1996 Hall of Fame Inductee: Morgan Out Island 41

http://www.sailamerica.com/halloffame/morgan.cfm

The Morgan Out Island 41 owes much of its success to great planning, innovative design and ideal timing. Charley Morgan, founder of Morgan Yacht Corporation, learned that having the right ideas at the right time pays off.

In 1969, the New York yacht Club adopted new rating rules that favored racing boats, and dulled the competitive edge of large cruising boats. Morgan and design engineer Eric White ignored the ratings game and created the Morgan out Island 41 for coastal cruisers and non-racing sailors (beam 13', 10').

The Morgan Out Island 41 first appeared at the Annapolis Boat Show in 1970, where it displayed its tri-cabin arrangement with an aft stateroom, forward cabin, separate main saloon, private heads, and hanging lockers for personal gear. Morgan also added an air-conditioner, generator, diesel engine, and a shoal-draft keel for easy anchoring.

The Out Island 41 became the cruising boat of choice for coastal sailors, families, and couples who wished to live aboard part time. In its first year, 120 were sold. The next year, output reached one boat per day.

The attributes that made the Out Island 41 popular with cruising owners - living space and privacy - also made the boat a natural for bareboat chartering. The Out Island 41 was instrumental in the growth of the charter industry and a standard boat in Caribbean charter fleets.

Thousands of Morgan Out Island 41s were sold over a production run that extended into the 90's. Today, Out Island 41s remain a common sight in the Caribbean and along the US coasts where owners continue to appreciate this pioneering cruising boat."