Design and Construction
The hull is fiberglass, laid up solid rather than cored, and the yacht's proportions tell the story of a boat built for load-carrying passage work rather than racing. At a length-to-beam ratio of 3.27 and a displacement-length ratio of 241, the Out Island 49 is a beamy, heavy hull by any measure. designed by the maritime architect Charles Morgan in the mid seventies, Morgan Yachts completed only a few of these boats. The immersion rate of about 2,247 pounds per inch speaks to how reluctantly she changes trim under added weight — a trait that rewards careful provisioning but punishes careless tank management.
Rig and Handling
The ketch rig carries a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 11.92, a figure that places her firmly in the moderate-powered cruising camp rather than the light-air sprinter category. As a ketch, the split rig distributes sail loads across two masts, which on a hull of this displacement aids trimming and storm-plan handling. The calculated maximum speed rests around 6.3 knots, while the theoretical hull-speed limit for a displacement vessel of this length is 8.8 knots — a gap that confirms she is built to cruise at a steady, economical pace rather than to chase her own bow wave.
Accommodations
Below, the interior is finished in teak, consistent with the period's production-yacht convention. Headroom is above average for a boat of this era, and the accommodation includes a toilet facility. The generous beam that defines the Out Island profile translates directly into the living spaces, giving the 49 a residential feel that smaller cruisers of the same marque could only approximate.
Performance and Seakeeping Numbers
The Motion Comfort Ratio of 40.0 places the design among the steadier cruising hulls of her size, and the capsize screening value of 1.71 indicates a form that, on paper, favors offshore survival characteristics over flat-out reach speed. These are not racing metrics but they are meaningful to a buyer weighing a heavy ketch against lighter modern cruisers: the Out Island 49 was calculated to look after her crew in disturbed water.
The Verdict
The Morgan Out Island 49 is a rare, purpose-built cruising ketch whose modest production run makes every surviving example a comparatively uncommon sight. Her numbers describe a heavily built, beamy, comfortable passage-maker rather than a performance vessel, and the teak interior with above-average headroom reflects the cruising priorities of the mid seventies.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull with heavy-displacement seakeeping character
- Ketch rig suited to manageable sail handling on a large hull
- Above-average headroom and teak-finished interior
Cons
- Only a few built, limiting spares and comparative market data
- Moderate sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits light-air pace
- Calculated top speed well below theoretical hull speed
