Morgan Out Island 51 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Morgan Out Island 51 means weighing a limited-production center-cockpit ketch that began as a bigger version of the much maligned Out Island 41. These are upscale, family-oriented bluewater cruisers and former charter boats, so the used fleet mixes owner and ex-charter histories. A buyer should understand the layout variants and the known mechanical complexity before committing.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin arrangements predominate among surviving boats, though two-cabin versions appear. Ex-charter examples are common and often show higher hours and more worn soft goods. At a viewing, check the sleeping spaces: the owner's stateroom aft, the visitors' cabin forward, and the settee that converts in the main saloon, all with two heads and a U-shaped galley in teak, accommodating as many as eight berths.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the market carry an inverter, bimini, hot water, dodger, swim platform, and chartplotter as standard used-equipment. A washing machine is often seen. Beyond those, buyer-relevant upgrades appear in tiers: watermakers, air conditioning, heating, solar, spinnaker, freezer, dinghy davits, teak decks, radar, autopilot, and life raft are occasional owner additions rather than factory norms. For a cruiser of this size, the power and energy cluster — inverter, solar, watermaker — matters most, since the 85 hp Perkins diesel and 300-gallon fuel capacity already support long range but shore-power independence remains a personal choice.
What to Inspect
The standing rig is the first place a survey should focus: the OI 51 carries 18 stays and shrouds, with forestay and main uppers in 7/16-inch wire, lowers and split backstays in 3/8-inch, and mizzen shrouds in 5/16-inch. Measure wire diameters with calipers at several terminals; corrosion or undersized replacements signal deferred maintenance. Hydraulic steering requires a hydraulic drive unit, so check the ram and pump for weeps and confirm the helm responds without slack. The centerboard trunk and keel/hull joint should be examined for condition in the fiberglass hull.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United States and Denmark. A short pre-survey checklist:
- Confirm the rig wire sizes match the 18-stay specification
- Exercise the hydraulic steering and watch for fluid loss
- Inspect the centerboard trunk for delamination or seepage
- Verify inverter and chartplotter function at the helm
- Review charter history for structural wear in the saloon
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Morgan Out Island 51. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 1 | $140,000 | — |
| Feb 26 | 3 | $49,999 | -64.3% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $45,900 | -8.2% |
| May 26 | 1 | $49,999 | +8.9% |
| Jun 26 | 4 | $199,000 | +298.0% |
Where they're listed
Morgan Out Island 51 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 9 (90.0%), followed by Denmark.
Country view
10 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $89,000 | 9 | 3 | 90.0% |
| Denmark | $124,237 | 1 | 1 | 10.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Yachts 461/462 | 46.5' | $ 74,900 | 42 | 6 |
| Morgan Out Island 41 | 41.25' | $ 39,000 | 37 | 13 |
| Morgan Yachts Morgan 44 | 44' | $ 95,000 | 23 | 1 |
| Catalina Morgan 45 | 45.25' | $ 40,000 | 11 | 9 |
| Morgan Out Island 51You are here | — | $ 106,618 | 10 | 4 |
| Morgan Yachts 452 | 45' | $ 39,900 | 9 | 0 |