At just over 40 feet on deck and with a 30-foot waterline, she displaces 21,000 pounds and carries 8,000 pounds of lead ballast. Her 38 percent ballast-to-displacement ratio places her firmly among moderate-displacement cruisers rather than light racers. HarborMoor’s specifications confirm fiberglass construction and the distinctive Scheel keel, which trades a little ultimate upwind bite for a shoal 4.17-foot maximum draft and a steadier righting moment through the heel range.
Design and Construction
The 40 Cruising Ketch comes from the late-1960s Morgan Yachts era, before Charley Morgan left the company in 1972. Her numbers describe a boat intended for offshore comfort rather than speed.
A displacement-length ratio of 347.22 puts her squarely in the heavy-cruiser band. Her comfort ratio of 39.10 likewise points to a hull that absorbs a sea state rather than skitters over it. The capsize screening value of 1.63 falls within the range associated with voyaging boats considered acceptable for bluewater use by period screening standards.
Solid fiberglass throughout the hull and deck avoids the core-rot exposure found in later cored construction. The 8,000 pounds of lead ballast is encapsulated in solid fiberglass below the 4.17-foot Scheel keel.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead ketch, the Morgan 40 divides her reported 700 square feet of sail area between two masts. The foretriangle measures 47 feet high with a base of just over 40 feet, giving an area of 348 square feet. The mainmast carries a 294-square-foot mainsail with a 14.6-foot foot. Before counting the mizzen, the total 100-percent fore-and-main triangle area is about 642 square feet. Mast height is listed at 12.28 meters.
The sail-area-to-displacement ratio is a modest 14.77, consistent with a 21,000-pound cruiser intended to move in a steady breeze rather than a zephyr. For a couple sailing short-handed, the ketch rig divides the sail plan into more manageable sections. The shoal Scheel keel also opens up shallow anchorages without the violent trip of a full shoal fin.
Accommodations, Tankage, and Auxiliary Power
The boat carries 200 gallons of fresh water and 100 gallons of gasoline, capacities intended to support extended cruising without constant resupply. Her volume provides room for the systems and stowage required by a long-range cruiser, while the 30-foot waterline contributes to both living space and a theoretical hull speed of 7.34 knots.
Auxiliary power comes from a 40-horsepower Universal-Atomic Atomic 4 gasoline engine, fed by the 100-gallon fuel capacity. It moves the 21,000-pound hull at a measured pace.
Verdict
The Morgan 40 Cruising Ketch is a thoughtfully proportioned late-1960s cruiser. Her heavy-displacement hull, Scheel keel, and ketch rig suit a couple or small family voyaging at moderate latitudes.
She isn’t a light-air performer, and the gasoline Atomic 4 calls for the fire-safety discipline required by any petrol auxiliary. Even so, her solid-fiberglass construction and balanced numbers make her a sensible platform for a buyer who values steadiness over sparkle.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck avoid the rot paths associated with cored construction
- 38 percent ballast ratio and 1.63 capsize screening value suit offshore cruising
- Ketch rig divides the sail load for manageable short-handed sailing
- 200-gallon water and 100-gallon fuel capacities support long passages
Cons
- 14.77 sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits light-air performance
- Gasoline Atomic 4 auxiliary requires strict fuel-system vigilance
- 4.17-foot shoal Scheel keel trades some upwind ability for reduced draft
