Catalina Morgan 43 Buyer's Guide
The Catalina Morgan 43 on the brokerage market is a mid-1980s centre-cockpit cruiser from Morgan Yachts / Catalina Yachts, designed by Nelson/Marek and built as a single-keel masthead sloop with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. For a shopper, the appeal is a genuine aft owner’s cabin and a walk-through engine space wrapped in a moderate-displacement hull that tolerates cruising loads — but the boat is now old enough that documented structural and systems inspections matter more than cosmetics.
Layouts on the Used Market
The standard production was a centre-cockpit layout with only minor interior trim differences between hulls, and no evidence of factory centreboard or ketch variants. Below, the centre cockpit permits a proper aft owner’s cabin with a large island berth, good headroom and a private head with separate shower on many boats. The walkthrough to that cabin runs along one side of the Perkins 4-108 engine space, giving access for service. Forward, the saloon holds a U-shaped dinette to port and straight settee to starboard with a navigation station near the companionway, while the galley sits along the walkthrough or in an L-shape near the companionway with double sinks. A forward V-berth with its own head serves guests.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Boats offered commonly carry watermakers, air conditioning, solar, lithium batteries, inverters, dinghy davits, radar, autopilot, chartplotter, EPIRB, bimini, dodger and cockpit shower as fitted cruising equipment. Electric winches, hot water, swim platform, teak decks and life raft appear less consistently and are best treated as owner upgrades rather than standard. The original rig is a moderate masthead sloop; sailhandling updates such as furling and modern winches are the kind of system refresh that makes the boat realistic for a couple to handle on passage.
What to Inspect
A common problem area is deck core and moisture, especially around chainplates, stanchion bases, winches and the mast step, where soft spots signal core damage. Chainplates should be inspected for crevice corrosion where they pass through the deck, and the age of standing rigging confirmed. Original aluminium-framed portlights and cabin windows often leak, showing as staining or delamination around frames. Keel bolts and bilge structure need checking for corrosion or grounding cracks, and the rudder and skeg for bearing play, water ingress or hull junction cracking. The Perkins 4-108 is robust but commonly due overhaul or repower, original mild-steel fuel tanks are prime replacement candidates, and mixed old-and-new wiring demands a tidy documented panel. Deck hardware and windlass may be original and stiff.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical market availability centres on Grenada. For a buyer, the takeaway is straightforward: confirm deck core and chainplate integrity, budget for portlight and fuel-tank work, verify rigging age and rudder condition, and treat the engine as mid-life or beyond. A well-inspected Catalina Morgan 43 remains a sensible couple’s passagemaker with a real aft cabin, provided the refit history is understood before purchase.
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 · 3 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% |
Where they're listed
Catalina Morgan 43 listings appear across 1 country. Grenada has the most listings with 4.
Country view
4 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grenada | $ 55,000 | 4 | 2 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeanneau Sun Sun Odyssey 43 | 43.34' | $ 110,074 | 68 | 15 |
| Robertson and Caine 43 | 42.49' | $ 299,000 | 65 | 27 |
| Gib Sea Classic 43 | 43' | $ 76,822 | 35 | 9 |
| Hunter 43 Legend | 42.5' | $ 49,900 | 27 | 5 |
| Swan 43 | 42.78' | $ 91,728 | 17 | 3 |
| Bavaria Yachts 43 Cruiser | 42.98' | $ 134,152 | 13 | 3 |
| Contest Yachts 43 | 42.65' | $ 185,749 | 12 | 4 |
| Baltic 43 | 43.34' | $ 143,325 | 10 | 1 |
| Catalina Morgan 38 | 38.42' | $ 74,900 | 9 | 0 |
| Catalina Morgan 43You are here | — | $ 55,000 | 4 | 2 |