Design and Construction
The Out Island 41 is structurally a very sound boat. Its solid-fiberglass hull has a long keel, an attached rudder, and 9,000 pounds of lead ballast within a displacement of 27,000 pounds. Length overall is 41 feet 3 inches, and beam is 13 feet 8 inches.
On early boats, the hull-to-deck joint sat well down the topsides, where dock impacts and travel-lift slings could damage it. In 1975, Morgan moved the joint to the sheer deck edge, creating a more traditional and stronger arrangement.
After Catalina Yachts acquired Morgan, the later Out Island 41 Classic retained the same general layout and appearance but adopted a more modern long fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. A few hulls were built with optional centerboards. Morgan also offered an optional ketch rig for sailors who preferred a divided sail plan.
Rig and Handling
When introduced in 1972, the design had a listed displacement of 24,000 pounds and 683 square feet of sail, giving it a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 13.1. By 1981, Morgan’s literature gave a more realistic displacement of 27,000 pounds and a larger sail area of 775 square feet, provided by a higher-aspect rig.
In the review record, the tester found the boat’s performance acceptable from a close reach through a broad reach, but disappointing to windward or dead downwind in light to moderate air. Its heavy, fully loaded cruising displacement—likely closer to 27,000 pounds than the original 24,000-pound figure—explains much of that sluggishness when the breeze is soft.
Accommodations
The center-cockpit layout provides three cabins: forward, amidships, and aft. That arrangement suited private cruising as well as charter use.
The original 1972 layout had no below-deck passage between the main saloon and aft stateroom. In 1974, Morgan added a walk-through. Conservative estimates suggest that 30 to 35 percent of all Out Island 41s entered the charter trade. That history is reflected in the durable interior joinery and the three-cabin plan still commonly seen today.
Machinery and Ownership
The engine compartment sits beneath the center-cockpit floor, an arrangement that remained largely unchanged throughout production.
Most boats carried Perkins marine diesels. Early examples used the Perkins 4-108 or Westerbeke 4-107, while later production shifted to the Perkins 4-154. The post-acquisition Classic used a Yanmar.
With more than a thousand boats still afloat and a simple, robust structure, the class remains well supported by owners, with spares available for its common drivetrains.
Known Issues
The polyethylene waste and water tanks were subject to failure. Because Morgan installed the tanks before fitting the deck, replacing them with comparably sized units is nearly impossible without major structural renovation. A failed tank isn’t a simple swap; it becomes a construction project.
On pre-1975 boats, the low hull-to-deck joint also warrants inspection for old impact damage from docks or travel-lift slings.
The Verdict
The Out Island 41 is a structurally honest, spacious cruiser whose main weaknesses lie in its tankage and the vulnerability of the early hull-to-deck joint, rather than in the hull itself. It offers liveaboard and charter-minded buyers plenty of room and a forgiving motion, but they’ll need realistic expectations about its windward performance in light air.
Pros
- Very sound, solid-fiberglass structure with lead ballast
- Three-cabin, center-cockpit layout, improved by the 1974 walk-through
- Large, stable platform, with more than 1,000 built and strong parts commonality
Cons
- Polyethylene tanks can fail and can’t be replaced without major renovation
- Pre-1975 hull-to-deck joint is vulnerable to dockside and sling damage
- Disappointing performance to windward and dead downwind in light to moderate air
