Morgan 34 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Conceived as a racer-cruiser to accommodate the rating rules designed as racer cruiser, the boat offered three interior layout options and a choice of tiller or wheel steering. More than 400 examples were constructed before production ended in 1972 when the faster Morgan 35 replaced it.

Design and Construction

The Morgan 34 employs a solid fiberglass hull with a balsa-cored deck solid hull balsa deck, and the hull and deck are attached with mechanical fittings. Encapsulated lead ballast is installed inside the hull shell, and early models carried a heavy bronze centerboard later replaced by a lighter fiberglass board of near neutral buoyancy.

Glasswork throughout is heavy, solid, and unsophisticated heavy solid glasswork, with lead ballast inside the hull and through-hull fittings recessed flush to the hull. Gate valve shutoffs were standard, and the deck plan uses a low sill rather than a bridgedeck, while molded fiberglass hatches, an improvement over wooden predecessors, fall short of modern metal-framed designs and are prone to leaking as seals age.

Rig and Handling

Owners have reported that with the centerboard she goes fast off the wind fast offwind with board and that the helm remains well balanced. The rig is a masthead sloop with a keel-stepped aluminum mast, double lower shrouds, and early wooden spreaders that need care. The boat is known as a tender boat until it starts to heel, after which it tracks nicely.

Almost unanimously, owners in survey state the boat is next to impossible to back down under power hard to back down in any predictable direction. The low-aspect rig tends to develop weather helm quite quickly as the breeze builds, and despite a ballast/displacement ratio of 41.6 percent the boat is not particularly stiff.

Accommodations

Inside, the Morgan 34 dates from the heyday of wood-grained Formica interiors, with bulkheads of walnut or optionally teak. The most common layout places the galley to starboard with a dinette opposite, while some boats had a larger aft galley. Headroom exceeds six feet on centerline, and all berths are at least six feet six inches long. The head sits on the port side and is cramped when the door is closed, and the boat lacks a nav station. Ventilation in the main cabin is limited by a single long fixed port per side and no overhead hatch, though a fiberglass hatch serves the forward V-berth cabin.

Known Issues

Several weaknesses surface in ownership. The mast step sits in saltwater trapped in the bilge and the metal plate can rust out. The original boom roller reefing is cumbersome and inefficient, and early wooden spreaders can rot if neglected. The cockpit is overly roomy for offshore sailing, and owners have complained the scuppers are small and drain poorly. A sliding pocket door to the forward cabin is particle board prone to mush from mast leaks. Original winches are undersized and not self-tailing. The boat was built for serious coastal cruising rather than offshore passagemaking without improvements.

Refits and Ownership

Many Morgan 34s have undergone refitting that typically includes replacing the gasoline engine with a diesel, adding a boomvang, and changing from end-boom to midboom sheeting. The standard originally offered a Universal Atomic 4 or Palmer gasoline engine, with Perkins or Westerbeke diesel options, and a 26-gallon Monel fuel tank. Exterior teak includes coamings, toerail, and grabrails, while single lifelines and a single battery were basic standard equipment.

The Verdict

The Morgan 34 stands as a classic-plastic era centerboarder with rugged construction and adaptable draft, best suited to coastal cruising and light racing under CCA legacy. Its accommodations are roomy for the length but dated, and careful attention to known structural and rigging weak points is essential. For a hands-on owner, the platform accepts modernization while retaining a seakindly hull form when heeled.

Pros