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 33.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson and Caine 43 | 42.49' | $ 299,995 | 70 | 21 |
| Jeanneau Sun Sun Odyssey 43 | 43.34' | $ 109,070 | 63 | 7 |
| Dufour Classic 43 | 43' | $ 86,108 | 33 | 3 |
| Hunter 43 Legend | 42.5' | $ 49,900 | 24 | 7 |
| Morgan 43 | 43' | $ 64,900 | 15 | 5 |
| Bavaria Yachts 43 Cruiser | 42.98' | $ 134,328 | 15 | 4 |
| Swan 43 | 42.78' | $ 91,848 | 15 | 2 |
| Contest Yachts 43 | 42.65' | $ 183,696 | 13 | 4 |
| Morgan Morgan 38 | 38.42' | $ 67,200 | 12 | 5 |
| Baltic 43 | 43.34' | $ 143,513 | 9 | 0 |
| Catalina Morgan 43You are here | — | $ 55,000 | 6 | 4 |