Morgan 382 / 383 / 384
Built 1977–1986 by Morgan Yachts
About the Morgan 382 / 383 / 384
Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.
- Built
- 1977–1986
- Builder
- Morgan Yachts
- Designer
- Ted Brewer, Jack Corey
- Length
- 38.33 ft
- Waterline
- 30.5 ft
- Beam
- 12 ft
- Draft
- 5 ft
- Displacement
- 17,000 lb
- Ballast
- 6,800 lb
- Hull / keel
- fin keel
- Rig
- sloop
- Propulsion
- inboard
- Fuel
- 40 gal
- Water
- 55 gal
- Stern thruster
- none
Sources disagree on engines, notes only value — left blank rather than guessed.
Fin-keel successor to the 1969-71 centerboard Morgan 38. Standard draft 5.0 ft with an optional 6 ft deep keel. The 383 got a taller rig around 1980-81 (year disputed; sailboatdata also mentions a modified rudder and larger water tank), and around 1983 the 384 got a bigger rudder and new interior; Catalina built 24 more before ending production in 1986. Specs shown are the 382. Decks are cored. Ballast is internal lead. Sailboatdata lists 300 382s and about 500 across all versions. Hull material left null because Practical Sailor says some hulls are Airex-cored and others solid.
Known problems for this model
-
Unbonded head bulkhead on early 382s hull
On early 382s the aft head bulkhead was not glassed to the hull, allowing mast load to push the keel area down; confirm the load-bearing bulkheads are properly tabbed before offshore use.practical-sailor.com
-
Thin skins on Airex-cored hulls hull
Some hulls are Airex-cored and one owner found very thin outer glass when drilling at the waterline (the designer disputed it); check cored hulls for damage and wet core.practical-sailor.com
-
Blistering hull
A fire-retardant resin used before 1984 has been linked to blistering, and about half the 382 owners surveyed reported some, none serious.practical-sailor.com
-
Rough early Yanmar 3QM30 engine
Some 382s got the first-generation Yanmar 3QM30, which is known for noise and vibration; the reviewer prefers boats with the Perkins 4-108.practical-sailor.com
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Skeg attachment running gear
The skeg-hung rudder is weaker than the attached rudder of the older Morgan 38, and skegs are hard to fasten strongly to the hull; inspect the skeg joint.practical-sailor.com
Engines & parts
Perkins 4.108 parts: good
Factory standard engine — you entered “Perkins 4-108”
Out of production but very well supported. Trans Atlantic Diesels (TAD) sells complete aftermarket rebuild kits (pistons, liners, rings, bearings, gaskets, valves, guides, seals), heads, blocks, crankshafts, genuine Perkins camshafts, rebuilt injection pumps and injectors, Jabsco/Sherwood raw water pumps, heat exchangers, starters, alternators and elbows, plus rebuilt exchange engines. The Westerbeke 4-107/4-108 family and some industrial engines share the base design.
Parts sources: Trans Atlantic Diesels (TAD), Foley Engines
Common problems (1)
-
Rear main (crankshaft) seal leak engine
The original rope-type rear seal is notorious for leaking and often starts leaking again a few hundred hours after replacement; Foley sells a nylon/Teflon replacement seal meant to cure it, and owners check the crankshaft sealing surface for pitting.foleyengines.com · boatdesign.net · forums.sailinganarchy.com
Model sources (2)
Other Morgan models
- Morgan Out Island 33 1973–?
- Morgan Out Island 41 1971–?
Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.